INTRODUCTION
The Vocabulary Diet is a three book series of reproducible lessons designed to increase an
intermediate/advanced level ESL student’s vocabulary. Each book contains thirty units, with five
words featured in each unit. Every unit is two pages long, and a complete answer key has been
included for each lesson. The Vocabulary Diet is effective not only because it allows students to
be presented with the new vocabulary items in a variety of exercises and in many contexts but it
also works because the opportunity for repeated exposure is built in and because students are
required to consider and manipulate the new words in several different ways.
Words chosen for inclusion and the units in The Vocabulary Diet are not graded. The words
are not grouped because of any similarity of meaning. The words included were chosen at
random based on the author’s belief that being able to use them will enhance a learner’s ability to
speak effectively.
When using The Vocabulary Diet it is recommended that every student has access to a
dictionary and a thesaurus. Teachers should determine, taking their students’ language level into
consideration, whether new vocabulary words should be looked up in the dictionary before
proceeding to the actual lessons in the book.
Every unit in The Vocabulary Diet begins with three sample sentences for each word being
studied. The students are then given five possible meanings for each word and by working with
context clues the students must determine the word that is the most suitable definition.
Next the students are given a fill-in-the-blanks exercise. Five sentences are given with the
student’s responsibitlity being to place the correct vocabulary word in the correct sentence.
Following this is a synonym matching exercise. The five vocabulary words are given along
with a list of five other words. The vocabulary word must be matched with its closest synonym.
There is a sentence building exercise. Single words or groups of words, including the
vocabulary words, are given and the students must arrange the scrambled words to form proper
sentences.
Finally, there is a word elimination exercise. Students are given five potential synonyms for
the vocabulary words being studied. Only three of the words are true synonyms. The students
must identify which two words are not synonyms.
Repetition is the key to successful vocabulary learning. The Vocabulary Diet provides that
repetition. A good teacher will not cease reinforcing new vocabulary with what is presented on
these pages. Get your students to use their new words by creating their own sentences. Get
your students to pretend they are reporters and to go out and survey English speakers to see if the
native speakers can come up with definitions or synonyms for the vocabulary words. The
Vocabulary Diet aims to make learning an enjoyable and fruitful experience for your students.
THE VOCABULARY DIET: UNIT 1
1) bulky (adjective)
Examples:
a) The trainer had to carry the bulky equipment bag onto the team’s airplane.
b) The bulky drill made it difficult for Nancy to assemble the furniture.
c) The canoe was bulky and difficult to carry over the jagged rocks.
Circle the correct meaning:
a) tall b) awkward c) slight d) skinny e) raw
2) cargo (noun)
Examples:
a) The cargo had to be inspected by customs officers before the truck could cross the border.
b) The train made a stop in Halifax to pick up its cargo.
c) The van could not carry a cargo that weighed over 2,000 kilograms.
Circle the correct meaning:
a) passengers b) customers c) volume d) flatbed e) load
3) flop (noun)
Examples:
a) Mariah Carey’s first film was a complete flop at the box office.
b) Consumer groups considered the launch of new Coca Cola a flop.
c) The play was the director’s first flop after a series of successful productions.
Circle the correct meaning:
a) achievement b) victory c) hit d) failure e) feat
4) genius (adjective)
Examples:
a) Her genius was the ability to solve complex math problems in seconds.
b) William Shakespeare’s true genius was not appreciated until long after his death.
c) The professor praised the young student for his natural genius in science class.
Circle the correct meaning:
a) brilliance b) simplicity c) favorite d) responsibility e) plan
5) jumble (noun)
Examples:
a) The children were asked to clean the jumble in their closet.
b) His desk was a jumble of papers, books and empty coffee cups.
c) The jumble in the backyard was caused by a strong wind.
Circle the correct meaning:
a) celebration b) surprise c) mess d) toys e) excitement
1
THE VOCABULARY DIET: UNIT 1
FILL IN THE BLANKS:
Below are five sentences. Each contains a blank. Fill in the blank by using the appropriate word
from this unit. Each word is used only once.
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
The audience acknowledged the piano player’s _________________ by applauding.
Carrie was worried her new restaurant was going to be a complete ________________.
The highway was a _________________ of wrecked cars and trucks.
The overturned railway car spilled its _________________ all over the tracks.
Sheila complained to her mom that her winter coat was too _________________ to wear.
SYNONYM MATCHING:
On the left are words from this unit. Draw a line to the word on the right with the closest meaning.
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
bulky
cargo
flop
genius
jumble
a) shipment
b) brains
c) dud
d) hodgepodge
e) unmanageable
SENTENCE BUILDING:
Assemble the scrambled clues below to form proper sentences.
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
for the/first time/bulky when he/Mark’s glasses felt/put them on
from Canada/wheat and grain/cargo included/The ship’s
a flop despite/The movie was/be a hit/early predictions/it would
on the battlefield/The president/general’s genius/respected the
lying on/There was/a jumble of/the floor/puzzle pieces/of the cottage
WORD ELIMINATION:
Words from this unit are on the left. Five possible synonyms for each word are given below.
Only three of the words are true synonyms. Circle the two words that do not belong.
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
bulky
cargo
flop
genius
jumble
a) cumbersome
a) order
a) bomb
a) ignorance
a) clutter
b) clumsy
b) contract
b) accomplish
b) intelligence
b) muddle
c) unwieldy
c) freight
c) washout
c) smarts
c) orderly
ANSWER KEY:
CIRCLE THE CORRECT MEANING: 1) b 2) e 3) d 4) a 5) c
FILL IN THE BLANKS: 1) genius 2) flop 3) jumble 4) cargo 5) bulky
SYNONYM MATCHING: 1) e 2) a 3) c 4) b 5) d
SENTENCE BUILDING:
1) Mark’s glasses felt bulky when he put them on for the first time.
2) The ship’s cargo included wheat and grain from Canada.
3) The movie was a flop despite early predictions it would be a hit.
4) The president respected the general’s genius on the battlefield.
5) There was a jumble of puzzle pieces lying on the floor of the cottage.
WORD ELIMINATION:
1) d,e 2) a,b 3) b,d 4) a,e 5) c,d
2
d) compact
d) goods
d) achieve
d) intellect
d) organized
e) compressed
e) contents
e) fiasco
e) stupidity
e) mishmash
THE VOCABULARY DIET: UNIT 2
1) choppy (adjective)
Examples:
a) The canoe floundered helplessly in the choppy waters.
b) The road was too choppy for Sherman to ride his skateboard.
c) They had a choppy flight to Canada aboard the small aircraft.
Circle the correct meaning:
a) smooth b) bumpy c) level d) round e) cut
2) ghastly (adjective)
Examples:
a) The ghastly crime shocked residents of the small town.
b) Medical crews arriving on the scene witnessed the results of the ghastly accident.
c) Some scenes in the horror movie were too ghastly for young audiences.
Circle the correct meaning:
a) humorous b) ancient c) strange d) popular e) appalling
3) gaffe (noun)
Examples:
a) A small gaffe by the accounting department cost the company millions of dollars.
b) Sheila realized her gaffe and quickly corrected it before anyone noticed.
c) Spectators knew the judges had made a gaffe by awarding the gold medal to the Russian skaters.
Circle the correct meaning:
a) promise b) suggestion c) answer d) mistake e) question
4) madcap (adjective)
Examples:
a) Penelope was hoping to live a life of madcap adventure.
b) The couple made a madcap decision to get married while in Las Vegas.
c) Mr. Taylor was responsible for the madcap prank played on Mrs. Taylor.
Circle the correct meaning:
a) impulsive b) boring c) profitable d) quiet e) calm
5) say (noun)
Examples:
a) “All I want is my say about what goes on in this house,” said Billy’s mother.
b) All employees were allowed their say about the future of the company.
c) The problem started when Sharon was denied her say regarding the sale of the house.
Circle the correct meaning:
a) yell b) praise c) comment d) listen e) payment
3
THE VOCABULARY DIET: UNIT 2
FILL IN THE BLANKS:
Below are five sentences. Each contains a blank. Fill in the blank by using the appropriate word
from this unit. Each word is used only once.
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
The clown was best remembered for his _________________ antics at the circus.
Margaret realized she had made a serious _________________ by firing her assistant.
Their ride in the country was a _________________ one because of holes in the roads.
Students complained they had no _________________ in choosing music for the prom.
Charles Manson was convicted for arranging the _________________ murders.
SYNONYM MATCHING:
On the left are words from this unit. Draw a line to the word on the right with the closest meaning.
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
choppy
ghastly
gaffe
madcap
say
a) error
b) wacky
c) horrifying
d) voice
e) uneven
SENTENCE BUILDING:
Assemble the scrambled clues below to form proper sentences.
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
to be sanded/The choppy/countertop needed/surface/of the
war zone/Ghastly photographs/on the Internet/were posted/of the
to the media/by speaking/a huge gaffe/The intern/had made/realized she
The movie/actor Charlie Chaplin/depicted the madcap/life story of
She resigned/from her/job because/in daily meetings/proper say/she was/never given
WORD ELIMINATION:
Words from this unit are on the left. Five possible synonyms for each word are given below.
Only three of the words are true synonyms. Circle the two words that do not belong.
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
choppy
ghastly
gaffe
madcap
say
a) jagged
a) enjoyable
a) solution
a) crazy
a) observation
b) slick
b) frightening
b) goal
b) wild
b) statement
c) rough
c) terrible
c) blunder
c) subdued
c) letter
d) shiny
d) grisly
d) blooper
d) silent
d) remark
ANSWER KEY:
CIRCLE THE CORRECT MEANING: 1) b 2) e 3) d 4) a 5) c
FILL IN THE BLANKS: 1) madcap 2) gaffe 3) choppy 4) say 5) ghastly
SYNONYM MATCHING: 1) e 2) c 3) a 4) b 5) d
SENTENCE BUILDING:
1) The choppy surface of the countertop needed to be sanded.
2) Ghastly photographs of the war zone were posted on the Internet.
3) The intern realized she had made a huge gaffe by speaking to the media.
4) The movie depicted the madcap life story of actor Charlie Chaplin.
5) She resigned from her job because she was never given proper say in daily meetings.
WORD ELIMINATION:
1) b,d 2) a,e 3) a,b 4) c,d 5) c,e
4
e) rutted
e) loud
e) slip
e) zany
e) document