Use context clues to choose a word that fits a sentence.

Have you ever been reading a book and stumbled across a word you didn't know? You probably didn't run to a dictionary. Instead, you looked at the words around it and figured out the meaning. That natural detective work is exactly what using context clues means. People have relied on this skill for centuries — long before dictionaries even existed.

On the ISEE Middle Level exam, sentence completion questions test this exact skill. You see a sentence with a blank, and four answer choices. The sentence always gives you clues — you just need to know where to look. Let's see how this skill developed over time.

The big question is: how do you find those hidden clues in a sentence quickly and reliably? That's exactly what this lesson will teach you — step by step.

Context clues are the words and phrases in a sentence that help you figure out what word belongs in the blank. Think of them as puzzle pieces. Every sentence completion question on the ISEE gives you enough pieces to solve the puzzle. Here are the five main types of context clues you'll encounter.

Let's look at how context clues guide you to the right answer. The diagram below shows a sample sentence and highlights where each type of clue appears. Notice how the signal word and the descriptive phrase both point you toward the answer.

Notice how the signal word "Although" is the first thing to spot. It immediately tells you: whatever comes next will be the opposite of "terrible reviews." That means the blank needs a positive word. Only "outstanding" fits. This three-step thinking — find the signal, find the clue, pick the opposite or match — works on almost every ISEE sentence completion.

You don't need to memorize a huge vocabulary list to ace sentence completions. What you need is a reliable strategy you can use on every single question. Here is a four-step method that works every time.

The SCAN Strategy

Step 3 — anticipating the answer — is the secret weapon. When you predict before looking at the choices, your brain doesn't get distracted by tricky wrong answers. It's like going to the grocery store with a list instead of wandering every aisle.

Signal words (also called transition words) are the most important clues in sentence completions. They tell you the relationship between the parts of a sentence. Once you learn to spot them, you can solve most questions quickly. The table below sorts signal words into two main groups.

Let's walk through a full ISEE-style sentence completion using the SCAN strategy. Follow each step carefully, because this is exactly how you should think during the test.

Answer choices: (A) delighted (B) disheartened (C) curious (D) exhausted

Notice how the SCAN strategy helped us work through the question logically. Even if you didn't know the word "disheartened," you could eliminate three wrong answers. That's the power of using context clues!

The ISEE test makers are clever. They include wrong answer choices that can trick you if you're not careful. Here are the most common traps — and how to dodge them.

Sometimes on the ISEE, two answer choices seem to mean almost the same thing. That's where connotation (the feeling or vibe a word carries) becomes important. Two words can have similar dictionary definitions but feel very different. For example, "stubborn" and "determined" both describe someone who won't give up, but "stubborn" sounds negative while "determined" sounds positive.

When you're stuck between two answer choices on the ISEE, ask yourself: is this sentence saying something positive, negative, or neutral? Then pick the answer choice with the right connotation. This small detail can be the difference between getting a question right or wrong.

Now it's your turn! Use the SCAN strategy on each question. Remember: spot the signal word, find the context clue, predict your own answer, then match it to a choice. These questions go from easier to harder.