How do I use context clues?

You can figure out the meaning words by using the context of what you are reading to help or guess. Writers leave context clues to help you discover the meaning of words or phrases. Writers often leave context clues in the following areas:

between comma
      Joe, using the white cane, crossed the street.

between brackets
      Her car (she hoped) would last another winter.

in definitions
      She was voted Miss Congeniality. Congenial refers to her friendly way of dealing with other people.

in examples
      The names of the parts of speech include: nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns,
       prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections.

in footnotes marked by asterisks (*) or numbers (12)

by comparisons beginning with “like” or “as”

Learning to use the other basic reading skills will also help you to see the “Big Picture” ,or main idea, of what you read.