1. CONTEXT CLUES Ms. Goertz & Mrs. Elliott’s 8th Grade Class

2. CONTEXT CLUES Hints provided in the text which give information about a certain word’s meaning

3. CATEGORIES OF CLUES There are 3 main categories that context clues generally fit into: DefinitionSynonymExample

4. DEFINITION A form of the verb "to be" is a signal that the definition of the word may be in the sentence. “Or" is a signal word indicating that the definition is in the sentence.

5. EXAMPLE of DEFINITION A carnivore is an animal that feeds only on meat. A biographer, or one who writes about people's lives, is an example of an author.

6. SYNONYM The word "like" is a signal word indicating a synonym, a word of similar meaning, in the sentence.

7. EXAMPLE of SYNONYM The gentry, like the popular kids in school, influences popular trends and decisions.

8. EXAMPLE "Such as," "for instance," and "for example” are signal words that indicate there is an example of the word to follow.

9. EXAMPLE of EXAMPLE The student was suffering from anxiety. For example, when he first saw the test, he began to tremble.

10. TIME TO PRACTICE! Select what type of context clue you think is being used in the following sentences.

11. QUESTION 1 The quagmire, like quick sand, pulled the fallen tree branches below the surface. A. Definition B. Synonym C. Example

12. SORRY, TRY AGAIN!!!

13. GREAT JOB!!!

14. QUESTION 2 The new student used a very strange diction. For instance, she called the trunk a “boot” and her apartment a “flat.” A. Definition B. Synonym C. Example

15. SORRY, TRY AGAIN!!!

16. GREAT JOB!!!

17. QUESTION 3 The top of the mountain trail offered a panoramic, or wide- ranging, view of the valley below. A. Definition B. Synonym C. Example

18. SORRY, TRY AGAIN!!!

19. GREAT JOB!!!

20. NOW IT’S YOUR TURN Get into groups of 2 or 3 and write your own sentence for each category of context clues.