Vocabulary Activity #2

Fill in the Blank

In this activity, we'll be practicing making meaning of words from context clues! Context clues help us determine the meaning of unknown words, they can appear within the same sentence as the challenging word or in the sentence that precedes or follows it.

There are four types of common context clues:

1. Repeat Clues: the author uses a synonym of the difficult term to help the reader define it.
2. Contrast Clues: the author uses an antonym to show the reader what the difficult term does not mean.
3. Definition Clues: the author defines the word for the reader within the same text.
4. Example Clues: the author gives different examples to help the reader understand the difficult term.

As a reader, you can also make meaning from unknown words by looking for prefixes, suffixes, root words, and the general content of the text you're reading.

To practice using context clues, we're going to use our important vocabulary from chapters 1-3 (which can be found here). I will give you a sentence from the text that is missing one word. Using the context clues surrounding the sentence, you will deduct which word is missing! 

Let's Play!

Try to fill in the blank with whatever word you think fits. Consider the vocabulary words we went over here, search the words around the blank for context clues, consider the sentence's meaning and what word would fit the meaning.

1. Tyrone might             everybody else that he's all through with dreaming, but I know he wants to be a big hip-hop star.
2. When that boy dyed his hair, I b'lieve some of that bleach must've           right into his brain.
3. I caught a quick glance in the chilly glow of the refrigerator before she had a chance to hide the latest               her boyfriend gave her.
4. I’d                her with whatever I could scrounge up from returning soda bottles to the grocery.
5. Look, if you wanted to be left alone, why the hell did you                  my space?

Now, let's look at the sentences that precede and follow each sentence. These sentences could add extra context so that you have more clues to narrow down what word could be right for the blanks.

1. Besides, I tell him, if he drops out and gets a J.O.B., he won't have time to work on his songs. That always gets to him. Tyrone might             everybody else that he's all through with dreaming, but I know he wants to be a big hip-hop star. He's just afraid he won't live long enough to do it.
2. "All I'm saying is, you're a walking drama, man. You got that down pat, so maybe you should think about putting it on paper." When that boy dyed his hair, I b'lieve some of that bleach must've           right into his brain. I grind my teeth and lower my voice.
3. She tiptoed in, late and limping, her cheek raw as red-brown meat. I caught a quick glance in the chilly glow of the refrigerator before she had a chance to hide the latest               her boyfriend gave her. "I bruise easily" is one of the lies she sprinkles like sugar.
4. I used to make my sister model for me. I’d                her with whatever I could scrounge up from returning soda bottles to the grocery. Eventually, I got tired of digging through thrash for bottles, and she got bored modeling.
5. "Leave you alone? Look, if you wanted to be left alone, why the hell did you                  my space?" By space I thought she meant neighborhood.

Review:

For each sentence, here are the answers along with some context clues you could use to figure them out. Note, if you have a synonym for one of these words, that's great! They don't have to be exactly the same word to have the same meaning.

1. convince.
1. the word "but" shows us that the speaker knows something that everybody else doesn't about Tyrone
2. has to be a verb because it follows the subject, English uses Subject-Verb-Object syntax
3. Tyrone is hiding something from everyone that the speaker knows about, but Tyrone doesn't want everyone to know his dreams because he's scared they won't come true
4. Possible word choices: tell, show
2. seeped
1. relationship between hair and the brain is that the only thing between them is the skull
2. bleach is a chemical that would cause someone injury or kill brain cells if ingested
3. grinding teeth and lowering the voice means the speaker is angry with this boy suggesting he puts his drama on paper.
4. Possible word choices: leaked, gone
3. souvenir
1. something that the girl wants to hide from the speaker
2. the words raw, limping, hide, bruise all indicate an injury
3. has to be a noun because it is a thing "her boyfriend gave her"
4. Possible word choices: bruise, injury, mark, gift
4. bribe
1. He's scrounging up money from returning bottles
2. The speaker wants to convince his sister to model
3. When someone uses money to convince someone else to do a favor for them it's called a bribe
4. Possible word choices: beg, convince, pay
5. invade
1. if...then statement that's asked as a sarcastic question so it must be the opposite of left alone
2. Opposite of being left alone is to go towards, be together
3. Has to be a verb that means opposite of left alone
4. Possible word choice: steal, swipe

On to the last vocabulary strategy: a fun game!----------->