1. Do You Have a (Context) Clue?
English 121 RALP
With your host,
Jennifer Garner

2. What is a context clue?
When you don’t know a word in something you are reading, you can use context clues, or information surrounding the word, to figure out the meaning.
So, context clues are the surrounding information in the text that allow you to make an educated guess about the word’s meaning.

3. Four types of context clues
Type of Context Clue
Signal Words or Punctuation
Definition Clue – a definition of a term, often in boldface or italics
Is, is defined as, means, :, -, bold, italics
Synonym Clue – a word that means the same thing as the one you don’t know.
Commas, or, a word later in the sentence that means the same thing
Antonym Clue – A word or phrase that means the opposite of the unknown word
Unlike, instead, but, however, on the other hand, rather, conversely
Inference Clue – An educated guess based on information and reasonable deduction for the sentence or surrounding sentences
A list of examples or a specific example, descriptive details, prefix/suffix

4. The first review on the Harry Potter movie was favorable
The first review on the Harry Potter movie was favorable. Many people attended and enjoyed the movie. Some people even saw the movie three times!
Negative
Uncertain
Positive
Clear

5. Her quiet, timid ways made us guess at her true feelings about the story because she kept her ideas to herself and never spoke in the class
Shy
Boisterous
Kind
Seriously

6. He was found running down the street after curfew, and his parents were penalized. The ticket read: "Illegally in the streets at 1:00A.M." Now he would have to pay the ticket with his own money.
Crooked
Fined
Delicate
Informed

7. The woman crossed her fingers as her daughter did the cheer
The woman crossed her fingers as her daughter did the cheer. She was hoping that everything would work out for her daughter as she vied for a position on the squad. Her daughter wanted to be a cheerleader.
Shouted
Enclosed
Expanded
Tried

8. The apparatus that Jill used to connect the fabric was similar to a sewing machine, but this one did all of the work while she just pushed a button
Idea
Zipper
Instrument
Singular