StudySync Terms and Definitions

common types of context clues

definition, example, comparison, contrast, cause-and-effect...

textual evidence (noun)

details from the text that a reader can use to support his or her ideas and opinions about the text

textual evidence can be...

explicit and/or implicit

connotation (noun)

he idea or feeling that a word suggests, or that our culture or our emotions give the word. Keep in mind, a word's connotation can be positive, negative, or neutral.

context clues (noun)

hints in the surrounding text that a reader can use to infer the meaning of an unfamiliar word, phrase, or description

implicit (adjective)

implied but not stated directly

explicit (adjective)

precisely and clearly expressed, leaving no room for doubt

text-dependent response (noun)

short and concise answer to questions about a text that include supporting evidence from the text

comparison context clue (noun)

text that provides a clue to the meaning of a word through a comparison

contrast context clue (noun)

text that provides a clue to the meaning of a word through a contrast

context clue example (noun)

text that provides a clue to the meaning of a word through one or more examples

definition context clue (noun)

text that provides a definition of a word

inference (noun)

an idea formed by combining textual evidence and one's own reasoning and background knowledge

concise (adjective)

brief or short, yet including appropriate detail

denotation (noun)

The dictionary definition of a word

root word (noun)

a basic word part that gives the word its main meaning; unlike a base word it cannot stand alone as a word (FYI: many English words come from Greek/Latin roots.)

short-constructed response (noun)

a brief, organized written composition that answers a prompt

close reading (noun)

a careful rereading of the text to deepen understanding

evaluation (noun)

a judgment about the text or writer's craft

body paragraph(s) (noun)

a paragraph(s) that appears between the introduction and the conclusion of an essay

annotation (noun)

a reader's question or comment about a text written directly on the text

prompt (noun)

a statement about a particular topic, idea, or issue, followed by questions that works to inspire or guide a reader's response

thesis statement (noun)

a statement that shares the central idea of an essay

prefix (noun)

a word part added to the beginning of a word that changes the word's meaning; for example, un-.

suffix (noun)

a word part added to the ending of a word and changes the word's meaning, part of speech, or usage; for example, -ly, -ness, -ing

comprehension (noun)

the ability to understanding something

conclusion (noun)

the closing paragraph or section of an essay, argument, or narrative

introduction (noun)

the opening paragraph or section of a text

purpose (noun)

the reason for or goal of doing something

generate questions (verb)

to ask and answer questions before, during, and after reading a text

contrast (verb)

to determine or explain how two or more things are different

compare (verb)

to determine or explain how two or more things are similar

analyze (verb)

to examine the parts of something in detail

clarify (verb)

to make clear or easier to understand

cite (verb)

to quote as evidence to support a response

paraphrase (verb)

to restate an entire passage from a text in your own words

summarize (verb)

to state the most important ideas, events, and details in a text in your own words by answering: Who? What? Where? When? Why? How?

track (verb)

to trace the development of events or ideas within a text

objective (adjective)

undistorted by emotion or personal bias