Context Clues
The class collected so many canned goods that the donations filled three entire tables. Which word describes the amount of donations?
Copious (plentiful)
Someone proudly tells everyone about their accomplishments. Which word means to brag publicly: tout, enhance, or efface?
Tout
Which word is a noun meaning muscular strength?
Brawn
Someone eats an entire pizza and immediately starts eating another. Which noun might describe this person?
Glutton
A student describes a villain as nefarious rather than simply saying the villain is mean. Explain what nefarious suggests about the villain's actions and why it is a stronger word choice.
Nefarious suggests the villain's actions are extremely wicked or evil, not simply unpleasant.
A director adds spooky music, dark lighting, and a sudden storm to a scene. The director is creating a feeling within the audience. What word best describes what the author is doing by using specific music and lighting?
Engender (to cause or create)
A student has so much homework that they cannot attend a club meeting. Is the homework a hiatus, a hindrance, or a glutton? WHY did you pick your answer?
Hindrance
A student says, “That test was so chill bro!” instead of using formal language. What word describes this speaking?
Vernacular
A school closes for a short break between semesters. Which word describes this break?
Hiatus
Two students are struggling to finish a project. One says the project has a hindrance, while the other says the project has a hiatus. Explain the difference between these words and which one better describes an obstacle preventing progress.
A hindrance is an obstacle that delays progress. A hiatus is a break or pause. Hindrance fits the obstacle.
A student describes a character's clothing, actions, and manners as proper and tasteful. Which word fits best?
Decorous (proper + tasteful)
A teacher wants to make a confusing set of directions clearer and more useful. Should the teacher enhance, obscure, or obliterate the directions? WHY did you pick your answer?
Enhance
Which verb means to describe something accurately and with details? BONUS: use it in a sentence!!!
Delineate
Someone wants to remove every trace of a message written on a whiteboard. Which verb means to erase something from existence?
Efface
A mystery writer deliberately leaves out important details to make the story harder for readers to understand. Explain how the word obscure could describe the writer's choices, and describe one way the writer could make the story less obscure.
Obscure means to make something difficult to see or understand. The writer obscures the story by leaving out important details. The writer could make it less obscure by providing clearer explanations or additional clues.
Someone is always looking for an argument, even when everyone else wants to get along. Which adjective describes this person?
Pugnacious (eager to fight)
A school wants to finish scheduling students as quickly as possible. Which word best describes speeding up the process: expedite, delineate, or extol?
Expedite (to make something happen sooner)
A student says, “The evidence corroborates the claim.” Explain what corroborates means and why evidence is important in this sentence.
It confirms or supports the claim with evidence.
A student wants to praise a classmate's artwork highly during a speech. Which verb should they use?
Extol
A student is being pugnacious during an argument, and a teacher attempts to quell the disagreement. Explain what each word tells you about the situation and how the two words relate to each other.
Pugnacious describes someone eager to fight or argue. Quell means to calm something down. The teacher is trying to calm the conflict caused or intensified by the student's behavior.
A witness provides evidence that confirms what another student said happened. Which verb (action word) describes what the witness does?
Corroborates (confirms with evidence)
A student wants to calm a heated argument before it gets worse. Which word best describes the action: quell, engender, or kindle?
Quell (to calm)
Student A is constantly complaining and acting grumpy. Student B is always looking for fights. Which word describes each student: querulous or pugnacious?
Student A = Querulous
Student B = Pugnacious
A student wants to kindle a fire during a camping trip. Explain how kindle could also be used figuratively, beyond starting an actual fire. (BONUS POINTS FOR THIS ONE!)
Kindle means to ignite or start a fire. Figuratively, it can mean sparking an idea, feeling, or interest.
A student writes, “The evidence corroborates my claim, and my explanation delineates why the claim is correct.” Explain what both bolded words mean in this sentence and why using them demonstrates two different parts of strong reasoning.
Corroborates means supports or confirms a claim with evidence. Delineates means describes something accurately and in detail. One provides support; the other clearly explains the reasoning.