Tag Archives: diction/grammar/style/usage

Chasten (vt)

This context clues worksheet on the transitive verb chasten was Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Day at some point. This isn’t a particularly high-frequency word in English–nor is its noun, chaste–which is too bad, as these are useful words. For the purposes of this document, chasten means “to correct by punishment or suffering.” Remember that this verb is used only transitively, so don’t forget your direct object: the subject of your sentence must chasten something or someone.

(Incidentally, if you’re interested, chasten also means “discipline,” “purify,” “to prune (as a work or style of art) of excess, pretense, or falsity,” “refine,” “to cause to be more humble or restrained,” and “subdue.”)

If you find typos in this document, I would appreciate a notification. And, as always, if you find this material useful in your practice, I would be grateful to hear what you think of it. I seek your peer review.

Cultural Literacy: Synonym, Antonym

Here is another pair of Cultural Literacy worksheets that belong in the same post: the first on synonyms, which is a half page worksheet with a reading of two short sentences and two comprehension questions. The second, on antonyms, also has two short sentences as a reading, and two comprehension questions.

If you find typos in this document, I would appreciate a notification. And, as always, if you find this material useful in your practice, I would be grateful to hear what you think of it. I seek your peer review.

Circumvent (vt)

Last but not least this morning, here is a context clues worksheet on the verb circumvent. It means “to hem in,” “to make a circuit around,” and “to manage to get around especially by ingenuity or stratagem.” This verb is used only transitively, so don’t forget your direct object: what are you circumventing?

If you find typos in this document, I would appreciate a notification. And, as always, if you find this material useful in your practice, I would be grateful to hear what you think of it. I seek your peer review.

Word Root Exercise: Rupt

Here is a worksheet on the Greek word root rupt. It means “to break, burst.” This productive root yields in the English language a number of high-frequency words like disrupt, corrupt, bankrupt, and rupture. I suppose there is really nothing more to say than that.

If you find typos in this document, I would appreciate a notification. And, as always, if you find this material useful in your practice, I would be grateful to hear what you think of it. I seek your peer review.

Cultural Literacy: Comparative, Superlative

Here’s a pair of Cultural Literacy worksheets that must go out together: the the first on the comparative form of adjectives is a half-pager with a reading of two sentences, the second of them a long compound separated by several semicolons, and three comprehension questions . The second covers the superlative form of adjectives; this is a full-page worksheet with a reading of two sentences, the second a compound, with three comprehension questions and a fourth independent practice exercises

If you find typos in these documents, I would appreciate a notification. And, as always, if you find this material useful in your practice, I would be grateful to hear what you think of it. I seek your peer review.

Rhetorical Figure

“Rhetorical Figure: An artful arrangement of words to achieve a particular emphasis and effect, as in apostrophe, chiasmus, and zeugma. A rhetorical figure does not alter the meanings of words as a metaphor may do. The repetitions in these lines from Gerard Manley Hopkins’sSt Winefred’s Well” are rhetorical in their emphasis and echoing:

‘T. What is it, Gwen, my girl? Why do you hove and haund me?

W. You came by Caerwys, sir?

V.                                 I came by Caerwys

W.                                                   There

Some messenger there might have met/met you from my uncle.

T. Your uncle met the messenger-/met me; and this is the message:

Lord Bueno comes to night./

W.                                                To night, sir!'”

Excerpted from: Cuddon, J.A. The Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory. New York: Penguin, 1992.

Common English Verbs Followed by Gerunds: Celebrate

Alrighty then (as Ace Ventura is wont to say), classes have ended in New York City high schools, and we’re into a round of mindless though high-stakes testing to enrich corporate educational publishers. So, as we reach the end of the school year, now seems as good a time as any to post this document on the verb celebrate as it is used with gerunds following it.

Incidentally, celebrate has both intransitive and transitive use.

If you find typos in this document, I would appreciate a notification. And, as always, if you find this material useful in your practice, I would be grateful to hear what you think of it. I seek your peer review.

Common English Verbs Followed by Gerunds: Can’t Help

OK, last and probably least this morning, here is a on the verb phrase can’t help as it is used with gerunds. I’ve commented previously on my general dissatisfaction with these, but I’ll keep posting them until someone complains (which is unlikely).

If you find typos in this document, I would appreciate a notification. And, as always, if you find this material useful in your practice, I would be grateful to hear what you think of it. I seek your peer review.

Review

“Review: A short notice of discussion or critical article in a paper, journal or periodical; (b) a journal or periodical containing articles on literature, art and philosophy. The Edinburgh Review is a famous example; so is the Quarterly Review. Publications like Horizon, Scrutiny, The London Magazine, Essays in Criticism, and Encounter might well be placed in this category.”

Excerpted from: Cuddon, J.A. The Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory. New York: Penguin, 1992.

Certify (vt), Certificate (n)

Here’s a pair of context clues worksheets that should go out together: the first on the verb certify and the second on the noun certificate.

Certify is used only transitively. It carries a variety of meanings, but for the context in which this worksheet embeds the verb, , it means “to attest authoritatively,” “confirm,” and “to attest as being true or as represented or as meeting a standard.” A certificate is what one receives when the definition of certify has been met in practice.

If you find typos in this document, I would appreciate a notification. And, as always, if you find this material useful in your practice, I would be grateful to hear what you think of it. I seek your peer review.