Determining Meaning of Words from Context

Context refers to the words and sentences that surround a particular word and help fix its meaning. For
example, notice how the context of the sentence below helps give the word candour its meaning:
Example: I admire Aruns candour, but sometimes he can be a bit too honest.
Candour means:
a. attitude.
b. fran, sincere speech.
c. readiness to !udge or critici"e others.
d. comfort speaing in front of people.
e. irritabilit#.
$ased on the context of the sentence, onl# b can be the correct answer. %he speaer tells #ou that Arun
is sometimes too honest, thus signif#ing that candour means fran, sincere speech&Arun tells people
exactl# what he thins.
%here are four t#pes of context clues that can help #ou:
'. (estatement
). *ositive+,egative
-. Contrast
.. /pecific 0etail
I admire Aruns candour, but sometimes he can be a bit too honest.
%his sentence, uses two t#pes of context clues: restatement and positive+negative. %he first part of the
sentence tells #ou that candour is a good thing 1positive+negative2 while the second part essentiall#
restates the meaning of the word.
Example: 3ani suddenl# found himself destitute, so poor that he could barel# afford to eat.
*rosperous, happ#, ver# poor, satisfied.
%he context clearl# reveals that destitute is not a positive word4 it is not a good thing to be so poor one
can barel# afford to eat. %he context also restates the meaning of destitute, essentiall# defining the word
within the sentence, so that #ou can tell exactl# what destitute means: extremel# poor.
/arah had wored so hard for the past few wees that she decided she owed herself a da# of complete
indolence. /aturda#, she slept until noon, ordered tae5out so she wouldnt have to coo, and left the
dishes in the sin.
a. luxur#.
b. hard labour.
c. deep sleep.
d. la"iness.
e. household chores.
3ow do #ou now what indolence means6 From two more t#pes of context clues: contrast and specific
detail. %he first sentence suggests that indolence is in contrast to woring hard, while the second
sentence confirms this with specific details. %hus #ou can determine that indolence means:
a. luxur#
7n /unda#, /arah was bac to her old assiduous self, and b# noon she had alread# cleaned her whole
apartment, done her grocer# shopping, and paid her bills.
3ardworing
8a"#
Careful
0istracted
,ow lets loo at the context in which assiduous is used. Again, #ou have two inds of context clues:
contrast and specific detail. 9ou now that the assiduous /arah of /unda# was ver# different from the
indolent /arah of /aturda# 1contrast2. 9ou also now what the assiduous /arah does: she is ver#, ver#
bus# on /unda#, cleaning and woring around the house 1specific detail2. Assiduous means diligent,
hardworing4 persevering, unremitting.
'
Denotation & Connotation
0E,7%A%I7, a words exact meaning or dictionar# definition
C7,,7%A%I7, a words implied meaning or emotional impact
How Much Context Do You Need?
In the passage about /arah, #ou would still be able to understand the main idea of the passage even if
#ou did not now&or could not figure out&the meanings of indolence and assiduous. In some cases,
though, #our understanding of a sentence or paragraph depends on #our understanding of a particular
word or phrase. For example, #ou cant understand what inept means from the sentence below&it
simpl# does not provide sufficient context. In fact, #ou cant even figure out if it is something positive or
negative, because the sentence provides almost no context at all:
/abina is an utterl# inept dancer.
Is /abina a graceful dancer6 An awward dancer6 7r an accomplished dancer6 9ou simpl# cannot tell
from the context. $ut #ou could figure out what inept means b# breaing down the word into its prefix
1in2 and word root 1ept2. 3eres a sentence that does give #ou the context #ou need to determine the
meaning of the word:
0espite #ears of lessons, /abina remains an utterl# inept dancer who simpl# stumbles across the dance
floor.
,ow we can tell through context that inept means awward or clums#.
$eing able to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words from their context is an essential vocabular#
sill. /ometimes #ou will find unfamiliar words whose meanings are indecipherable without a dictionar#.
:ore often than not, though, a careful loo at the context will give #ou enough clues to interpret the
definitions.
TIPS ND ST!T"#I"S
; (emember that determining meaning from context is a vocabular# sill #ou have been using all of #our
life. %his is something #ou now how to do.
; 7n an# vocabular#5in5context <uestion on an exam, there will be some ind of context clue to help #ou
determine meaning. (emember the four t#pes: restatement, positive+negative, contrast, and specific
detail.
; (emember that #ou have a ver# powerful tool: the process of elimination. From the start, #ou can
usuall# eliminate one or two answers that #ou now are incorrect. For example, #ou can eliminate
negative choices if the context suggests the word is positive.
; %o help #ou eliminate answers, read the sentence with each answer choice substituted for the
vocabular# word. 7ften, putting the word in the context of the sentence can help #ou determine whether
an answer is right or wrong.
; $e sure to loo carefull# at the context of the sentence itself and avoid bringing #our own contextual
meaning from #our own experiences of collo<uial language use, or slang.
Consider the tone and connotation of the other words in the sentence. At minimum, this can often help
#ou determine whether the vocabular# word is positive or negative.
; 8oo for introductor# words and phrases such as unfortunatel#, however, surprisingl#. %hese words
often tell #ou whether the word is positive or negative and+or set up contrast clues.
; (ead carefull#. 8oo for specific details that provide clues to meaning.
; If #ou have heard the vocabular# word before but arent sure what it means, tr# to remember the
context in which #ou heard it used before. %his ma# help #ou better use the context as it is presented on
the exam.
)