Using context cues
If you have to stop often to look up the meaning of words, you are going to slow down your reading. More importantly, you may miss the main point of the text. The SQ4R strategy is a process of reading which encourages you to read for main ideas. You can look up the meaning of words that seem important – because they recur or are highlighted in the original text – after the reading. Instead, look for:
- context cues to determine meaning
- punctuation, italics or abbreviation to understand relationships between sentences:
- The comma (,) is often used to set off extra information such as a definition or clarification or an example.
- The semicolon (;) introduces a sentence that provides information related to the previous statement.
- The colon (:) is used to introduce a list which might serve as a definition or as examples.
- Dashes (– ... –) or brackets ( ) set off additional comments about a statement, to define or clarify.
- Italics is a special type of print that often defines or explains specialised vocabulary.
- Abbreviations (in non-academic texts) commonly used for clarification are eg and ie.
Context cues (note the punctuation)
Text | Context cue | Meaning |
It was adversity, not prosperity, that shaped the lives of the early European settlers. | contrast (not prosperity) | hardship, poverty |
Emily Dickinson, an important 19th century American poet, spent most of her life secluded in her father's home in Amherst, Massachusettes; she rarely went out and almost never entertained friends. | example (semicolon introduces examples of being “secluded”) | kept away from contact with people
|
The adversities of winter – that is, the hardships and calamities that the family lived with daily – disappeared with the warmth of spring. | definition (the dash and that is, dash sets off additional comments that define or explain) | difficulties, problems |
Death control can be achieved autonomously; in other words, the death rate can be cut without anything else changing. | clarification (in other words, the semicolon introduces a clause that provides information related to the previous statement) | on its own, independently |
The settlers never gave up. They struggled through the early years, dealt with the difficulties, and in the end, overcame their adversities. | parallel structures; logical reasoning by using other known words in the sentence or passage | difficulties, hardships |
Pioneer women met adversity head on; they used paper for windows, carried water for miles for the weekly washing and made do with cornmeal rather than flour for the daily baking. | example, your knowledge of the world and personal experience | life of the pioneer women was very difficult; they managed with what they could find. |
Practise with context cues
Read the following sentences; write the meaning of the bold word in the space provided as well as the context cues that helped you figure out the word meaning.
Example: Although the small cygnets appeared awkward and unattractive, the adult swans were elegant and graceful.
Meaning: baby swans context cue: contrast (although, small/adult)
Now you try:
|
Possible answer:
1 spawned
Meaning: generated; produced
Context cues: Comparison (use of just as and so); parallel structure sentence (Just as X brought forth..., so y spawned...) allows you to figure out that brought forth is a synonym (same meaning word) of spawned.
2 estranged
Meaning: not together, separated, alienated, not friendly towards each other.
Context cue: Parallel sentence structure; the second sentence gives an example of families being divided during the Civil war. We can deduce from the parallel relationship of families (were) often tragically divided and brothers (to be) estranged that tragically divided and estranged share a similar meaning.
3 carnivores
Meaning: meat-eating; flesh-eating animals
Context cue: Contrast (use of though and contrasting idea the grizzly bear is largely vegetarian and rarely eats flesh)
4 mundane
Meaning: ordinary, commonplace, boring, not exciting
Context cue: Contrast (use of not all and the majority); example of mundane tasks (typing and filing); general knowledge about Hollywood and the world of film.
5 affably
Meaning: friendly, sociable
Context cue: Example (cracking jokes and telling stories)