My Journey's blog

 

Learning Object # 5

Topic: Context clue

            Guessing word meanings through examples or illustrations.

Target learners:

                        Fourth Year HS students

                        This Learning Object is applicable for all year levels.

Introduction:

            You may often come across words which you do not understand when you are reading. It may interrupt your activity and take the joy of it. Therefore, you try to arrive at the meanings of certain words through the clues provided by the words surround them. And one of these clues is through examples and illustrations.

Example:

One of the secrets of economic success is to be parsimonious; one may simply cook food and bring packed lunch rather than eat in a fast food chains or walk short distances instead of taking a ride.

The word parsimonious is being illustrated by examples of situations. Through these illustrations we can guess that parsimonious means being thrift or thrifty.

 

 

Objective:Guess meaning of word through examples and illustrations

 

 

Discussion:

            Another way of guessing word meanings from context is by looking at the examples or illustrations given for a certain term.

                        Example: She went into seclusion. No one came to see her, and she refused to see anyone.

                        The two details that follow explain what seclusion means.

Summary:

            Giving examples or something that is representative by virtue of having typical features of the thing is one way of guessing word meaning.

            Illustration or something that helps explain: an example or comparison that helps to clarify something can help the reader in guessing the meaning of some difficult words.

Assessment:

            Make a guess! Choose from the given options.

1. The three brothers were inert. They did not even react to loud music and bright

sunlight.

1. Controlled          b. inactive      c. unexcited
2. Solifugids eat so voraciously that they don’t stop eating until they can no longer walk.
   1. With too much desire for food
   2. With so much joyfulness
   3. With so much carelessness to the point of hurting themselves.
3. His speech was pithy, lasting for only three minutes, but creating a strong impact on the audience.
   1. Complicated       b. long and senseless         c. short
4. 4.    Richard got a bit nervous when he saw the thugholding a 3”x4” piece of wood staring at him. The man stood 6’5” tall with a muscular built.
   1. Big person           b. construction worker         c. crazy man.
5. History books tell us how ruthless the Germans were during the Second World War They searched and killed the Jews male and female, young and old.
   1. Decided               b. merciless               unforgiving.