Question

Read the sentence. In a fit of rage, Adam tore the letter asunder, throwing the pieces into the fire. Which context clues from this sentence would be most helpful in determining the meaning of asunder? (Select all that apply.)

Answer 1

Answer:

The context clues which would be the most helpful in determining the meaning of asunder are: tore and pieces.

Explanation:

Asunder is an archaic adverb, which means we do not use it much nowadays. It means apart, divided, or into pieces. Supposing we did not know that definition, we could easily guess the meaning of asunder by finding context clues in the sentence where it appears. In this case, there are two words that can easily help us understand what asunder means: tore and pieces. Tore, the past form of the verb tear, means to rip something apart. And pieces, of course, mean a portion, chunk, or segment of something. If Adam tore something asunder and then threw the pieces, we can safely guess asunder has something to do with making those pieces, breaking or ripping something.