Vocabulary development

“Success is a must!”

HELLO, STUDENTS! I cannot believe that 2020 is just around the corner. For this lesson, I will be giving you another vocabulary top-up. Enjoy!

VOCABULARY TOP-UP

1. Prevalent – very common in a particular area or amongst a group of people

■ (Crime is rather prevalent in the community of Rockstead and the citizens are fearful.)

2. Quirky – unusual, odd, zany

■ (He had a quirky sense of humour.)

3. Reticent – shy, reserved, discreet

■ (She was reticent about her private life.)

4. Remorse – a feeling of being sorry because of doing something bad.

■ (The criminal showed no remorse for his actions; in fact, he seemed to feel he was justified.)

5. Spurious – false, fake

■ (Some advertisements often make spurious claims in order to attract customers.)

6. Tenacious –preserving, determined

■ (She was admired for how tenacious she was in the midst of her struggles.)

7. Trivial –unimportant, insignificant

■ (My brother always annoys us by talking about trivial topics during movie night.)

8. Uncanny – strange, mysterious

■ (She has an uncanny way of reading people’s mind.)

9. Vociferous –outspoken, frank, open

■ (He was a vociferous challenger of the man’s plans for the community.)

10. Wary – careful, cautious (Peter was wary of the stray dog that he saw in his yard.)

11. Yearn – long for, want badly

■ (During a drought, many people yearn for an ice cold drink of water.)

12. Zany – eccentric, odd, weird

■ (Nobody talked to the boy because of his zany behaviour.)

Please familiarise yourself with these words and incorporate them in your written or spoken English.

Complete the activities below. They are further vocabulary development activities.

ACTIVITY # 1: SENTENCE COMPLETION

Instruction: For EACH sentence below, write the word from the list provided that best completes it.

horrendous, corruption, disgruntled, resort, nauseating, discrimination, traumatised, exorbitant, frustrated, deplorable, inconsiderate, brutality

1. The citizens of this country are always complaining about the _____ prices of groceries.

2. The stench of uncollected garbage has grown quite _________.

3. As voting and tax-paying citizens, we should not have to endure such ____road conditions.

4. Those people who play loud music are extremely____.

5. Protests against police ______ have become a regular sight for some citizens.

6. When I witnessed the ______treatment patients received in the hospital, I was quite disturbed.

7. Workers are now exceedingly _______by the poor wages they receive.

8. The residents have been left ______________________ by the recent murders in their community.

9. Poverty is one factor that leads some people to ________ to a life of crime and violence.

10. The inability to take care of their basic needs has left many Jamaicans quite________.

11. It is not fair for a person to experience ______ because of his religious beliefs.

12. ________ will have to be controlled if Jamaica is to become a better country.

ACTIVITY # 2: SYNONYMS

Instruction: Select the word that is similar in meaning to the word that is underlined in each sentence below.

1. The officer tried to pacify the old man who was provoked by the group of teenagers. a. terrify b. appease c. befriend d. blame

2. When the two enemies met, there was a catastrophic war that resulted in the loss of thousands of lives. a. disastrous b. noisy c. huge d. fierce

3. It would appear that his victories in the ring make him invincible. a. famous b. cooperative c. high-spirited d. unbeatable

4. You should exercise more tact when you talk to those who are grieving. a. skill b. concern c. discretion d. sorrow

5. It was clear that he came from an affluent family because of the high-end clothes he wore and the flashy car he drove. a. wealthy b. educated c. modern d. immoral

6. His answers were pertinent to the questions the teacher asked. a. irrelevant b. connected c. relevant d. drawn

7. The churlish boy refused to apologise to his teacher. a. inconsiderate b. quiet c. determined d. rude

8. The boss’ decision to fire the driver was impartial. a. biased b. objective c. smart d. disgusting

9. I was surprised that so many things could go wrong after so many weeks of meticulous planning. a. complete b. continuous c. thorough d. creative

10. The way she smiled at the audience concealed the fear that rose within her. a. hid b. controlled c. denied d. soothed

11. No individual is endowed with the habits of his or her ancestors. a. born b. awarded c. characterised d. nurtured

12. He felt he owed his allegiance to his club. a. respect b. loyalty c. fees d. service

Next week, I will supply the answers. Until then, continue to grow and glow in English.

Answers to last week’s spelling activity: representatives, doubts, competition, government, valuable, complimented, beginning, immediately, funeral, accessories, gestured, happiness, desperate, omission, solemn.