Context Clue Detectives — Sanjaya + Archange
The abandoned house looked gloomy, with dark windows, gray walls, and no sunlight. What does gloomy mean?
Answer: Dark, sad, or depressing.
What does the prefix re- mean in reconsider?
Answer: Again — reconsider means to consider or think about something again.
Are you coming to the basketball game tonight
Answer: Are you coming to the basketball game tonight**?**
“The coach told the players to maintain their focus during the final minutes.” What does maintain mean, and what part of speech is it?
Answer: To continue/keep; verb.
What punctuation is missing?
Wow I cant believe we won the game
Answer: Wow**,** I can’t believe we won the game**!**
Unlike his talkative brother, Marcus was reserved and rarely spoke to people he did not know. What does reserved mean?
Answer: Quiet or not very outgoing.
Clue: Contrast clue — “unlike his talkative brother.”
Break apart unpredictable. What do the prefix and suffix tell you about its meaning?
Answer: un- = not; predict = tell what will happen; -able = capable of. Unpredictable = not able to be predicted.
I packed pencils notebooks folders and markers
I packed pencils**,** notebooks**,** folders**,** and markers**.**
“Her explanation was vague, so we still did not understand exactly what happened.”
Answer: Unclear/not specific; adjective.
“The teacher asked us to summarize the chapter rather than repeat every detail.” What does summarize mean?
Answer: Give the main or most important points in a shorter form.
The hikers were weary after walking for eight hours, so they stopped to rest. What does weary mean?
Answer: Very tired.
The word misinterpret appears in this sentence: “If you misinterpret her message, you may think she is angry when she is actually joking.” What does mis- tell you?
Answer: Wrongly/incorrectly. Misinterpret means to understand something incorrectly.
Watch out the ball is coming toward you
Answer: Watch out**!** The ball is coming toward you**!**
“The student was reluctant to present first, but eventually she agreed.”
Answer: Hesitant or unwilling; adjective.
Use the prefix and context: “Because the information was inaccurate, the reporter had to correct the article.” What does inaccurate mean?
Answer: Incorrect/not accurate. (in- = not.)
The principal’s instructions were explicit; she clearly explained every step students needed to complete. What does explicit mean?
Answer: Clear, specific, and detailed.
What does prearranged most likely mean? Use the prefix pre- and the base word arranged.
Answer: Arranged or planned beforehand.
My teacher said please submit your assignment by Friday
My teacher said**, “Please submit your assignment by Friday.”**
“The new evidence helped validate the scientist’s original conclusion.”
Answer: Confirm or show that something is accurate/valid; verb.
Fix all punctuation:
There was only one problem we forgot our tickets
Answer: There was only one problem**:** we forgot our tickets**.**
Although the scientist’s original theory seemed plausible, new evidence showed that her explanation was probably incorrect. What does plausible mean?
Answer: Reasonable or believable.
Clues: The theory initially seemed possible, but new evidence later challenged it.
“The environmental changes caused the species to become maladapted to its habitat.” Use the prefix mal- and context to determine maladapted.
Answer: Poorly or badly adapted to the environment.
For the experiment we need three materials water salt and a measuring cup
For the experiment**,** we need three materials**:** water**,** salt**,** and a measuring cup**.**
“The mayor faced considerable opposition to the proposal because many residents strongly disagreed with the plan.”
Answer: Resistance or disagreement; noun.
“The committee decided to reevaluate the controversial proposal after receiving several complaints.” Explain reevaluate using context, affix, and part of speech.
Answer: To evaluate or examine something again. re- means “again,” and reevaluate is a verb.