English 10A3A
Seven Strategies for Determining a Word’s Meaning from Context
- Definition and Restatement:
Students of the clarinet and other wind instruments have to work hard to perfect their embouchere, the correct positioning of the tongue and lips on the mouthpiece of the instrument.
He was a truly hirsute individual, with hair covering nearly every square inch of his skin.
Words/Phrases Signaling Definition and Restatement
which isoralso known asthat isin other wordsalso called
- Example
The motel we stayed at provided all the amenities, such as clean sheets and towels, a television, and a swimming pool.
Words Signaling Examples
likefor instancethisfor exampleincludingespeciallythese
such as otherthese include
- Comparison
Like other reference books in the library, the Statistical Abstract is a helpful guide for researchers.
Words Signaling Comparisons
likeresemblingalsoin the same wayaslikewiseidentical
similarlyrelated
- Contrast
You may think him intransigent, but he’s actually pretty easy-going.
Words Signaling Contrasts
buton the other handdissimilaralthoughunlikedifferent
on the contraryhoweverin contrast to
- Cause and Effect
Since a special treatment has made this fabric impervious to moisture, the fabric is now suitable for a raincoat.
Words Signaling Cause and Effect
becauseconsequentlywhensincethereforeas a result
- Inference from General Context
Come enjoy the salubrious climate of California.
In this part of the country, spring is the most ephemeral of seasons. Summer is usually mild and starts in June. Later, Labor Day marks the changing colors of fall, and the first real snowfall comes in early December. The remainder of the winter is long and brutal. Spring, on the other hand, lasts only a few days, vanishing almost before you know it has come.
- Cognates (words in different languages that come from the same root)
The contractor is clearly culpable for the collapse of the bridge. He was seldom on the job to check the progress of the work. Records show that he authorized the use of inadequate materials in order to cut costs. Furthermore, examination of the footings disclosed that they were not up to specifications.
(A person who knows Spanish, or any other Romance language, has a great advantage in learning English academic vocabulary, which often derives from Latin roots. By contrast, the “easy” words in English are often Germanic in origin. So, English has “bug” and “insect” (similar to “insecto” in Spanish); “guilty” and “culpable” (identical to “culpable” in Spanish; “easy” and “facile”))
Close to 60% of English words are derived from Latin, which means there are a lot of Spanish cognates!