Which term refers to clues in surrounding text that help determine the meaning of an unknown word?

Which term refers to clues in surrounding text that help determine the meaning of an unknown word?

• A. Context Clues
• B. Context
• C. Word Structure
• D. Synonym

Answer: (A)

Context clues are hints in the surrounding text that help determine the meaning of an unfamiliar word. They show you what a word means without defined in a dictionary, using direct definitions, restatements in simpler words, examples that illustrate the meaning, contrasts that show what it is not, or the overall sense of the sentence or paragraph. This is the term used to name those hints, so it’s the best answer. For instance, in a sentence like “The desert was arid, with little water and life,” the phrase “little water and life” clarifies that arid means dry. The other terms refer to different ideas: context describes the surrounding text in general, word structure deals with roots and affixes, and a synonym is a word with a similar meaning, not the clues themselves.

Context clues are hints in the surrounding text that help determine the meaning of an unfamiliar word. They show you what a word means without defined in a dictionary, using direct definitions, restatements in simpler words, examples that illustrate the meaning, contrasts that show what it is not, or the overall sense of the sentence or paragraph. This is the term used to name those hints, so it’s the best answer. For instance, in a sentence like “The desert was arid, with little water and life,” the phrase “little water and life” clarifies that arid means dry. The other terms refer to different ideas: context describes the surrounding text in general, word structure deals with roots and affixes, and a synonym is a word with a similar meaning, not the clues themselves.