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Loanwords and Context Clues

  • Loanwords (borrowed words): words taken from another language and used in English.
  • Many English loanwords come from Greek, Hebrew, and other languages.
  • Because loanwords often look foreign, their meanings can be hard to guess without a dictionary.
  • Context clues are strategies to infer the meaning of borrowed words from how they are used in sentences.
  • A. Identify the meaning of the following borrowed words based on the context in the sentence. Complete the graphic organizer below.
    • 1. There is heavy traffic in the metropolis every day. (Greek)
    • 2. Jesus Christ is known by Catholics as the Messiah. (Hebrew)
  • Inferred meanings (from context):
    • metropolis = a large city (Greek origin)
    • Messiah = the savior or anointed one recognized in Judeo-Christian tradition (Hebrew origin)
  • Key takeaway: context clues help decipher loanwords without always needing a dictionary.

Real vs Make-Believe Ideas and Images

  • The story you read contains real and make-believe ideas.
  • Make-believe ideas are imaginative concepts that cannot happen in real life; they are fictional.
  • Nonfact images are images that are not true in real life and are examples of make-believe ideas.
  • Examples of make-believe ideas: urban legends, magical creatures or objects, mythical beings, supernatural powers, characters from fantasy stories.
  • Real ideas are true and exist in real life; you can use your five senses to experience them:
    • seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, touching.
    • Real ideas and factual images are based on reality and can be proven with data, research, and evidence.
  • Examples of real ideas/images: people you meet, animals you see, places on the world map, ideas proven by science.
  • In today’s information-rich world (Internet access), many people believe what they see online; always differentiate:
    • Real ideas and factual images can inspire make-believe and nonfact images in stories, videos, and information you receive.
  • Real ideas and factual images are often combined with make-believe and nonfact images in various media.
  • Critical takeaway: maintain a healthy skepticism and differentiate between reality and imaginative content.

Concrete Nouns vs Abstract Nouns

  • They are called concrete nouns; some nouns refer to qualities of persons and are abstract nouns.
  • Concrete nouns can be perceived by the senses; abstract nouns cannot.
  • Quick contrast:
    • Concrete nouns: can be seen, heard, touched, tasted, or smelled (e.g., medals, province, coach, athletes).
    • Abstract nouns: represent ideas, qualities, or states (e.g., cooperation, leadership, sportsmanship, agility, strength).
  • Examples from the text:
    • Concrete: medals, province, coach, athletes
    • Abstract: cooperation, leadership, sportsmanship, agility, strength
  • The Philippine team and Hidilyn Diaz example:
    • The Philippine team wants to get the elusive gold in the Olympics.
    • Hidilyn Diaz won the first gold medal for the Philippines in weightlifting at Tokyo 2020.
    • The Philippine Olympic Committee and private companies rewarded her with incentives.
    • The nouns team and committee are examples of collective nouns.
  • Collective nouns: refer to groups of people, animals, or things. They may look singular but can be treated as singular or plural depending on use in a sentence.
    • Examples: troop, flock, bevy, constellation, committee, cast, company, bunch, council, event, orchestra.

Collective Nouns and Agreement

  • Illustrative sentences:
    • The orchestra decides to include a new repertoire of songs for the upcoming concert. (singular verb: decides)
    • The orchestra have different ideas about the theme for the concert. (plural verb: have)
  • Note on agreement: Some collective nouns can take singular or plural verbs depending on whether the emphasis is on the group as a unit (singular) or on the individuals within the group (plural).
  • Other examples of collective nouns in use: troop, flock, bevy, constellation, committee, cast, company, bunch, council, official, event, etc.

Compound Nouns

  • A compound noun is made up of two or more words taken as a single unit.
  • Compound nouns can appear in three forms:
    • Separated (two or more words): e.g., basketball player, classmate, water lily
    • Hyphenated (words connected by hyphen): e.g., sister-in-law, maid-in-waiting, Jack-in-the-box, follow-up
    • Combined (written as one word): e.g., drugstore, double-entry, double-decker, hollow example could be golden rule (often treated as two words but conceptually a single unit when used as a unit)
  • Examples from the text:
    • Separated: basketball player, classmate, water lily
    • Hyphenated: sister-in-law, maid-in-waiting, jack-in-the-box, follow-up
    • Combined (or two-word unit used as one concept): golden rule, drugstore, double-entry, double-decker
  • Practical note: When unsure of spelling, consult a dictionary to verify whether a compound noun is written as separated, hyphenated, or combined.

Reference Materials and Their Kinds

  • Different Kinds of Reference Materials (importance of locating information efficiently):
    1) A newspaper: a publication issued daily containing current news, editorials, feature articles, obituaries, advertisements.
    2) A magazine: a periodical with articles, stories, pictures, and features about topics like health, sports, entertainment.
    3) An atlas: a collection of maps/charts detailing data such as geography, politics/government, religion, and economy.
    4) An encyclopedia: a comprehensive reference work with alphabetically arranged entries on a wide range of subjects; usually in volumes.
    5) An almanac: an annual publication with lists/tables about astronomical/astrological information and other yearly events; includes weather forecasts, tide tables, sunrise/sunset, festivals, statistics, timelines.
    6) A thesaurus: lists words grouped by synonyms and related concepts.
    7) A dictionary: an alphabetical list of words with information on meaning, origin, pronunciation, and syllabication.

Reference Materials in the Library

  • Reading materials vary: storybooks, comic books, novels, magazines, newspapers.
  • The library has a dedicated reference section for quick access to factual information.
  • A reference material is a compilation of a specific type of information, intended for easier access and use in research.
  • Reference materials provide factual and informative data for academic purposes.
  • Most reference materials are in the reference section, but some can be accessible at home.
  • Skill focus: identify features and functions of reference materials to locate information efficiently and to obtain reliable data on a topic.

Parts of a Dictionary

  • Dictionary parts and what they do:
    1) Entries: the words arranged alphabetically.
    2) Definition: the meaning(s) of the entry word.
    3) Part of speech: noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, etc.
    4) Syllabication: division of the word into syllables.
    5) Pronunciation guide: how to pronounce the word.
    6) Etymology: origin of the word.
    7) Stress mark: which syllable is stressed.
    8) Guide words: the first and last word on each page.
  • Activity cue: Get a dictionary and locate these parts. Consider situations that require you to use a specific part of the dictionary.

Author’s Purposes for Writing

  • There are five basic author’s purposes in informational and literary texts:
    1) To inform/explain
    2) To entertain
    3) To instruct/teach
    4) To persuade
    5) To criticize

  • Details for each purpose:

    • To inform/explain:
    • The author provides credible facts and data about a topic.
    • Common sources: textbooks, magazines, newspapers, encyclopedia.
    • May include scientific or technical terms.
    • To entertain:
    • The author aims to engage or amuse readers.
    • Texts may include stories, poems, anecdotes, dialogues.
    • Range from fiction to nonfiction; designed to stimulate readers mentally and emotionally.
    • To instruct/teach:
    • The author provides specific instructions or directions.
    • Focuses on procedures, steps, or how-to information.
    • Examples: manuals, recipes, maps, how-to articles.
    • To persuade:
    • The author attempts to convince readers to adopt a viewpoint or take action.
    • Common forms: posters, brochures, flyers, persuasive essays, speeches.
    • To criticize:
    • The author expresses an opinion about a topic or issue without necessarily trying to convince readers to agree.
    • Not merely negative; can point out positive aspects as well.
    • Defined as carefully examining and judging something.

  • Connecting idea: Understanding author’s purpose helps readers choose strategies for reading and evaluating texts (informational vs persuasive vs critical content).

  • Activate (practice prompts): Identify the author’s purpose for given texts and classify accordingly (inform, entertain, instruct, persuade, criticize).