English Language Coach, Course 2 PDF

English
Language
Coach
Acknowledgments
Page 6: New Directions from Wouldnt Take Nothing For My Journey Now by Maya Angelou. Copy-
right 1993 by Maya Angelou.
Page 7: The Jacket by Gary Soto appears in The Effects of Knut Hamsun on a Fresno Boy: Recollections
and Short Essays by Gary Soto. Copyright 1983, 2000 by Gary Soto. Reprinted by permission of Book
Stop Literary Agency and Persea Books, Inc. (New York).
Page 8: Satchel Paige from Champions: Stories of Ten Remarkable Athletes by Bill Littlefield. Copyright
1993 by Bill Littlefield (Text); Copyright 1993 by Bernie Fuchs (Illustrations). By permission of
Little Brown, and Co., Inc. and Mews Books.
Page 10: Thank You Maam by Langston Hughes. Copyright 1958 by Langston Hughes. Copyright
renewed 1986 by George Houston Bass.
Page 18: From Missing: The Frog Population in Costa Rica is Declining, Scientists Search for
Answers by Clair Miller. Published in Scholastic Superscience Red, April 2005. Copyright 2005 by
Scholastic Inc. Reprinted by permission.
Page 19: Jeremiahs Song by Walter Dean Myers, copyright 1987, from Visions: Nineteen Short
Stories by Outstanding Writers for Young Adults, edited by Donald R. Gallo.
Page 21: From We Are All One, from The Rainbow People by Laurence Yep. Copyright 1989 by
Laurence Yep.
Page 22: Why Books Are Dangerous by Nick Gaiman, copyright 2005, from Guys Write for Guys
Who Read, ed. By Job Scieszka. Published by Viking, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group.
Page 23: Lobs Girl, from A Whisper in the Night by Joan Aiken. Copyright 1984 by Joan Aiken.
Lobs Girl, copyright 1984 by Joan Aiken.Enterprises Ltd.
Page 24: From Barrio Boy by Ernesto Galarza. Copyright 1971 by the University of Notre Dame
Press: Notre Dame, Indiana.
Page 25: Growing Pains from Hey World, Here I Am! Copyright 1986 by Jean Little.
Page 34: Ice by Graham Salisbury. From Going Where Im Coming From: Memoirs of American Youth,
edited by Anne Mazer.
Page 35: Antaeus by Borden Deal (p. 894, G8)
Page 37: The Diary of Anne Frank by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett, copyright 1956 by Albert
Hackett, Frances Goodrich Hackett and Otto Frank. Used by permission of Random House, Inc.
Page 38: From Loser from The Girl in the Flammable Skirt by Aimee Bender. Copyright 1998 by
Aimee Bender.
Page 39: Flash Flood by William M. Hendryx. Readers Digest. November 2004.
Page 40: Tony Hawk: Chairman of the Board by Steve Pittman. From SPORTS ILLUSTRATED FOR
KIDS Books. Copyright 2001 by Time Inc.
Page 41: Broken Chain from Baseball in April and Other Stories, copyright 1990 by Gary Soto.
Page 50: The Brinks Robbery by Henry and Melissa Billings, p. 362, grade 7.
Page 51: Akiko and the Dragon by Mark Crilley (p. 100, G8)
Page 53: After Twenty Years by O. Henry, p. 312, grade 7.
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Table of Contents
To the Teacher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .vi
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
English Language Questionnaire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Beginning Level
Using a Dictionary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Context Clues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Multiple Meaning Words. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Synonyms and Antonyms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Denotation and Connotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Semantic Slanting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Structural Analysis I: Prexes, Sufxes, Base Words/Roots . . . . . . . . . . 12
Structural Analysis II: Greek, Latin, and Anglo-Saxon Roots . . . . . . . . . 13
Historical Inuences on English . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Compound Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Acronyms and Abbreviations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Borrowed Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Content-Area Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Copyright by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc
Idioms, Dialect, Slang . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Figurative Use of Language: Simile and Metaphor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Dialogue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Intermediate Level
Using a Dictionary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Context Clues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Multiple Meaning Words. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Synonyms and Antonyms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Middle School English Language Coach Table of Contents iii

Table of Contents
Compound Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Borrowed Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Idioms and Dialect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Dialogue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Advanced Level
Using a Thesaurus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Context Clues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Multiple Meaning Words. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Synonyms and Antonyms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Compound Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Borrowed Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Idioms, Dialect, Slang . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Dialogue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Answers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
iv Table of Contents English Language Coach Middle School

v
To the Teacher
English Language Coach is designed to supplement Glencoe Literature.
It provides classroom teachers with additional options and strategies
for guiding English language learners in the regular or mainstream
classroom. The materials in English Language Coach are intended for
students whose rst language is not English and who have had some
prior instruction in English. English Language Coach includes
several pages of introductory material with information and

suggestions to help you understand and effectively work with
English language learners;
a questionnaire to help you determine the English prociency level
of each English language learner in your classroom; and
worksheets that provide additional practice in the skills and
subjects addressed by the English Language Coach activities and
notes in the Teacher Edition (TE) of Glencoe Literature.
The worksheets in English Language Coach are organized into three

sections: Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced. These sections
correspond to the three prociency levels in English.
The program at your school may include separate ESL classes

or pull-out instruction, in which English language learners work
away from the regular classroom for one or more periods a week. The

worksheets in English Language Coach may be used successfully in that
type of program as well.
vi To the Teacher English Language Coach Middle School

Introduction
The English Language Learner Population
The English language learner population is tremendously diverse. The cultures and rst
languages that a teacher may encounter in the classroom encompass the entire world.
Individuals can range from those who have never studied English to those who have at-
tended schools in which English is the medium of all instruction.
Languages Represented
Even though Spanish speakers outnumber other language groups in U.S. classrooms, it is
possible that your classroom will have speakers of Haitian French, Croatian, Chinese or any
number of other languages. Some English language learners will have lived in the United
States most of their lives. Many others will have arrived only recently.
Educational and Cultural Experiences
The educational and personal backgrounds of the students may also be diverse. Some stu-
dents will have come from an educational system not unlike our own. Others may have
had long and frequent interruptions in schooling. Some students may have experienced
personal hardships that most of us cannot begin to comprehend. As a teacher working
with English language learners, you will want to be prepared to step back from your own
culture and language to view the classroom environment and the literature through the
eyes of a non-English-speaking student.
Contributions of Students
Many people unconsciously equate limited language skills with a learning disability. In
fact, the opposite is true. Mastering a second language and achieving an understanding
of a foreign culture are both admirable accomplishments. A students lack of prociency
in English should never be associated with any type of learning disability. Learning a sec-
ond language is not a remedial process. English language learners should at all times be
considered as competent as their English-speaking classmates.

The diversity of backgrounds that you are likely to encounter among the English lan-
guage learners in your classroom can serve as a source of enrichment for all students. The
limitless opportunities for cross-cultural comparisons can enhance everyones experience
and understanding. Except for those activities that are specically geared to language
acquisition, every effort should be made to bring English language learners together with
English-speaking students. By encouraging cooperation, you promote the sharing of cul-
tures and ideas.
Prociency Levels
In any class, you can expect a broad range of language-prociency levels. Grade level is
not a measure of how much English a particular student has acquired. An English lan-
guage learner at grade 8 may have an English-prociency level identical to that of a stu-
dent at grade 6 or grade 3. This is in contrast to the rest of the curriculum, where you can
assume knowledge built on concepts taught in previous grades.
Beginning English language learners display similar characteristics regardless of age
or grade level. It is important to keep in mind that prociency level in language tran-
scends maturity, social skills, overall sophistication, and (of course) intelligence.
Middle School English Language Coach Introduction 1

Many practitioners in the eld of ESL nd it simplest to talk about three levels of pro-
ciency: beginning, intermediate, and advanced. Because the literature, class discussions,
and assignments are all tied to academic grade level, you will want to be aware of the
language-prociency levels among the English language learners in your class. The range
of prociencies possible in any classroom makes it crucial that English language learners
not simply be regarded as one category or even one group.
Beginning
The beginning ELL student:
has limited or no understanding of English
rarely uses English for communication except for single words or simple
phrases
responds nonverbally to simple commands, statements, and questions
constructs meaning primarily from nonprint features
is able to produce simple written material but with invented spellings, gram-
matical inaccuracies, and structural and rhetorical patterns from the rst lan-
guage
Intermediate
The intermediate ELL student:
understands more complex speech but requires repetition
has acquired vocabulary sufcient for dealing with many daily situations
uses English spontaneously but lacks sufcient vocabulary and structures to
express all thoughts
uses sentences that are comprehensible and appropriate but that still often
contain grammatical errors
generally encounters difculty comprehending and producing complex struc-
tures and academic language
is able to construct meaning depending on familiarity and prior experience
with themes, concepts, genres, and characters

is most successful constructing meaning when there is background knowl-
edge
is able to produce more complex, more coherent written material but with a
considerable number of errors
Advanced
The advanced ELL student:
is able to read with considerable uency
is able to locate specic facts within text
may have difculty understanding complex sentence structures, abstract vo-
cabulary, or concepts that are not contextualized
reads independently but may have comprehension problems
is able to create written material independently, for personal and academic
purposes, with structures, vocabulary, and organization that approach those
in the writing of a native speaker
2 Introduction English Language Coach Middle School

Approaches for Different Language Groups
In general, the more ones rst language differs from the new language, the more difcult
it will be to master the new language. For example, Cambodian is unrelated to English
and has a different alphabet; Russian is related but uses the Cyrillic alphabet; and Spanish
is related and uses the Latin alphabet.
With all language learners, you can expect a certain amount of interference from the
rst language. Finding out how students rst languages differ from English can help you
anticipate and address problems. Discover differences by observing students in class and
asking them or their parents a few questions.
The Alphabet
Many students who will need to master a new alphabet will also need to master a new
way of reading. A student whose rst language is Arabic, Korean, Hmong, or Chinese, for
example, must learn a new alphabet and a new directionality in reading.
You will want to ensure every students thorough familiarity with the English al-
phabet. Uncover problems by asking the student to write the alphabet in uppercase and
lowercase. Then ask the student to say the alphabet or point to letters as you say them.
Also ensure that your student is tracking properly. Ask the student to move his or
her hand across the line and down the page while reading. Call attention to and describe
mechanics to help your students understand what they need to do differently.
Pronunciation and Spelling
Assume that English language learners will nd English spelling and pronunciation dif-
cult. Most languages pronounce one letter one way, but English spelling complicates
pronunciation. Seemingly endless vowel and consonant variations can represent some
English sounds.
Hearing the new language hastens internalization. Students should be encouraged
to listen to audio versions of the literature they read.* Grouping language learners with
procient English speakers will also promote internalization.
Grammar
English language learners inevitably use writing patterns from the rst language until
they begin to master a new pattern. Older students may be able to set goals for themselves
based on identied problems. Younger students are usually better able to mimic what they
hear, so repeated and frequent exposure to the patterns of English is most benecial.
*Audio versions of the selections from Glencoe Literature are contained on the Online
Student Edition, StudentWorks Plus, and the Listening Library Audio CDs.
Middle School English Language Coach Introduction 3

English Language Questionnaire
At the start of the session, get as much information as possible about each ELL student
from permanent les and previous teachers. Use the questionnaire to conduct an informal
interview to learn about prociency levels and to establish a relationship with the student.
Tips for Using the Questionnaire

Part 1. If possible, interview the student alone in a Part 2. The student should complete
private room, ideally, or in a quiet corner of the classroom. this section independently. The
Asking the questions in Part 1 yourself will help you make responses will reveal something
personal notes on how well the student understands your about the students English reading
questions and how uently the student responds. On a scale and writing ability. It will also allow
of 15, for example, you can indicate how well the student the student to talk about his or her
understands and respondsinformation, of course, that goes concerns about reading
beyond that provided by the questionnaire. in English.
Interpreting Questionnaire Responses

Part 1. Briey, most students should be able Part 2. Most students should be able to read
to understand and respond to a majority of the and respond at least partially to a majority of
oral questions. A student who cannot understand the questions. A student who is unable to
or respond is likely to experience signicant respond to any of the questions is likely to
difculty participating in class. One who experience signicant difculty reading the
understands and responds but has moderate to literature. A student who understands and
serious problems with grammatical structures will responds but has moderate to serious problems
need additional classroom support. On the other with comprehension or responding in writing will
hand, a student who has reasonably strong need signicant classroom support. A student
listening and speaking skills should be able to who is able to understand the questions and
participate in classroom discussions. However, respond appropriatelythough not awlessly
oral prociencyor lack thereofis not necessarily in writing is probably at a level that will
a measure of reading and writing prociency. enable the student to read the literature with
moderate support.
You can expect a positive correlation between prociency in both parts and overall use of English.

Part 1: Oral Interview
1. What is your name? Spell your last name for me,
please. Spell your rst name, please.
2. What is todays date?
3. What is your rst language?

4. What language do you speak at home with
your parents?
5. What language do you speak at home with
your brothers and sisters?
6. What language do you use with your best friend?
7. What English classes have you taken?
Who rst taught you English? When?
8. How long have you been in the United States?
Do you like it here?
9. In what language do you read at home?
What do you read at home?
10. Tell me about yourself. What do you like to do?
4 English Language Questionnaire English Language Coach Middle School

Part 2: Written Section
Answer these questions. Read the directions carefully.
1. Write your full name below.
last name rst name middle initial
2. How long have you studied English? Give details. (Answer in complete sentences.)
3. In the chart below, indicate how well you read and write your rst language. Use the terms
very well, a little, and not at all. Then indicate how well you can understand, speak, read, and
write English. Next, add the names of any other languages you speak. Indicate how well you
understand, speak, read, and write each one.
Knowledge of Languages
Language Understand Speak Read Write
(rst language)
English
(other languages)
4. How much do you read in English? A great deal? Some? None?
5. If you read in English, what kinds of things do you read? What do you nd most difcult
about reading in English? (Answer in complete sentences.)
6. How much and what kinds of things do you read in your rst language?
Middle School English Language Coach English Language Questionnaire 5

Name _____________________________________ Date ______________ Class _____________
Using a Dictionary
Finding an Entry
The dictionary tells the meanings of words. The words are listed in
alphabetical order. Here are the letters in alphabetical order:
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
(beginning) (middle) (end)
Exercise A The alphabet is listed here in three sections. Using a
dictionary is easier if you remember in which part of the dictionary the
beginning letter of the word appears.
Where in the alphabet will you nd these words? Write B for

beginning, M for middle, and E for end.
1. normal _____ 3. whip _____ 5. hand _____ 7. base _____
2. short _____ 4. craft _____ 6. opposite _____ 8. problem _____
Exercise B Guide words are words listed at the top of each dictionary
page. A guide word tells you the rst and last word on
the page. Suppose you read this sentence:
The future road looms ahead.
If you looked up looms in the dictionary, which guide words would tell you that
youre on the right page?
logo / long-playing or large / latch

Youre right if you chose logo / long-playing.
Match the following words with the correct guide words to nd the
correct page for each word.
bait lug / lung
slice lie/ light
life bag / baker
lumber baking power/ball
balance slavery/slick
Extra Write these words in alphabetical order.
pace lose crazy squash root
Words in alphabetical order
1. 3. 5.
2. 4.
6 Using a Dictionary English Language Coach Middle School

Name _____________________________________ Date ______________ Class _____________
Context Clues
Understanding Unfamiliar Words
Context Clues Often you have to gure out a word you dont know.
So, you need to look at the context, or the words in the sentence
that help explain the unfamiliar word.
You can use context clues to gure out the meaning of prole in
the following sentence:
I stood in front of the mirror, full face, then prole, and then looked
over my shoulder as if someone had called me.
The context clue . . . Suggests that . . .

full face, then prole, If youre looking in a mirrorat rst full face, then in
a prole view, prole must be a side view of the face
Exercise A Look at the words in the column on the left. Then match
each word with the context words in the column on the right that best
t the word.
1. _____ propellers a. spread out on the bedpost

2. _____ draped b. and ying like a bird
3. _____ gossip c. inside the coat
4. _____ swooping d. a buzz-buzz heard behind your back
5. _____ lining e. spinning in circles
Exercise B With a partner, write a sentence using each word in a

different context from above.
propellers
draped
gossip
swooping
lining
Exercise C Think about the word tagged as its used in the sentence
below. Write two other meanings of this word.
I waited for something good to happen to me in that jacket, which
had become the ugly brother who tagged along wherever I went.
Middle School English Language Coach Context Clues 7

Name _____________________________________ Date ______________ Class _____________
Multiple Meaning Words

Multiple Meaning Words are words that have more than one
meaning. Sometimes the rst meaning that comes to mind isnt the
one that ts the context.
Look at the following word webs to see different meanings for
these common words:
hand head foot
hand head foot
the top go the 12

body part with give body part you inches
part of body one way
ngers stand on
the
help leader base of an object
Exercise A Look at the underlined word in the sentences below.

Circle the letter of the meaning that ts each sentence.
1. His rst steady job in baseball was in Chattanooga.
a. a rm grip b. not changing c. not easily upset
2. At rst Satchel Paige was not in the major leagues.
a. a scale in music b. an Army ofcer c. highly important
3. Sometimes, the team was too broke to nish the season.
a. to end b. a shiny surface c. to be rened

4. Pitching was not Satchels sole talent.
a. bottom of the foot b. only one c. a kind of sh
Exercise B Read the following sentences. Replace the underlined

word with a different meaning to complete the sentence.
1. Paige was about to deliver his rst pitch in the big leagues.
In music, a pitch is .
2. He used to carry bags for people getting on and off the train.
In baseball, a bag is another word for .
3. Satchel could always throw hard.
A hard cheese is one that doesnt .
8 Multiple Meaning Words English Language Coach Middle School

Name _____________________________________ Date ______________ Class _____________
Synonyms and Antonyms

Synonyms A synonym is a word that has the same, or nearly the
same, meaning as another word.
Antonyms Antonyms are pairs of words that have opposite, or
nearly opposite, meanings.
Word Synonym Antonym
happy glad unhappy
wet damp dry
small tiny large
cold cool hot
good great bad
Exercise A Work with a partner to ll in the blanks with synonyms
that t the context.
1. A smile means you are .
2. The wet socks can make your feet feel .
3. When he feels very good, he feels .
4. The small boy looks .
5. The cool wind makes her feel .
Exercise B Work with a partner to ll in the blanks with antonyms

that t the context.
1. He does not feel cool. He feels .
2. She got wet in the rain, but now she is .
3. That was not a good grade. It was very .
4. The news made us happy, but the girls were .
5. The tiny acorn grew to be a tree.
Middle School English Language Coach Synonyms and Antonyms 9

Name _____________________________________ Date ______________ Class _____________
Denotation and Connotation

Denotation is the meaning of a word that you would nd in a
dictionary. It is also called the literal meaning.
Connotation is the meaning of a word that is suggested in
addition to its literal, or dictionary, meaning.
Exercise A With a partner read each sentence. One partner asks the
question while the other responds. On the next question, reverse the
partners roles. Write the answer on the lines provided. To give hints,
you may act out the words
Sentence: It was eleven oclock at night, and she was walking
alone when a boy ran up behind her and snatched her purse.
Question: How would you feel if I snatched your notebook?
Sentence: But the boys weight and the weight of the purse
caused him to lose his balance. So, instead of taking off full blast
as he had hoped, the boy fell on his back on the sidewalk, and his
legs ew up.
Question: If you ran full blast, would that be slow or fast?
Sentence: Then she reached down, picked up the boy by his shirt
front, and shook him until his teeth rattled.
Question: If you were rattled, would you be calm or would you be
upset?

Sentence: Mrs. Jones stopped, jerked him around in front of her,
put a half nelson about his neck, and continued to drag him up
the street.
Question: If someone jerked you, how would you feel?
Exercise B Read each sentence. Circle one of the two underlined

words that makes the sentence give a clearer picture.
1. He tried to take/snatch her purse.
2. He ran off quickly/full blast into the night.
3. His teeth rattled/moved in fright.
4. Mrs. Jones turned/jerked him around.
10 Denotation and Connotation English Language Coach Middle School

Name _____________________________________ Date ______________ Class _____________
Semantic Slanting
What does semantic slanting mean? When something is slanted, it
means that it has been moved to point in a different direction. When
writers want to persuade (get) a reader to think or act in a different
way, they use semantic slanting. They often choose words with
powerful positive (good) or negative (bad) connotations to describe
ordinary things. For example, here is how a writer might describe a
bowl of oatmeal if she wants you to buy her product:
Our tasty oats will make you feel warm and happy inside.
Exercise A Read the following pairs of sentences. The rst sentence

is a neutral, or simple and literal, sentence. The second sentence uses
semantic slanting. Work with a partner and underline the words that
are positive or negative and write a + or a above each word.
1. A. This cake tastes good.
B. This award-winning chocolate cake melts in your mouth.
2. A. He ran around three bases to home plate.

B. He tore up the bases before slamming into home.
3. A. She wondered when the rain would stop.

B. She ranted at the rain as it pelted her picnic baskets full of food.
Exercise B With a partner, use some of these words to write two

sentences for a toothpaste ad.
fresh yellow white clean stale teeth breath
Middle School English Language Coach Semantic Slanting 11

Name _____________________________________ Date ______________ Class _____________
Structural Analysis I:
Prexes, Sufxes, Base words/Roots
Build on the Root Word
A base word is also called a root word. You can add prexes or
sufxes to root words to form new words.
Exercise In the chart below, read the root word and the meaning of
each Latin and Greek root word. Then add words you have read that
have these roots. Some are done for you.
Root Meaning Example
art skill artist
claim shout proclaim
lab work labor
therm heat
sign mark
mem mindful of
miss send

don give
12 Structural Analysis I English Language Coach Middle School

Name _____________________________________ Date ______________ Class _____________
Structural Analysis II:

Greek, Latin, and Anglo-Saxon Roots
A root word is the basic word from which other words can be
made. The root word has a meaning. For example:
Root Word Meaning New Words

mega great, million megaphone, megabyte
anim life animal, animate
A root word can also be a real word, and you can add prexes and
sufxes to it to make new words. For example:
comfort comfortable discomfort
Exercise See how many words you can add to make word families
from the root words.
Base Word New Words
manage manager, manages, unmanageable
use
employ
add
hope
decide
sad
Middle School English Language Coach Structural Analysis II 13

Name _____________________________________ Date ______________ Class _____________
Historical Inuences on English

What is Historical Inuence?
The English language has many words that come from ancient
Latin and Greek. When the Romans lived in Great Britain, they
brought their own language, Latin, and many ancient Greek
words that had inuenced the Latin language.
Exercise A With a partner, use a dictionary to look up the following
words. Write the source and original meaning of the word in the correct
columns. Some are done for you.
Word Source Original Meaning
meter Latin: metrum measure
mentor Greek: men to think
vandal Latin: vandalus tribe who looted Rome
decathalon
gymnasium
hydraulic

table
hygiene
Exercise B Look up parody in the dictionary and write a sentence

about where it came from and what it means.
14 Historical Inuences English Language Coach Middle School

Name _____________________________________ Date ______________ Class _____________
Compound Words
A compound word is made up of two or more words, but
it is written as one word. Sometimes the two words make a
similar word:
dog + house = doghouse (a house for dogs)
Sometimes the two words have different meanings:
butter + y = buttery (does butter y?)
Exercise A Look at the word on the left. Circle the word in the same
line to make a compound word. Write the compound word.
1. thumb down print
2. cow hid boy
3. bull dog gong
4. pig time tail
5. hand up shake
Exercise B Look at the compound words below. Write the two words
that make each compound on the line. Then write a denition of the
compound word. You may need to use a dictionary.
chairman
aircraft
landslide
mankind
override
passport
Middle School English Language Coach Compound Words 15

Name _____________________________________ Date ______________ Class _____________
Acronyms and Abbreviations

Acronyms and Abbreviations:
Whats the Difference?
An acronym is a word formed from the beginning letter of
several words.
For example, HEW, which means Health, Education, and Welfare
USA, which stands for United States of America
An abbreviation is a shortened form of words.
For example, Mr. for Mister and Dr. for Doctor
Exercise A Write the acronym for the following.
Stands For Acronym
American Broadcasting Company
Digital Video Disc
Disc Jockey
Very Important Person
Recreational Vehicle

Exercise B Look at each acronym in the chart and write what it stands
Acronym Stands For
TGIF Thank Goodness Its Friday
TLC
CD
NFL
Exercise C Write 2 abbreviations to ll in the blanks in the following

sentences.
Wilson is our math teacher.
The school bus comes to take us home at 3 .
16 Acronyms and Abbreviations English Language Coach Middle School

Name _____________________________________ Date ______________ Class _____________
Borrowed Words
How does a language borrow words?
A borrowed word is one that the English language has
picked up from another language and uses with only small
spelling changes. For example:
Arabic American Indian German Latin Spanish Scandinavian

genie moccasin hamburger axis chili egg
sofa canoe waltz extra plaza skin
Exercise A Look up the following borrowed words to nd out the

words origin. Write the original language on the line provided.
1. mesa 6. chef
2. ski 7. algebra
3. vigilante 8. clique
4. nickel 9. corral
5. circa 10. la carte

Exercise B Work with a partner and choose ve words from the lists
above. Look them up in the dictionary and write a short denition of
each word.
Middle School English Language Coach Borrowed Words 17

Name _____________________________________ Date ______________ Class _____________
Content-Area Words
Words that are specic to a subject are called content-area words.
For example,
In Technology, you read about the Internet.
Scientists speak of a phase or an electron.
In Social Studies, you may read about a pocket veto.
You can gure out the meaning of these words by looking at the
words around it, because they will be clues to the content-area word.
Exercise Read the following excerpt from an article on how the frog
population is decreasing in Costa Rica. Use context clues to gure out
what the content-area words mean. Write in the chart what you think
each content-area word means. One is done for you.
According to the scientist, Alan J. Pounds, The frogs and other
wild animals have to cope with habitat loss and disease. But when
global warming is added, it may push them over the edge to
extinction.
Content-Area Words Context Clues
I know disease is bad. So, if animals

cope have to cope with disease, cope must
mean dealing with problems.

habitat
global warming
extinction
18 Content-Area Words English Language Coach Middle School

Name _____________________________________ Date ______________ Class _____________
Idioms, Dialect, Slang

The meaning of an idiom cannot be understood by knowing the
meaning of the words. Usually, context clues help you understand
the idiom.
He caught a cold. Do you get the picture?

Shes always a backseat driver. Ive got baseball on the brain.
We can do it if we stick together. Shes has a green thumb.
Exercise A Complete the following sentences by correctly using one

of the idioms from the box.
1. Listen up! Or, do you have vacation ?
2. After a long explanation, Mom asked if we .
3. After dark, my sisters and I .
4. Granny, with your well have plants all over.
Dialect is a way that a particular group speaks the language.
Exercise B Read the following sentences from Jeremiah by Walter

Dean Myers. Write in the chart what you think the Standard English
version of the dialect would be.
Dialect Standard English

1. I knowed my cousin Ellie was I knew my cousin Ellie was going

gonna be mad. to be mad.
2. I didnt know if they was true

or not . . . but I liked to hear
them stories.
Slang is the informal language used among friends. For example:

awesome = great upbeat = feeling good blue = depressed
Exercise C With a partner, write three examples of slang that you

know and use. Write what the slang words mean.
Middle School English Language Coach Idioms, Dialect, Slang 19

Name _____________________________________ Date ______________ Class _____________
Figurative Use of Language:

Simile and Metaphor
Whats the Difference?
A simile is an example of gurative language that uses the word
like or as. For example:
ts like a glove as big as a house
eats like a bird as light as a feather
cry like a baby as easy as pie
A metaphor is another example of gurative language. It
compares two unlike things. A metaphor describes one thing as if
it were another. It doesnt use like or as. For example:
Seth is a cheetah on the racetrack. (Seth runs fast)
She is a streak of lightening. (She is fast)
He had a mountain of paperwork to do. (He had lots to do)
Exercise A Look for comparisons in the following sentences.
Underline the two items that are being compared.
1. That car rides like an old dinosaur. 4. Todd is a snail when it comes
to homework.
2. Why do you have to waddle like
a duck? 5. Im a chicken when it comes
to climbing.
3. That fathers heart is a fountain

of kindness. 6. The job looked as big as a
mountain to her.
Exercise B Which is it? Read all the descriptions about Lucas.

Label the descriptions metaphor or simile.
1. chatters like a cold woodpecker
2. is a bottomless pit at the dinner table
3. is always a clown
4. can be as comfortable as an old shoe
Exercise C Make up two similes and two metaphors to complete
these sentences.
Similes Metaphors
Sara is as loud as The toddler was
The cop works like The ants were
20 Figurative Language: Simile and Metaphor English Language Coach Middle School
Name _____________________________________ Date ______________ Class _____________
Dialogue
Dialogue is the conversation between characters in a story.
In a comic book, dialogue usually appears in bubbles.
Look out!
Dialogue can show what a character is thinking or feeling.

Exercise A Here are three points in a simple story told by the
narrator. Make simple drawings and dialogue bubbles to show what
the characters might be thinking or saying.
1. Two friends start to 2. All of a sudden, they 3. Then they start to

go into the park. see [you ll in what laugh.
you draw] . . .
Exercise B Read the following sentences. Which ones are
dialogue (D) and which are the narrators (N)? Write the correct
letter after each sentence.

1. Long ago there was a rich man who could not sleep.
2. He went to see the doctor.
3. What good is all my money?
4. An old candy peddler knew about a magical herb.
5. If you go off on this crazy hunt, how should we eat?
6. There are two baskets of food. Ill be back before they are
gone.
7. Ho hum, I got up too early. Ill take a short nap.
8. In his dreams he saw a beautiful city.
9. The city turned out to be the ants nest beside him.
10. Im looking for a tiny bead.
Middle School English Language Coach Dialogue 21

Name _____________________________________ Date ______________ Class _____________
Using a Dictionary
Pronunciation
If you did not know how to say these words, how could you
nd out?
curious limb
Look them up in the dictionary. Where do you nd a guide to
pronunciation? The pronunciation is usually in parentheses
( ) after the entry. You will probably see entries that look
something like this:
curious (kyoor e uhs) adj. 1. Eager to learn more: curious
researchers.
(Notice that the accent is on the rst part of the word; also
notice how the u in curious makes an oo soundlike the
sound an owl makes.)
Here is a Vowel Short Long
Pronunciation Key
for how short and a at ate
long vowels appear e met meet
in a dictionary: i bt bte
o lot low
u c up cute

Exercise Now you try it by following these steps:
1. Say aloud the word in the rst column.
2. Write two words with the same vowel sound.
3. Find your words in a dictionary and copy the pronunciation key for
the words into the third column.
My words with the

Word same vowel sound Pronunciation Key
toe t o
story
below bi lo
green
mast
22 Using a Dictionary English Language Coach Middle School

Name _____________________________________ Date ______________ Class _____________
Context Clues
Using Context Clues to
Clarify Word Meaning
Using Context Clues To clarify the meaning of unfamiliar
words, you will often nd clues in the context. Its important
to bring whatever you already know about the topic to your
understanding of the unfamiliar word. For instance, read this
sentence:
Lob let out a faint whine, anxious and pleading.
Think about what you know about whining. Perhaps you
have a younger sibling who whines often. Because you know
about whining, you can gure out that pleading is probably about
asking, almost begging, in an unpleasant voice.
Exercise Read the following passage. In pairs, ll in the chart and
use context clues and prior knowledge to clarify the meaning of the
underlined words.
They waited in the green-oored corridor outside Sandys room.
The door was half shut. Bert and Jean were inside. Everything was
terribly quiet. A nurse came out. The white-coated man asked her
something and she shook her head. She had left the door ajar,
and through it could now be seen a high, narrow bed with lots of
gadgets around it. Sandy lay there, very at under the covers, very
still. Her head was turned away. All Lobs attention was riveted on
Word What I know about topic Meaning in passage
corridor
ajar
gadgets
riveted

Name _____________________________________ Date ______________ Class _____________
Multiple-Meaning Words
Multiple-Meaning Words Sometimes the simplest words have
many meanings. Words with many meanings are called multiple-
meaning words.
Exercise A Read the passage and notice the underlined words. Then
match each word with its meaning in the passage. Use context clues to
help you decide which meaning is correct.
Then Miss Hopley did a formidable thing. She stood up. She had
rm shoulders, a straight sharp nose, full cheeks slightly molded
by a curved line along the nostrils, thin lips that moved like steel
springs, and a high forehead topped by hair gathered in a bun.
Miss Hopley was not a giant in body but when she mobilized it
to a standing position she seemed a match for giants. I decided I
liked her.
1. _____ rm a. having similar traits
2. _____ sharp b. extremely upward
3. _____ full c. pointed
4. _____ high d. rounded and eshy
5. _____ match e. xed and steady
Exercise B Work with a partner to nd at least one other meaning

for each of the words. Write the meanings on the lines below. Use a

dictionary if necessary.
1. rm
2. sharp
3. full
4. high
5. match
24 Multiple-Meaning Words English Language Coach Middle School

Name _____________________________________ Date ______________ Class _____________

Antonyms An antonym is a word that has a meaning that is the
opposite, or nearly opposite, of another word.
With a partner, read the poem and match synonyms and antonyms.
From Growing Pains by Jean Little

Mother got mad at me tonight and bawled me out.
She said I was lazy and self-centered.
She said my room was a pigsty.
She said she was sick and tired of forever nagging but
I gave her no choice.
She went on and on until I began to cry.
I hate crying in front of people. It was horrible.
....
Im just a kid.
I can forgive her getting mad at me. Thats easy.
But her sadness . . .
I dont know what to do with her sadness.
I yell at her often, You dont understand me!

But I dont want to have to understand her.
Thats expecting too much.
Exercise A Cross out each underlined word in the poem and write
a synonym above it. Discuss with your partner how changing the
synonyms affects the meaning of the poem.
Exercise B On a separate sheet of paper, write your own poem about

your relationship with someone you care about. Use at least two paris
of antonyms.

Name _____________________________________ Date ______________ Class _____________

Positive and Negative Connotations
Synonyms are words that have almost the same denotation, or
dictionary meaning. They may, however, have different connotations,
or suggested meanings. In each sentence below, the word in boldfaced
type has either a positive (good) or negative (bad) connotation.
Exercise A Decide whether the word in boldfaced type in each sentence
has a positive or negative connotation. Put a plus sign (+) in the blank if the
connotation is positive. Use a minus sign () if the connotation is negative.
1. ___You could hear her cackle as she made her evil plans.
___The clowns tricks made the children laugh.
2. ___Brandon felt better after he sipped the hot tea.
___Denise frowned as Bob slurped his milkshake.
3. ___Just give her a shove if she is in your way.
___She gave her brother a push to help him climb the tree.
4. ___He lives in a shack by the old railroad tracks.
___My aunt lives in a skyscraper in the middle of the city.
5. ___The little toddler could not reach the shelf.
___The little brat would not go to bed.

Exercise B For each boldfaced word below, think of another word that
has a similar literal meaning (denotation) but brings to mind a different
feeling (connotation). Write it on the line. Place a + or sign in front of
each of the words.
He was a proud father.
The necklace t her thin neck perfectly.
Exercise C Write two sentences for each word pair on the lines below.
thrifty/stingy
smirking /smiling

Name _____________________________________ Date ______________ Class _____________
Semantic Slanting
The Appeal of Packaging
What is semantic slanting?
When writers want to persuade a reader to think or act in a
different way, they use semantic slanting. That is, the writers slant
language in a way that supports their purpose. You will often nd
semantic slanting in advertising.
An advertisers job is to make people want to buy certain
products. Think about food products. What makes them look
good? The packages look clean and appetizing. The words on the
package have to make the product sound good.
Exercise A Before doing this activity, look at some food packages at
home, at the store, or in magazine advertisements. In pairs, ll in the
chart, listing words that make the product sound appealing. Then look
for more information such as facts or nutrition and list those in the third
column.
Package/Ad
Name of Product Other Information
Words and Phrases
Exercise B Think about a food product you would like to advertise.

Or, make up a new product. On a separate sheet of paper, name your
product, and make a list of words or phrases that come to mind. Use a
thesaurus or dictionary to nd the synonyms that t exactly what you
want to say. Make a drawing of how your product will look and put in
the words you want to appear on the package.

Name _____________________________________ Date ______________ Class _____________
Prexes, Sufxes, Base Words/Roots
Build on the Base Word
A word root is the basic word. You can add prexes or sufxes to
the base word, or root. If you nd the meaning of the root word,
you can more easily understand the entire word.
Exercise A Look at the base words. These are also called root words.
Then look at the prexes and sufxes. Make up as many words as you
can think of using a base word with a prex, a sufx, or both.
Base Words: form teach meter standard script
Prexes: re- centi- un- super- in-
Sufxes: -er -able -en -ize -tion
New Words
Exercise B Each of the following words combines a base word and

a prex or sufx. Write the meaning next to it. Then write a sentence
using the word.
1. program
2. triangle
3. strengthen
4. singing
5. disagree

Name _____________________________________ Date ______________ Class _____________

What Are Root Words?
A root word stands on its own without prexes and sufxes
added. Root words have a meaning. You form new words by
adding prexes and sufxes to the root words. In English, most
root words come from Greek and Latin words and some come
from Anglo-Saxon root words. For example:
ped is a Latin root word ped means foot
What word can you make from ped ? Pedal
What other words use the root, ped ?
Exercise A Look at the list of the root words in the chart. What words
can you make using each root word? Some are done for you.
Root Word Origin Form new words with prexes or sufxes
centi Latin centipede, centimeter, centennial
dict Latin dictate, dictionary, dictator, predict
cede, ceed Latin

fract Latin
bio Greek biology, biome, bionic, biopsy
micro Greek
tele Greek
auto Greek
fear Anglo-Saxon Fearless, fearful, fearing
kind Anglo-Saxon
Exercise B Write three sentences using words from the chart. Make
sure that each of your sentences shows the meaning of a complex
word.

Name _____________________________________ Date ______________ Class _____________

Many words in English come from ancient Latin or Greek or French
words.
Exercise A Look up the word technology. You will nd that it comes
from the Greek word, tekhne, which means art. Think of how many
words have come from this ancient Greek word. List as many as you
can think of and write them with their denitions here. You may need
to use a dictionary.
Exercise B Write three words that have come from each of the
ancient Greek roots.
phon (sound) psysi (nature) bio (life)

Exercise C With a partner, look up these three words from Greek or
Roman mythology and write a sentence about each words source and
what it means.
cereal
atlas
echo

Name _____________________________________ Date ______________ Class _____________
Compound Words
A compound word is made up of two or more words, but it
is written as one word.
Exercise A Combine the bold word with another word in the same
line to make a compound word.
1. pillow cover case bed
2. broom sweep dust stick
3. table cloth cover silver
4. moon sun light star
5. board skate sand walk
Exercise B Circle the words that correctly make a compound word.
6. under + head under + stand
7. high + up know + ledge
8. weak + arm week + end

9. common + place common + ability
10. tree + mendous inch + worm
Exercise C With a partner, write a sentence with three of the above

correct compound words.

Name _____________________________________ Date ______________ Class _____________

An acronym is a word that is formed from the beginning letters
of a name or a phrase.
Example: COD = cash on delivery
An abbreviation is a shortened form of words.
Example: VA = Virginia
Exercise A Write the words that each of the following acronyms

stands for.
ASAP
HQ
WHO
PA
SOS
Exercise B Some abbreviations are written with periods at the end.

What might these abbreviations mean?
adj.
govt.

Sun
math.
Univ.
Exercise C Make your own chart of acronyms and abbreviations. Tell

what each means. You may use acronyms for popular Internet terms.
Acronyms/Abbreviations Stands For

Name _____________________________________ Date ______________ Class _____________
Borrowed Words
The English language has picked up whole words from
other languages. These words are called borrowed
words. Here are some examples:
caucus American Indian kindergarten German
sherbet Arabic coach Hungarian
shampoo East Indian soy Japanese
cruise Dutch recipe Latin
caf French bazaar Persian
Exercise A Write a short sentence for three of the words

from this list. Use a dictionary if necessary.
Exercise B The names for the months of the year and the
days of the week are borrowed words. Look up August,
May, and July and write a brief description of where they
came from and what they mean. Then do the same with
Monday, Thursday and Friday.

Name _____________________________________ Date ______________ Class _____________
Content-Area Words
To understand the setting and events in a good story, you may need
to gure out content-area words. For example, in the story Ice by
Graham Salisbury, there are many content-area words about shing
in the sea. You will need to use the context of sentences to gure out
the content-area words.
Exercise A Read some of sentences from the story, Ice.
After each excerpt, write how you will gure out the meaning of the
content-area words.
1. Set the outboard [motor] on the back of the skiff, re it up and buzz
out into the harbor. What words help you nd out what a skiff is?
2. I stood on the pier [to watch] all of Johns great wealth of maritime
knowledge. What does the content-area word, maritime, mean?
3. John did a multitude of secret things in the garage. What does

multitude mean?
4. He made lures out of berglass resin. Plugs, he called them.

Tubular shaped things. . . . hed t them with ashy plastic and rubber
skirts that wiggled in the water. Write a denition of lures.
5. . . . the brains. . .which, of course I didnt have. John reminded me

of the void between my ears almost daily. What clues tell you what
void means?
Exercise B With a partner, make up a sentence using one of these

content-area words. Give clues to the words meaning in your sentence.
voltage thrust precipitate resistance saturate

Name _____________________________________ Date ______________ Class _____________
Idioms and Dialect

An idiom has to be translated. It cannot be understood from the
literal meaning of the words. Idioms are part of informal language.
Dont give me that song and dance. What is he shing for with
Sue and Lori will mend fences that scheme?
before the game. Jakes party was for the birds.
That act takes the cake! When I get there, drop me a line.
Exercise A Complete the following sentences by correctly using one

of the idioms from the box.
1. You could tell the planners spent a lot of time, because that dinner
2. That wild hair-do is .
3. Jaynelles mom looked at her with that look that said, I wont accept
4. She took a plate of cookies in an attempt to
with their angry neighbors.

Dialect is a way that a particular group speaks the language.

Dialects have different pronunciation and meanings than those in
Standard English.
Exercise B Read the following sentences containing dialect from

Antaeus by Borden Deal. On a separate sheet of paper, write each
sentence using Standard English.
1. Down yonder where I come from, he said, we played out in the
woods. Dont you-all have no woods around here?
2. What can you do with an acre of cotton and corn? I asked.
Well, you get part of the bale offen your acre, T. J. replied
3. Its mighty late for spring. Id just about decided it wasnt never
gonna get here at all.

Name _____________________________________ Date ______________ Class _____________
Figurative Use of Language:

Simile and Metaphor
The babys room smelled as sweet as lilies. The dog walks slowly like a snail.
A metaphor compares two unlike things. It describes one thing
as if it were another. For example:
Shelby is a walking encyclopedia.
Exercise A Make up three similes comparing different things for each
of the following sets.
1. as mad as . 4. He laughs like .
Exercise B Look at the words in the box. Use words from the box to
make up three metaphors.
Max the dog Mary thunderstruck books bark
starships knockout couch potato lollipop fossil
Exercise C Spend a few moments looking around the room. Let your
observations be inspiration to making up a simile and a metaphor. What
two actions or things can you compare to make examples of gurative
language?
Name _____________________________________ Date ______________ Class _____________
Dialogue
Dialogue is the conversation between characters in a story.
Dialogue often helps to move a plot forward.
Exercise Practice reading dialogue that moves a story along.
With a partner, read the different parts from the beginning of the play,
The Diary of Anne Frank. Then go back and identify what the dialogue
tells you is happening in the story.
Miep: Forgive me. I have to hurry. Ive got to go to the other side of
town to get some ration books for you.
Mrs. Van Daan: Ration books? If they see our names on ration books,
theyll know were here.
Miep: Dont worry. Your names wont be on them. Ill be up later.
Mrs. Frank: Its illegal, then, the ration books? Weve never done
anything illegal.
Mr. Kraler: This isnt the black market, Mrs. Frank. This is what we call
the white market . . . helping all of the hundreds and hundreds who are
hiding out in Amsterdam.
1. What have you learned so far?

Mr. Frank: Good bye, Mr. Kraler.
Mrs. Frank: How can we thank you . . .
Mr. Frank: Lets take off some of these clothes.
Mrs. Van Daan: Its a wonder we werernt arrested, walking along the
streets . . . Petronella with a fur coat in July . . .
2. What does it mean that the Franks and Van Daans have extra layers
of clothing on?

Name _____________________________________ Date ______________ Class _____________
Using a Thesaurus
Word Choice
Word Choice As a writer, you always want to choose exactly the
right word. Writers choose specic words, not general ones.
General: She picked up her sweater and left in a hurry.
Specic: She snapped up her sweater and tore out the door.
Read how one writer uses specic words.
Once there was an orphan who had a knack for nding lost things.
He began to have a sense of objects even when they werent
visible. By his twenties, he was able to actually
sniff-out lost sunglasses, keys, contact lenses and sweaters.
When this writer uses sniff-out , she is using a specic word
(and a metaphor) to show how the character uses this skill. He
smells the objects as if he were a dog that can smell things out.
How do you nd just the right wordespecially when you
cant sniff-out one from your head? Start your hunt in a thesaurus.
A thesaurus is a special kind of dictionary that lists synonyms,
or words that mean the same, or nearly the same, thing. Some
thesauruses also list antonyms or words that mean the opposite.
The word thesaurus came from the Greek thesauros, which means
treasury. Thats exactly what a thesaurus is: a treasury of
specic words. Heres a sample thesaurus entry:

Main Entry: lonely
Part of Speech: adjective
Denition: by oneself, in solitude
Synonyms: lonesome, abandoned, deserted, friendless
Antonyms: friendly, amiable, hearty
Exercise A Look at the general words and the specic words. Write a
paragraph using as many of the following specic words as you can.
gone vanished, fade out, cease
smell scent, aroma, whiff, odor
nd discover, spot, locate, trip over
pull tug, struggle, strain, rack, heave
Exercise B Share your paragraphs in small groups. Compare how the
students in your group used general words or specic words.
38 Using a Thesaurus English Language Coach Middle School

Name _____________________________________ Date ______________ Class _____________
Context Clues
Clarify Word Meaning
Using Context Clues To clarify a words meaning, use the words
in the sentence containing context clues. Also, remember to bring
your own knowledge and experience to clarifying the meaning of
words. For instance, read this sentence:
Two hundred yards behind his home, the man dropped into
a dry riverbed.
If the idea of dry riverbed confused you, think about the
two words you knowriver and bed. Because your experience of
river is owing water and a bed is at and where you lie down,
then a dry riverbed would not contain water. And the riverbed
describes the place where the river usually lies.
Read the following passage and use your own knowledge to
clarify the meaning of the underlined words.
It was a torrid summer evening in the parched landscape of
southern Arizona, just north of Tucson. But the conditions in
mid-August 2003 couldnt deter Vaughn Hoffmeister, a busy, self-
employed nurseryman, from enjoying the little private time he got
on his daily run. He laced his jogging shoes tight and sprinted out
the back door. The Santa Catalina Mountains loomed starkly in the
distance.
Exercise A Use context clues to guess the meanings of the underlined

words from the passage. In the second column of the chart, write what
you think each word means from the context clues. When you nish,
check the words in a dictionary. Write the dictionary meaning for each
word in the third column.
What the dictionary

Words What I think it means says it means
torrid
parched
deter
sprinted
loomed

Name _____________________________________ Date ______________ Class _____________
Multiple-Meaning Words
Multiple-Meaning Words Use context clues when you come across
words that confuse you with more than one possible meaning.
Exercise A Work with a partner to read the following passage. Notice
how the underlined words have more than one meaning. Use the
context clues or a dictionary to decide which meaning is correct in this
passage. Then list other meanings you know or can nd in a dictionary.
Falling in love. It was not love at rst sight. Slowly, over the next
year, though, Tony began skating more and more. One weekend,
the mother of one of Tonys friends took the neighborhood kids to
a skate park, in San Diego, called Oasis. Skaters whipped around
riding the bowls, banks, pools, and other obstacles of the park. He
loved it.
Words Meaning in Story Other Meanings
park
whipped
bowls
banks
pools
Exercise B The title of this story is Tony Hawk: Chairman of the

Board. Discuss with your partner what this title means. Then write your
ideas on the lines below.
40 Multiple-Meaning Words English Language Coach Middle School

Name _____________________________________ Date ______________ Class _____________

Antonyms An antonym is a word that has a meaning that is
opposite, or nearly opposite, of another word. Often, a good way
to form an antonym is to add a prex that means not. For instance:
complete incomplete reliable unreliable
With a partner, read the following passage. Match the
synonyms and antonyms with the help of a dictionary or
thesaurus.
Alfonso sat on the porch trying to push his crooked teeth to where
he thought they belonged. He hated the way he looked. Last week
he did fty sit-ups a day, thinking that he would burn those already
apparent ripples on his stomach to even deeper ripples, dark ones,
so when he went swimming at the canal next summer, girls in
cut-offs would notice. And the guys would think he was tough,
someone who could take a punch and give it back.
Exercise A Draw a line to match the list of synonyms to words from

the passage.
Words from the passage Synonyms
push uneven
crooked shaded
apparent rugged
dark nudge
tough noticeable
Exercise B Draw a line to match the list of antonyms to words from
the passage.
Words from the passage Antonyms
push pale
crooked frail
apparent yank
dark level
tough indistinct
Exercise C Talk with your partner about how your answers compare.
How did the context in the passage provide clues to the synonyms
and antonyms?

Name _____________________________________ Date ______________ Class _____________

The denotation of a word is its exact and literal meaning, or its
dictionary denition. The connotation of a word is the meaning
that is suggested by a word apart from its dictionary meaning.
Exercise A In his essay The Teacher Who Changed My Life,
Nicholas Gage describes the loss of his mother in war-torn Greece,
his escape to America, and his new schoolteacher, Marjorie Hurd.
Read these excerpts.
As Father drove us to our new homea tenement in Worcester,
Mass.and pointed out the huge brick building that would be
our rst school in America, I clutched my Greek notebooks from
the refugee camp, hoping that my few years of schooling would
impress my teachers in this cold, crowded country.
* * *
A formidable, solidly built woman with salt-and-pepper hair, a
steely eye and a at Boston accent, Miss Hurd had no patience
with layabouts.
* * *
I wrote that the coming of spring always reminded me of the last
time I said goodbye to my mother on a green and gold day in
1948.
* * *
I watched the line of women being led down into the ravine and
up the other side, until they disappeared around the bendmy
mother a tiny brown gure at the end who stopped for an instant

to raise her hand in one last farewell.
Now, match each word or group of words to its connotation
in the essay.
1. ___ cold, crowded a. He did not want her to go.
2. ___ solidly built b. She was a strong woman.
3. ___ green and gold c. The weather was beautiful.
4. ___ tiny brown gure d. He felt lost in this place.
Exercise B Read the words below that are used in the essay to
describe Marjorie Hurd and her actions. Based on the connotation of
each word, write a description of a typical day in Miss Hurds English
class on a separate sheet of paper.
salty-tongued no-nonsense formidable steely stern

Name _____________________________________ Date ______________ Class _____________
Semantic Slanting
What is semantic slanting?
When writers want to persuade a reader to think or act in a
special way, they use semantic slanting. They often choose words
with powerful positive or negative connotations to describe a
neutral thing. For example, in an anti-smoking ad, the sentence
Smoking is unhealthful could be slanted to read:
Smoking is a lthy habit that will bring you an early and painful
death.
When you are not sure if what you are reading is slanted, try
to paraphrase it by using words that dont have strong positive or
negative connotations.
Exercise A Read the following sentences. Each has a slanted
message. Rewrite the sentences by paraphrasing so that each sentence
has a neutral meaning.
1. I ask you: is hockey a sport made up of thugs?
2. That old geezer doesnt have a fresh idea anywhere in that white-
haired head.
3. If you steal those shoes, they will burn your feet!

4. Without exercise, your bones will turn into brittle sticks!
Exercise B Write a neutral sentence. Then rewrite the sentence with

semantic slanting.

Name _____________________________________ Date ______________ Class _____________
Prexes, Sufxes, Base Words/ Roots
You can add prexes or sufxes to a base word, or root. If you nd
the meaning of the root word, you can more easily understand the
entire word.
Exercise A Look at the list of base, or root, words in the chart. Then
read the meanings of each word. With a partner, form words that come
from the root word by adding prexes or sufxes.
Root Words Meaning Word
grad step
scientia knowledge
phon sound
script writing
cred believe
max greatest
struct build
Exercise B Match the words on the left with the denitions on the
right. Use a dictionary if necessary.

1. _____ telegram a. to give away
2. _____ donate b. separate into two
3. _____ sensor c. something written
4. _____ exible d. a device that tracks stimulus
5. _____ aquarium e. bendable
6. _____ dissect f. holds water
Exercise C Use four of the six words in sentences.

Name _____________________________________ Date ______________ Class _____________

What Are Root Words?
A word root is the main word or word part that has prexes or
sufxes added to it to make a new word. Words that share the
same word root will have similar meanings.
Exercise A Look at each group of words in the rst column of
each chart below. Circle the root word in each word. Then choose the
correct word from the words in the rst column to ll in the blank in
each sentence.
Choosing the Correct Word
Root: bene (well/good)
benet 1. The young boy from his older brothers skill.
benecial 2. The school brought in a great deal of money.
beneted 3. My parents think homework is to everybody.
Root: duc/duct (to lead/pull)
produce 1. Exercise will a persons body fat.
reduce 2. He sold the he had invented and designed.

product 3. If you work hard, you will good grades.
Root: multi (many)
multitude 1. If you 3 by 15, you will get the product.
multicultural 2. A of people showed up at the march.
multiply 3. The Worlds Fair represented interests.
Exercise B Now write the denition of one word from each of the
boxes above.

Name _____________________________________ Date ______________ Class _____________

Many English words come from ancient Latin and Greek words.
Exercise A Look up these words that have come from ancient Latin or
Greek. Write the original meaning and the meaning we use today.
Word Source Meaning
decide
academy
Achilles heel
sergeant
Exercise B Look up these words that have come from Greek or Latin
by way of Old French. Write the original meaning.
absorb
beauty
center

encourage
Exercise C Throughout history, the English took words from other

languages such as French. The following English words look the same
in French and are called cognates. Look up these words and write a
sentence using each word.
fable
jury
trip
machine

Name _____________________________________ Date ______________ Class _____________
Compound Words
A compound word is two words combined to make one word.
Exercise A Look at each group of four words. Combine two words to
make a compound word and write it on the line provided.
1. ball sock shoe foot
2. sail water boat wave
3. fence yard back rake
4. bird wing feather seed
5. snow rain ake drop
Exercise B Complete each sentence by making a compound word

from the words in the word box.
made nger sun home prints man
suit way sh case stair watch
1. Look at the Rebecca caught.

2. Its not time for the night to come on duty yet.
3. He went back to the station for his .
4. The detective found the suspects on the safe.
5. Why must you leave your books on the ?
Exercise C With a partner, write a paragraph and use at least four

compound words of your own choice.

Name _____________________________________ Date ______________ Class _____________

An acronym is a word that is formed from the beginning letters
of a term.
An abbreviation is the shortened form of words.
Exercise A The postal system requires a specic abbreviation for each
state. Write the state after each abbreviation.
1. MN 2. CA 3. TX 4. TN
5. KY 6. NH 7. UT 8. FL
Exercise B Look at each acronym in the chart and write what it stands
for in the next column. Then write 4 more acronyms and what they mean.
Acronym Stands For
BBC British Broadcasting Company
AWOL
DOA
UFO
DOB
Exercise C Look at these common abbreviations. Tell what they mean.

Add more common abbreviations you know.
amt.
M.D.
mgr.
Nov.

Name _____________________________________ Date ______________ Class _____________
Borrowed Words
Borrowed words are words the English language has
adopted from other languages. Usually, only slight spelling
changes are made on borrowed words. Here are some
examples of borrowed words:
yam dinghy tea tariff zero clipper
loot bagel camouage pretzel violin caddy
Exercise A Read the following sentences. Fill in the blanks with

words from the list above. Then write the language from which
the word comes. Use a dictionary for help.
1. After the match, the two players sat down for .
2. The ship always carried an old but useful .
3. The boy with the shirt won the game.
4. There is no listed for those imported goods.
Exercise B Look at the words in the list above. Choose ve words and write
a sentence using each word. Use words that were not used in Exercise A..
Exercise C Think of two words you think may be borrowed from another
language. Check a dictionary. Write about what you nd.

Name _____________________________________ Date ______________ Class _____________
Content-Area Words
Content-area words can appear in any subjectfrom science
to sports or from math to art. Most content areas have their
own vocabulary, or jargon. Baseball players throw curveballs.
A diplomat negotiates disarmament. Often you will need to use
the information in the surrounding sentences to understand
content-area words.
Exercise A Read the following excerpt about the Brinks Robbery.
Briey describe what context clues help you to understand the meaning
of all the underlined words. The rst one is done for you. Finish on your
own paper.
Together, these two longtime criminals set to work. They spent two
years planning a awless robbery. Nothing would be left to chance.
No evidence would be left behind. And, if all went well, they would
both end up rich.
The two thieves picked a tough target to robthe Brinks Company

in Boston. Brinks is an armored car service. It sends steel-plated
cars to pick up money from stores around town.
Content-Area Words Context Clues

If the two experienced criminals spent two
years planning and nothing would be left
awless
to chance, then awless must the robbery
would be perfect.

evidence
armored
Exercise B Write a short paragraph about a subject you know and

like. Use content-area words for that subject.

Name _____________________________________ Date ______________ Class _____________
Idioms, Dialect, Slang

Idioms can be called descriptive phrases that mean more than the
literal meaning of the words.
Exercise A Match each idiom in the left column with the phrase in
the right column that has a similar meaning.
1. cost an arm and a leg a. not well thought out
2. half-baked ideas b. a nice person
3. drive a hard bargain c. price is high
4. stole the spotlight d. understand how to do it
5. a good egg e. got all the attention
6. know the ropes f. stays rm in a disagreement
Exercise B Look at the following dialogue from Akiko and the

Dragon by Mark Crilley and nd examples of dialect spoken by Akiko.
Underline the examples of dialect in the column on the left, and write
the words in Standard English in the right column of the chart.
Akikos Dialect Standard English
Lemme borrow this, Gax.
I gotta feelin theres somethin

pretty ugly back here.
Howzabout you turn my friend loose

an then maybe I wont hurt ya. . .
We gotta learn to coordinate on th

rescue plans, you n me...
Exercise C When people get used to the slang meaning of a

word, it often becomes part of Standard English. The words job
and mob, for example, were once considered slang. Write the
meaning of these slang examples.
1. gab 4. grub
2. beat 5. take off
3. super 6. ace

Name _____________________________________ Date ______________ Class _____________
Figurative Use of Language: Simile and Metaphor

Jennifer has always been as smart as a whip. But she works like a night owl.
A metaphor is a way of describing something by saying it is
something else. Even though two things are different, they are
alike in some way. For example:
The tree branches became hands grabbing and clutching at my clothes.
Exercise Use a graphic organizer to help you write similes and metaphors.
Simile: Write all the descriptive words you can think of underneath
deer and running. Then notice the most similar words and put those
in the center of the Venn diagram.
deer running
Now write a simile, using like or as, in a sentence about any one of
these events:
a 5K race a school election getting caught doing something wrong

Metaphor: write as many distinctly unique descriptions as you can think
of underneath iceberg and birthday. Even though each word is different,
think of ways in which these two things are similar. Write these similar
ideas in the center of the Venn diagram.
iceberg birthday
On another page write a sentence using a metaphor that compares the two words.
Name _____________________________________ Date ______________ Class _____________
Dialogue
Dialogue is the conversation between characters in a story. A writer
uses dialogue to show the reader what the character thinks and feels.
Exercise With a partner read the lines from After Twenty Years by O.
Henry about a man keeping a date with a friend that was made twenty
years ago.
The waiting man pulled out a handsome watch, the lids of it set with
small diamonds.
Three minutes to ten, he announced. It was exactly ten oclock

when we parted here at the restaurant door.
Did pretty well out West, didnt you? asked the policeman.
You bet! I hope Jimmy has done half as well. He was a kind of
plodder, though, good fellow as he was. Ive had to compete with
some of the sharpest wits going to get my pile. A man gets in a
groove in New York. It takes the West to put a razor-edge on him.
The policeman twirled his club and took a step or two.
Ill be on my way. Hope your friend comes around all right. Going
to call time on him short?
I should say not! said the other. Ill give him half an hour at
least. If Jimmy is alive on earth hell be here by that time. So long,
ofcer.
Good-night, sir, said the policeman, passing on along his beat,

trying doors as he went.
Rewrite the following using correct punctuation.
1. No, said the policeman I didnt see anyone in the next block
2. Jimmy better be here on time said the waiting man
3. Jimmy replied here I am at last.
4. Im so glad to see you he said you look great.

Answers
BEGINNING LEVEL Exercise B

1. warm
USING A DICTIONARY (PAGE 6) 2. dry
Exercise A 3. bad
1. M 5. B 4. sad
2. E 6. M 5. large
3. E 7. B
4. B 8. M DENOTATION AND CONNOTATION (PAGE 10)
Exercise B Exercise A
Bait bag/baker Answers will vary.
Slice slavery/slick Exercise B
Life lie/light 1. snatch
Lumber lug/ lung 2. full blast
Balance baking powder/ ball 3. rattled
Exercise C 4. jerked
1. crazy SEMANTIC SLANTING (PAGE 11)
2. lose Exercise A
3. pace 1. award-winning chocolate +; melts in your
4. root mouth +
5. squash 2. tore up +; slamming into +
CONTEXT CLUES (PAGE 7) 3. ranted at the rain -; pelted her picnic baskets
Exercise A Exercise B
1. e Answers will vary.
2. a
3. d STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS I: PREFIXES, SUFFIXES,
4. b BASE WORDS/ROOTS (PAGE 12)
5. c Answers will vary but may include the following:
Exercise B thermometer, signature, memory, missile, donate.
Answers will vary. STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS II: PREFIXES, SUFFIXES,
Exercise C BASE WORDS/ROOTS (PAGE 13)
Possible answers: a note attached to identify or tell a Answers will vary.
price; the act of touching another player in a game

HISTORICAL INFLUENCES ON ENGLISH
MULTIPLE-MEANING WORDS (PAGE 8) (PAGE 14)
Exercise A Exercise A
1. b decathalon Greek: deka ten
2. c gymnasium Greek gymnos naked
3. a hydraulic Greek: hydra water
4. b table Latin: tabula board
Exercise B hygiene Greek: hugiene health
1. the property of a sound Exercise B
2. the mark for a base Possible responses:
3. spread Parody comes from the Latin parodia and the Greek
paroidia, and para means imitate and the Greek oide
SYNONYMS AND ANTONYMS (PAGE 9)
means song. So the word parody means an imitative
Exercise A song.
1. happy
2. damp COMPOUND WORDS (PAGE 15)
3. great Exercise A
4. tiny 1. thumbprint
5. cold 2. cowboy
3. bulldog
4. pigtail
5. handshake
54 Middle School English Language Coach

Answers
Exercise B FIGURATIVE USE OF LANGUAGE: SIMILE AND

chair man, the chief ofcer of something METAPHOR (PAGE 20)
air craft, any vehicle that can y Exercise A
land slide, a side of a mountain collapsing 1. car/dinosaur 4. Todd/snail
man kind, human beings as a group 2. waddle/duck 5. I/chicken
over ride, to change someones decision 3. heart/fountain 6. job/mountain
passport, document that allows one to leave and Exercise B
reenter a country 1. simile
ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS (PAGE 16) 2. metaphor
3. metaphor
Exercise A
4. simile
ABC
DVD Exercise C
DJ Answers will vary.
VIP DIALOGUE (PAGE 21)
RV
Exercise A
Exercise B Drawings will vary.
Tender Loving Care
Exercise B
Compact Disc 1. N 6. D
National Football League 2. N 7. D
Exercise C 3. D 8. N
Possible responses: 4. N 9. N
Ms. Wilson 5. D 10. D
P.M.
INTERMEDIATE LEVEL
BORROWED WORDS (PAGE 17)
Exercise A USING A DICTIONARY: PRONUNCIATION (PAGE
1. Spanish 6. French 22)
2. Scandinavian 7. Arabic Answers will vary.
3. Spanish 8. French
CONTEXT CLUES (PAGE 23)
4. German 9. Spanish
5. Latin 10. French Meaning in passage:
corridor: hallway
Exercise B
ajar: partly open
Responses will vary.

gadgets: mechanical devices
CONTENT-AREA WORDS (PAGE 18) riveted: focused
Exercise MULTIPLE-MEANING WORDS (PAGE 24)
Answers will vary.
Exercise A
IDIOMS, DIALECT, SLANG (PAGE 19) 1. e
Exercise A 2. c
1. on the brain 3. d
2. got the picture 4. b
3. stuck together 5. a
4. green thumb Exercise B
Exercise B Answers will vary.
2. I didnt know if they were true or not. . . but I SYNONYMS AND ANTONYMS (PAGE 25)
liked to hear those stories.
Exercise A
Exercise C
Answers will vary.
Answers will vary.
Exercise B
Answers will vary.
Middle School English Language Coach 55

Answers
DENOTATION AND CONNOTATION (PAGE 26) Exercise C

Exercise A Responses will vary but may include the following
1. -; + meanings:
2. +; - Ceres is from the god Ceres in Roman mythology,
3. -; + from the Latin cerealis, meaning of grain.
4. -; + In Greek mythology, Zeus condemned Atlas to carry
5. +; - the weight of the world.
Echo is a nymph from Greek mythology who lost her
Exercise B
love and pined for him until only her voice was left.
Answers will vary.
Exercise C COMPOUND WORDS (PAGE 31)
Answers will vary. Exercise A Exercise B Exercise C
1. pillowcase 6. understand Responses
SEMANTIC SLANTING (PAGE 27) 2. broomstick 7. knowledge will vary
Exercise A 3. tablecloth 8. weekend
Answers will vary. 4. moonlight 9. commonplace
Exercise B 5. boardwalk 10. inchworm
Answers will vary. ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS (PAGE 32)
STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS I: PREFIXES, SUFFIXES, Exercise A Exercise B Exercise C
BASE WORDS/ROOTS (PAGE 28) As Soon As adjective Responses will
Exercise A Possible government vary.
Answers will vary. Headquarters Sunday
World Health mathematics
Exercise B Organization University
Answers will vary. Public Address
STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS II: PREFIXES, SUFFIXES, Save Our Ship
BASE WORDS/ROOTS (PAGE 29)
Exercise A
Exercise A
Possible answers:
Answers will vary.
cede/ceed - preceed, precede, exceed, succeed
fract fraction, fracture Exercise B
micro microscope, microlm, microphone August: From Latin, from Augustus Caesar
tele television, telegram, telegraph May: From Latin, from Maia, Roman goddess

auto autograph, autobiography, automobile July: Latin, from Julius Caesar
fear fearful, fearless, fearsome Saturday: Latin, from Julius Caesar
kind kindness, kindly Thursday: Middle English from Old English, thursdaeg,
from Old Norse, Thor
Exercise B
Friday: Middle English from Old English, from Frigga
Monday: Old English, from Mona, moon
HISTORICAL INFLUENCES ON ENGLISH
CONTENT-AREA WORDS (PAGE 34)
(PAGE 30)
Exercise A
Exercise A
Answers will vary.
Possible responses: technology (technical, technician,
Technicolor, technique, technology, etc.) Exercise B
Answers will vary.
Exercise B
phon (telephone, phonics, phonograph) IDIOMS AND DIALECT (PAGE 35)
physi (physical, physician, physiology) Exercise A
bio (biography, biopsy, biochemistry) 1. took the cake.
2. for the birds.
3. that song and dance.
4. mend fences

Answers
Exercise B Exercise B
1. Down where I come from, he said, we played push/yank
out in the woods. Dont you have any woods crooked/level
around here? apparent/indistinct
2. What can you do with an acre of cotton and dark/pale
corn? I asked. Well, you get part of the bale tough/frail
from your acre, T. J. replied
DENOTATION AND CONNOTATION (PAGE 42)
3. Its very late for spring. I had almost decided it
was never going to get here at all. 1. d
2. b
FIGURATIVE USE OF LANGUAGE: SIMILE AND 3. c
METAPHOR (PAGE 36) 4. a
Exercise A SEMANTIC SLANTING (PAGE 43)
Answers will vary. Exercise A
Exercise B Answers will vary.
Answers will vary. Exercise B
Exercise C Answers will vary.
Answers will vary. STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS I: PREFIXES, SUFFIXES,
DIALOGUE (PAGE 37) BASE WORDS/ROOTS (PAGE 44)
1. Answers should indicate that Miep is trying to Exercise A
help Mrs. Van Daan and her family get ration Answers will vary.
books. The Van Daan family is hiding out in Exercise B
Amsterdam. 1. c
2. Answers should indicate that the Franks and Van 2. a
Daans are wearing many layers of clothing so 3. d
that they can move their clothing from one place 4. e
to another without carrying suitcases or bags that 5. f
might look suspicious. 6. b
ADVANCED LEVEL Exercise C
Answers will vary.
USING A THESAURUS (PAGE 38)
STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS II: PREFIXES, SUFFIXES,
Exercise A
BASE WORDS/ROOTS (PAGE 45)
Answers will vary.
Exercise A
Exercise B bene (1. beneted; 2. benet; 3. benecial)
Answers will vary. duc (1. reduce; 2. product; 3. produce)
CONTEXT CLUES (PAGE 39) multi (1. multiply; 2. multitude; 3. multicultural)
Exercise A HISTORICAL INFLUENCES ON ENGLISH
Answers will vary. (PAGE 46)
MULTIPLE-MEANING WORDS (PAGE 40) Word Source Meaning
Exercise A decide Latin cut
Answers will vary. academy Greek school
Achilles heel Greek weakness
Exercise B sergeant Latin to serve
Answers will vary. Exercise B
SYNONYMS AND ANTONYMS (PAGE41) absorb swallow up
Exercise A beauty pretty
push/nudge center to prick
crooked/uneven encourage give heart
apparent/noticeable Exercise C
dark/shaded Responses will vary.
tough/rugged
Middle School English Language Coach 57

Answers
COMPOUND WORDS (PAGE 47) CONTENT-AREA WORDS (PAGE 50)

Exercise A Exercise A
football Answers will vary.
sailboat Exercise B
backyard Answers will vary.
birdseed
snowake IDIOMS, DIALECT, SLANG (PAGE 51)
Exercise B Exercise A
1. sunsh 1. c
2. watchman 2. a
3. suitcase 3. f
4. ngerprints 4. e
5. stairway 5. b
6. d
Exercise C
Responses will vary. Exercise B
Let me borrow this, Gax.
ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS (PAGE 48) I have a feeling theres something bad back here.
Exercise A Why dont you let my friend go and then maybe I
1. Minnesota wont hurt you.
2. California You and I have to learn to coordinate on the rescue
3. Texas plans.
4. Tennessee Exercise C
5. Kentucky 1. talk
6. New Hampshire 2. tired
7. Utah 3. very good
8. Florida 4. food
Exercise B 5. leave
Absence Without Leave 6. do something well
Dead On Arrival
FIGURATIVE USE OF LANGUAGE: SIMILE AND
Unidentied Flying Object
METAPHOR (PAGE 52)
Date Of Birth
Responses will vary. Answers will vary.

Exercise C DIALOGUE (PAGE 53)
amount 1. No, said the policeman. I didnt see anyone in
Medical Doctor the next block.
manager 2. Jimmy better be here on time, said the waiting
November man.
3. Jimmy replied, Here I am at last.
4. Im so glad to see you, he said. You look great.
Exercise A
1. tea; Chinese
2. dinghy; Bengali & Hindi
3. camouage; French
4. tariff; Italian
Exercise B
Answers will vary.
Exercise C
Answers will vary.

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Idioms, Dialect, Slang . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Middle School English Language Coach Table of Contents iii

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iv Table of Contents English Language Coach Middle School

several pages of introductory material with information and

The worksheets in English Language Coach are organized into three

The program at your school may include separate ESL classes

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vi To the Teacher English Language Coach Middle School

considered as competent as their English-speaking classmates.

Middle School English Language Coach Introduction 1

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2 Introduction English Language Coach Middle School

Middle School English Language Coach Introduction 3

Tips for Using the Questionnaire

Interpreting Questionnaire Responses

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3. What is your rst language?

4 English Language Questionnaire English Language Coach Middle School

Answer these questions. Read the directions carefully.

1. Write your full name below.

last name rst name middle initial

4. How much do you read in English? A great deal? Some? None?

Middle School English Language Coach English Language Questionnaire 5

Where in the alphabet will you nd these words? Write B for

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pace lose crazy squash root

Words in alphabetical order

6 Using a Dictionary English Language Coach Middle School

The context clue . . . Suggests that . . .

1. _____ propellers a. spread out on the bedpost

Exercise B With a partner, write a sentence using each word in a

Middle School English Language Coach Context Clues 7

Multiple Meaning Words

hand head foot

the top go the 12

Exercise A Look at the underlined word in the sentences below.

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Exercise B Read the following sentences. Replace the underlined

8 Multiple Meaning Words English Language Coach Middle School

Synonyms and Antonyms

1. A smile means you are .

2. The wet socks can make your feet feel .

3. When he feels very good, he feels .

4. The small boy looks .

5. The cool wind makes her feel .

Exercise B Work with a partner to ll in the blanks with antonyms

that t the context.

1. He does not feel cool. He feels .

2. She got wet in the rain, but now she is .

3. That was not a good grade. It was very .

4. The news made us happy, but the girls were .

5. The tiny acorn grew to be a tree.

Middle School English Language Coach Synonyms and Antonyms 9

Denotation and Connotation

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Exercise B Read each sentence. Circle one of the two underlined

10 Denotation and Connotation English Language Coach Middle School

Exercise A Read the following pairs of sentences. The rst sentence

2. A. He ran around three bases to home plate.