What purpose do context clues serve in reading comprehension?

Context clues serve to enhance reading comprehension by providing hints about word meanings. When readers encounter unfamiliar words, they can often rely on surrounding words, phrases, or sentences to infer the meaning of the unknown term. This skill helps to build vocabulary and allows for a more nuanced understanding of the text, enabling the reader to grasp the overall message or theme more effectively.

For instance, if a reader comes across the word "gregarious" in a sentence that describes someone who enjoys social gatherings and is often surrounded by friends, they can deduce that "gregarious" likely refers to a person who is sociable. Context clues make reading more fluid by minimizing interruptions in understanding and allowing readers to maintain the flow of the narrative or argument presented in the text.