Common Core: 7th Grade English Language Arts : Use Context Clues to Determine Word Meanings: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.7.4.A
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for Common Core: 7th Grade English Language Arts
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Example Questions
Example Question #11 : Meanings Of Unknown And Multiple Meaning Words And Phrases: Ccss.Ela Literacy.L.7.4
Read the sentences and determine which part(s) help you determine the meaning of the underlined word.
Canadian Geese are migratory birds that have a wide range of travel. During the cold Canadian winters, they can be seen sunning themselves on the shores of Florida lakes as well as other states throughout the Southern United States. They are favorites of bird watchers all over the country and Canada.
Which words or phrases from the passage best help you determine the meaning of the word migratory?
Bird, sunning, shores, watchers
Travel, Florida, Southern United States, all over the country
Wide range, sunning themselves, bird watchers
Canadian, Canada
Travel, Florida, Southern United States, all over the country
Migratory means travels from one place to another and it is usually seasonal. The words in the correct answer choice help readers to understand the birds are traveling from Canada to the Southern United States and they have a wide habitat.
Example Question #12 : Meanings Of Unknown And Multiple Meaning Words And Phrases: Ccss.Ela Literacy.L.7.4
Read the following sentences and determine the meaning of the underlined word using context clues or your prior knowledge.
My uncle is a peevish sort of man. It only takes the slightest annoyance or misstep to upset him.
What does the word peevish mean?
Easily irritated
Constantly late
Overly excited
Hard to understand
Easily irritated
Peevish people are easy to annoy or anger and are ill-tempered in nature. The clues in this sentence that it only takes a slight annoyance or misstep to upset him let us know that it doesn’t take much to irritate or bother him. The context clues would not allude to any of the other answer choices.
Example Question #13 : Meanings Of Unknown And Multiple Meaning Words And Phrases: Ccss.Ela Literacy.L.7.4
Read the following sentences and determine the meaning of the underlined word using context clues or your prior knowledge.
Allison went away to computer camp over the summer and came back excited to share what she had learned. Her prowess with design and coding was amazing! Before she left for camp she was a beginner like I was, now I feel like she is lightyears ahead of me.
What does the word prowess mean?
A superior skill learned by study and practice
Personal bravery
Brooding ill humor
Lack of courage or firmness of purpose
A superior skill learned by study and practice
In this text the readers learn that Allison went away for the summer to computer camp as a beginner at design and coding but is now far ahead of her peers. She has an impressive skill or talent and she studied at camp to increase her knowledge. Bravery and courage don’t fit with the context of the passage. There is no mention of anything related to humor, ill or otherwise, to allude to the answer choice “brooding ill humor”.
All Common Core: 7th Grade English Language Arts Resources
