Working out meaning from context · Grade 1
In Grade 1 you learn: using the sentence to work out a word.
When you meet a word you don't know, the words around it (its context) often tell you what it means. Read the whole sentence, look for a clue, and try a meaning in place of the word: if the sentence still makes sense, you have probably got it. After the long walk, Leo was so exhausted that he fell asleep.: exhausted must mean very tired.
Key facts
- General sense: what would make sense here? Mia was famished, so she ate three sandwiches. Then check: replace the word with your meaning and reread.
Worked examples
Example 1
What does fragile mean? Be careful with that glass. It is fragile and breaks easily.
Answer: easy to break
Example 2
What does soaked mean? I forgot my umbrella and got soaked in the rain.
Answer: very wet
Example 3
What is a burrow? The rabbit dived into its burrow under the ground.
Answer: a hole or tunnel where an animal lives