aggressive:  forceful, attacking
Nobody likes an aggressive  salesperson.
He’s very aggressive when he plays poker.

automatic:  able to happen or operate independent of any person.
A machine that saves us a lot of time is our automatic dishwasher.
The loyalty of his team is not automatic; he must earn it.

dedicated:  100% committed to something
I’ve never know someone so dedicated to his family as my father.
Mother Teresa was dedicated to helping the poor and sick.

frequent:  happening often
Because of his business, he’s a frequent flier to China.
The most frequent comment was that the movie was too long.

gloomy:  sad, hopeless, depressing
The prison was a gloomy place where the inmates hardly talked.
The hooting of the owls made the forest seem gloomy.

ingenious:  very smart and creative
The iPhone was an ingenious product that helped Apple get to the top.
He’s had several very good ideas, but this one is ingenious.

possible:  able to be or happen
It’s possible that he got really busy and forgot about our meeting.
Losing our company is one possible result.

racial:  of different kinds of people of different races
The Chinese are a racial minority in North America.
It’s against the law for him to deny you a room for racial reasons.

silly:  not serious, amusingly playful
She knew he had a surprise for her because of the silly grin on his face.
Don’t be silly.  You can’t eat that whole pie by yourself.

transparent:  see- through, clear
This plastic is almost transparent.
She wore a blue transparent blouse to the party.

united:  acting as a single group, all together
There was a united effort by all the neighbors to clean up the park.
The school was united in their support of the principal.

voluntary:  done out of free choice
The job as a teacher’s helper is a voluntary position.
The museum is free on Tuesdays, but you can make a voluntary donation.

Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the above vocabulary on the audio file below.

Use these flashcards to help you study.

When you think you’re ready, do the following exercise.

© 2013 Ambien Malecot

appropriate: the right thing at the right time, expected by others
When someone says “thank-you,” the appropriate response is “you’re welcome.”
It is not appropriate to shake the Queen’s hand.

beneficial:  good (for someone)
Drinking a liter of water everyday has beneficial results.
It’s beneficial for most people to get eight hours of sleep per night.

considerate:  thinking of the welfare of someone else.
It was considerate of you to give me a ride home last night.
Please be considerate and let the elderly woman sit down on the bus.

feeble:  weak, with no energy 
His grandfather is getting more and more feeble.
She made a feeble attempt to answer him in German.

idle:  not active or moving, still
His brother has been idle ever since he lost his job.
I’ve finished all my work, so now I can be idle for the rest of the day.

infinite:  never ending, limitless
There are an infinite number of stars in the universe.
The Internet give us access to an infinite amount of information.

miniature:  very small compared to a normal one
He has a large collection of miniature cars.
Miniature golf is a sport that is enjoyed by many families.

mysterious:  unknown, confusing
They were speaking a mysterious language that she couldn’t understand.
A mysterious man was standing on the corner watching the house.

neutral:  not favoring one side or the other
Switzerland was a neutral country in World War II.
He tried to remain neutral in the argument between his wife and his mother.

scarce:  not common, rare
Five star restaurants are scarce in this city.
Fresh water is scarce in that part of Africa.

suspicious:  causing people to think bad things
The man had been waiting outside the bank for an hour, which was suspicious.
You should be suspicious of any get-rich-quick schemes.

synthetic:  not made naturally
Nylon is a synthetic material used to make parachutes.
Synthetic diamonds are manufactured for the construction industry.

Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the above vocabulary on the audio file below.

Use these flashcards to help you study.

When you think you’re ready, do the following exercise.

© 2013 Ambien Malecot

addictive:  so pleasurable you can’t stop
Cigarettes are so addictive because of the nicotine.
Coffee can be addictive to some people.

customary:  traditional, always done in the same way
It’s customary to remove your shoes at the front door.
Shaking hands is a customary greeting.

federal:  of the nation as a whole
The federal government is located in Ottawa.
Bank accounts are insured under a federal program.

harsh:  unpleasant, uncomfortable
Winters in the north are harsh.
Early Canadian settlers had a harsh life.

ignorant:  not knowing, unaware
He was ignorant of the police car following him.
On the subject of biology, I’m totally ignorant.

maximum:  the most, highest
He’s locked up in maximum security.
The maximum amount I can lend you is $800.

minimum:  the least, lowest
The minimum tip you should leave is 10%.
There was a minimum number of people at the meeting.

pure:  with nothing extra
Her favorite drink is pure orange juice.
Our grandmother breathes pure oxygen from a tank.

sincere:  truthful, honest
I’m being sincere when I tell you I’ll miss you.
Please accept our sincere apologies.

thorough:  complete, 100%
The dogs made a thorough mess of the living room.
The police did a thorough search of the apartment.

unique:  unlike anything else, one of a kind
He has a unique way of tying his shoe laces.
There is something unique about everyone.

wholesale:  in large amounts
Wholesale sales rose in the first quarter of the year.
What is the wholesale price if I buy ten of them?

Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the above vocabulary on the audio file below.

Get is a very important word in English because it is used a lot by everyone.  It has 5 different meanings.

1st:  Get means receive, obtain or buy.  It is followed by a noun (the thing received, obtained or bought.)

Examples:
The boy got a new bicycle on his birthday.
I would like to get an A on the next test.
She gets an email from him every day.

2nd:  Get means become.  It is followed by an adjective.

Examples:
She got sick after eating the fish.
The children may get lost if they go by themselves.
They got married last weekend.

3rd:  Get means arrive.  It is followed by a place.

Examples:
What time did you get home last night?
I got to school early this morning.
We’ll get there as soon as we can.

4th:  Get means bring and give.  It is followed by a person and then a noun.

Examples:
I got her something to read while she was in the hospital.
We got you two tickets to the concert this weekend.
Did you get me a bicycle for my birthday?

5th:  Get means possess (to have something.)  It is used with have and is followed by a noun.

Examples:
I’ve got three sisters.
She’s got plenty of time to help us.
We’ve got mice in the attic.

Note:  In informal English, speakers often drop ‘ve [but not ‘s]

I got three sisters.
We got mice in the attic.

6th:  Get means understand.  It is used informally and is followed by a noun (the thing that was understood)

Examples:
I still don’t get his decision to drop out of school.
Did you get what he was trying to say?
That joke was so stupid.  I didn’t get it.

7th:  Get means deal with (give your attention to.)  It is followed by a noun (the thing that needs to be dealt with.)

Examples:
There’s someone at the door.  I’ll get it.
Could you get the phone, please?  I’m busy.
You answer that email, and I’ll get dinner.

In addition to these 7 meanings of get, there are lots of idioms with this word.  Here are some.

get in – enter (a car, a truck, bed)
I got in his car, and we went for a drive.

get out of – leave, exit (a car, a truck, bed)
Get out of my house!

get out of here – I don’t believe you
You won the lottery?  Get out of here!

get on – enter (a bus, plane, train, boat)
We can get on the bus across the street.

get off – exit (a bus, plane, train, boat)
After they got off the plane, they took a taxi downtown.

get up – arise
It’s time to get up now.

get down to – start working on
We should get down to work soon.

get back – arrive back home
What time did you get back last night?

get by – have just enough
They don’t have a lot of money, but they get by.

get around to – start to do
I’m tired now.  I’ll get around to that job later.

get over – recover from a sickness or sadness
It took her two weeks to get over her last cold.

get through – to finish something unpleasant
Don’t worry.  I’ll help you get through this.

get together – to meet someone
Let’s get together after work for coffee.

get in touch – to communicate
I have to get in touch with my brother.

get rid of – to throw away
I think you should get rid of that terrible painting.

get along – have a good relationship
My sister and I get along very well.

get on (one’s) nerves – bother (one) a lot
Sometimes my children get on my nerves.

get (one) down – make (one) sad
Bad news always gets me down.

get ahead – be  more successful
If I don’t graduate, I’ll never get ahead.

get away – escape
She helped her sister get away from her bad husband.

aware:  knowing about
Are you aware that your car is unlocked?
He wasn’t aware of the person following him.

crucial:  extremely important
It is crucial that you arrive at the meeting on time.
Peace talks are crucial to the future of that region.

dense:  crowded, tightly together
The West End of Vancouver has a dense population.
The forest was so dense that it was difficult to pass through.

fundamental:  basic, most important
The simple present tense is a fundamental part of the English language.
Oil is a fundamental component of plastic.

hazy:  smoggy, polluted, not clear
It was a hazy summer day in August when he arrived in the city.
My memory of that day is hazy.

initial: first, beginning
His initial choice was to believe her because she had never lied before.
Her initial reaction was to laugh although it was a serious situation.

legible:  able to be read
The doctor’s signature was not very legible.
The teacher’s writing is not legible from the back of the room.

partial:  only part of (something bigger)
He didn’t have this month’s rent, so he made a partial payment.
The police found a partial fingerprint on the window.

repetitive:  repeated, happening again and again
He didn’t like his job because it was boring and repetitive.
There was a repetitive noise coming from the neighbor’s house.

rusty:  not very good, needing a lot of practice
She sat down at the piano, but because she was rusty, she didn’t play very well.
I haven’t spoken Spanish in years, so I’m a little rusty.

sensible:  having good judgement,
He was not being sensible when he went outside in the rain without a coat.
The sensible thing to do is to start over and do it right this time.

talented:  able to do something well and easily
They are both talented musicians.
Everyone thinks she’s a talented writer.

Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the above vocabulary on the audio file below.

Use these flashcards to help you study.

When you think you’re ready, do the following exercise.

© 2013 Ambien Malecot

abundant:  a lot, in great quantity
Canada has an abundant supply of fresh water.
At this time of year the river is abundant with salmon.

alike:  similar, with few differences
She thinks that all politicians are alike.
All those cars look alike to me.

bright:  filled with light
The room was big and bright with floor to ceiling windows.
You’ll need your sunglasses because it’s very bright outside.

casual:  informal
On the weekends they like to wear casual clothes.
This is a casual company where everyone uses first names.

definite:  clearly defined, known for sure
It’s definite that Professor Wight is leaving at the end of this term.
I need a definite answer by tomorrow morning.

energetic:  full of energy, lively
For a person in her eighties, she seems very energetic.
I don’t want to go for a walk.  I’m not feeling very energetic.

external:  on the outside
This medicine says it’s for external use only.
This computer has an external hard drive.

feminine: of a female quality, like a woman
Her deep voice is not very feminine.
When she puts on a dress, it makes her feel more feminine.

internal:  on the inside
He was rushed to the hospital with internal bleeding.
In that family there’s a lot of internal fighting.

logical:  the result of good thinking
That seems like a logical solution to our problem.
Her logical mind told her that he was no good for her.

masculine:  of a male quality, like a man
He looks much more masculine with that beard.
There are many masculine qualities other than strength.

vacant:  empty, with nothing inside
That building has been vacant for years.
The community started a vegetable garden in the vacant lot.

Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the above vocabulary on the audio file below.

Use these flashcards to help you study.

When you think you’re ready, do the following exercise.

© 2013 Ambien Malecot

apologize:  to say you’re sorry
He apologized for not remembering her birthday.
I want you to apologize to your mother for making this mess.

brag:  to say out loud something you’re proud of.
He bragged that he had never lost a fight.
I don’t want to brag, but I did win the tournament last year.

contact:  to communicate with
You need to contact your doctor immediately if your symptoms continue.
You can usually contact him by cellphone.

crush:  to make flat or into small pieces.
He crushed his cigarette with the sole of his shoe.
The recipe says to crush the garlic before adding.

discuss: to talk about (something)
We’ll discuss this after dinner and not before.
What did they discuss at the meeting last Friday?

force:  to make (someone) do (something)
He forced the man to tell him the truth.
I don’t want to force you to do anything.  It should be your choice.

influence:  to change (someone else’s) mind
My good friend influenced my decision.
He won’t let his religion influence the way he votes.

object:  to say something is wrong
If nobody objects, we’ll end the meeting now.
I object to your calling me a liar.

rely:  to depend, to believe someone will help you
She relies on her parents paying her tuition.
Can I rely on you to keep a secret?

reproduce:  to make another one of the same thing, to have babies
The artist reproduced the famous painting to hang in his own home.
Rabbits reproduce very quickly.

rinse:  to run water over the surface to make clean
I had to rinse my hair a second time to get all the shampoo out.
Please rinse the dishes before you put them in the dishwasher.

satisfy:  to make (someone) feel like something was worthwhile.
A good cup of coffee in the morning really satisfies me.
He looked up the answer to satisfy his curiosity.

squeak:  to make a series of short high sounds
The door to the bedroom squeaks, so I have to oil it.
I bought a new pair of shoes and they squeak with every step.

suppose:  to think something is true
I suppose you’re going to be late again tonight.
Do you suppose it’s going to rain tomorrow?

wobble:  to move from one position to another repeatedly
The little boy pulled an old wagon, which wobbled behind him.
That olld table has always wobbled.

Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the above vocabulary on the audio file below.

Use these flashcards to help you study.

When you think you’re ready, do the following exercise.

© 2013 Ambien Malecot

annoy:  to bother (someone)
When I check my email, all the spam really annoys me.
The flies at the beach were annoying us so much that we had to leave.

book:  to make a reservation
For our lunch I booked a table at the Japanese restaurant down the street.
It was impossible to book a room for this long weekend, so can I stay with you?

bruise:  to cause a black and blue mark under the skin
He fell off his bike and bruised his arm.
He was lucky. All he did was bruise his lip.

compare:  to say what is similar and different about two things
When I compare prices, Super Store’s are the lowest.
You can’t compare her present boyfriend to her last one.

contain:  to have inside
That bottle of pop contains a lot of sugar.
The fish tank contained a variety of colorful fish.

develop:  to become better.
I’ve watched you develop as a basketball player over the last few years.
She practices hard to develop her skills.

examine:  to look at very closely
Let the doctor examine you to find out what’s wrong.
When the detective examined the scene of the murder, he found a single earring.

forgive:  to no longer be angry at someone
It may take her a while to forgive you for lying to her.
Please forgive me. I should never have taken your bike without asking.

involve:  to be part of (an activity)
Your problems don’t involve me, so find a solution yourself.
Were you involved in that disturbance downtown on Friday?

matter:  to be important
It matters that she’s your sister and she needs help..
It doesn’t matter if I’m there tomorrow or not.

prefer:  to choose (over something else)
What day would you prefer to go out for dinner?
I prefer to stay quiet and keep my opinions to myself.

raise:  to grow, to mature
We were both raised in southern California.
They raise corn on that farm.

remain:  to stay behind (when most have left)
There were only two chocolates remaining in the box.
He remained after class to talk to the teacher.

spoil:  to go or make bad
She spoiled the surprise party by telling her sister.
By the time the fruit got to market, most of it had spoiled.

supply:  to provide with needed things:
That company supplies the army with boots.
The teacher supplied the answers to the test the following day.

Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the above vocabulary on the audio file below.

Use these flashcards to help you study.

When you think you’re ready, do the following exercise.

© 2013 Ambien Malecot

announce:  to say (something important) to everyone
She announced to her family that she was getting married soon.
We’d like to announce the birth of our first baby.

approve:  to say that something is okay with you
Everyone approved of Helen’s cooking.
Her parents disapprove of her new boyfriend.

choke:   to not be able to breathe because of something caught in your throat
He was so hungry he almost choked on the first bite of his steak.
He choked to death when a fishbone got stuck in his throat.

describe:  to give someone a picture of something using only words
Can you describe the person you saw running from the bank?
It’s hard to describe, but I felt like I was floating in the air.

doubt:  to not believe, to be uncertain about
I doubt he’s going to be on time; he’s always late.
He told her she should never doubt his love for her.

fade:  to slowly become lighter in color, to become less bright
I can no longer read outside because the sunlight has faded.
His blue jeans are faded because of repeated washings.

inform:  to give (someone) information
The doctor informed the parents that their son would be okay.
I must inform you that if you’re absent one more time, you’ll fail the course.

invent:  to create something for the first time
Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in 1876.
The computer was invented at the University of Pennsylvania in 1946.

lighten:  to make lighter or brighter
When he walked into the room, her face lightened.
You need to lighten your hair a little.

produce:  to make, to manufacture
That company produces smart phones.
When you mix those chemicals together, they produce a very strong smell.

provide:  to supply, to give
The university provided all their undergraduates with a laptop computer.
The company will provide all the bottled water we need.

regret:  to be sorry about doing something
She regretted all the pain she caused her family.
I regret that I can’t come to your graduation, but I’ll be out of town.

remove:  to take away
She asked him politely to remove his feet from the coffee table.
His task was to remove all the graffitti from the wall.

separate:  to divide, to not be together
She told him to separate his dark clothes from his light clothes before washing.
John and Nancy Wells separated last week.

suspect:   to think that someone is guilty
I don’t know who took the money, but I suspect Robert.
She suspects her husband of cheating.

Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the above vocabulary on the audio file below.

Use these flashcards to help you study. 

When you think you’re ready, do the following exercise.

© 2013 Ambien Malecot

allow:  to let, to give permission
The police wouldn’t allow the homeowners to enter their home.
Please allow me to introduce myself.  My name is Baron Roth.

blush:  to turn red (skin)
His direct question made her blush.
You could see her embarrassment when she blushed.

claim: to say that something is true
They claim not to know the victim.
He claimed he didn’t leave the party till 1:00 am.

depend:  to trust (someone) to do something
You can depend on me to bring the supplies.
Children depend on their parents to feed them.

expect:  to think something is going to happen
We expected you to arrive tomorrow morning..
I don’t expect you to believe me, but that’s the truth.

imagine:  to create in your mind
I can imagine how she feels.
Can you imagine winning the lottery?

judge:  to determine right and wrong, good and bad.
Don’t judge me until you’ve been in my shoes.
Her job was to judge singers for a singing contest.

mention:  to say briefly
Did I mention that he was single?
He never mentioned being in the army when he was young.

occur:  to happen
The robbery occurred some time between 2:00 and 4:00 in the morning.
The next full moon will occur in two weeks.

present:  to give, to introduce
May I present my wife, Sharleen.
His coach presented him with the Most Valuable Player award.

realize:   to know for the first time
When I got to work, I realized that I had forgotten my iPhone.
She realized she was in a bad relationship, so she broke up with him.

request:  to ask for
The couple requested a room with a view of the mountains.
He called the radio station and requested his favorite song to be played.

state:  to say (something) officially
Please state your full name for the court.
He stated his innocence many times.

support:  to help (someone) when they need it
His parents supported him through university.
I support the arts by donating money every year

treat:  to act toward someone in a certain way
Everyone treated her well on her first day of school.
They treated him with respect.

Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the above vocabulary on the audio file below.

Use these flashcards to help you study.

When you think you’re ready, do the following exercise.

© 2013 Ambien Malecot