Word Meaning & Context Clues
What does “reluctant” mean?
Unwilling or hesitant.
What is a metaphor?
A comparison that says one thing is another.
What is an adjective?
An adjective is a word that describes or modifies a noun, providing additional information about its qualities, characteristics, or attributes.
What does the prefix “pre–” mean?
Before.
What is the theme of a story?
The message or lesson about life.
Our class visited the museum on a field trip. We saw many artifacts. The museum had pottery, art, and statues from many old places.
Use context clues: What does the word artifact mean?
A material object created or modified by a human, serving as evidence of past human activity and culture.
Identify: “Her smile was sunshine.”
Metaphor — comparing smile to sunshine.
Identify the preposition in this sentence: “The cat hid under the table.”
Under
What does the root “spect” mean in “inspect”?
To look or see.
What is the difference between tone and mood?
Tone = author’s attitude; Mood = feeling the reader gets.
Give a synonym for “cautious.”
Careful, alert, wary.
What is hyperbole?
An extreme exaggeration (e.g., “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse”).
What is a dependent clause?
A group of words with a subject and verb that cannot stand alone.
What does the suffix “–ology” mean?
The study of.
What is first-person point of view?
First-person point of view is a narrative style where the story is told from the perspective of a character who uses pronouns like "I," "me," and "we".
Give an antonym for “generous.”
Stingy, selfish, greedy.
Give an example of alliteration.
Example: Sally sells seashells by the seashore.
What is the simple subject in “The group of students was studying.”
Group. (the main noun performing the action)
Give a word with the root “graph” and define it.
Autograph — a person’s signature; graph means “to write.”
Define foreshadowing.
A clue or hint about what will happen later in the story.
Use context clues: "Janet's dog punctured her ball with his teeth, causing it to go flat. What does 'punctured' most likely mean?"
Made a hole in.
Identify two types of figurative language in “The wind whispered while waves danced.”
Personification (wind, waves) and alliteration (“wind whispered”).
Correct this sentence: “Me and him went to the park.”
He and I went to the park.
What does “invisible” mean based on its prefix and root?
Not able to be seen (“in–” = not; “vis” = see).
What does conflict mean in literature?
A struggle or problem in the story — e.g., character vs. character, self, nature, or society.