English Second Language (AS)·1 · Reading & Directed Writing · NSSCAS 5.1.6
Working out & explaining words from context
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Become your own dictionary: use context clues to work out hard words, explain them in your own words, and hear the difference in feeling between near-synonyms like thin, slim and scrawny.
What you'll learn in this lesson
By the end you should be able to (NSSCAS English Second Language (AS) 5.1.6):
- Work out the meaning of an unfamiliar word from context clues: a definition, an example, a contrast signal, a synonym, or the general sense of the sentence.
- Identify which type of context clue a sentence gives you.
- Explain the meaning of a word or phrase as used in a text in their own words, without simply copying it.
- Distinguish denotation (the plain dictionary meaning) from connotation (the feelings a word carries).
- Explain why a writer chooses one word rather than a near-synonym, and what that choice reveals about attitude and tone.
- Rank near-synonyms on a connotation ladder from neutral to positive to negative.
- Choose a meaning that fits the sentence, not just any dictionary sense.
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Miss Veronica and Mike talk through the whole topic — with the figure and working drawn live.