English 2R:

 I could see he was ambidextrous, he easily switched his pencil between his right and left hand, he wrote clearly with both hands.  Looking both ways and tentative glances before you cross the street.

 I could see he was ambidextrous, he easily switched his pencil between his right and left hand, he wrote clearly with both hands. RUN-ON SENTENCE  Looking both ways and tentative glances before you cross the street. SENTENCE FRAGMENT

TIPS:  The first definition is the one used most often.  Consider both literal and figurative meanings.  Learn the part of speech—it can help you use the words correctly.  Try to practice pronouncing the words correctly so you can use them in conversation.

 Def: (v) To corrupt, make worse by the addition of something of lesser value.  Ex: Our cupcakes were adulterated by the salt we put in instead of sugar, thanks to my dad’s practical joke.  Syn: contaminate, pollute, sully  Ant: purify, purge, expurgate

 Def (adj) Able to use both hands equally well; very skillful; deceitful, hypocritical  Ex: The ambidextrous guitarist could plan any kind of guitar—even the left-handed styles.  Syn: versatile, facile  Ant: clumsy, all thumbs, maladroit

 Def: (v) to make larger, increase  Ex (literal):Many celebrities get ear augmentation surgery to improve their appearance.  Ex (figurative): Most of us would like to augment our income.  Syn: enlarge, supplement, amplify  Ant: decrease, diminish

 Def: (v) deprived of; made unhappy through a loss  Syn: bereaved  Ant: replete, well-provided  Ex: When we eat too much garlic, we may find ourselves bereft of companions due to our stinky breath.

 Def: (v) to position or arrange; to utilize; to form up  Syn: station, organize  Ex: The general deployed two hundred troops on the battlefield.  Ex: I deployed my calculator to solve the equation.

 Def: (adj) stern, unyielding, gloomy, ill-humored  Syn: harsh, bleak, forbidding, saturnine  Ant: cheery, inviting, genial  Ex: The officer’s dour expression indicated we would receive more than a warning.

 Def: (n) courage in facing difficulties  Syn: resolve, steadfastness, mettle  Ant: fearfulness, timidity, faintheartedness  Ex: Facing your weaknesses and trying to change is not for the fainthearted; in fact, it requires as much fortitude as climbing a mountain.

 Def: (v) to stare with open mouth; to open the mouth wide; to open wide  Syn: gawk, ogle  Ex: We gaped at the outlandish performance.  Ex: There was a wide gaping hole in the roof after the storm.

 Def: (v) to utter taunting words; (n) an expression of scorn  Syn: ridicule, mock, deride, jeer  Ant: compliment, praise  Ex: Knowing he was a liar, the audience shouted gibes at the politician.  Ex: When they gibed at him, he ignored it and continued his speech.

 Def: (n) an external appearance, cover, mask  Syn: costume, semblance, pretense  Ex: His toughness was just a protective guise— we all knew he was a big softie!

 Def: (adj) intended to deceive or entrap; sly, treacherous  Syn: cunning, underhanded, perfidious  Ant: frank, ingenuous, aboveboard  Ex: The internet is filled with links that are insidious plots to infect computers with spyware.

 Def: (n) a hint, direct suggestion  Syn: clue, indication, inkling  Ex: Even though his haircut looked terrible, I gave no intimation that it was less than perfect.

 Def: (adj) wealthy, luxurious, ample, grandiose  Syn: rich, lavish, plentiful, abundant  Ant: poverty-stricken, wretched, destitute  Ex: His opulent ten-bedroom home was often filled with rich and famous people.

 Def: (adj) easily bent, flexible, easily influenced  Syn: supple, adaptable, resilient  Ant: rigid, inflexible, recalcitrant  Ex: (literal) Because rubber is pliable, it is used to make products like hair-bands and erasers.  Ex: (figurative) If you offer dad something sweet, you will find that he is much more pliable.

 Def: (v) to say again, repeat  Syn: restate, rehash, recapitulate (recap)  Reiterating the rules was not enough for the parents to get their kids to follow them.

 Def: (adj) not easily moved mentally or emotionally; dull, unresponsive  Syn: impassive, phlegmatic  Ant: emotional, oversensitive, high-strung  Ex: He was able to retain a stolid appearance, despite the physical pain he was in.

 Def: (adj) experimental in nature; uncertain, hesitant  Syn: provisional, inconclusive  Ant: definite, conclusive, confirmed  Ex: While the tentative budget was supposed to start in a month, the town had to approve it first.  Ex: Although he felt tentative, he kept his agreement to go skydiving with his grandpa.

 Def: (adj) not combed, untidy, not properly maintained; unpolished, rude  Syn: sloppy, disorderly, disordered, rough  Ant: well-groomed, tidy, neat, natty  Ex: After years of being disorganized, he decided to do a thorough cleaning and re-organization of his unkempt room.  Ex: While he thought his long, scraggly beard looked cool, his girlfriend thought it made him appear unkempt.

 Def: (adj/adv) word for word, exactly as written or spoken  Syn: exact, precisely  Ant: paraphrased  Ex: He mistakenly assumed that if she changed words from Sparknotes, instead of copying it verbatim, he could safely steal the ideas.

 Def: (adv) cautiously, with great care  Syn: carefully, prudently, gingerly  Ant: recklessly, cautiously, heedlessly  Ex: The zookeeper knew he had to retrieve the little boy’s hat from the tiger cage, so he warily and slowly edged closer into the sleeping animal’s enclosure then quickly snatched it.

 Part 1: Words in context (1 point each, 10 ex.) -What does the word mean in this sentence? -Mult. Choice  Part 2: Sentence completion (2 points each, 10 ex.) -Complete the sentence -SAT-style -Mult. Choice  Part 3: Short answer questions (3 points each, 5 ex.) -Answer questions, provide meanings of each vocab word.