Here are some common types of lexical clues:
* Synonyms: Words with similar meanings. For example, "The huge building was immense." "Immense" is a synonym for "huge," helping you understand the size of the building.
* Antonyms: Words with opposite meanings. For example, "She is a talkative person, unlike her silent brother." "Silent" is the antonym of "talkative," highlighting the contrast between their personalities.
* Definitions: Words that directly explain the meaning of another word. For example, "The archeologist studied ancient artifacts, which are objects made by people in the past." The definition of "artifacts" is given within the sentence.
* Examples: Examples that illustrate the meaning of a word. For example, "Fruits include apples, oranges, and bananas." The list of fruits gives you a better understanding of the category.
* Word Families: Words that share a common root or base. For example, "The unfortunate accident resulted in a disaster." "Unfortunate" and "disaster" share a common root, indicating a negative outcome.
* Word Relationships: Words that are connected through a specific relationship, such as cause and effect, part and whole, or comparison. For example, "The rain caused the flood." This shows the cause-and-effect relationship between rain and floods.
How to use lexical clues:
1. Pay attention to surrounding words: Read the sentence or paragraph carefully, looking for words that provide hints about the meaning of the unknown word.
2. Think about word families and relationships: Consider if there are any related words or phrases that offer clues about the meaning.
3. Use context to eliminate unlikely meanings: The context of the sentence or paragraph can often help you narrow down the possible meanings.
Example:
"The enigmatic smile on her face made it difficult to understand her true feelings."
In this sentence, "enigmatic" is the unknown word. "Smile" and "true feelings" provide context. Thinking about synonyms for "enigmatic" like "mysterious" or "puzzling" helps understand its meaning.
Lexical clues are crucial for developing reading comprehension skills. By recognizing these clues, readers can enhance their vocabulary, improve their understanding of texts, and become more effective learners.