DI A
NA C
A SON
, B
A K E RS F I E
L D
CO
L L EGEVOCABULARY
IN
CONTEXT
WHAT
’S W
RONG WIT
H
USING A
DIC
TIONARY
TO
LOOK U
P AN
UNFAMILI
AR WORD?
• Slows you down• Disrupts the flow of
your reading and thought process
• A dictionary isn’t always available
• Some words have multiple meanings
INSTE
AD, USE YO
UR
DETECTI
VE SKILL
S TO
“INVESTI
GATE” A
WORD’S
MEANIN
G.
CONTEXT
Words surrounding an unfamiliar word that give clues about its meaning
HOW D
O CONTE
XT
CLUES W
ORK?
Since it was raining outside, I used my ________ to keep from getting wet.
• My math book cost over a $100.
• I just booked my flight to Chicago.
• Greg was booked on DUI charges.
CONTEXT
CAN CHANGE
A WORD’S
MEANIN
G.
TYPE
S OF
CONTEXT
CLUES
DefinitionSynonymAntonymExample
DEFINITION CLUES• Found immediately after the word• Often punctuation is used to draw
attention to the definition (commas or dashes)
• Signal words = refers to, or, can be defined as, means, is
• Hydrocortisone, a steroid hormone, is used in the treatment of rheumatism.
SYNONYMS• Words that have similar meanings• “rich” and “wealthy”• Signal words = or, also called, in other
words• Although the salesperson tried to
assuage the angry customer, there was no way to soothe her.
• Assuage = soothe (calm down, satisfy)
ANTONYMS• Words that have opposite
meanings• “rich” and “poor”• Many snakes are poisonous, but
others are innocuous and pose no danger.
• Innocuous = harmless
EXAMPLES• Signal words = for example, for
instance, such as, like, including• When attending an office party, it is
important to show your best decorum, such as dressing appropriately, eating moderately, and thanking your host or hostess before leaving.
• decorum = manners, good behavior
PRACTICE1. The indolent employee did absolutely
nothing and was eventually fired.
2. Silvia’s nefarious activities landed her in jail.
3. As she finished her third drink, Trish became increasingly garrulous, talking about everything from her cat’s eating habits to her most recent therapy session.
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