BUILDING
VOCABULARY SKILLS
Fourth Edition
Sherrie L. Nist
© 2010 Townsend Press
INDEPENDENT WORK
1. Pick up the Vocabulary handout for
chapter one from the bookcase in the
front of the room.
2. Complete both sections.
3. Fold your paper in half and wait for
everyone to finish.
Unit One: Chapter 1
• acknowledge
(b. to admit)
• alternative
(a. a choice)
• anecdote
(b. a short, interesting story)
• appropriate
(c. Proper)
• avert
(b. To prevent)
• candid
(a. Honest)
• compel
(c. to force)
• comply
(b. to do as asked)
• concise
(c. Clear and brief)
• drastic
(b. Extreme)
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
1 acknowledge
– verb
• Stubborn people often find it difficult to acknowledge their
errors. They hate to admit they were wrong.
• Even after most of the votes had been counted, Senator Rice
refused to acknowledge that he had lost.
Acknowledge means
A. to deny.
B. to admit.
C. to remember.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
1 acknowledge
– verb
• Stubborn people often find it difficult to acknowledge their
errors. They hate to admit they were wrong.
• Even after most of the votes had been counted, Senator Rice
refused to acknowledge that he had lost.
Acknowledge means
A. to deny.
B. to admit.
C. to remember.
In the first item, the words to admit tell you what the word
acknowledge means. In the second item, Rice refused to admit
that he had lost.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
3 anecdote
– noun
• Dad told the children an anecdote about getting his tie caught in
a file cabinet at work just as the boss walked in.
• I once heard an anecdote about a stagehand’s revenge on a bossy
actor. The stagehand put wheels on a table used in the play, so
when the actor leaped onto the table during the most dramatic
scene, he rolled off the stage. Anecdote means
A. an error.
B. a short, interesting story.
C. an article.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
3 anecdote
– noun
• Dad told the children an anecdote about getting his tie caught in
a file cabinet at work just as the boss walked in.
• I once heard an anecdote about a stagehand’s revenge on a bossy
actor. The stagehand put wheels on a table used in the play, so
when the actor leaped onto the table during the most dramatic
scene, he rolled off the stage. Anecdote means
A. an error.
B. a short, interesting story.
C. an article.
Dad getting his tie caught and the stage hand getting revenge are
examples of short, interesting stories.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
6 candid
– adjective
• I’ll give you my candid opinion, but you may not like what you
hear.
• My heart always sinks when Robbie invites me to his house for
dinner. He’s a wonderful person, but to be candid, he’s a terrible
cook.
Candid means
A. honest.
B. friendly.
C. careful.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
6 candid
– adjective
• I’ll give you my candid opinion, but you may not like what you
hear.
• My heart always sinks when Robbie invites me to his house for
dinner. He’s a wonderful person, but to be candid, he’s a terrible
cook.
Candid means
A. honest.
B. friendly.
C. careful.
A person may not like hearing someone’s honest opinion.
Robbie’s friend is being honest in saying that Robbie is a
terrible cook.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
7 compel
– verb
• My history teacher would often compel us to do useless work,
such as memorizing the date each state entered the union.
• If the law did not compel people to pay taxes, no one would pay
them.
Compel means
A. to help.
B. to forbid.
C. to force.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
7 compel
– verb
• My history teacher would often compel us to do useless work,
such as memorizing the date each state entered the union.
• If the law did not compel people to pay taxes, no one would pay
them.
Compel means
A. to help.
B. to forbid.
C. to force.
A student would not do useless work unless he or she were forced to.
The law forces people to pay taxes.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
8 comply
– verb
• If someone with an iron pipe demands your wallet, it is safer to
comply than to resist.
• “My wife is so used to being the boss at work,” Martin said, “that
she is annoyed when I don’t comply with her every request at
home.”
Comply means
A. to argue.
B. to do as asked.
C. to hear.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
8 comply
– verb
• If someone with an iron pipe demands your wallet, it is safer to
comply than to resist.
• “My wife is so used to being the boss at work,” Martin said, “that
she is annoyed when I don’t comply with her every request at
home.”
Comply means
A. to argue.
B. to do as asked.
C. to hear.
It is safer to do as asked than to risk being hit with an iron
pipe. If Martin’s wife is the boss, she would expect people to
do what she asks.
Unit One: Chapter 1
Matching Words with Definitions
1. comply
To do as commanded or asked
2. appropriate
proper; suitable to the situation
3. alternative
a choice
4. drastic
extreme; harsh or intense
5. acknowledge
to admit or confess
6. compel
to force
7. candid
very honest
8. anecdote
an entertaining
short story about an
event
9. concise
saying much in a
few clear words
10. avert
to prevent; to
avoid
INDEPENDENT WORK
1. Pick up the Vocabulary handout for
chapter one from the bookcase in the
front of the room.
2. Complete Sentence Check One ONLY
3. Fold your paper in half and wait for
everyone to finish.
Unit One: Chapter 1
Sentence Check One
1. candid
6. comply
2. anecdotes
7. compel
3. drastic
8. alternative
4. Avert
9. acknowledge
5. Concise
10. appropriate
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. acknowledge B. alternative
C. anecdote
D. appropriate E. avert
F. candid
H. comply
I. concise
G. compel
J. drastic
1. Because Frank seems so __________, everyone believes
him even when he tells a lie.
2. The drummer told interesting __________s about
famous rock singers he had played with.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. acknowledge B. alternative
C. anecdote
D. appropriate E. avert
F. candid
H. comply
I. concise
G. compel
J. drastic
1. Because Frank seems so __________,
everyone believes
candid
him even when he tells a lie.
If he seems very honest, everyone would believe him even when he lies.
anecdotes about
2. The drummer told interesting ___________
famous rock singers he had played with.
A person who played drums for famous rock stars would have
interesting stories to tell about the stars.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. acknowledge B. alternative
C. anecdote
D. appropriate E. avert
F. candid
H. comply
I. concise
G. compel
J. drastic
3. People often take __________ steps in anger and later
regret their extreme actions.
4. When he saw no way to __________ the plane crash, the
pilot parachuted to safety.
5. In a traditional wedding, the person performing the ceremony
is often wordy, while the bride and groom are very
__________, saying just “I do.”
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. acknowledge B. alternative
C. anecdote
D. appropriate E. avert
F. candid
H. comply
I. concise
G. compel
J. drastic
3. People often take __________
drastic steps in anger and later
regret their extreme actions.
The word extreme is a clue.
avert
4. When he saw no way to __________
the plane crash, the
pilot parachuted to safety.
If the pilot had to parachute to safety, he must have been unable
to prevent the plane crash.
5. In a traditional wedding, the person performing the ceremony
is often wordy, while the bride and groom are very
__________,
concise
saying just “I do.”
In contrast with someone who is wordy, the bride and groom are
very clear and brief, saying only two words each.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. acknowledge B. alternative
C. anecdote
D. appropriate E. avert
F. candid
H. comply
I. concise
G. compel
J. drastic
6. Any player who does not __________ with the rules will
be dropped from the team.
7. A couple of older boys tried to __________ some firstgraders to hand over their lunch money.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. acknowledge B. alternative
C. anecdote
D. appropriate E. avert
F. candid
H. comply
I. concise
G. compel
J. drastic
6. Any player who does not __________
comply with the rules will
be dropped from the team.
A player who does not obey the rules (do as the rules ask) will
be dropped from the team.
7. A couple of older boys tried to __________
compel some firstgraders to hand over their lunch money.
First-graders would not willingly hand over their lunch money.
The older boys would have to force them to do so.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. acknowledge B. alternative
C. anecdote
D. appropriate E. avert
F. candid
H. comply
I. concise
G. compel
J. drastic
8. To earn money for college, Lonnie felt he had to either join
the army or get a job. He didn’t like either __________.
9. When the real murderer confessed, the police had to
___________ that the wrong man had been jailed.
10. In most American schools, it is not __________ for
students to call their teachers by their first names.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. acknowledge B. alternative
C. anecdote
D. appropriate E. avert
F. candid
H. comply
I. concise
G. compel
J. drastic
8. To earn money for college, Lonnie felt he had to either join
the army or get a job. He didn’t like either __________.
alternative
Joining the army or getting a job are choices Lonnie does not like.
9. When the real murderer confessed, the police had to
___________
acknowledge that the wrong man had been jailed.
If the real murderer confessed, the police would have to admit
they put the wrong man in jail.
10. In most American schools, it is not __________
appropriate for
students to call their teachers by their first names.
It is not usually considered proper for students to call their
teachers by their first names.
INDEPENDENT WORK
1. Get out the Vocabulary handout for
chapter one from yesterday.
2. Complete Sentence Check Two ONLY
3. Fold your paper in half and wait for
everyone to finish.
Unit One: Chapter 1
Sentence Check Two
1. acknowledge
6. compel
2. candid
7. anecdote
3. appropriate
8. avert
4. comply
9. concise
5. alternative
10. drastic
INDEPENDENT WORK
1. Pick up one of the page-protected
sheets from the front of the room. Wait
for instructions.
NOTE: They are not all the same, so don’t
compare yours to someone else’s.