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The Vocabulary Lists

Vocabulary

The following words are important to know prior to entering college. They will be found

in college textbooks and classroom discussions. They are also likely to be on the newly revised

SAT.

People learn vocabulary in different ways, but we all have one thing in common: we

must USE these words in order to learn them.

Define the following words with your partner (perhaps 5 per session). Note what part of

speech the word is (noun, verb, adjective, etc.), and write at least two sentences for each word.

This will help you practice using the words correctly. Remember the words you learn, and try to

use them at least once during the upcoming week.

**Note: You can also use the words you don’t know from the spelling, adjective, and feeling

word lists!

abbreviate acclaim adulation adversity aesthetic ambivalent ameliorate amicable anachronistic anecdote animosity anonymous antagonist apocryphal appease arid assiduous astute asylum augment avarice belittle benevolent benign blasphemy blithe brevity camaraderie

caustic censure circuitous compliant coalesce collaborate concise condescending conformist contrite convergence cryptic deference deleterious demagogue deplete deride desecrate didactic digression diligent discredit disdain disparage dissent divergent dogmatic

elusive empathy emulate enervating enhance ephemeral esoteric evanescent exasperation exemplary exemplify expedient extenuating extraneous fastidious fervor fickle flagrant fortuitous frugal fundamental futile hackneyed haughty heed hypothesis hypothetical illicit

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immutable impetuous impute inadvertent incoherent incompatible inconsequential inevitable innate instigate intangible integrity intrepid intuitive jubilation languid laud lax lethargic levity mitigate mundane neutral nonchalant nostalgic novice nullify opulent orthodox ostentatious parched peripheral pivotal pragmatic precocious pretentious procrastinate prodigious profuse prosaic prosperity provocative prudent rancorous reclusive reconciliation redundant rejuvenate relevant reprehensible rescind resilient restrained reticent reverence

rigor sagacity sage scrupulous scrutinize solemn spontaneity spurious static stoic stringent submissive substantiate subtle superficial superfluous suppress surreptitious sycophant tactful tedious tenacious tranquility transient trepidation trivial vacillate vehement venerable verbose vilify vindicate volatile

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Literary Terms

The following terms refer to devices you can use to:

1) better understand and evaluate what you read

and

2) make your writing more thought provoking and interesting.

Using a dictionary, define each of the following terms and provide two examples of each.

Then review your list with your partner.

Allusion:

Antithesis:

Cliché:

Colloquial Language:

Diction:

Epiphany:

Figurative Language:

Foreshadowing:

Generalization:

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Hyperbole:

Idiom:

Imagery:

Irony:

Metaphor:

Oxymoron:

Paradox:

Personification:

Plagiarism:

Pun:

Satire:

Simile:

Slang:

Symbol:

Tone:

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Adjective List

Adjectives enhance your writing by making it more vivid and interesting for your reader.

The following list should help you include adjectives in your own writing.

Keep in mind that there are countless adjectives not mentioned here. Do not forget that

the opposites of these words are also possible adjectives!

beautiful

black

calm

cleansing

clear

comforting

dangerous

delicious

dirty

distant

exciting

fattening

forbidding

friendly

furry

fuzzy

glass

hard

heavy

hopeful

intimidating

mesmerizing

moisturizing

mysterious

nutritious

plastic

promising

raging

rough

sharp

silly

smooth

soothing

square

thin

twinkling

ugly

useful

weak

wild

wooden

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Feeling Words

The following words may be useful to describe the feelings of characters in your personal and expository writing!

absent-minded

accepted

accused

admired

adored

adrift

afraid

aggravated

aggressive

agitated

alarmed

alert

alienated

alive

alone

aloof

amazed

amused

angry

antagonistic

anxious

apathetic

appalled

apologetic

appreciated

apprehensive

ashamed

astonished

attacked

attractive

aware

awkward

baffled

bashful

belittled

benevolent

berated

betrayed

bewildered

bitter

bold

bored

bothered

brave

bummed

burdened

calm

capable

carefree

careless

caring

cautious

censored

centered

certain

challenged

cheated

cheerful

cherished

childish

clear

clever

close

clueless

clumsy

comfortable

committed

compassionate

competent

competitive

complacent

complete

concerned

condemned

confident

confused

considerate

contemplative

content

cornered

courageous

cowardly

crazy

cross

crushed

curious

daring

dazed

deceived

dedicated

defeated

defenseless

defensive

defiant

degraded

dejected

delicate

delighted

demoralized

dependent

depressed

deprived

deserted

desired

despair

desperate

destroyed

detached

determined

devastated

devious

devoted

different

difficult

disappointed

disbelieving

discarded

disconnected

discontent

discouraged

disgraced

disgusted

disheartened

dishonest

disillusioned

dismayed

disobedient

disorganized

disposable

distant

distracted

disturbed

doubtful

drained

dropped

dull

eager

ecstatic

effective

embarrassed

empathetic

empty

enchanted

encouraged

energetic

energized

elated

enlightened

enraged

enriched

entertained

enthusiastic

envious

evasive

evil

exasperated

excited

excluded

exhausted

exhilarated

expectant

faithful

fake

fantastic

fatigued

fearful

fearless

feisty

flustered

foolish

forgiven

forgiving

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forgotten

fortunate

frantic

free

friendly

frightened

frustrated

fulfilled

funny

furious

generous

gentle

giving

grieving

glorious

grateful

gloomy

grouchy

grumpy

guarded

guilty

gullible

happy

hateful

haunted

healthy

heard

helpful

helpless

hesitant

honored

hopeful

hopeless

horrible

horrified

hostile

humble

humiliated

hurt

hysterical

idealistic

idiotic

ignorant

ignored

imaginative

immune

impatient

imperfect

important

impressed

impulsive

inadequate

inattentive

incensed

incompetent

incomplete

incredulous

indebted

indecisive

independent

indifferent

industrious

inept

inferior

inflated

informed

infuriated

inhibited

innocent

innovative

inquisitive

insane

insecure

insensitive

insignificant

isolated

insulted

intense

interested

interrogated

interrupted

intimidated

intimate

intrigued

invigorated

invisible

involved

irrational

irresponsible

irritated

irked

jealous

jinxed

jolly

jovial

joyful

jubilant

judged

judgmental

jumpy

just

justified

kidded

kind

knowledgeable

lazy

leery

liable

liberated

light-hearted

liked

logical

lonely

lost

lousy

lovable

loved

loving

lucky

mad

manipulated

mean

melancholy

mischievous

miserable

misinterpreted

mistreated

misunderstood

mixed up

mocked

modest

moody

motivated

moved

needy

negative

neglected

nervous

neurotic

nonchalant

nostalgic

noticed

numb

obeyed

obligated

obvious

odd

offended

old

open

oppressed

optimistic

ornery

outraged

overcome

overjoyed

overloaded

overwhelmed

overworked

passionate

passive

patient

peaceful

pensive

petrified

petty

phony

pious

playful

pleased

poor

possessive

positive

powerful

powerless

practical

pressured

private

productive

protected

protective

proud

provoked

prudish

punished

pushy

puzzled

questioned

quiet

rambunctious

reassured

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realistic

rebellious

receptive

reckless

reconciled

reflective

refreshed

relieved

reluctant

reminiscent

remorse

renewed

replaced

replenished

repressed

rescued

resentful

reserved

resistant

resourceful

respected

responsible

restricted

revengeful

revitalized

rich

ridiculous

rigid

robbed

romantic

rotten

rushed

sabotaged

safe

sassy

satisfied

scared

scolded

scorned

secure

self-assured

self-centered

self-confident

self-conscious

self-reliant

selfish

sensitive

sentimental

serious

skillful

shaken

sheepish

shocked

shunned

shy

silly

sincere

slandered

sluggish

smart

smothered

skeptical

solemn

soothed

sorry

special

spiteful

splendid

spunky

squashed

stifled

stimulated

strained

stressed

strong

stubborn

stumped

stunned

submissive

successful

suffocated

superior

supported

sure

surprised

suspicious

sympathetic

tacky

tactful

talented

talkative

tarnished

tasteful

tearful

teased

tenacious

tender

tense

terrific

terrified

testy

thankful

thoughtful

threatened

thrifty

thrilled

tired

tormented

torn

tortured

tough

tragic

tranquil

transformed

trapped

treasured

tremendous

tricked

troubled

trusted

ugly

unaccepted

unappreciated

unburdened

uncomfortable

uneven

unfit

unfriendly

united

unjust

unknown

unneeded

unpleasant

unruly

unwise

uplifted

used

useless

vacant

vague

vain

valid

valued

vicious

victorious

vivid

void

wacky

warm

warned

wary

weak

wealthy

weary

weird

wild

willful

wishful

witty

worldly

worse

worthy

wounded

wrong

yearning

yielding

youthful

zany

zealous

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Commonly Misused Words

The following common writing mistakes quickly undermine even the most perfectly formulated essays:

a and an: A and an are articles. A is used before nouns or adjectives beginning with

consonants. An is used before nouns and adjectives that begin with vowels.

Ex: Harry seems like a nice guy.

Mom gave me an orange for a snack.

a lot: A lot usually means "much” or “many." A lot is overused, informal,

general, and boring. Do not use it.

Ex: Dozens of people interviewed for the position.

accept, except: Accept is a verb meaning “to receive.” Except is a preposition meaning

“other than.”

Ex. Except Carl, the entire class was accepted to college.

affect, effect: Affect is a verb meaning “to influence.”

Effect can be a verb but is usually used as a noun meaning “result.”

Ex. The effects of the hurricane remain unknown.

The movie affected Howard more than he thought it would.

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fewer, less: Fewer is used for things that are broken down into units and can be counted.

Less is used for things that haven’t been broken into units and can’t be counted.

Ex. I have fewer coins in my hand than you have, but you have less money than I

have.

good, well: Good is an adjective used to describe nouns.

Well is an adverb used to describe verbs or adjectives.

Ex. This jacket feels good.

Tracy is playing well today.

its, it’s: Its is the possessive form of “it.” It’s means “it is.”

Ex. Its tail is wiggling!!!

She said it’s because of the rain yesterday.

loose, lose: Loose is an adjective meaning the opposite of “tight.” Lose is a verb meaning “to

misplace.”

Ex. If I lose my tooth, it is because it was already loose.

passed, past: Passed is the past tense form of the verb “to pass,” meaning “to go by.”

Past is the name of a point in time; it is usually used as a noun.

Ex. I have passed this church in the past.

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than, then: Than is used to compare two things. Then tells you when.

Ex. Strawberries taste better than apples.

Then he went home.

there, their, they’re: There indicates location.

Their is the possessive form of “they.”

They’re means “they are.”

Ex. I go there on the weekends.

Their house is gorgeous.

They’re the best team in the league.

to, too, two: To is a preposition. Too is an adverb meaning “very” or “also.”

Two means the number “2.”

Ex. Two sisters are going to the party.

I ate too much.

Kyle is walking to school.

your, you’re: Your is the possessive form of “you.” You’re means “you are.”

Ex. She said your popcorn is too chewy.

You’re making me mad!

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Commonly Misspelled Words

absence accessible accelerate accidentally accommodate accumulate achievement acquaintance acquire acquitted advice advise all right amateur among analysis analyze annual apartment apiece apparent appearance arguing argument arithmetic ascend athletic attendance balance battalion beginning belief believe beneficial beautiful boundary Britain bureau business calendar canceled candidate catastrophe category cemetery changeable changing choose chose coming commitment

committed comparative compelled conceivable conferred congratulate

conscience

conscious

control

controversial

criticize

deceive

decision

deferred

definitely

definition

describe

description

desperate

dictionary

dining

disappearance

disappoint

disastrous

discipline

dissatisfied

dormitory

effect

eighth

eligible

eliminate

embarrass

encouragement

eminent

English

environment

equipped

especially

exaggerate

excellence

exhilarate

existence

existent

experience

explanation

familiar

fascinate

February

fiery

finally

foreign

formerly

forty

fourth

frantically

fulfill

generally

government

graduation

grammar

grandeur

grievous

guarantee

height

heroes

hindrance

hoping

humorous

hypocrisy

hypocrite

hysterical

illiterate

immediately

incidentally

incredible

independence

inevitable

intellectual

intelligence

interesting

irresistible

judgment

knowledge

laboratory

laid

led

library

lightning

loneliness

lose

losing

maintenance

maneuver

manual

manufacture

marriage

mathematics

maybe

mere

miniature

miscellaneous

mischievous

misspell

mysterious

necessary

nevertheless

ninety

noticeable

occasionally

occurred

occurrence

omitted

opinion

opportunity

optimistic

paid

parallel

paralysis

paralyze

particular

particularly

pastime

performance

permissible

perseverance

personal

personnel

perspiration

persuade

physical

picnicking

possess

possession

possibility

possible

practically

precede

precedence

preference

preferred

prejudice

preparation

prevalent

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principal

principle

privilege

probably

procedure

proceed

profession

professor

prominent

pronunciation

psychology

pursue

quantity

quiet

quite

quizzes

recede

receive

receiving

recommend

reference

referring

relieve

reminisce

repetition

resistance

restaurant

rhyme

rhythm

ridiculous

roommate

sacrifice

sacrilegious

salary

schedule

seize

sense

separate

separation

sergeant

severely

shining

similar

sincerely

sophomore

society

sophomore

specifically

specimen

statue

studying

subtle

succeed

success

succession

surprise

technique

temperamental

tendency

tragedy

transferring

tries

truly

tyranny

unanimous

undoubtedly

unnecessary

until

usually

valuable

village

villain

weather

weird

whether

woman

women

writing

Commonly Confused Words

accept, except

affect, effect

already, all ready

buy, by, bye

capital, capitol

dessert, desert

decent, descent, dissent

hear, here

it’s, its

led, lead

lose, loose

passed, past

perspective, prospective

right, rite, write

road, rode

sea, see

their, there, they’re

threw, through, thorough

to, too, two

weather, whether

were, wear, where