These clues may be either semantic or syntactic. When using semantic clues, the reader tries to relater the word to other information or illustrations in the material. Semantic clues include comparisons and contrast, definition, descriptions, and the placement of new words near familiar word that help explain their meaning. A reader may also rely on syntactic cues-that is, the word’s position and grammatical use in the text. For example, deciding whether a word is functioning as a noun, verb, adjective, or adverb can help a reader figure out its meaning.