make connections when you notice the various ways the examples in a reading are related to each other.
To make connections while reading, ask yourself:
1. How is each example similar to the previous examples?
2. What basic ideas are true about every example the author mentions?
Expressions
An expression is a group of words that are frequently used together to generate an image or communicate an idea.
For example: Eat your fill = eat as much as you want or until you are full
Root
ter: land
terrene, terricolous, terrain
nov: new
November, innovate, renovate
man: hand
manufacture, manage, manacle
aster, astr: star
asteroid, astronomy, astronaut
Prefix
se: away from; apart from
separate, select, sever
trans: through
transform, transnational, transposition
in: into, near, toward
inland, inflame, inside
dis: opposite, except
displace, disabuse, disaccord
Idiom
in debt: When you owe money to someone
If you know of any, drop me a line and I'll be in your debt forever.
roll up one's sleeves: Prepare to fight or work
He is prepared to roll up his sleeves and get stuck in.
change the course of: a change in the direction that you are moving
The discovery and use of fossil fuels changed the course of human history.
cut back on: to reduce the amount of something, especially money that you spend
We're trying to cut back on the amount we spend for food.
hold/stand your ground: to refuse to change your opinions, beliefs, or decisions despite pressure to change them
No one thought less of him for standing his ground.
stand to lose: to be likely to lose something or have it taken away.
I stand to lose hundreds of dollars if I am not there on time.
Words of the day
6/13
1. declarative [adj.] /dɪˈklarətɪv/
definition: Of the nature of or making a declaration
sentence: But to the best of my knowledge this is the first time we've heard this about Rice - certainly in so declarative and unambiguous a fashion.
part of speech: declaratively [adv.]
2. painstaking [adj.] /ˈpeɪnzteɪkɪŋ/
definition: Done with or employing great care and thoroughness
sentence: The secret of good tiling is painstaking preparation and accurate cutting and fixing.
part of speech: painstakingly [adv.] painstakingness [n.]
3. flush [v.] /flʌʃ/
definition: (Of a person’s skin, face, etc.) become red and hot, typically as the result of illness or strong emotion
origin: Middle English (in the sense 'move rapidly, spring up', especially of a bird 'fly up suddenly'): symbolic, fl- frequently beginning words connected with sudden movement; perhaps influenced by flash and blush.
sentence: Her skin reacted to the small touches, goose bumps jittering across her flesh as her face flushed hot.
part of speech: flushable [adj.] flusher [n.]
4. acquaintance [n.] /əˈkweɪnt(ə)ns/
definition: Knowledge or experience of something
origin: Middle English (in the sense 'mutual knowledge, being acquainted'): from Old French acointance, from acointier 'make known'
sentence: Some had experience of Frankish Gaul and hence some acquaintance with Roman institutions and culture.
phrase: make the acquaintance of: Meet someone for the first time and come to know them slightly
5. embed [v.] /ɪmˈbɛd/
definition: Fix (an object) firmly and deeply in a surrounding mass
sentence: He had an operation to remove a nail embedded in his chest.
part of speech: embedment [n.]
6/16
1. grid [n.] /grɪd/
definition: A framework of spaced bars that are parallel to or cross each other; a grating
origin: mid 19th century: back-formation from gridiron.
sentence: The rooftop water tank is supported by a dense grid of 1m thick parallel brick walls penetrated by arches to create a series of 4m wide vaults.
phrase: off the grid: Not connected to the basic services, especially electricity.
2. devour [v.] /dɪˈvaʊə/
definition: Eat (food or prey) hungrily or quickly
origin: Middle English: from Old French devorer, from Latin devorare, from de- 'down' + vorare 'to swallow'.
sentence: As we settled down to supper, devouring the food hungrily, the front door slammed open.
part of speech: devourer [n.]
3. swiftly [adv.] /swɪft/
definition: Happening quickly or promptly
origin: Old English (as an adjective), from the Germanic base of Old English swīfan 'move in a course, sweep'. The bird name dates from the mid 17th century.
sentence: Her eyes quickly made a swift sweep of the people in the room.
part of speech: swiftly [adv.] swiftness [n.]
4. incorporate [v.] /ɪnˈkɔːpəreɪt/
definition: Take in or contain (something) as part of a whole; include
origin: late Middle English: from late Latin incorporat- 'embodied', from the verb incorporare, from in- 'into' + Latin corporare 'form into a body' (from corpus, corpor- 'body').
sentence: He has incorporated in his proposals a number of measures.
part of speech: incorporation [n.] incorporator [n.]
5. procedure [n.] /prəˈsiːdʒə/
definition: An established or official way of doing something
origin: late 16th century: from French procédure, from procéder
sentence: The police are now reviewing procedures.
part of speech: procedural [adj.] procedurally [adv.]
6/17
1. discreet [adj.] /dɪˈskriːt/
definition: Careful and prudent in one’s speech or actions, especially in order to keep something confidential or to avoid embarrassment
origin: Middle English: from Old French discret, from Latin discretus 'separate', past participle of discernere 'discern', the sense arising from late Latin discretio. Compare with discrete.
sentence: A lot of their work is carried out in a very discreet and confidential manner.
part of speech: discreetly [adv.] discreetness [n.]
2. prudent [adj.] /ˈpruːd(ə)nt/
definition: Acting with or showing care and thought for the future
origin: late Middle English: from Old French, or from Latin prudent-, contraction of provident- 'foreseeing, attending to'
sentence: With prudent money management you can beat the downward trend in rates and earn a good return on your savings.
part of speech: prudently [adv.]
3. poignant [adj.] /ˈpɔɪnjənt/
definition: Evoking a keen sense of sadness or regret
origin: late Middle English: from Old French, literally 'pricking', present participle of poindre, from Latin pungere 'to prick'.
sentence: The play follows the story of one man's fight to save his land, combining poignant drama with a sense of humour.
part of speech: poignantly [adv.]
4. compensation [n.] /kɒmpɛnˈseɪʃ(ə)n/
definition: Something, typically money, awarded to someone in recognition of loss, suffering, or injury
origin: late Middle English: via Old French from Latin compensatio(n-), from the verb compensare 'weigh against'
sentence: He is seeking compensation for injuries suffered at work.
part of speech: compensational [adj.]
5. tentative [adj.] /ˈtɛntətɪv/
definition: Not certain or fixed; provisional
origin: late 16th century: from medieval Latin tentativus, from tentare, variant of temptare 'handle, try'.
sentence: It was a kind of empire built on very provisional and tentative things that might happen.
part of speech: tentatively [adv.] tentativeness [n.]
1. declarative [adj.] /dɪˈklarətɪv/
definition: Of the nature of or making a declaration
sentence: But to the best of my knowledge this is the first time we've heard this about Rice - certainly in so declarative and unambiguous a fashion.
part of speech: declaratively [adv.]
2. painstaking [adj.] /ˈpeɪnzteɪkɪŋ/
definition: Done with or employing great care and thoroughness
sentence: The secret of good tiling is painstaking preparation and accurate cutting and fixing.
part of speech: painstakingly [adv.] painstakingness [n.]
3. flush [v.] /flʌʃ/
definition: (Of a person’s skin, face, etc.) become red and hot, typically as the result of illness or strong emotion
origin: Middle English (in the sense 'move rapidly, spring up', especially of a bird 'fly up suddenly'): symbolic, fl- frequently beginning words connected with sudden movement; perhaps influenced by flash and blush.
sentence: Her skin reacted to the small touches, goose bumps jittering across her flesh as her face flushed hot.
part of speech: flushable [adj.] flusher [n.]
4. acquaintance [n.] /əˈkweɪnt(ə)ns/
definition: Knowledge or experience of something
origin: Middle English (in the sense 'mutual knowledge, being acquainted'): from Old French acointance, from acointier 'make known'
sentence: Some had experience of Frankish Gaul and hence some acquaintance with Roman institutions and culture.
phrase: make the acquaintance of: Meet someone for the first time and come to know them slightly
5. embed [v.] /ɪmˈbɛd/
definition: Fix (an object) firmly and deeply in a surrounding mass
sentence: He had an operation to remove a nail embedded in his chest.
part of speech: embedment [n.]
6/16
1. grid [n.] /grɪd/
definition: A framework of spaced bars that are parallel to or cross each other; a grating
origin: mid 19th century: back-formation from gridiron.
sentence: The rooftop water tank is supported by a dense grid of 1m thick parallel brick walls penetrated by arches to create a series of 4m wide vaults.
phrase: off the grid: Not connected to the basic services, especially electricity.
2. devour [v.] /dɪˈvaʊə/
definition: Eat (food or prey) hungrily or quickly
origin: Middle English: from Old French devorer, from Latin devorare, from de- 'down' + vorare 'to swallow'.
sentence: As we settled down to supper, devouring the food hungrily, the front door slammed open.
part of speech: devourer [n.]
3. swiftly [adv.] /swɪft/
definition: Happening quickly or promptly
origin: Old English (as an adjective), from the Germanic base of Old English swīfan 'move in a course, sweep'. The bird name dates from the mid 17th century.
sentence: Her eyes quickly made a swift sweep of the people in the room.
part of speech: swiftly [adv.] swiftness [n.]
4. incorporate [v.] /ɪnˈkɔːpəreɪt/
definition: Take in or contain (something) as part of a whole; include
origin: late Middle English: from late Latin incorporat- 'embodied', from the verb incorporare, from in- 'into' + Latin corporare 'form into a body' (from corpus, corpor- 'body').
sentence: He has incorporated in his proposals a number of measures.
part of speech: incorporation [n.] incorporator [n.]
5. procedure [n.] /prəˈsiːdʒə/
definition: An established or official way of doing something
origin: late 16th century: from French procédure, from procéder
sentence: The police are now reviewing procedures.
part of speech: procedural [adj.] procedurally [adv.]
6/17
1. discreet [adj.] /dɪˈskriːt/
definition: Careful and prudent in one’s speech or actions, especially in order to keep something confidential or to avoid embarrassment
origin: Middle English: from Old French discret, from Latin discretus 'separate', past participle of discernere 'discern', the sense arising from late Latin discretio. Compare with discrete.
sentence: A lot of their work is carried out in a very discreet and confidential manner.
part of speech: discreetly [adv.] discreetness [n.]
2. prudent [adj.] /ˈpruːd(ə)nt/
definition: Acting with or showing care and thought for the future
origin: late Middle English: from Old French, or from Latin prudent-, contraction of provident- 'foreseeing, attending to'
sentence: With prudent money management you can beat the downward trend in rates and earn a good return on your savings.
part of speech: prudently [adv.]
3. poignant [adj.] /ˈpɔɪnjənt/
definition: Evoking a keen sense of sadness or regret
origin: late Middle English: from Old French, literally 'pricking', present participle of poindre, from Latin pungere 'to prick'.
sentence: The play follows the story of one man's fight to save his land, combining poignant drama with a sense of humour.
part of speech: poignantly [adv.]
4. compensation [n.] /kɒmpɛnˈseɪʃ(ə)n/
definition: Something, typically money, awarded to someone in recognition of loss, suffering, or injury
origin: late Middle English: via Old French from Latin compensatio(n-), from the verb compensare 'weigh against'
sentence: He is seeking compensation for injuries suffered at work.
part of speech: compensational [adj.]
5. tentative [adj.] /ˈtɛntətɪv/
definition: Not certain or fixed; provisional
origin: late 16th century: from medieval Latin tentativus, from tentare, variant of temptare 'handle, try'.
sentence: It was a kind of empire built on very provisional and tentative things that might happen.
part of speech: tentatively [adv.] tentativeness [n.]
6/18
1. provisional [adj.] /prəˈvɪʒ(ə)n(ə)l/
definition: Arranged or existing for the present, possibly to be changed later
sentence: While my research into these matters is not yet complete, I would like to present my provisional conclusions.
part of speech: provisionality [n.]
2. mortgage [v.] /ˈmɔːgɪdʒ/
definition: Convey (a property) to a creditor as security on a loan
origin: late Middle English: from Old French, literally 'dead pledge', from mort (from Latin mortuus 'dead') + gage 'pledge'.
sentence: Mr. Aarts mortgaged this property to provide part of the funds used to purchase the home.
part of speech: mortgageable [adj.]
3. dice [v.] /dʌɪs/
definition: (often as noun dicing) Play or gamble with dice.
usage: Historically, dice is the plural of die, but in modern standard English dice is both the singular and the plural: 'throw the dice' could mean a reference to either one or more than one dice.
sentence: You are dicing with an unknown problem.
part of speech: dicer [n.]
phrases: dice with death: Take serious risks.
roll (or throw) of the dice: A risky attempt to do or achieve something
4. transgress [v.] /tranzˈgrɛs/
definition: Go beyond the limits of (what is morally, socially, or legally acceptable)
origin: late 15th century (earlier (late Middle English) as transgression): from Old French transgresser or Latin transgress- 'stepped across', from the verb transgredi, from trans- 'across' + gradi 'go'.
sentence: She had transgressed an unwritten social law.
part of speech: transgressor [n.]
5. contentious [adj.] /kənˈtɛnʃəs/
definition: Causing or likely to cause an argument; controversial
origin: late Middle English: from Old French contentieux, from Latin contentiosus, from content- 'striven', from the verb contendere.
sentence: The most contentious issue is likely to be a provision encouraging commissioners to facilitate voluntary co-operation by witness to be heard in private.
part of speech: contentiously [adv.] contentiousness [n.]
6/19
1. cathartic [adj.] /kəˈθɑːtɪk/
definition: Providing psychological relief through the open expression of strong emotions; causing catharsis
origin: early 17th century (in medical use): via late Latin from Greek kathartikos, from katharsis ‘cleansing’
sentence: Gullible by nature, they are easily swayed by catchy slogans and start seeking cathartic relief in communal frenzy.
part of speech: cathartically [adv.]
2. lobby [v.] /ˈlɒbi/
definition: Seek to influence (a legislator) on an issue
origin: mid 16th century (in the sense 'monastic cloister'): from medieval Latin lobia, lobium 'covered walk, portico'. The verb sense (originally US) derives from the practice of frequenting the lobby of a house of legislature to influence its members into supporting a cause.
sentence: They insist on their right to lobby Congress.
part of speech: lobbyist [n.]
3. scout [v.] /skaʊt/
definition: Make a search for someone or something in various places
origin: late Middle English (as a verb): from Old French escouter 'listen', earlier ascolter, from Latin auscultare.
sentence: I was sent to scout around for a place to park the camper.
part of speech: scouter [n.]
phrase: Scout's honour: The oath taken by a Scout.
4. pour [v.] /pɔː/
definition: (pour something into) Contribute money to (an enterprise or project) in copious amounts
origin: Middle English: of unknown origin.
sentence: And, by the by, he also pours his money into men's and women's hockey within his native community.
part of speech: pourable [adj.] pourer [n.]
phrase: it never rains but it pours: Misfortunes or difficult situations tend to follow each other in rapid succession or to arrive all at the same time.
5. ignominious [adj.] /ˌɪgnəˈmɪnɪəs/
definition: Deserving or causing public disgrace or shame
origin: late Middle English: from French ignominieux, or Latin ignominiosus, from ignominia
sentence: Moreover, he ‘leads’ the team from ignominious to defeat to ignominious defeat.
part of speech: ignominiously [adv.] ignominiousness [n.]
