Define vocabulary in context.

Define vocabulary in context.

• A. Using surrounding words to infer meaning.
• B. Relying solely on a dictionary.
• C. Ignore context clues.
• D. Translate to another language.

Answer: (A)

When you read, you figure out what an unfamiliar word means by looking at the words around it. This approach uses surrounding words and the overall sense of the sentence or passage to guess a word’s meaning without stopping to look it up. It relies on context clues, like a definition tucked into the sentence, restatement, examples, comparisons, or cause-and-effect hints that point to the word’s sense. For example, if a sentence says, “The girl was shivering and wearing a heavy coat, so she must be cold,” you can infer that cold means feeling chilly, based on the clues in the sentence. Using context clues helps you understand the text more smoothly and keeps you engaged with what you’re reading. Relying only on a dictionary misses those quick hints you can use while reading, and ignoring context clues defeats the purpose of reading for understanding. Translating to another language is a different strategy that doesn’t practice figuring out meaning from the surrounding text.

When you read, you figure out what an unfamiliar word means by looking at the words around it. This approach uses surrounding words and the overall sense of the sentence or passage to guess a word’s meaning without stopping to look it up. It relies on context clues, like a definition tucked into the sentence, restatement, examples, comparisons, or cause-and-effect hints that point to the word’s sense.

For example, if a sentence says, “The girl was shivering and wearing a heavy coat, so she must be cold,” you can infer that cold means feeling chilly, based on the clues in the sentence.

Using context clues helps you understand the text more smoothly and keeps you engaged with what you’re reading. Relying only on a dictionary misses those quick hints you can use while reading, and ignoring context clues defeats the purpose of reading for understanding. Translating to another language is a different strategy that doesn’t practice figuring out meaning from the surrounding text.