Lesson 3: Commonsense Contexts

Let's dive into words that describe everything from a loud argument to a quiet understanding.

Key Words

Example Usage

• After the small boat capsized, we had to contend with the strong waves as we swam toward the beach.
• Even though I know the actors well, in their elaborate costumes I could not distinguish them from the other performers.
• The secret was not supposed to be divulged; the committee will divulge the full story at the press conference.

Explanation

This set of words explores concepts of conflict and struggle, like arguing or competing, and clarity and revelation, such as telling things apart or revealing secrets. It also includes powerful nouns that describe states of being, from a loud din to a long drought.

Prepare for some intense vocabulary! This group covers everything from being extremely hungry to being in great danger.

Key Words

Example Usage

• Driving is dangerous on a dark road when there are no streetlights to illuminate the way.
• The manager's decision put the success of the project in jeopardy because no other leader was willing to take over.
• The politician tried to magnify his minor accomplishments, but his exaggerations were exposed by the journalist.

Explanation

These words convey intensity and extremity. They can describe sensory experiences, like lighting something up or being unable to hear, or intense situations, such as being inundated with messages or putting a project in jeopardy. The verbs here are powerful and often describe a significant change.

Let's get moving with words that describe where we are, how we get there, and when things happen.

Key Words

Example Usage

• While Dad rummaged through the garage, I simultaneously searched the attic, but we failed to find the old photographs.
• At its top velocity, the new sports car can traverse the entire racetrack in under a minute.
• If that stranded dolphin is to survive, we must help it get back into the ocean.

Explanation

This group focuses on movement, location, and time. You'll find words for crossing a terrain, searching through items, and the speed of travel. Adverbs like simultaneously and subsequently help sequence events, while municipal points to a specific type of place—a city or town.

Time to explore the world of emotions, hidden truths, and finding who's responsible.

Key Words

Example Usage

• Do employees feel apprehensive if their jobs are at risk? Yes, because they dread being unemployed.
• A magician's greatest skill is the ability to conceal an object in plain sight.
• The police can arrest a suspect, but identifying the true culprit is the proper province of the courts.

Explanation

These words delve into the internal world of feelings and the external world of secrets. You have terms for feeling fearful (apprehensive) and satisfied (content). On the other hand, words like conceal and culprit deal with hiding things and identifying who is at fault.

This set of words is all about doing things—from getting rid of mistakes to stealing small items—and making judgments.

Key Words

Example Usage

• If you want your story to be powerful, you must eliminate all superfluous words.
• You shouldn't have taken me seriously when I said my plan was infallible; I was only being facetious.
• After pausing to reflect, the team captain decided to reverse her decision and change the play.

Explanation

This selection covers various actions and ways of thinking. You'll learn how to describe removing something (eliminate), stealing (pilfer), and tiring out (fatigue). It also includes words related to judgment, like being witty (facetious), being perfect (infallible), or thinking deeply (reflect).

Our final group looks at opposites, places, and life paths. Let's wrap up with these essential concepts!

Key Words

Example Usage

• The weary marathon runner had to surmount his fatigue with a final burst of energy to cross the finish line.
• After trying several jobs, my brother realized that carpentry was his true vocation.
• There are no large parks in the immediate downtown area, but there are several in the vicinity of the suburbs.

Explanation

These words describe a range of qualities, concepts, and transformations. You have terms for overcoming obstacles (surmount), for things that are unnecessary (superfluous), and for ideas with dual meanings like shallow. This group also helps define places, contrasting urban life with its surrounding vicinity.