Context clues are bits of information from the text that, when combined with prior knowledge, allow you to decide the meaning of unknown words in the story or article you are reading.
As a reader you must act similar to a detective and put together clues from sentences surrounding an unknown word in order to make an intelligent “guess” as to what the definition of a word is.
As a reader you must act similar to a detective and put together clues from sentences surrounding an unknown word in order to make an intelligent “guess” as to what the definition of a word is.
Context clues are words that say, “Stop - don’t touch that dictionary. The definition of the word you don’t know is right here in the text!"
Examples
There are many theories, orideas, about what made the Ice Ages happen.
After a time, glaciers, or slowly moving rivers of ice, formed over many parts of the Earth.
After seeing the picture of the starving children, we felt compassion or pity for their suffering.
Mary admonished her students and they knew they were in hot water for their actions.
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In this sentence the word “ideas” tells us that theories are different thoughts people have about something.
In this sentence the words “slowly moving rivers of ice” tell us what glaciers are.
In this sentence the word “pity” tells us that compassion means to have understanding for.
In this sentence the words “in hot water” tell us that admonished means cautioned or scolded.
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