Vocabulary spelling level IV g9

LEvEL Iviv Exceeding the Standards: Vocabulary & Spelling © EMC Publishing, LLC Unit 5: Borrowed Words and Informal Language Lesson 23: Spanish Words in English.. Each lesson in Vocabul

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Level IV

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Exceeding the Standards: Vocabulary & Spelling, Level IV

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Contents

Introduction .v

Unit 1: Word Study Skills and Context Clues Lesson 1: Word Study Notebook 1

Lesson 2: Word Study Skills 3

Lesson 3: PAVE—Predict, Associate, Verify, Evaluate 5

Lesson 4: Context Clues 7

Lesson 5: More About Context Clues 9

Time Out for Test Practice: Using Context Clues 11

Unit 2: Reference Material and Clarifying Meaning Lesson 6: Reference Materials for Vocabulary Words 13

Lesson 7: Words with Multiple Meanings 15

Lesson 8: Review of Synonyms and Antonyms 17

Lesson 9: Connotation and Denotation 19

Time Out for Test Practice: Connotation, Denotation and Word Meaning 21

Unit 3: Spelling Lesson 10: Spelling Correctly 22

Lesson 11: Spelling Patterns I 24

Lesson 12: Spelling Patterns II 27

Lesson 13: Spell-Check Software and What It Fails to Do 29

Time Out for Test Practice: Spelling 31

Unit 4: Word Parts and Word Origins Lesson 14: Morphemes—The Building Blocks of Words 33

Lesson 15: Prefixes, Roots, and Suffixes 35

Lesson 16: More About Prefixes 37

Lesson 17: More About Suffixes 39

Lesson 18: Word Origins 42

Lesson 19: Root Families 44

Lesson 20: Greek and Latin Roots 46

Lesson 21: Using Word Parts to Unlock Meaning 48

Lesson 22: The Evolution of Language 50

Time Out for Test Practice: Prefixes, Suffixes, and Root Families 53

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iv Exceeding the Standards: Vocabulary & Spelling © EMC Publishing, LLC

Unit 5: Borrowed Words and Informal Language

Lesson 23: Spanish Words in English 55

Lesson 24: English Words from French 57

Lesson 25: English Words from German 59

Lesson 26: Register, Slang, and Colloquialisms 61

Lesson 27: Idioms 63

Time Out for Test Practice: Borrowed Words in English; Idioms and Colloquialisms 65

Unit 6: Testing Vocabulary and Choosing Words Lesson 28: Vocabulary Questions on Standardized Tests 67

Lesson 29: Writing and Word Choice 70

Lesson 30: Literal and Figurative Meanings 72

Lesson 31: Figurative Language 74

Lesson 32: Expanding Your Word Knowledge 76

Time Out for Test Practice: Using Word Attack Skills on Standardized Tests 78

Answer Key 80

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Vocabulary & Spelling presents thirty-two lessons, designed to be used weekly, that cover a broad

range of topics from etymology to context clues to spelling patterns These lessons are aligned with

the units of the Mirrors & Windows: Connecting with Literature program and may be used alone or as supplements to the Vocabulary & Spelling workshops in the Student Edition Each lesson incorporates

words from selections in the corresponding unit of the textbook By using these lessons in conjunction with the literature program, you will help your students become better readers, writers, speakers, and spellers

Each lesson in Vocabulary & Spelling includes the following components:

• A Word of the Week, selected from the corresponding textbook unit, highlights a word that

students may find particularly meaningful or interesting

• Grammar instruction on one or more topics is followed by a Try It Yourself section that allows

students to practice what they are learning

• Just For Fun activities encourage students to play with words, reminding them that language can be

fun and interesting

• Tip boxes in the margin throughout the lesson clarify definitions, offer additional information, and

give helpful suggestions

• A Time Out for Test Practice at the end of each unit provides students with the opportunity to

assess what they have learned and to practice test-taking skills by answering sample standardized test questions in a multiple-choice format

It is essential that vocabulary instruction include a variety of strategies to develop students’

word-study skills Lessons in Vocabulary & Spelling provide many different ways of exploring and

studying words, word parts, semantic families, and spelling patterns and rules Activating students’

prior knowledge of words and of essential concepts related to words helps students make associations between new terms and words they already know

The activities in Vocabulary & Spelling will help you actively engage students in working with

words As their curiosity about word exploration grows, your students will become increasingly confident in their ability to attack, learn, and experiment with new words

Related Program Resources

For more vocabulary and spelling instruction, including charts of common prefixes, suffixes, and

word roots, refer to the Mirrors & Windows Student Edition Language Arts Handbook, Section 2:

Vocabulary & Spelling Additional vocabulary development activities integrated with the literature

selections are included in the Meeting the Standards unit resource books and in Differentiated

Instruction for English Language Learners

Teaching Tips

Word study encompasses not only vocabulary and spelling, but also the strategies language users employ to unlock meanings and internalize spellings Effective instruction in word study gives students tools for learning new vocabulary and spelling independently in the long term The following teaching

tips can help you ensure that your students get the most from the lessons in Vocabulary & Spelling.

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vi Exceeding the Standards: Vocabulary & Spelling © EMC Publishing, LLC

Teach Word Attack Strategies

There are a number of strategies good readers employ when they are confronted with an unfamiliar

word These strategies include:

For many of us, these strategies have become second nature, and we are hardly conscious of using

them To students, however, they are not so obvious; strategic word decoding takes place mostly

internally and silently, word attack strategies are largely invisible, and uninitiated students may never

witness them in action Research suggests that students need explicit instruction in these strategies to

become proficient readers and effective writers The lessons in Vocabulary & Spelling provide such

explicit instruction

Create a Word-Rich Environment

The essential backdrop to an effective word study program is a classroom where words are clearly

valued The following are some ideas for creating such a classroom

• Word Wall Post a variety of vocabulary words and/or words of the week in your classroom to

provide students with repetition and recycling of the terms you want them to internalize Use it

as the basis of word games such as bingo, Jeopardy, and twenty questions, as well as collaborative

storytelling

• Class Dictionary Have students keep a class dictionary by taking turns entering words studied in

class, providing definitions, illustrating terms, writing contextual sentences, and searching for

real-world uses of the words

• Classroom Library Provide a broad range of reading materials, giving students time for sustained

silent reading, and modeling avid reading yourself, to build students’ vocabularies

• Word Processing Language Tools Encourage students to make use of language features built into

word processing programs, such as dictionaries and thesauruses

• Online Word Games Schedule time for your students to learn new vocabulary with online word

games and other technology tools

• Language Mentor Share your own interest in words by drawing students’ attention to interesting

words in the news or in pop culture and by modeling how you approach words that are new to you

Foster Curiosity

The key to incorporating meaningful word study into your language arts classroom is to encourage

dialogue with your students about how words create meaning Your own curiosity about language

is infectious and will encourage your students to become inquisitive “word detectives” motivated to

solve the mystery of word meanings

About Spelling “Rules”

Some students benefit from memorizing what are sometimes called spelling rules; others are

frustrated by the number of exceptions to each rule To reflect the prevalence of exceptions, the term

spelling pattern has been used instead of spelling rule in this resource In addition to introducing

students to spelling patterns, you can help them become stronger spellers by following the same

teaching tips mentioned above: modeling the use of strategies, creating a word-rich classroom, and

fostering curiosity

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Although her family wanted her

to attend Harvard, Heather had a visceral feeling that the University

of Minnesota was a better choice for her.

You probably use facts, logic, and reasoning to guide you through many decisions in your life

However, for other decisions, you might depend on a gut feeling,

or a visceral sense of what you

want Visceral is related to the

Latin-derived word viscera¸ which

refers to the inner parts of the body (especially the stomach and intestines, or guts)

Word of the Week

Many words have more than one definition You may choose which definition or definitions to include in the entry

In the definition, include what part of speech the word is used as—noun (n.), verb (v.), adjective

(adj.), adverb (adv.), or other

Some words can be used as more than one part of speech.

Tip

LEssON 1

Word study Notebook

Understand the concept

How large is your vocabulary? Most people your age know or recognize at least 20,000 words and use approximately 2,000 on a regular basis That is only a small sampling of all the words in the English language, which number between 600,000 and one million

It’s no wonder, then, that almost everywhere you look, you can find new and unfamiliar words!

A good way to add some of these new words to your vocabulary is to keep a word study notebook Whenever you come across a new word while reading or listening, you can jot it down

in the notebook, along with its definition and pronunciation You might also write down the word’s origins—that is, what language or other words it came from (This information can be found in most dictionaries.) Finally, add an example sentence or drawing to help you remember the word

Word: acute Definition: characterized by sharpness or severity Pronunciation: \ -kyüt´\

Origins: from Latin acutus, past participle of acuere to

sharpen, from acus, meaning needle

Sentence: When the soccer player injured his knee, he felt

acute pain

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2 Exceeding the Standards: Vocabulary & Spelling © EMC Publishing, LLC

Try It Yourself

E x E r c I s E A

Browse through a book, magazine, or newspaper until you find a word that is unfamiliar Then, use the space below to create a word study notebook entry for the word In the space at the bottom, you may draw

a picture to illustrate the word’s meaning

Just for Fun

Slang is extremely informal language made up of invented words and old words that are given new meaning In your word study notebook, start a list of slang terms that are popular today Be sure to give the definition, pronunciation, and an example sentence for each word, just

as you would with any other word you enter into your notebook

To write the pronunciation

of a word, you need to

use special phonetic symbols

Each symbol stands for a specific

@ (the schwa, an unclear vowel

sound heard in words like

extra and civil)

4 (the sound made by n and g

together in words like thing)

To find out what phonetic symbols

are used in your dictionary, check

the pronunciation key.

Tip

Sometimes you will come

across a word that you

know the meaning of, but have

a hard time remembering how

to spell Include these words in

a separate section of your word

study notebook Here are a few

tricky vocabulary words from

selections in Unit 1 to get you

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Parsimony generally refers to

being very cautious with money

Its synonyms include thriftiness, frugality, tight-fistedness, and penny-pinching However, it can

also be used in more positive ways For example, if you solve

a puzzle in the least number

of steps, your efforts can be considered parsimonious.

Word of the Week

LEssON 2

Word study skills

When reading, you will often encounter words that are new to you It can be tempting to skip over them and keep going, but if that’s your only strategy, you’ll probably end up missing a lot of what you read!

You will better understand and enjoy what you read if you follow these simple strategies for decoding unfamiliar words

Use context clues

Most of the time when you encounter an unfamiliar word, you can

figure out what it means by looking at the context, or the words around

it Read the following passage:

Earthquakes are so common in Southern California that longtime residents hardly notice when the ground begins to rumble

Usually, a small tremor is all that occurs However, after the state was hit by a series of major seismic disturbances in the late 1980s, many shaken-up Californians started wondering whether they should move to more solid ground

You may not know what seismic means, but from clues in the

surrounding text, you can probably guess that “seismic disturbances”

are tremors or shocks caused by an earthquake In fact, seismic is an

adjective meaning “of, relating to, or caused by an earthquake.”

1 What do you think fetal means?

2 What information in the passage helped you guess the meaning of the word?

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Look for Familiar Word Parts

Examine the unfamiliar word You may find that it contains a familiar prefix, suffix, or word root that provides a clue to its meaning For

example, if you know that kilo is Latin for “one thousand,” you can figure out the meanings of such words as kilowatt, kilometer, and

kilogram.

Try It Yourself

E x E r c I s E B

Use your knowledge of word parts to define each of the following words

in your notebook You may refer to the Word Parts Charts provided by your teacher

Try It Yourself

E x E r c I s E c

Read the following sentences Look up each underlined word in the dictionary and in your notebook, write down the definition that best fits the way the word is used in the sentence

1 We saved the last parcel of the delicious dessert for my sister, who had been unable to join us for dinner

2 Among the fishing gear for sale was a brand-new trammel

3 The audience burst into applause as the singer’s mellifluous voice filled the auditorium

4 During our play about the Salem witch trials, I was to wear a commode

5 The dog slept through the muzzy afternoon

Look up the following words in

a dictionary Then, on your own

paper, draw a picture for each one

that would help a reader better

understand the word’s meaning

Just for Fun

A prefix is a word part

found at the beginning

of a word; a suffix is found at

the end Prefixes and suffixes add

meaning to a base word or root A

word root is a word part that is

not a prefix or suffix and contains

more of the core meaning of the

word.

Tip

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Name: Date:

tangible (tan‘ j@ b@l) adj.,

capable of being perceived, especially by touch; real

Without tangible evidence that would stand up in court, the police officer knew he couldn’t arrest the suspect

Tangible is derived from the Latin tangere, “to touch.” It refers to

something that you can plainly see or feel Similar words are

tangent, the name for a line

that touches a circle in only one point, and tangential, which

describes something that is related

to a topic, but not of central importance.

Word of the Week

LEssON 3

PAVE—Predict, Associate, Verify, Evaluate

PAVE is a good way to help yourself remember the meaning of a new

word PAVE stands for Predict, Associate, Verify, and Evaluate When

you encounter an unfamiliar word, first copy down the sentence in which the word appears Then follow the steps below:

Predict Try to predict the word’s meaning based on the context

and on your prior knowledge of the word or its parts Write down your prediction

Associate Write a sentence of your own using the word This will

allow you to associate the word with another context

Verify Check the meaning of the word by using a dictionary or

by asking your teacher A dictionary may offer multiple meanings for the same word If you use a dictionary, select and write down the most appropriate definition

Evaluate Evaluate the sentence you wrote using the word Does it do

a good job of capturing the meaning of the word? Rewrite the sentence if necessary If you wish, draw an image that will help you remember the word

Try It Yourself

Use PAVE to learn the underlined words in the sentences below

1 The judge recused herself from the case when she learned that one

of the people involved was an old friend from college

a new word, try to use that word

in your everyday speech several times over the next few days This will help you remember the word and add it to your vocabulary.

Tip

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Flip through a dictionary and find

a word you’ve never seen before

Be sure you understand what it

means; then, write a paragraph

with the word hidden somewhere

in it Exchange paragraphs with a

partner Your partner must, first of

all, guess which word you were

“hiding,” and second, use PAVE

to figure out the meaning of the

word.

Just for Fun

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Premonition refers to a sense that

something is going to happen

Synonyms of premonition include omen, portent, and suspicion

Hunch and inkling are similar to premonition, but these words

have less ominous connotations

Word of the Week

LEssON 4

context clues

When you encounter an unfamiliar word in your reading, you do not always need to reach for the dictionary Take a closer look at the

context, or the surrounding text, for clues that can help you guess the

meaning of the word

Here are some types of context clues you might look for:

restatement clue This type of clue is found when the author restates

an idea, or explains it in a different way Some words that signal

restatement are that is, in other words, and or In this example, the

second sentence restates the first one, providing a clue to the meaning

of the word guru Guru means “expert.”

example Phil is a gardening guru In other words, he knows

everything there is to know about gardening

apposition clue A more direct form of restatement is apposition

Apposition is renaming something In this example, the author

provides a definition of a math term, prime number, by renaming it as a

number that can be evenly divided only by itself and one.

example Seven is a prime number, a number that can be evenly

divided only by itself and one

cause and effect clue This type of clue requires the reader to make an

assumption based on cause and effect Some words that signal cause

and effect include if…then, when…then, thus, therefore, because, so, due

to, as a result of, and consequently.

example The valley was completely inundated due to heavy

rains

Heavy rainfall tends to cause flooding, especially in lower-lying regions

such as valleys You can assume that inundated means “flooded” or

“covered.”

examples Sometimes, an author will give examples to help clarify the

meaning of a difficult word The author may introduce these examples

with expressions like including, such as, for example, for instance,

of details.

Tip

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Try It Yourself

Read the sentences below, using context clues to figure out the meaning

of each underlined word Identify the context clues and tell how they helped you figure out the meaning of the word

example Kenji was a skillful player of gō, or Japanese chess

The author uses restatement to define go– as a Japanese game similar to chess

1 Fairy tales and myths often incorporate archetypal figures such as the hero, the fool, and the helper

2 In Ireland, we were especially intrigued by the ancient cairns, monuments consisting of piled stones

3 Tensions between the two students escalated; every day, the temptation to fight was greater

4 The meaning of the pictographs remained enigmatic as even the most respected anthropologists failed to make sense of them

5 The area around the small stream was densely populated with amphibians, including frogs, toads, newts, and salamanders

Play a game of Catch Phrase The

object of this game is to get your

team members to guess the word

or phrase you have been assigned

from the context clues you give

them You cannot say the word

itself or any word in the phrase,

and you cannot give letters that

appear in the word.

First, divide into two teams Each

team should brainstorm a list

of twenty common words and

phrases These can be the names

of everyday objects, literary and

art terms, plants, animals, foods,

people and events from history

Write each word or phrase on a

small slip of paper Then someone

from the opposite team will

draw one of the papers and try

to get the members of his or her

own team to guess the word or

phrase Set a timer for anywhere

from three to five minutes Then

have teams take turns drawing

and guessing phrases When the

timer goes off, the team that is not

guessing gets the point The object

is to guess as quickly as possible

so your team isn’t “up” when time

runs out.

Just for Fun

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Conscientious is a difficult word

to spell (that is, you will have

to be a conscientious speller

in order to get it right) Also, it can easily be confused with the words conscience (pronounced

k5n(t)‘ sh@n(t)s), which means

to know the difference between right and wrong, and conscious

(pronounced k5n‘ sh@s), which refers to being awake or aware of things Synonyms of conscientious

include careful, thorough, meticulous, reliable, and diligent

Word of the Week

LEssON 5

More About context clues

When you come across an unfamiliar word, look for words and phrases

in the text around it that may provide clues to the meaning of the word

Two common types of context clues are comparison clues and contrast clues

comparison clues

Words and phrases including such as, like, also, similarly, just as, and in

the same way signal comparisons and indicate that the unfamiliar word

is like something that might be more familiar to you

example The new statute was similar to other laws that

protected workers’ rights

You may not know what the word statute means, but if you read the

sentence carefully, you will see that it is compared to “other laws.” A statute is a law

contrast clues

Some context clues show contrast Words and phrases such as however,

but, not, except, although, and on the other hand signal that something

contrasts, or differs in meaning, from something else

example Everyone in the class was enthusiastic about the field

trip—except for Ross, who was as apathetic as ever

The word except in this example indicates a contrast between Ross and

the other students in the class Everyone else is enthusiastic, but Ross is

not Apathetic means “having or showing no emotion or interest.”

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3 After hearing of the struggles Lois had recently gone through, I expected her to be morose; but instead, she seemed cheerful and upbeat

4 I felt like an ox blundering around on stage, but my friends told me

I was actually rather graceful

5 Jane’s evasive answer about where she had been the night before reminded Jane’s mother of how she used to avoid directly answering her own mother’s questions

6 Chang scrutinized the results of the experiment the way many investors study stock market reports each day

7 The pandemonium reminded Charley of the chaos around the stadium when the football team won the state championship

8 Jennifer expected Aaron to be reluctant to see the romantic comedy she had picked out, but he said he was looking forward to it

9 I thought for sure Amanda would guess that we’d planned a surprise party for her, but she was oblivious

10 The Midwestern school aimed to be as prestigious as many of the East Coast boarding schools who send most of their students on to Harvard and Yale

Form a group of three Each group

member should choose a piece

of construction or copy paper of

a different color and cut it into

three strips Then, from the list of

words below or a list your teacher

provides, choose three unfamiliar

words Look up your words in the

dictionary Then, for each word,

write one contextual sentence on

one of your strips of paper, and

underline the unfamiliar word

One of your sentences should

include a contrast clue, one a

comparison clue, and one a cause

and effect clue When you are

done, fold your paper and put it in

a central container with sentence

strips from your group members

Then take turns drawing sentences

out of the container, making sure

to avoid your own color Use the

context clues in each sentence

to guess the definition of the

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Name: Date:

Time Out for Test Practice

Using context clues

Read the passage and answer the questions that follow

Cowboy poetry reaffirms a philosophy of life that maintains the need to be reliant above all else With the open ranges of the West disappearing, this art form memorializes the strength of purpose that helped cowboys survive in treacherous times Cowboy poetry gatherings across the Old West have worked to renew a burgeoning interest in all things western The gatherings offer music and poetry, along with educational programs to encourage the continuance of the cowboy heritage

self-Recognizing the importance of youth in their quest to retain the luster of the cowboy tradition, gathering organizers have tailored activities to attract kids and young adults

A uncomfortably aware of oneself

as an object of the observation of others

B having confidence in and exercising one’s own powers

C proud; arrogant

D able to defend oneself _ 3 memorialize

A learn by heart; commit to memory

B trivialize; make something seem unimportant

C sign up for something or join a group

D call to remembrance _ 4 treacherous

A marked by danger or insecurity

B made with treacle

C adventurous; full of activity

D deceiving; able to fool _ 5 burgeoning

A load down or oppress

A legacy; tradition

B collection of buried artifacts

C annual meeting

D customary celebration _ 8 quest

A investigation of something suspicious or interesting

B chance or possibility

C pursuit of or search for something

D willingness to proceed _ 9 luster

A beauty or attractiveness

B shine coming from within

C something purified ceremoniously

D period of five years _ 10 tailored

A trimmed by a seamstress

B brought with

C for entertainment purposes

D custom-made

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_ 11 Her diaphanous description of

the day’s events left me with more questions than answers

A candid

B humorous

C precise

D vague _ 12 The mother’s imperturbable

manner during the old’s birthday party helped to keep the rambunctious children under control

three-year-A calm

B irate

C callous

D hyperactive _ 13 The hasp on the gate had been

exposed to a great deal of rain over many years It was now completely rusted and would be impossible to pry open

A fastener

B frame

C paint

D design _ 14 Her posh apartment was

breathtaking Each room was tastefully decorated to create a look straight out of a magazine

A over-the-top

B fashionable

C unattractive

D unique _ 15 Brent was bored by the basketball

team’s facile victory—they won by forty points He had hoped for a much more competitive game

A difficult

B easy

C surprising

D confusing

_ 16 The student malingered with a

sore throat and headache when he discovered there would be a test on the reading he’d never finished

A fought off

B suffered through

C pretended sickness

D overlooked _ 17 The indigence in which the family

lived was overwhelming The family

of four shared a small one-room shack with a crumbling roof and dirt floor

A extreme poverty

B casualness

C wealth

D sorrow _ 18 The teenager’s penitent expression

uncovered her regret over last night’s damages

A frightened

B stern

C carefree

D apologetic _ 19 Toni’s innate sense of direction left

the rest of the hikers feeling confident that they would find their way back to camp

A confusing

B instinctive

C crazy

D arrogant _ 20 The science teacher stated his

supposition to the class; our task was

to test his hypothesis and decide if it was correct or not

A credentials

B evidence

C theory

D verificationUse context clues to determine the meaning of each underlined word and

choose the letter of the best definition

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Name: Date:

13

reprimand (re‘ pr@ mand) n., a

scolding

Although Mark claimed that all he was doing was heading home for lunch, he still received a reprimand from the principal for breaking school policy

A reprimand is a rebuke It

generally implies some degree

of formality For example, if you tell your little brother to stop misbehaving at a city park, it is not considered a reprimand because

you hold no formal position

However, if a police officer tells your little brother to stop, his or her position of authority qualifies the order as a reprimand

Synonyms of reprimand include warning, scolding, criticism, admonition, and chastisement.

Word of the Week

LEssON 6

reference Materials for Vocabulary Words

As discussed in previous lessons, context clues can help you figure out the meaning of many words However, sometimes context does not help When you encounter unknown words and cannot figure out their meanings, a dictionary can be useful If you find yourself using the same words over and over in your writing and want to freshen it

up, a thesaurus will provide a comprehensive list of synonyms Other references for words are also available For example, many nouns have entries in encyclopedias, some historical terms are discussed in history books, and an atlas might be helpful for geographic types of information

Dictionaries

A dictionary is a book that provides information on words

Dictionaries show the proper way to spell and pronounce words, as well as listing their meanings and what part of speech they are Some dictionaries also briefly explain the history of each word, which is

known as etymology All dictionaries do not contain the same amount

of information Some dictionaries contain more words than others, and some contain more information about each entry

The meaning of a word is known as its definition For many words,

several definitions exist, and all of these are listed in most dictionaries

You will have to use the context of the word in order to determine which meaning best applies to it

good idea to try to find alternative words, or synonyms A thesaurus is

References that provide information on words include dictionaries, thesauruses, encyclopedias, timelines, and atlases

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the ultimate source for synonyms, and will provide comprehensive lists

of them A thesaurus will also list the antonyms of a word, or words that mean the opposite

Try It Yourself

Look up each of the following words in a dictionary In your own words, write a brief definition on the line given Then use a thesaurus to find three synonyms for each word

1 detrimental definition synonyms

2 ament definition synonyms

3 synthetic definition synonyms

4 mentor definition synonyms

5 eloquent definition synonyms

6 fiasco definition synonyms

7 profound definition synonyms

8 exhilaration definition synonyms

A thesaurus provides

lists of synonyms and

antonyms for many different

words A thesaurus will give you

choices and help you select just

the most appropriate word

Tip

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Name: Date:

15

sear (sir) v., burn; destroy

I was hoping to sear the emblem into my leather boots with the branding iron.

The word sear is a homophone

A homophone is similar to homograph, but instead of two words sharing the same spelling, they share the same pronunciation A homophone

of sear is sere, which means

“prophet” or “fortune teller.”

In your own writing, be aware that spelling errors may occur with homophones if you rely on sounding out words to determine their spelling.

Word of the Week

LEssON 7

Words with Multiple Meanings

Many words in the English language have more than one meaning

Some can also be used as different parts of speech For example, the

word crush is both a noun and a verb

Lori had a crush on a boy in her class [n., an intense infatuation]

Please crush the aluminum cans before recycling them [v., to squeeze or flatten]

Crush and crush are homonyms, words that are spelled and pronounced

alike but have different meanings Following are some more common homonyms

tire noun referring to the rubber part of a wheel

verb meaning “to become weary”

monitor verb meaning “to keep track of”

noun referring to a computer display screen or a type of lizard

poker noun referring to a metal rod used for stirring a fire

noun referring to a card game

v., to keep from doing something Alex tried to refrain from biting his nails, but could not help himself.

n., a repeated verse in a song or poem Everyone sang the refrain.

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LEvEL Iv, UnIt 2

2 pitch

3 radical

Homographs

Words that are spelled alike but have different meanings and

pronunciations are often called homographs (The word homograph

comes from Greek roots meaning “written the same.”) When you come across a word that is a homograph, you need to look at the context to decide what it means and how to pronounce it

How would you pronounce each word in the examples below?

examples

bass [a type of fish] and bass [having a low pitch]

wind [moving air] and wind [turn a crank as on a watch]

desert [dry place] and desert [leave behind]

If you find a word that

does not seem to

make sense in context, consider

whether the word may have

another meaning Can the word

be used as more than one part

of speech—for example, as both

a noun and a verb? Does it have

a broader meaning than the one

that first came to mind?

Tip

Words typically gain

multiple meanings over

time For example, a word may:

Think of a word that has at

least two meanings Then draw

a picture that illustrates both

meanings For example, you might

draw police spreading blankets

over a large area to illustrate two

meanings of blanket.

Just for Fun

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An impediment is an obstacle of

some type For example, a town situated along a river might build protective walls as an impediment

to rising springtime flood waters

An impediment doesn’t have to

be a physical thing or person;

the definition also includes ideas and other intangible concepts

For example, the boy’s self doubt could be an impediment to his

success on an exam Additional synonyms of impediment include obstruction, barrier, hindrance, hurdle, and stumbling block.

Word of the Week

LEssON 8

review of synonyms and Antonyms

Synonyms are words that have the same or nearly the same meaning

Although they are very similar in meaning, synonyms often have slight differences in connotation A thesaurus is a good tool for finding synonyms

Antonyms are words that have opposite meanings Some antonyms

are completely distinct words, such as warm and cool or genial and

aloof Often, a word’s antonym can be formed by adding a negating

prefix, such as im– or dis– For example, an antonym for possible is

impossible An antonym for respect is disrespect.

The prefix in-, meaning “not,” is spelled four different ways: in-,

im-, il-, and ir- The first consonant of the base word or root determines

which version of the prefix should be used The different spellings are designed to make the resulting words easier to pronounce

Try It Yourself

Use your knowledge of synonyms and antonyms, and a thesaurus if needed, to identify two synonyms and two antonyms for each word below

a-, an- atypical dis- disinterested il- illogical im- impervious in- insecure ir- irrational un- unreal

Tip

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LEvEL Iv, UnIt 2

Using synonyms and Antonyms

You already know you can use synonyms to add variety to your writing

or to be more precise For example, you might replace a word you have used several times with a fresher synonym, or you might replace a word with a synonym that more accurately reflects your meaning

Synonyms and antonyms can also serve as context clues in a text

For example, the first sentence below uses a synonym as a clue to what the underlined vocabulary word means The second sentence uses antonyms the same way

4 I am deeply, profoundly grateful for your kindness

5 Josh’s wisecracks made it hard for the teacher to convey to us the gravity of the situation

Synonyms and antonyms

often provide context

clues that will help you unlock

the meaning of unfamiliar words

Synonyms typically occur in

restatement or comparison clues

Antonyms typically appear in

contrast clues.

Tip

Use a dictionary or thesaurus to

find a pair of antonyms that you

would like to incorporate into

your vocabulary Then make an

illustration using these words and

showing the contrast between

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Name: Date:

19

preclude (pri kl2d‘) v., to rule

out

The detective knew enough not to preclude any of the suspects, no matter how good their alibis were Preclude and exclude have

overlapping meanings—they both refer to keeping things or ideas

out Most of the time, however,

they are used in different ways, and their prefixes can give clues

to their meanings Both words are derived from the Latin root

claudere, to close The prefix pre- means “before,” so preclude

means “to close beforehand.” In contrast, the prefix ex- means “out

of” or “not,” so exclude means

“to close out” or “to keep out.”

In general, preclude means “to

rule out, especially in advance,”

whereas exclude means “to keep

something out (at the present time).”

Word of the Week

LEssON 9

connotation and Denotation

A word’s denotation is its dictionary definition A word’s connotations

are all the positive or negative associations it has in addition to its literal meaning

For example, the words dirty and soiled both denote “unclean.”

However, the word dirty has negative connotations For example,

it is associated with low morals (as in “a dirty business deal”) and

unpleasant tasks (as in “a dirty job”) Soiled, on the other hand, is rather

neutral—neither positive nor negative

Different people have different connotations for words For

example, the word ocean has a positive connotation for many people

They may hear it and think peaceful thoughts However, if you are afraid of water due to a near-drowning incident when you were a child,

the word ocean may have a negative association for you!

Try It Yourself

The words in each pair below are synonyms or near synonyms They have very similar denotations, but differing connotations Explain the difference in connotation on the lines provided

example old / vintage

Both words mean “not new,” but vintage has a more positive connotation It connotes something that is valuable or collectable, whereas old is more neutral

Tip

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LEvEL Iv, UnIt 2

4 selective / picky

5 arrogant / self-confident

Some dictionaries explain the differences in connotations between words with similar meanings For example, if you look up the word

calm in Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, you will find a

description of the differences between calm, tranquil, serene, placid, and

peaceful

Just for Fun

Get together with a partner and brainstorm a list of words that have a similar meaning, but different connotations You may use a dictionary

or thesaurus to help you Then sort the words in a chart like the one below, showing which have negative connotations, which have positive connotations, and which are neutural

Politicians and

salespeople are careful

to use words with positive

connotations For example, most

presidential speeches contain

“feel-good” words such as unite,

freedom, equality, and progress

Many sales pitches include words

such as modern, convenient, and

value.

Tip

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Name: Date:

21

connotation and Denotation

All of the words in each group are near synonyms—they mean basically the same thing One word in each group differs from the others in connotation

Write the letter of that word on the provided blank

_ 1 outgoing, gregarious, sociable,

A greedy

B eager

C selfish

D hoggish _ 3 travel, roam, rove, wander

A dare

B confront

C dispute

D analyze _ 3 prolific

A extreme

B extremist

C conservative

D fundamental _ 6 thin

A overindulgent

B bad-mannered

C tasteless

D rude

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LEvEL Iv, UnIt 3

LEssON 10

spelling correctly

The Modern English language consists of words that have been derived from many languages over the last two thousand years English words come from Latin, Anglo-Saxon (Old English), French, and Spanish, as well as many other languages These languages have different ways of spelling certain sounds and the spelling of various sounds has changed as the English language has grown and developed Because of this, Modern English presents many challenges when it comes to spelling There are many “rules,” as well as many exceptions to these rules Even though two words sound the same, they may be spelled completely differently As with any skill, becoming a good speller takes effort and practice

The Long e sound

A variety of letter combinations produce the long e sound Each of

the following words has a letter, or combination of letters (including a

silent e at the end of a word), that form the long e sound.

keep cheese beaver

either

believe

me these disabilities diabetes money

enemy sardine people

When Charles Lindbergh

completed the first solo flight

across the Atlantic Ocean in 1927

in his plane The Spirit of St Louis,

it was a unique accomplishment

Unique is one of the most

commonly misused words in the

English language Since it refers

to something that is totally unlike

anything else, something is either

unique or it isn’t Modifying the

word does not make sense

However, it is common to hear

people refer to things as very

unique or somewhat unique

Now you can point out that those

are illogical statements A more

accurate way to express this

thought is to say that something is

very unusual.

Word of the Week

There are many different

ways to become a

stronger speller Recognize the

words you consistenly misspell

and practice spelling them

correctly, using a dictionary for

help Break the words down into

syllables and pronounce them

out loud This will help solidify the

words and their correct spellings in

your mind.

Tip

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Long a sound

A variety of letter combinations produce the long a sound Each of

the following words has a letter, or combination of letters (including a

silent e at the end of a word), that form a long a sound.

eight ate

bay

hey great bait

café suede

Other Letter combinations

There are many other cases in which the same sound is produced

by a variety of letter combinations For example, the long u sound is produced using different letters in the words ewe, you, and debut The

s sound can be made by the letter s, as in surprise, or the letter c, as in century.

Try It Yourself

For each of the following sounds, try to think of two different letters

or letter combinations that make the sound and a word that illustrates each of them

1 f sound

2 sh sound

3 j sound

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LEvEL Iv, UnIt 3

LEssON 11

spelling Patterns I

Spelling words with affixes—that is, prefixes and suffixes—can be

tricky You will avoid making most errors if you follow a few simple guidelines

Adding Prefixes

When adding a prefix to a word, do not change the spelling of the word itself

examples mis- + spell = misspell

re- + arrange = rearrangeWith some words, a hyphen may be used after the prefix If in doubt, consult a dictionary

Adding suffixes

When adding a suffix to most words, you do not need to change or

drop any letters Unless the word ends in y or silent e, keep all letters of

the word and all letters of the suffix

examples stubborn + -ness = stubbornness

personal + -ly = personally

When a suffix is added to a word ending in y, the y sometimes changes

to an i The following are some typical examples Can you figure out the pattern? When does the y change to an i, and when doesn’t it?

y changes to i

busy + -ness = business country + -es = countries

y does not change

enjoy + -able = enjoyable play + -ful = playful

verdant (v@r‘ d@nt) adj.,

greenery, especially that of plants

or forests

In the springtime, the newly

sprouting buds on the trees

produced a verdant landscape

in the rolling hills of southern

Pennsylvania.

Verdant is derived from the Old

French words for green, verd and

verte, which were derived from

the Latin word vivere, meaning “to

be green.” Verdant is generally not

used to refer to one green item,

but rather to a situation where

the observer is surrounded by

greenery.

Word of the Week

Being a good or a bad

speller has nothing to do

with how smart you are or even

how good you are at writing

Some of the most well-known

writers, F Scott Fitzgerald for

example, had a terrible time with

spelling Improve your spelling by

reading more—the more you read,

the more words you see, and the

more likely you will be able to

remember how they look on the

page, and therefore, how to spell

them

Tip

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The final y changes to an i before a suffix when

_; however, the final y does not change

when _.

2 Add a suffix to each of the following words, being sure to spell each new word correctly Notice that not all of the words fit the pattern—there are a few oddballs

When a suffix is added to a word ending in silent e, sometimes the e is

dropped and sometimes not The following are some typical examples

Can you figure out the pattern? When is the silent e dropped, and when

is it kept?

silent e is dropped

believe + -able = believable make + -ing = making

silent e is not dropped

use + -ful = usefulfortunate + -ly = fortunately

Try It Yourself

1 Fill in the blanks to describe the pattern you see in the examples given above

The final e is usually dropped before a suffix when

_; however, it is usually not dropped when

_.

2 Add a suffix to each of the following words, being sure to spell each new word correctly All of these words should fit the pattern you identified

Silent e is always dropped in these

words, even though it is kept in other words like them

Mileage and acreage also do not

fit the typical spelling pattern—

they keep the silent e.

Tip

Note that when adding a suffix beginning in a or o

to a word ending in -ce or -ge, the

silent e must be kept Why do you

think this is so?

noticeable [not noticable]

advantageous [not advantagous]

courageous [not couragous]

Tip

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LEvEL Iv, UnIt 3

E recuperate + -ion =

F arrange + -ment =

3 Words ending in -ce or -ge are exceptions to the pattern In these

words, the silent e is not dropped before a suffix beginning with

an a or an o Examples include courageous, peaceable, changeable,

noticeable, and advantageous Why do you think the silent e is kept

in these words?

4 Other exceptions to this pattern include dyeing (coloring with a dye) and singeing (burning or scorching) Why do you think the silent e is kept in these words?

Doubling consonants

One final area of confusion: sometimes, when a suffix is added to a word that ends in a single consonant, the final consonant is doubled

examples sad sadder

commit committed, committingthug thuggish

prefer preferred

Often, however, the consonant is not doubled

examples sad sadness, sadly

commit commitmentmeet meetingtrain trainingbenefit benefitedCan you figure out the pattern? (Hint: Look at the consonant and vowel patterns in both the word and the suffix If the word has more than one syllable, notice which syllable of the word is stressed.)

The following words

do not fit the common

pattern of when to drop the silent

e The silent e is dropped in these

words, even though it is kept in

other words like them

acknowledge + -ment =

acknowledgment

judge + -ment = judgment

argue + -ment = argument

true + -ly = truly

awe + -ful = awful

Tip

Practice difficult spelling

words with a friend Take

turns spelling words aloud to the

other person.

Tip

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Name: Date:

27

abyss (@ bis‘) n., a very deep

hole

During their march across Greenland, the explorers carefully avoided the deep fracture on the glacier, which appeared to be a bottomless abyss.

Abyss is derived from the Greek

word abyssos, which means

“bottomless.” Abyss commonly

refers to a physical hole, such as

a deep, narrow canyon, but it can also be used to refer to a figurative concept For example, a person suffering from serious depression might be described as being in an emotional abyss

Word of the Week

LEssON 12

spelling Patterns II

This lesson will help you avoid some common spelling errors Many spelling problems arise from a common operation: forming plurals

Form the plurals of most nouns simply by adding s such as in the words

chairs, players, and guitars.

Most nouns ending in o preceded by a consonant have plurals ending in es, as do nouns ending in s, x, z, ch, or sh such as heroes,

crashes, foxes, and beaches

However, certain words ending in o—including musical terms

from Italian and other words borrowed from foreign languages—take

the s ending (concertos, pianos, cellos, radios, tacos).

Form the plurals of nouns ending in y preceded by a vowel by

adding s as in monkeys, plays, and Wednesdays (The vowels are the

letters a, e, i, o, u Sometimes the letter y also represents a vowel sound.) Form the plurals of nouns that end in y preceded by a consonant by

changing the y to i and adding es as in the words stories, cherries, and

examples child ➞ children tooth ➞ teeth

goose ➞ geese mouse ➞ mice

When forming the plurals of nouns ending in f, ff, or fe, you can usually just add s A few such words, however, form their plurals by changing the f to a v When in doubt, consult a dictionary.

examples knife ➞ knives

thief ➞ thieves Words taken from other languages sometimes keep their foreign

plurals For example, the plural of the Latin word alumnus, meaning

student, is alumni.

examples paparazzo (Italian) ➞ paparazzi

crisis (Greek) ➞ crises

thesaurus (Latin and Greek) ➞ thesauri or thesauruses

Remember these helpful hints:

If you are adding a suffix to a word that ends with y, and that y follows

a consonant, you should usually change the y to i

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LEvEL Iv, UnIt 3

I before E

Other common spelling errors arise in words that are spelled with the

letters i and e Remember that when a word has the long e sound (as in

shriek), you should put i before e, except after the letter c

examples field, believe, shield

perceive, receipt, ceiling

Note that there are some exceptions, including seize, either, neither,

leisure, and species, as well as words with the suffix -er, such as fancier

-sede, -ceed, or -cede?

Some spelling errors arise in words that end with the sound [sēd]

Remember that there are only three words in English that end in

–ceed: exceed, proceed, and succeed There is only one word that ends in

–sede: supersede Every other word that ends with [sēd] is spelled –cede

1 Two of my friends had crisises last night

2 The salsa recipe calls for tomatos, onions, pepperes, and chivees

3 Please turn in your analysises of the short story by Friday

4 Counting sheeps in bed helps many childs get to sleep

5 Even alumnuses of prestigious schools have trouble remembering

how many cs and ss there are in the word necessary.

Circle the word in each pair that is spelled correctly

1 “You are so (wierd / weird)!” Calvin (shreiked / shrieked), staring

at his (neighbor / nieghbor) in (disbeleif / disbelief)

2 The (chief / cheif) of police planned an all-out (siege / seige) on the criminals (believed / beleived) to live in the (biege / beige) house

3 The (conceited / concieted) man (succeeded / suceded) in stopping his hairline from (receeding / receding)

4 “(Procede / proceed),” (conseeded /conceded) the guard, “but don’t (exceed / excede) the two hour time limit.”

5 When a fight broke out on the (field / feild), the referee had to (intersede / intercede)

Moose does not follow

the same pattern as

goose The plural of moose is

simply moose! Other animal

words that are the same in plural

as in singular include sheep,

swine, fish, and deer.

Tip

Irregular plurals are

sometimes holdovers

from older forms of the English

language For example, plurals

were once formed with the suffix

–en That changed, but can still be

seen in the words children, oxen,

women, and men.

Tip

To form the plural of an

abbreviation, number,

or symbol, you may simply add

s You may add an apostrophe if

there is danger of confusion.

IOUs, 1900s, #s (or #’s) mind

your p’s and q’s

Tip

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29

dupe (d2p) 1 v., to fool; 2 n.,

one who is easily fooled

Before the Munich Conference

in 1938, Adolf Hitler knew he would be able to dupe Neville Chamberlain into thinking that Europe would remain at peace for many years.

Dupe has many synonyms,

including deceive, cheat, fool, trick, con, hoodwink, and swindle

Most of these alternatives can

be used in either a serious or lighthearted way Dupe, however,

is generally used only in a serious and negative manner Claiming that someone has been duped is

usually considered to be insulting toward that person.

Word of the Week

LEssON 13

spell-check software and What It Fails to Do

Spell-check software can be a useful tool in checking your work

on the computer However, keep in mind that spell check does not always make the correct decisions Some typographical errors will not be caught by a spell check because the word may still be spelled correctly—it was just the wrong word to begin with Consider the following sentence:

When I finally remembered to remove he book form my book bag and return it to the library, it was too months late.

Running a spell check on that sentence would result in no errors found

However, there are three errors Can you find all three?

Try It Yourself

Type this paragraph into a word processing program on a computer

If you do not have access to a computer in your classroom, try your school or local library Do not check for spelling mistakes as you type

When you are finished, run a spell check on your work After the spell check is complete, proofread your paragraph against this one Did you find any mistakes? If not, congratulations! You’re an accurate typist, and your spell check did its job If you did find mistakes, examine the mistakes Are they correctly spelled words that are used incorrectly in the sentence? For example, did you type “did it’s job” or “did its job”?

These small differences make big differences in meaning

Proofread the following paragraph for errors that would not be caught

by a spell-check program Rewrite the paragraph correctly below

When researching a author, keep in mind that it takes time to find a quality, informative sight among the clutter and gigantic mass of the Internet Web browsers are a great place to start;

most of the sites you will find their will be well-organized and in-depth The best cites are often those hat the authors put together themselves When a writer creates a home page, you can often find personnel messages an anecdotes that sallow

With most spell-check programs, you can choose preferences that will help

to customize what you want your spell check to suggest For example, you can choose if you want a standard or specialized dictionary.

Tip

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LEvEL Iv, UnIt 3

you to get a real sense of who he or she is Good secondary sites include these authorized by the author or his or her agent, literary societies, publishers, and fans of the other.

Most spell checks will ask

if you want to delete a

repeated word Sometimes you

will have accidentally typed a

word twice and will want to delete

the second usage Other times,

you will want to have the word

repeated, as in this sentence: “If

he had had thirty more minutes

to complete the exam, he would

have done really well.”

Tip

Start a section of your Word Study

Notebook for recording typos

you make frequently Words like

from/form, the/he, too/two are

problematic because a spell check

won’t catch them Become familiar

with the kinds of mistakes you

make, and then proofread your

work for those mistakes.

Just for Fun

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Name: Date:

31

spelling

Choose the letter of the word as it is spelled correctly Write the corresponding letter on the blank provided

_ 1 Jana flipped the (calendar / calender)

page over to see the month of September

A calendar

B calender _ 2 Mike is a very (competetive /

competitive) chess player

A competetive

B competitive _ 3 I don’t like it when my mother

(embarrasses / embarasses) me in front of my friends

A embarrasses

B embarasses _ 4 Lila thought the film was

(extrordinary / extraordinary)

A extrordinary

B extraordinary _ 5 Who knows how to (attatch / attach)

the hitch to the pickup truck?

A attatch

B attach _ 6 Everyone thinks that the boys are

(heroes / heros)

A heroes

B heros _ 7 The puppies are very (mischievous /

mischievious)

A mischievous

B mischievious _ 8 Do you know what the (temprature /

repetition)

A repitition

B repetition _ 11 That story is so (weird / wierd)!

A weird

B wierd _ 12 The waiter (reccomends /

recommends) the tortellini salad

A reccomends

B recommends _ 13 Howard finds his sock warmers

(indispensible / indispensable) in the winter

A indispensible

B indispensable _ 14 I was (surprised / suprised) to see

Tori at the football game

A surprised

B suprised _ 15 That dog likes to (harrass / harass)

everyone who walks by the house

A harrass

B harass _ 16 Noelle is (eligible / elligible) for the

award

A eligible

B elligible

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LEvEL Iv, UnIt 3

_ 17 We went to the old (cemetary /

cemetery) to do grave rubbings

A cemetary

B cemetery _ 18 The floral dress is very (feminine /

femenine)

A feminine

B femenine _ 19 Peter’s (concience / conscience) was

bothering him

A concience

B conscience _ 20 The (amateur / amature) soccer team

won the tournament

A amateur

B amature _ 21 The two roads run (parallel / paralell)

to each other

A parallel

B paralell

_ 22 After halftime, the Rivertown

Rats came back with a (vengence / vengeance) and won the game

A vengence

B vengeance _ 23 The neighborhood bakery agreed to

(sponsor / sponser) our softball team

A sponsor

B sponser _ 24 It would be a (privilege / privelege) to

be in your wedding!

A privilege

B privelege _ 25 The school board formed a (comittee

/ committee) to study the effects of additional testing

A comittee

B committee

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33

posterity (p5 ster‘ @ t7) n., all

future generations; descendants

The governor stated that the major reason to clean up the environment is to leave a healthy planet for posterity.

Posterity contains the prefix post-,

which refers to something that comes afterward Posterity is a

word that is commonly found

in speeches by politicians, who want voters to know they are concerned about the quality of life for everyone’s children and grandchildren.

Word of the Week

LEssON 14

Morphemes—The Building Blocks

of Words

A morpheme is a chunk of a word that has meaning All words are made

up of one or more morphemes For example, the word apples can be broken into two meaningful chunks: apple / s Apple is a base word that refers to a type of fruit The s is a suffix that means “more than one.”

Breaking a word down into its parts can help you figure out what the word means For example, suppose you did not know the meaning

of the word prediction You could break it down into three meaningful

parts:

prediction = pre- + dict +- ion

pre- = a prefix meaning “before”

dict = a word root meaning “say” or “tell”

-ion = a suffix meaning “act of,” “state of,” or “result of”

Together, the parts create a word that means “the act of telling about something before it happens.” Notice that they can also be combined with other parts to create new words such as the following:

pre- (preview, pretest, preschool) dict (diction, dictionary, dictator, dictation) -ion (communication, transportation)

Try It Yourself

List five words that contain each of the following word parts

example ex-, prefix meaning “out of; from”

explode, export, extend, excel, except

1 pro-, prefix meaning “before; forward”

2 spect, word root meaning “look”

3 ject, word root meaning “throw”

4 -ify, suffix meaning “make or cause to be”

The four main types of morphemes are prefixes, suffixes, word roots, and base words Prefixes are word parts that attach to the front of a word; suffixes attach to the end

Word roots and base words are word parts that form the core of

a word Word roots cannot stand alone as words; base words can stand on their own.

Tip

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LEvEL Iv, UnIt 4

Some words contain just

one morpheme These

are called base words They

cannot be broken down into

smaller parts

apple, pink, read

Tip

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