Common Mistakes Students Make with Example Context Clues

📚 Quick Study Guide

• 🔍 Understand the Sentence Structure: Pay attention to how the words are arranged in the sentence. This can give you clues about the unknown word's part of speech and its relationship to other words.
• 💡 Look for Signal Words: Words like "because," "since," "therefore," "however," "although," and "but" can indicate cause-and-effect, contrast, or similarity, helping you infer meaning.
• 📝 Identify Definitions and Examples: Sometimes, the sentence or surrounding sentences directly define the word or provide examples that illustrate its meaning.
• 🤔 Use Your Prior Knowledge: Connect the information in the sentence to what you already know about the topic. This can help you make informed guesses about the unknown word.
• 🚫 Avoid Assumptions: Don't jump to conclusions based on limited information. Consider all the clues before making a guess.
• 🔄 Substitute and Check: Once you've made a guess, substitute the meaning you've inferred back into the sentence to see if it makes sense in the overall context.
• 🧐 Consider the Tone: The author's tone (e.g., serious, humorous, sarcastic) can also provide clues about the meaning of the word.

Practice Quiz

1. Which sentence best illustrates the meaning of 'Ephemeral'?
   1. The old castle stood as a _permanent_ monument to the past.
   2. The artist created a _lasting_ sculpture from bronze.
   3. The fireworks display was _brief_, lighting up the night sky for only a few moments.
   4. The ancient tree had _enduring_ roots which could withstand storms.
2. In the sentence, "The scientist used a sophisticated microscope to scrutinize the tiny organisms," what does "scrutinize" mean?
   1. To ignore
   2. To examine closely
   3. To quickly glance at
   4. To casually observe
3. Which of the sentences below provides the best context clue for the word 'Lethargic'?
   1. After running the marathon, he felt energetic and ready for anything.
   2. Because she was feeling ill, she was sluggish and lacked energy.
   3. Despite the heat, he was full of zest and excitement.
   4. Although he had worked all night, he felt quite invigorated.
4. "The politician's speech was filled with platitudes; it contained nothing new or original." What are 'platitudes'?
   1. Exciting new ideas
   2. Original concepts
   3. Overused, commonplace remarks
   4. Complex strategies
5. Using context clues, what is the most likely meaning of the word 'Ambiguous' in this sentence: "The directions were ambiguous, leading to confusion among the hikers."
   1. Crystal clear
   2. Easy to follow
   3. Vague or unclear
   4. Extremely detailed
6. Which sentence uses context clues to best define 'Ubiquitous'?
   1. The rare bird was only found in a single location.
   2. Because smartphones are so prevalent, they seem to be everywhere.
   3. Hidden treasure is nearly impossible to find.
   4. Ancient artifacts are exceedingly rare.
7. What does the word 'Exacerbate' mean in the following sentence: "The new law will only exacerbate the existing problems."
   1. Alleviate or lessen
   2. Improve or enhance
   3. Worsen or aggravate
   4. Resolve or fix