Which strategy best illustrates an author using description to help readers deduce the meaning of an unfamiliar word?

• A. Immediately define the word in parentheses after the word
• B. Provide vivid details around the word that hint at its meaning
• C. Use a contrasting idea before the concept
• D. Use an unrelated anecdote

Answer: (B)

Using context clues by surrounding a word with descriptive details helps readers infer its meaning. When the author paints a vivid picture around a term—the way it looks, feels, sounds, or the imagery tied to it—the surrounding details point toward a sense of the word without stopping to define it. That descriptive context trains readers to read between the lines and build meaning from imagery and how things are portrayed in the scene. For example, if a passage describes a place as dim, damp, and shadowed, with a chill that needles the skin, you can infer the mood or quality the author is hinting at without a dictionary entry. The other strategies don’t support this inferencing in the same way: giving a definition in parentheses tells you the meaning outright rather than letting you deduce it from clues; introducing a contrasting idea before the concept may highlight differences but doesn’t provide clues about the word’s meaning; and an unrelated anecdote offers no helpful hints about the word. The descriptive clues around the term are what best enable deduction.