Context Clues From the Whole Passage

Infer a word's meaning from the general sense of the surrounding sentences.

Sometimes there is no definition, synonym, antonym, or example. Then you use the general sense of the passage, combining clues with what you already know. Read: 'After three days with no rain, the garden was parched. The soil cracked, the leaves curled, and the flowers drooped.

' No sentence defines 'parched', but cracked soil, curled leaves, and drooping flowers after no rain all point to one idea: very dry. Here is a three-step method. First, reread the sentences around the word. Second, list the clues. Third, make a guess and test it by putting your meaning in place of the word. 'The garden was very dry' fits perfectly, so your guess works.

• 1Use the general sense when there is no direct clue.
• 2Reread, list the clues, make a guess.
• 3Test your guess by substituting it in the sentence.