When you meet an unfamiliar word, the surrounding text often contains clues. A definition clue explains the word. An example clue gives examples. A contrast clue shows an opposite. A cause-and-effect clue shows what the word leads to.
In “The rescuers were relentless, searching through the night without stopping”, the phrase “without stopping” tells you that relentless means not giving up.
Make a prediction, then check it by rereading the sentence with your meaning in place.
Worked example
Read: “The village was isolated, miles from the nearest road or town.” What does isolated mean?
- The clue is “miles from the nearest road or town”.
- That describes a place far away from others.
Answer:far away from other places
Key words
- context
- the words and sentences around a word
- prediction
- a sensible guess
- unfamiliar
- new to you
Practise this
New questions every time.
Common Core-referenced: L.5.4a