Reading: Vocabulary in Context
A2 Lesson 1: Guessing Meaning of New Words from Pictures & Simple Sentence Context
Be a Word Detective!
When you read, you will always find new words. It is not always possible to use a dictionary. Good readers are like detectives: they use context clues1 to guess the meaning2 of a new word.
Today, we will practice using picture clues and sentence clues to become word detectives.
How to Guess from Context
- Look at the picture. What is happening? What do you see?
- Read the whole sentence. Don't stop at the new word.
- Look at the words you know. Use them as clues.
- Make a smart guess. What word would make sense in the sentence?
Practice Example 1
Let's guess the meaning of the word exhausted.
After studying for six hours for her exam, Sophea felt completely exhausted.
Let's be detectives:
- Picture clue: The face looks very, very tired.
- Sentence clue: Studying for "six hours" is a very long time and would make someone tired.
- Your guess: "Exhausted" probably means "very tired".
Result: Correct! Exhausted means extremely tired.
Practice Example 2
Let's guess the meaning of the word rapid.
The moto is a rapid way to get around Kampot, much faster than walking.
Let's be detectives:
- Picture clue: A moto is a fast vehicle.
- Sentence clue: The sentence says it is "much faster than walking".
- Your guess: "Rapid" probably means "fast".
Result: Excellent! Rapid means fast or quick.
Your Turn to Be the Detective!
Practice Quiz
Read the sentence, look at the clues, and guess the meaning of the bold word.
"For the Pchum Ben festival, my grandmother prepares a feast for the whole family, with many different kinds of curries, fish, rice, and fruit."
What does "feast" probably mean?
- A. a small snack
- B. a big, special meal
- C. a type of drink
Answer: B. a big, special meal. The clues are "Pchum Ben festival" (a special time), "whole family", and the list of "many different kinds of" food.
Vocabulary Glossary
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Context Clues (*noun*)
ភាសាខ្មែរ: តម្រុយក្នុងបរិបទ (Dam-ruy knong bâ-ri-bât)
The words, sentences, and pictures around a new word that help you understand its meaning. ↩ back to text -
Guessing Meaning / Inferring (*verb*)
ភាសាខ្មែរ: ការទស្សន៍ទាយអត្ថន័យ (Kaa tuəh-tieney at-tha-ney)
To make an educated guess about a word's meaning by using context clues. ↩ back to text
Homework Task
Detective Training!
Your teacher will give you a short sentence with one new, underlined word. Look at the sentence for clues.
- Write down your best guess for the new word's meaning.
- Write down the clue words in the sentence that helped you guess.
Example Sentence: The durian has a very strong, pungent smell, but the taste is sweet.
My Guess for "pungent": strong-smelling.
My Clues: "strong" and "smell".