{"id":4101,"date":"2013-06-27T17:41:17","date_gmt":"2013-06-27T17:41:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/?page_id=4101"},"modified":"2026-03-28T11:17:15","modified_gmt":"2026-03-28T16:17:15","slug":"context","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/context\/","title":{"rendered":"Reading Comprehension: Using Context Clues"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t\t\t<div id=\"mmDeferVideoEncompass_YYNr29TGOgY\" style=\"position: relative;\">\n\t\t\t<picture>\n\t\t\t\t<source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/circle-play-duotone.webp\" type=\"image\/webp\">\n\t\t\t\t<source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/circle-play-duotone.png\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> \n\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"eager\" id=\"videoThumbnailImage_YYNr29TGOgY\" data-source-videoID=\"YYNr29TGOgY\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/circle-play-duotone.png\" alt=\"Reading Comprehension: Using Context Clues Video\" height=\"464\" width=\"825\" class=\"size-full\" data-matomo-title = \"Reading Comprehension: Using Context Clues\">\n\t\t\t<\/picture>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<style>img#videoThumbnailImage_YYNr29TGOgY:hover {cursor:pointer;} img#videoThumbnailImage_YYNr29TGOgY {background-size:contain;background-image:url(\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/updated-reading-comprehension-using-context-clues-64bffc0ac9abf.webp\");}<\/style>\n\t\t\t<script defer>\n\t\t\t  jQuery(\"img#videoThumbnailImage_YYNr29TGOgY\").click(function() {\n\t\t\t\tlet videoId = jQuery(this).attr(\"data-source-videoID\");\n\t\t\t\tlet helpTag = '<div id=\"mmDeferVideoYTMessage_YYNr29TGOgY\" style=\"display: none;position: absolute;top: -24px;width: 100%;text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-style: italic;font-size: small;border-top: 1px solid #fc0;\">Having trouble? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v='+videoId+'\" target=\"_blank\">Click here to watch on YouTube.<\/a><\/span><\/div>';\n\t\t\t\tlet tag = document.createElement(\"iframe\");\n\t\t\t\ttag.id = \"yt\" + videoId;\n\t\t\t\ttag.src = \"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/\" + videoId + \"?autoplay=1&controls=1&wmode=opaque&rel=0&egm=0&iv_load_policy=3&hd=0&enablejsapi=1\";\n\t\t\t\ttag.frameborder = 0;\n\t\t\t\ttag.allow = \"autoplay; fullscreen\";\n\t\t\t\ttag.width = this.width;\n\t\t\t\ttag.height = this.height;\n\t\t\t\ttag.setAttribute(\"data-matomo-title\",\"Reading Comprehension: Using Context Clues\");\n\t\t\t\tjQuery(\"div#mmDeferVideoEncompass_YYNr29TGOgY\").html(tag);\n\t\t\t\tjQuery(\"div#mmDeferVideoEncompass_YYNr29TGOgY\").prepend(helpTag);\n\t\t\t\tsetTimeout(function(){jQuery(\"div#mmDeferVideoYTMessage_YYNr29TGOgY\").css(\"display\", \"block\");}, 2000);\n\t\t\t  });\n\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t<\/script>\n\t\t\n<p><script>\nfunction A6l_Function() {\n  var x = document.getElementById(\"A6l\");\n  if (x.style.display === \"none\") {\n    x.style.display = \"block\";\n  } else {\n    x.style.display = \"none\";\n  }\n}\n<\/script><\/p>\n<div class=\"moc-toc hide-on-desktop hide-on-tablet\">\n<div><button onclick=\"A6l_Function()\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/toc2.svg\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" alt=\"show or hide table of contents\"><\/button><\/p>\n<p>On this page<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<nav id=\"A6l\" style=\"display:none;\">\n<ul>\n<li class=\"toc-h2\"><a href=\"#Illustrations\" class=\"smooth-scroll\">Illustrations<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"toc-h2\"><a href=\"#Synonyms\" class=\"smooth-scroll\">Synonyms<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"toc-h2\"><a href=\"#Contrasts\/Antonyms\" class=\"smooth-scroll\">Contrasts\/Antonyms<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"toc-h2\"><a href=\"#Inferences\" class=\"smooth-scroll\">Inferences<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"toc-h2\"><a href=\"#Punctuation\" class=\"smooth-scroll\">Punctuation<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/nav>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"accordion\"><input id=\"transcript\" type=\"checkbox\" class=\"spoiler_button\" \/><label for=\"transcript\">Transcript<\/label>\n<div class=\"spoiler\" id=\"transcript-spoiler\">\n<p>When you come upon a word you don\u2019t understand while reading, you have three options. You can choose to look it up in a dictionary, ignore it, or try to figure out what it means based on the context in which it is used. If you\u2019re in a test environment, you don\u2019t usually have the luxury of a dictionary, and it certainly isn\u2019t wise to ignore the word altogether. <\/p>\n<p>Therefore, it\u2019s a good skill to learn how a word\u2019s context can help you better understand what the word means. <\/p>\n<p>Searching for a word\u2019s context is as simple as looking at other words around the troublesome word. There are, in general, five main types of context clues:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Illustrations<\/li>\n<li><a class=\"ylist\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/synonyms\/\">Synonyms<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"ylist\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/compare-and-contrast\/\">Contrasts<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"ylist\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/inference\/\">Inferences<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"ylist\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/consistency-in-punctuation\/\">Punctuation<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><span id=\"Illustrations\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Illustrations<\/h2>\n<p>\nThe first context clues fall into the category of illustrations, examples, or explanations of the word. This may seem overly simple, but difficult words are often followed by information the writer uses to explain the word\u2019s meaning. <\/p>\n<p>Look for words like <em>such as<\/em>, <em>including<\/em>, <em>for instance<\/em>, and <em>like<\/em>. This can be the author\u2019s way of further clarifying a difficult word and you can sometimes make a logical guess about the word\u2019s meaning from the example alone. <\/p>\n<p>Take a look at this sentence:<\/p>\n<div class=\"transcriptcallout\" style=\"text-align: left;\">An occupation, such as that of a hatmaker or a postman, is important for anyone who wants to earn a steady wage.<\/div>\n<p>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nIn this sentence, we\u2019re looking at the word <em>occupation<\/em>. Not only is it a long word that we might not understand at first, but it also has multiple meanings: an occupation can mean a job, but it can also mean to take up space. It can even be used to talk about military invasion, when one country is occupying another.<\/p>\n<p>When we look at the sentence, though, we see two examples given of the word in question. Neither a hatmaker or a postman are particularly prone to occupying other countries\u2014or at least that\u2019s not their primary purpose\u2014so we can assume that the word <em>occupation<\/em> is referencing a job or employment opportunity. <\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Synonyms\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Synonyms<\/h2>\n<p>\nA second category of context clues is synonyms. A synonym is a word that shares a near meaning with another word. For example, <em>loud<\/em> and <em>noisy<\/em> mean similar things but are two different words.<\/p>\n<p>Take a look at the following sentence to see how synonyms can be good context clues:<\/p>\n<div class=\"transcriptcallout\" style=\"text-align: left;\">The patient\u2019s hippocampus was an uncharted minefield. His memory was so bad, the psychiatrist wondered whether that part of the brain was even processing memory and emotion the way it should.<\/div>\n<p>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n<em>Hippocampus<\/em> is a very confusing word in this sentence. Right away, the word <em>brain<\/em> tells us that the hippocampus is likely a part of the brain. In fact, it\u2019s the part of the brain thought to be responsible for memory and emotion\u2014but we could have guessed that too, right? <\/p>\n<p>The sentence says the psychiatrist was concerned the patient\u2019s memory and emotion weren\u2019t being processed \u201cthe way it should,\u201d so we can deduce that the hippocampus is responsible for those processes. The clue had both synonyms, the word <em>brain<\/em>, and a full reinstatement of the initial sentence that clarified what the hippocampus was. <\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Contrasts\/Antonyms\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Contrasts\/Antonyms<\/h2>\n<p>\nA third helpful context clue is the contrast or <a class=\"ylist\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/synonyms-and-antonyms\/\">antonym<\/a> clue. Antonyms are the opposite of synonyms. For example, <em>hot<\/em> and <em>cold<\/em> are antonyms. <\/p>\n<p>Sometimes, contrast sentences can tell us what a word is not, and that in turn can give us an idea of what the word is. Look at this:<\/p>\n<div class=\"transcriptcallout\" style=\"text-align: left;\">Mary was known for having smooth skin, but to her horror she woke up on her wedding day with a papule on her nose.<\/div>\n<p>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nDo you know what a papule is? Neither do I, actually. But I can see the word <em>but<\/em> contrasting whatever it is with Mary\u2019s smooth skin. That, coupled with the clue about her nose, leads me to believe it is a zit of sorts, which in fact it is. <\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Inferences\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Inferences<\/h2>\n<p>\nA fourth clue to help you gain a bit of context surrounding words you don\u2019t understand is inference or general context. This is a bit more vague of an explanation, but it basically means that sometimes we don\u2019t have clear synonyms or antonyms, and we don\u2019t have an illustration after the difficult word. <\/p>\n<p>Sometimes we just have to look at the paragraph as a whole and put a few floating parts together. This is best explained with an example. <\/p>\n<div class=\"transcriptcallout\" style=\"text-align: left;\">The haberdashery was Bob\u2019s favorite place. He bought all his suits there. The staff was friendly, and always respectful.<\/div>\n<p>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nThere\u2019s no direct description of what a haberdashery is, but the second sentence tells us that at the very least it sells suits. We also see that it\u2019s Bob\u2019s favorite place, so we can guess\u2014without certainty, but it\u2019s still a clue\u2014that it\u2019s a clothing place for men.<\/p>\n<p>The word <em>staff<\/em> couples with the word <em>bought<\/em> to let us know it\u2019s likely a store of some sort. In fact, a haberdashery is a clothing boutique for men, which gets us pretty close to the assumptions we were able to make. <\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Punctuation\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Punctuation<\/h2>\n<p>\nThe final helpful context clue is the clue of punctuation. Sometimes commas or quotation marks can be used to clarify the meaning of a word. Quotation marks can show the word has special meaning, brackets can enclose additional explanation, italics can further define a word, etc.<\/p>\n<p>Think about the following:<\/p>\n<div class=\"transcriptcallout\" style=\"text-align: left;\">Matcha (Japanese green tea) has many health benefits.<\/div>\n<p>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nThe parenthetical phrase gives a pretty clear description of what matcha is. In many ways, this kind of punctuation is the easiest context clue of all to deduce. <\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>\nThese are the five main clues you can fall back on when trying to decipher the meaning of a difficult word, but in general, remember that when you come upon a word that isn\u2019t in your vocabulary you don\u2019t have to give up\u2014paragraphs often hold other clues that can give you helpful hints about what that mystery word actually means.<\/p>\n<p>I hope that this video over context was helpful to you guys. See you later!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"home-buttons\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/reading-comprehension\/\">Return to Reading Comprehension Videos<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Return to Reading Comprehension Videos<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":186638,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":{"0":"post-4101","1":"page","2":"type-page","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"page_category-reading-comprehension-videos","7":"page_category-video-pages-for-study-course-sidebar-ad","8":"page_type-video","9":"subject_matter-english"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4101","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4101"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4101\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":281513,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4101\/revisions\/281513"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/186638"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4101"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}