A man of impact: context clues in a profile
Read the profile on page 92 of your book. It is about a real person, so we only read it there and talk about it, and we do not repeat facts from it. We read our own short profile of an invented engineer. A context clue is a hint in the words around a new word. It can be a definition (A sensor is a small tool that measures something), an example (such as how wet the soil is) or an opposite (not simple but complex). To use context clues: first, read the whole sentence; second, look before and after for a hint; third, guess the meaning; fourth, check that your guess fits the sentence. A profile tells who a person is, what he or she does and why it matters.
| Clue type | Hint words | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | is, means | A sensor is a small tool that measures something. |
| Example | such as, for example | tools such as sensors |
| Opposite | not, but | not simple but complex |
Mr Ibrahim is the chief engineer of a small company that makes sensors for farms. A sensor is a small tool that measures something, such as how wet the soil is. Biomedical engineers use similar tools in hospitals, but Mr Ibrahim works with plants. When he was a student, he fixed radios for his neighbours. Today his sensors help farmers use less water. Many young people write to him, and he answers, “Be curious, test your ideas, and never be afraid to make mistakes.”
Clue cards. Write six difficult words from a book on cards. Guess each word’s meaning from the sentence, then check in a dictionary. Write which clue helped you: a definition, an example or an opposite.