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 1

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 © 2015 College Bound, Inc.

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 2

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: 3

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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

mysterious

black

nutritious

calm

plastic

cleansing

promising

clear

raging

comforting

rough

dangerous

sharp

delicious

silly

dirty

smooth

distant

soothing

exciting

square

fattening

thin

forbidding

twinkling

friendly

ugly

furry

useful

fuzzy

weak

glass

wild

hard

wooden

heavy hopeful intimidating mesmerizing moisturizing

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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 6

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 7

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

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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

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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

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

Ex.

meaning “result.”

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.

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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:

Ex.

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

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 12

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 © 2015 College Bound, Inc.

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

hear, here

road, rode

affect, effect

it’s, its

sea, see

already, all ready

led, lead

their, there, they’re

buy, by, bye

lose, loose

threw, through, thorough

capital, capitol

passed, past

to, too, two

dessert, desert

perspective, prospective

weather, whether

decent, descent, dissent

right, rite, write

were, wear, where

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