6Module 8

ENGLISHDECODING MEANING OF UNFAMILIAR WORDS

USING CONTEXT CLUES

A DepEd-BEAM Distance Learning Program supported by the Australian Agency for International Development

To the Learner

Dear Learner,

How are you today?In your previous module youve learned about words with

multiple meanings. This module will guide you how to get the exactmeaning of a word by using it in context.

Lets Learn This

This module will help you use context clues which means to getthe meaning of the word as it is used with other words. Therefore,the words that precede and follow an unfamiliar word will help youget its specific meaning.

Lets Try This

Select the best definition of the boldface word in each sentencefrom the choices given. Write the letter of the definition in the blank.

______ 1. At the end of the term the manager received one thousand pounds as retirement pension.

1. strikes heavily 2. units of money 3. units of weight

______ 2. After examining the cause, the archaeologist pronounced them the finest gallery of prehistoric art.

1. testing the condition 2. inspecting closely 3. inquiring carefully

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______ 3. The green trees and the bright sunshine were something to behold.

1. radiating; reflecting 2. intelligent; clever 3. lively; cheerful

______ 4. We are team, designing and creating the festival hats.

1. plotting against someone 2. sketching outline for a project 3. projecting mental schemes

______ 5. The gentleman was spotting an attractive tie.

1. to secure with string or the like 2. same score 3. necktie used as part of mens attire

2 Are you done? 3 Were all your answers like these?

1. units of money 2. inspecting closely 3. radiating; reflecting 4. sketching outline for a project 5. necktie used as part of mens attire

4 Write your score inside the big flower.

5 Lets move on to the next activity.

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Lets Study This

Study the following paragraph. Find out the correct meaning of draft by studying the context.

A strong draft had blown the window open. With a(1)

loud clutter, it blew away the window shutter. Shivering,

Cindy got up the bed to draft a temporary replacement for(2)

the shutter until daybreak. As soon as the bank opened, she

would encash the draft her mother had sent so she could(3)

buy a good window shutter. Then she would draft her(4)

friends to help put up the shutter. She would reward her

friends with a cold draft of fruit juice.(5)

1 Note the italicized word draft in the paragraph. Lets look at itsmeaning by studying the context.

(1) draft a current air (2) draft a plan (3) draft a written order for money payable to a bank (4) draft to select or draw money (5) draft to drink or something taken in.

2 When we use context clues in learning the meaning of a word,we read the words that follow it and then derive its meaningfrom them or from the context.

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Example:

The heavy rain muffles the loud music in the bedroom thats why the babys sleep remains undisturbed.

1 Which word in the sentence means to deaden the sound of orto keep down? The word muffle means to keep down.

Lets Do This

What is the correct meaning of each italicized word? Choose your answer from the box opposite each set. Write only the letter.(Note: Numbers 1 and 2 correspond to 3 points each. Number 3 corresponds to 4 points.)

1. ______ A. Each child had brought his/her racket for the game.

______ B. What a racket they made as they played their game!

______ C. What racket can I make to take advantage of this disturbance?

2. ______ A. The hunters wanted to get someleopards but the quarry was too cleverfor them.

______ B. We went to the quarry to get some stones for our project.

______ C. In some places, quarrying is prohibited to prevent landslides.

1. plan forgettingmoney

2. metal orwoodenhoop forplayingtennis

3. loud noise

1. excavationfrom which

stone istaken bycuttingorblasting

2. cutting,diggingfor ortakingstones

c. animalbeing

hunted down.

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3. ______ A. I will never forget thedate February 14.

______ B. Somebody gave us apackage of date. a. oblong, sweet, juicy

fruit______ C. We ate so much of the

exotic food that we had to b. obsolete or old-make a date with the fashioneddentist.

c. point of time______ D. Instead of the modern

dental laboratory we d. an appointmentexpected to see, thedentists equipment wasdated.

1 Are you done? 2 Look at the Answer Key to check your answers. 3 Whats your score in? _________ 4 Lets continueDo your best this time.

Lets Do More

Directions: Use the context clues to the sentences to find themeanings of the bold faced words. Write your answer in yournotebook.

1. Jane was a wizard at games. She mastered them in no time andseldom last.

evil magician gifted personaverage player

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2. The holiday was so special that she was sure shed never forgetit. The memory would be imprinted forever in her mind.

found weighed fixed

3. John will believe anything anyone tells him, his teacher said.Hes a very impressionable young man.

easily influenced unhappyunintelligent

4. Do you really think its prudent to spend all your money onclothes? his mother asked crossly.

foolish wise funny

5. Your plan has merit, Elizabeths father said. Let me give itsome thought.

value awards kindness

6. John was very gregarious and loved being around people.

shy outgoingunfriendly

1 Are you done? 2 Look at the Answer Key again to check your answers. 3 How much did you get? __________ 4 Very Good! Thats better.

Lets Remember This

A context clue is a clue or hint from the sentence thathelps you to figure out words that you dont know.

Context clues help you figure out the meaning of aword by relating it to other words in the sentence or thissimply means that we get the meaning of a word bystudying its relationship with other words in the sentence.Some clues are more obvious than the others.

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Lets take a look at the example.

Read and choose the best meaning of the underlined word by using the context clue.

______ 1. A choreographer is someone who createsdance compositions and designs dancemovements and patterns for dance.1. one who designs houses 2. one who designs dances 3. one who dances

______ 2. It was a horrible experience, quite unlike the glorious moment she has dreamed of.1. beautiful 2. shocking 3. frightful 4. both b and c

Do we have the same choices? For number 1. its letter b 2.

its letter c

Lets Test Ourselves

1. Context Clues: Leonardo da Vinci

Directions: Read the sentences below. Use the context clues tofigure out the meaning of the bold words. Write your answer in yournotebook.

1. Some people are perplexed when they look at The Last Supper, but others understand it immediately.

unhappy happy puzzled

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2. Because his model felt melancholy about the death of her child, da Vinci had music played to lift her spirits as he painted the Mona Liza.

sad unfriendly hostile

3. Because da Vincis work is so famous, many people erroneously assume that he left behind many paintings. In fact,he left only 20.

rightly correctly wrongly

4. Leanardo da Vinci was not like most other people. He didnt care what others thought of him-he led an interesting and unconventional life.

dull not ordinary ordinary

5. The composition of the The Last Supper is superb. All the partsof the painting seem to fit together beautifully.

The picture frameparts of the picture

6. Leonardos genius set him apart from people with ordinaryminds. He never married, he had few friends and he spent much ofhis time alone.

great mental abilities great physical abilities

improper way to do thingsproper way to do things

7. Because he was a loner, da Vinci worried no one would come tohis funeral when he died. In his will, he set aside 70 cents each tohire 60 mourners to accompany his body to his grave.

friends people who grievepeople who smile

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2. Context Clue: Passenger Cars

Directions: Read the information about passenger cars. Usecontext clues to determine the meaning of words in bold. Checkthe correct answers.

Early railroad passengercars were little more thanstagecoaches fitted with specialwheels to help them stay onthe tracks. They didnt holdmany passengers, and becausethey were made out, they werefire hazards. They also did nothold up very well if the traincame off the track or had acollision with another train.

In the United States, it wasnt long before passenger cars werelengthened to hold more people. Late in the 1830s, Americans wereriding in elongated cars with double seats on either side of a centeraisle. By the early 1900s, most cars were made of metal instead ofwood.

Sleeping and dining cars were introduced in the United States bythe early 1860s. Over the next 25 years other improvements weremade, including electric lighting, steam heat and covered vestibulesthat allowed passengers to walk between cars. All of these luxurieshelped make railroad travel much more comfortable.

1. Based on the other words in the sentence, what is the correctdefinition of hazards?

engines risks stations

2. Based on the other words in the sentence, what is the correctdefinition of collision?

crash race track

3. Based on the other words in the sentence, what is the correctdefinition of elongated?

wooden new lengthened

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1Dont sit on Eleonor! Jane screamed, causing hermothers best friend to leap back up from the chair on whichshe was about to sit, and spill her tea. Mrs. Tripp lookedresignedly at Mrs. Lister.2Eleanors still with us, I see, she said mopping at the spilled tea on her lap with her handkerchief.3Really, Jane, this business of your invisible friend is becoming a nuisance, Mrs. Lister said, running for the paper towels.4Im sorry, Mrs. Tripp, Jane said. She was just sitting there for a minute waiting for me to come so we could go up to my room.5Er, Jane dear, Mrs. Tripp said, looking at her over thetop of her huge, black-rimmed glasses, dont you think youdbe Whos Invisible Now?

By Karleen Bradford

happier with a real friend? My Susie would love to see more ofyou, I know.6Jane didnt answer.

7Later on, when Mrs. Lister had come in to turn Janes light off for the night for the third time, she looked down at Jane and sighed.8Mrs. Tripp is right, you know dear. You are really much too old4. Based on the other words in the sentence, what is the correctdefinition of vestibules?

passagewayscarsdepots

5. Based on the otherwords in thesentence, what is thecorrect definition of luxuries?

additions

C.

to have an imaginary friend. Thats what little children do, and youre98

things offering the greatest comfortInventions

9Eleanor is not imaginary, Jane replied sulkily, shesjust invisible, thats all. And youre always telling me to beloyal to my friends, so why shouldnt that include Eleanor?And Susies not a delighted, well-adjusted child, shes afink.

10Really, dear! That word!11Its not bad word. Its in the dictionary. I looked it up

the last time you told me not to say it. If its all right for thedictionary it should be all right for me, and it sure describesSusie. Fink: Spy, informer. Unsavory person; jerk. ThatsSusie.

12Jane! Susies certainly not a spy.13Oh, yes she is. Shes the one who told my whole

class about Eleanor, after you told her mother. Sheeavesdropped when you two were talking, and then she toldthe whole world. Thats a spy. And shes a jerk, becauseEleanor said so.

14Oh, dear, Mrs. Lister sighed, and left the room,forgetting to turn the light out after all.15Jane sighed too, and turned the light off herself. She

didnt really mind people not believing in Eleanor-after all,she couldnt really expect them to-but it did make thingsdifficult at times.

16The next morning, as she was coming down the stairsto breakfast, she heard her mother and father talking. Shedidnt mean to eavesdrop-goodness knows, she wasnt a spy-but she couldnt help overhearing her mother say,

17I dont know what to do about this Eleanor business,I really dont.18Maybe if we got her busy doing other things, her

father suggested brightly. Maybe that would take her mindoff Eleanor for a while.

19The next week happened to be a holiday, and Janewas certainly kept busy. Her mother had something differentplanned for every day of the week: movies one day, puppetshow the next, shopping for shoes the next, visit to Susieshouse (Ugh) the next. Her father even stayed home fromwork one day and took her to the zoo. She had a marveloustime.

20The evening before school started again her motherand father called her back into the living room just as shewas going to bed.

21Did you enjoy yourself over the holiday? they asked,looking at her expectantly.22Oh, I certainly did, Jane answered, her eyes shining.

And so did Eleanor. Every minute of it, except for the visit toSusies. She bounced out the room.

23Her mother looked at her father with despair.99

They admired their neighbors lawns and gardens, stoppedin for an ice-cream cone-very unusual this, so close todinner time and after all those cookies, too, thought Jane-talked about school, then started back home. Mrs. Listerbegan to explain all over again about invisible playmatesand almost ten-year-old girls, but Jane suddenly interruptedher.

28Just a moment, Mom, she said politely, Eleanorthink her mothers calling her.29Eleanor! exploded Mrs. Lister. What have I justbeen telling you? ELEANOR DOESNT EXIST!30Just then, out of the thin air only a childsbreathaway from Jane, a mothers impatient voice cried out:31Really, Eleanor, this business of your invisible friend Jane

Using Context Clues

Directions: Look at each number in parenthesis. Find the paragraphwith the same number in the story. See how the word below is used in the paragraph. Decide whether its meaning is a or b. Write the letter of your answer in the blank. Number 1 is done for you.

1a 1. paper (3)

1. made of paper 2. a written composition

Start here.

______ 2. down (7)

1. to or towards a lower place or position 2. to end or drink something quickly

______ 3. little (8)

1. small in size 2. small in quantity

______ 4. class (13)

1. high quality 2. group of pupils

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______ 5. mind (15)

1. to be troubled 2. way of thinking

______ 6. mean (16)

1. to have as a purpose 2. a middle point between extremes

______ 7. off (18)

1. not being at ones best 2. away from

______ 8. time (27)

1. a period 2. rate of speed

2 Are you done? 3 Look at the Answer Key to check your answers. 4 What is your score? 5 If you got 14-19, Congratulations! Proceed to the next module.

6 If your score is 9-13, answer the next activity LetsEnrich Ourselves.

7 If your score is 8 and below, review the whole module.

Lets EnrichOurselves

Understanding Context Clues

Directions: For each sentence, circle the pair of words that completethe meaning of the sentence.

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1. Their profits have been __________, and they wish to __________ theirsituation.

1. decreasing - excuse 2. declining - remedy 3. comfortable redness

2. Rats provide a __________ in reducing garbage, but this isoutweighed by their __________ activities.

1. help - useful 2. trouble - dynamic 3. service - harmful

3. Fact and Fancy were so _________ that no one could _________ them.

1. connected separate 2. necessary use 3. respected want

4. If one is to understand the __________, one must study the_________.

1. facts unnecessary 2. unusual sentences 3. whole- parts

5. His father __________ him, for he realized the interest was morethan a __________ fancy.

1. encouraged childish 2. berated sincere 3. helped mature

6. Safe driving prevents __________ and the awful _________ of knowingyou have caused an accident.

1. disease remainder 2. accidents safe 3. tragedy remorse

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1 Are you done? 2 Look at the Answer Key to check your

answers. 3 What is your score? __________ 4 Very Good! Job well done. 5 Proceed to the next module.

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Answer Key

Lets Do This Lets Do More Lets Test Ourselves

1. b A. 1. gifted person A.c B. 2. fixed 1. puzzleda C. 3. easily influenced 2. sad

4. wise 3. wrongly2. c A. 5. value 4. not ordinary

a B. 6. outgoing5. parts of the picture

b C. 6. great mentor7. people who grieve

3. c A. B.a B. 1. risksd C. 2. crashb D. 3. lengthened

4. passagewaysLets Enrich Ourselves 5. things offering the

greatest comfort1. declining remedy2. service harmful C.3. connected separate a. 1.4. whole parts Start here5. encouraged childish a 2.6. tragedy remorse a 3.

b 4.a 5.a 6.b 7.a 8.

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