Virginia SOL 9.RV.1.B
The Standard
Use context and sentence structure to clarify the literal and figurative meanings of words and phrases.
Virginia Standards of Learning for English · Vocabulary Development and Word Analysis
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students use nearby words, punctuation, and grammar to work out what an unfamiliar word or phrase means. They decide whether the writer means it directly or uses it as an image or comparison.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Students determine a word or phrase's meaning and point to nearby details and grammar as evidence. They can explain whether the meaning is literal or figurative and why it fits the passage.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may choose the first dictionary definition they know, even when it does not fit the sentence. They may label any unusual phrase as figurative or ignore how grammar signals a word's role and meaning.
How to Assess It
- Use this exit ticket: “After the final goal, the stadium erupted.” Explain what “erupted” means and name two clues that support your answer.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs sentence strips with underlined phrases to sort as literal or figurative, then have them circle context clues and mark grammatical roles.
Discuss the line “The hallway swallowed the late students,” then write how the verb and subject reveal the intended meaning.
Play a context clue relay where teams match unfamiliar words to meanings, underline evidence, and explain how sentence structure helped.
Collect figurative phrases from headlines, advertisements, or song lyrics, then rewrite each phrase literally and compare the effects.
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Printable 9.RV.1.B Worksheet
A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to 9.RV.1.B, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.
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Related Standards
- 12.RV.1.B
Use context and sentence structure to clarify the meanings of words and phrases.
- 6.RV.1.B
Use context and sentence structure to determine multiple meanings of words and clarify the meanings of unfamiliar words and phrases.
- 11.RV.1.B
Use context and sentence structure to clarify the meanings of words and phrases.
- 10.RV.1.B
The 10th Grade version of this standard.
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