Vocabulary: Week 1
ology = suffix meaning, "study of"
archeology (arche - old, ancient), biology (bio - life), theology (theos - god)
cosmology (cosmos - universe), geology (ge - earth)
psychology (psyche - mind), seismology (seismos - shock, earthquake)
Figure these ones out on your own
criminology, cosmetology, epistemology, pharmacology, technology (plus any more that you can come up with yourselves)
1. SHIP: OCEAN
a) fish: gill b) plane: air c) child: bath d) camel: water e) car: passengers
2. BOTANY : PLANTS
3. CENSUS: POPULATION
a) catalog: pictures b) inventory: supplies c) detonation: explosion d) dictionary : words e) election : tally
1. A ship travels on the ocean just as a plane travels in the air.
2. Botany is the study of plants; astronomy is the study of stars.
3. A census counts the population; an inventory counts the supplies.
Put a comma before a conjunction (and, but, for, nor, or, yet, so, etc.) if what follows the conjunction can be a sentence by itself (an independent clause). If what follows the
conjunction cannot be a sentence by itself (a dependent clause), do not put a comma.
I went to the store, and I bought a loaf of bread.
I saw the movie the other night, but I didn't like it.
I went to the store and bought a loaf of bread.
I saw the movie the other night but didn't like it.
(Don't use commas because "bought a loaf of bread" and "didn't like it" could not be sentences by themselves.)
vert - a suffix meaning, "to turn" (from the Latin, vertere)
avert (averse, aversion) - to turn away
convert (conversion) - to turn with (to bring to one’s viewpoint)
divert (diversion) - to turn aside
extrovert (extroversion) - to turn outward
introvert (introversion) - to turn inward
invert (inverse, inversion) - to turn inside out or upside down
obvert (obverse) - to turn toward (a different side)
pervert (perverse, perversion) - to turn through (all the way to the other, usually non-acceptable, side)
revert (reverse) - to turn back
subvert (subversion) - to turn under (like subterfuge)
transverse - lying, being, or turning across
versatile - turning easily, adjustable
version - a different turn (as to a story)
verse - a turning of words from prose into poetry
versus - to be turned against, opposed
vertical - turned perpendicular to the horizon
vertigo - a state of turning dizzily
Math (as an example) - vertical angle, vertex, inverse function, etc.
vert - green forest vegetation (This word comes from the French vert, meaning "green" and is related to our word, "verdant," meaning "green" or even "unripe."
1. ACQUIESCE: REBEL
a) teach: professor b) cook: diner c) revise: editor
d) spread: butter e) starve: overeater
2. ADMONISH: WARN
a) pinch: touch b) irritate: pester c) reject: deter
d) scold: eulogize e) smirk: smile
3. ALLEVIATE: PAIN
a) assuage: fear b) decorate: parade c) refine: silo
d) grist: mill e) reform: dungeon
1. (e) It is difficult for a rebel to acquiesce (give in) because it goes against his very nature. Similarly, it is against an overeater’s nature to starve himself.
2. (b) To admonish means to warn; to irritate means to pester.
3. (a) It is good to alleviate (ease or lessen) one’s pain, just as it is good to assuage (ease or lessen) one’s fear.
With possessive nouns, what precedes the apostrophe is the possessor.
1. The girl’s dresses are pretty. (Only 1 girl possesses the dresses. Note that what precedes the apostrophe is "girl." Thus, the girl possesses the dresses.)
2. The girls’ dresses are pretty. (Many girls possess the dresses. Note that what precedes the apostrophe is "girls." Thus, the girls possess the dresses.)
Beware of words like "men" and "women" which are already plural but don’t end in "s."
1. The women’s (not womens’) dresses are pretty. (Note that what precedes the apostrophe is "women." Thus, the women possess the dresses. There is no such word as "womens.")
mit (mis) — "to send" (from the Latin, "mittere")
admit (admission) — literally, "to send towards" (I admit you into my house)
commit (commission, commissioning) — literally, "to send with"
(I commit myself to teaching) (I commit myself to an asylum)
dismiss — "to send away"
emit (emission) — "to send out"
mission (missionary) — "what one is sent on to accomplish something"
missile — "an object sent"
missive — "a sent message or letter"
mittimus — literally, "we send," a warrant of commitment to prison
omit (omission) — "to send off," "to leave out"
permit (permission, permissible) — literally, "to send through," to allow
remit (remission) — "to send back"
submit (submission) — "to send under," as for approval
transmit (transmission) — "to send across"
mis — a prefix meaning "badly" (misuse), "wrongly" (misjudge), "bad" (misdeed), "wrong" (mislabel), "opposite to" or "lack of" (mistrust).
mis, miso — a prefix meaning "hatred" (misogynist — a woman hater), (misanthrope — a hater of mankind).
1. ALTRUISTIC: CHARITABLE
a) magnificent: unique b) benevolent: despotic c) final: tertiary
d) adamant: hardheaded e) renowned: infamous
2. ARDUOUS: HERCULEAN TASK
a) crowded: apartment b) shrewd: investment c) religious: rite
d) telltale: description e) venomous: poison
3. CACOPHONY: HARMONY
a) concord: flight b) affinity: knack c) honesty: candor
d) anarchy: order e) laziness: indolence
1. (d) If one is altruistic, he has unselfish regard for the welfare of others. His altruism then naturally leads to his being charitable. Similarly, if one is adamant, or unbending, he is labeled hardheaded. The word pairs are almost direct synonyms for each other
2. (e) Arduous means difficult, and a Herculean task would be an example of something arduous; an example of something venomous (poisonous) is poison.
3. (d) If there is cacophony, there is a lack of harmony; if there is anarchy, there is a lack of order.
their = belongs to them
they’re = they are
there = not here
there = (a "dummy" subject, with little or no meaning, in the clauses "there is," "there are," "there was," "there were," "there will be," etc.)
The parents say that there are many reasons for their unhappiness there in their home, but, unfortunately, if they’re unhappy, they often blame their children. (I know - this is a stupid sentence; so sue me!)
port - a suffix and/or prefix meaning "carry" (from the Latin, "portare," to carry)
comport (comportment) - literally, to carry or bring together, to act in an appropriate manner
deport (deportation, deportee)- literally, to carry away
deportment - behavior, the way one carries oneself
export - to carry (or bring) out
import - to carry (or bring) in
portable - can be carried
portage - the labor of carrying
porter - one who carries (such as baggage)
portfolio - a hinged cover or flexible case for carrying loose papers or other materials
portmanteau - a large travelling bag
purport - the meaning conveyed, implied, or carried forward
report (reporter) - a message carried back
support (supporter)- literally, to carry under, to uphold
transport (transportation)- to carry across
port - harbor (from the Latin, portus, harbor)
portal - gate, gateway (from the Latin, porta, gate)
1. CAJOLE: PERSUADE
a) insult: deride b) chew: swallow c) impress: dignify
d) coax: quiz e) scan: pursue
2. CATALYST: CHANGE
a) mixture: result b) architect: construction c) buffoon: circus
d) cache: theft e) agent: spy
3. DIATRIBE: SPEECH
a) allergy: pollen b) response: fable c) magnolia: tree
d) command: warning e) lightning: nature
1. (a) To "cajole" means to "persuade." Therefore, we are looking for direct synonyms. The only pair of such is to "insult" and to "deride." To "deride" means to "insult."
2. (b) A "catalyst" is an element that produces a "change." An "architect" is an element that produces a "construction."
3. (c) In the general category of "speech," a "diatribe is one specific type; in the general category of "tree," the "magnolia" is one specific type.
Two = 2 (e.g. A basket is worth two points.)
Too = also (e.g. I would like another slice of bride too.)
= very (or amount of or degree of) (e.g. It is too hot. You're too unreasonable.)
To = towards (e.g. I went to the store.)
= the infinitive, most basic, form of any verb (e.g. I like to walk, to run, to swim, etc.)
(In general, if the word doesn't mean "the number 2," "also" or "very," then it is spelled "to.")
dict - a suffix (and prefix) meaning "say" or "speak" (from the Latin, "dicere," meaning "to say."
addict - to apply or devote oneself habitually to; literally, "to say (yes) to."
benediction - a blessing, as at a religious service; literally, "to speak good (things)."
contradict (contradiction, contradictory) - to declare the opposite; literally, "to speak against."
dictate (dictation) - to speak aloud something for someone else to record.
dictator (dictate, dictatorial, dictatorship) - one whose word is law, an absolute ruler.
dictaphone - an instrument that records and reproduces speech.
diction - the use, choice, and arrangement of words in writing and speaking.
dictionary - a reference work containing the words of a language arranged alphabetically.
dictum (plural, dicta) - an authoritative, dogmatic utterance or pronouncement.
edict - an official decree publicly proclaimed; literally, "to speak out."
indict <pronounced, "indite"> (indictment) - to accuse of a crime
interdict (interdiction) - to prohibit authoritatively; to ban; literally, "to speak between."
malediction - the speaking of a curse; literally, "to speak bad (things)."
predict (prediction, predictor) - to say beforehand.
valedictorian (valedictory) - the top student in a graduating class; literally, "the one who says good-bye." ("Vale" in Latin means "good-bye.")
verdict - a jury’s decision; literally, "to say true."
1. DESPOT: POPULACE
a) teacher: parents b) editor: publisher c) meteorologist: rain
d) carton: books e) monarch: citizenry
2. DIMINUTION: EXPANSION
a) disease: treatment b) typing: communication c) calm: anger
d) calories: exercise e) theatre: drama
3. CLANDESTINE: MEETING
a) boring: essay b) shrewd: ambition c) tropical: coat
d) ornamental: gathering e) clearance: sale
1. (e) As a "despot" rules over the "populace," a "monarch" rules over the "citizenry."
2. (c) "Diminution" means a lessening and is, therefore, the opposite of "expansion"; "calm" and "anger" are opposite emotions.
3. "Clandestine" (secret) is an adjective describing one possible kind of "meeting"; "clearance" is an adjective describing one possible kind of "sale."
1) Semicolons are used to separate closely related independent clauses.
"The teacher spoke; the student listened."
Incorrect use: "I went to the store; I bought bread." The two clauses are independent (meaning they could stand alone as sentences), but they are not closely related. A period, not a semicolon should follow the word "store." DON'T OVERUSE SEMICOLONS.
2) Semicolons are used to separate items in a list when the individual items already contain commas.
"My favorite cities are Paris, France; Salzburg, Austria; Prague, Czech Republic; and San Francisco, California."
"My children’s birth dates were March 16, 1970; November 2, 1971; October 24, 1977; October 26, 1979; and October 23, 1984."
3) Semicolons are used with transition words (moreover, therefore, however, nevertheless, nonetheless, thus, etc.).
"He studied; however, he failed."
"She was very tired; therefore, she chose to stay home."
tele - distance
graphikos - writing
gramma - a letter
skopos - watcher
pathos - suffering, feeling
phone - sound
metron - measure
telephone
telegram
telegraph
telescope
phonograph
gramophone
graphology
telepathy
telemetry
television (videre means, "to see" in Latin)
1. DISPOSITION: EVIL
a) face: wrinkled b) publication: bargain c) tennis: serious
d) robot: communicative e) catcall: unpleasant
2. DISDAIN: ADMIRATION
a) vim: vigor b) heat: dampness c) stubbornness: flexibility
d) inspiration: sermon e) sorrow: melancholy
3. EULOGY: SPEECH
a) no-hitter: baseball game b) fledgling: professional
c) survey: conclusion d) sincerity: tenderness
e) effrontery: composure
1. (a) One kind of "disposition" is an "evil" disposition; one kind of "face" is a "wrinkled" face.
2. (c) "Disdain" is the opposite of "admiration," and "stubbornness is the opposite of "flexibility."
3. (a) A "eulogy" is one type of "speech"; a "no-hitter" is one type of "baseball game."
Put commas between items in a series. The comma before the "and" which precedes the final entry in the series is optional, but in the professional world this final, "serial" comma is preferred.
I like football, baseball, soccer and basketball. (acceptable because the "and" already separates the last two items)
hydor - water
kephale - head
logos - study of
phobos - fear
pathos - suffering, feeling
akros - topmost point
anthropos - man (in the sense of mankind)
gyne - woman
misein - to hate
philos - love
adelphos - brother
sophia - wisdom
hydrophobia
hydrocephalic
hydra
hydrology
hydrostatic ("staticus" in Latin means "stationary")
hydropathy
acrophobia
misanthrope
misogynist
gynecology
philanthropist
Philadelphia
philosophy
1. DOGMATIC: BLAND
a) compatible: dissipated b) authoritarian: passive
c) austere: caustic d) dilatory: tardy
e) whimsical: capricious
2. ENIGMA: DETECTIVE
a) aberration: fisherman b) feast: despot
c) dream: psychiatrist d) affinity: mathematician
e) crystal ball: clairvoyant
3. GUILE: SWINDLER
a) chisel: carpenter b) regulation: contestant
c) disparity: tailor d) disdain: receptionist
e) catharsis: surgeon
1. (b) If a person is "dogmatic," he is "authoritarian," unbending. If a person is "bland," he is "passive," easily controlled. "Dogmatic" and "bland" are not exactly opposites, but
they are very dissimilar. "Austere" and "caustic" are very similar in meaning, and "dilatory’’ means "tardy" just as "whimsical" means "capricious."
2. (c) A "detective" analyses an "enigma" to solve the problem; a "psychiatrist" analyses a "dream" to help solve a patient’s problem. A "clairvoyant" doesn’t analyze a "crystal
ball" but uses it in "solving" a problem.
3. (a) Just as a "swindler" uses "guile" or trickery as a tool, one of a "carpenter’s" tools is a "chisel."
In the subjunctive (conditional situations or wishes), the word "were" is used instead of the word "was."
Correct - Incorrect
If I were king ... If I was king ...
If she were only here ... If she was only here ...
Would that he were more honest! Would that he was more honest!
inter - between, among
intra - within
per - through (also adds "completion" to a word)
trans - across
The Latin word "murus" means "wall," and "schola" means "school". What are "interscholastic" sports as opposed to "intramural" sports?
interdenominational
intercontinental
interfere
interlude
interstate
intrastate
intravenous
perfect ("-fect" comes from the Latin word "facio," meaning "to make or do.")
perform
transform
permeate
permit
transmit
permutation
transmutation
transport
transatlantic
transparent
1. EXPUNGE: ERASE
a) sprint: shuffle b) denounce: project c) rinse: cleanse
d) defeat: conquer e) detonate: smother
2. EBB: FLOOD
a) erupt: forest b) faint: shock c) cajole: harmony
d) subside: anger e) coalesce: demeanor
3. IMMATERIAL: SUBSTANTIAL
a) lustrous: gleaming b) dominant: influential c) loyal: treacherous
d) cordial: warm e) capricious: devious
1. (d) To "expunge" and to "erase" both mean to "wipe out" or "get rid of." Therefore, they are direct synonyms. The only other such pair is "defeat" and "conquer."
2. (d) When a "flood" "ebbs," it decreases. When "anger" "subsides," it decreases.
3. (c) "Immaterial" and "substantial" are antonyms, opposites. The other pair of antonyms is "loyal" and "treacherous."
Place commas before and after an appositive. (An appositive is a noun that further explains another noun immediately preceding it in the sentence.)
My best friend, Bill, lives in San Francisco.
My favorite short story, "A Rose for Emily," was written by Faulkner.
CLICK ON THE BUTTERFLY TO CONTINUE