Increasing%20Vocabulary

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Increasing Vocabulary

• Context Clues

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Definition of a Context Clue

• The meanings of many words can be figured out by
  examining their surrounding words and nearby
  sentences.
• In fact, in the English language, many words have
  more than one meaning. In that case, the meaning
  of a particular word is determined by the context
  in which it appears.

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Methods

• Restatement
• Synonyms
• Antonyms
• Definitions
• Explanations
• Relationships

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Restatement

• Restatement involves stating an unfamiliar word
  in another way in the context of the same
  sentence.
• For example Euthanasia, mercy killing, is
  illegal in the United States. Here mercy killing
  restates the meaning of the word euthanasia.

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Synonyms

• Some sentences will contain a more familiar word
  with the same meaning as a new term to provide a
  clue as to the meaning of the new word.
• For example The doctor turned out to be a
  charlatan, and his patients were worried they had
  been treated by a fake physician.
• Here the word fake is the context clue in the
  form of a synonym for the word charlatan.

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Antonyms

• Antonyms are words that have opposite meanings.
• Some sentences will provide clues to the meaning
  of an unfamiliar word by including a familiar
  word with the opposite meaning.
• For example Even though the president
  disapproved of the bill, he sanctioned its
  passage to avoid conflict with congress.
• Here the word sanctioned is explained through
  contrast with its antonym disapproved.

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Definitions

• Some sentences are actual definitions of new
  terms.
• For example Histology is the study of cell
  tissue.

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Explanation

• In other sentences, although the new word is not
  defined, it is explained.
• For example People should feel compassion toward
  the poor because they could one day find
  themselves in a similar situation and would want
  others to be understanding toward them.
• Here the word because indicates that the word
  compassion is going to be explained.

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Relationships

• A less obvious method of revealing a words
  meaning is through the use of relationships. The
  reader must draw a conclusion as to the meaning
  of a new word based on the meaning conveyed by
  the rest of the sentence.
• For example The candidate was jubilant when he
  heard he was ahead in the polls.
• Here you would infer that the word jubilant meant
  very happy because being ahead would make a
  candidate happy.

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In Conclusion

• Authors often reveal the meanings of new words to
  readers through the context in which they appear.
• Methods that are commonly used are restatement,
  synonyms, antonyms, definitions, explanations,
  and relationships.

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Reference

• The methods explained in this presentation are
  based on Reading Skills for College Students by
  Ophelia Hancock.