chomp!

chomp!

This presentation is
brought to you by
Grammar Bytes!,
2015 by Robin L.
Simmons.

Appropriate
Appropriate Words
Words or
or
Expressions
Expressions in
in Context
Context

Astonished?
Astounded?
Bewildered?
Confounded?
Dazed?
Dazzled?

Whats the
right word?

This presentation will

help you distinguish
between
appropriate and
inappropriate
words or expressions
for the given
context.

On an objective test, an
item evaluating the skill
might look like this . . .

Sample
Sample Item
Item
When Lawrence stuck French fries up his nose,
we shouted, Yuck! We were __________ by his
behavior.
A.unfazed
B.dazzled
C.repulsed
repulsed

Is
,,
Is unfazed
unfazed
Repulsed
,
which
Repulsed
,,which
dazzled
dazzled
, or
or
means
disgusted
means
disgusted
repulsed
the
repulsed
the best
or
sickened
,best
orword
sickened
, is
is
to
fill
the
word
to
fill
the
the
choice.
the right
right
choice.
blank?
blank?

What if I dont
know any of
words that are
options?

Dont panic!
Try to
determine the
right word by
looking for
clues about
meaning!

Clue
Clue 1:
1: Look
Look for
for a
a definition.
definition.
Sharilyn suffers from cynophobia, or the fear
fearofof
dogs
soshe
shewont
wontbe
beinterested
interestedininadopting
adoptingaa
dogs, ,so
puppy.

Look
Lookatfor
for
Look
the
Look
at
the
commas
,,
commas
sentence!
The
sentence! The,
parentheses
parentheses
,
author
has
author
has
or
dashes
or
dashesit that
that
defined
for
defined
it
for
encapsulate
encapsulate
you!
ItIt means
the
you!
means
the
(or
set
off
)
the
(or
set
off
)
the
fear
of
fear
of dogs
dogs..
definition.
definition.

Cynophobia
Cynophobia!!
Thats
Thats such
such aa
big
big word
word!! How
How
am
am II supposed
supposed to
to
know
know what
what itit
means
means??

Clue
Clue 2:
2: Look
Look for
for examples.
examples.
My dog Jack is obdurate; for
forexample,
example
wont
he, he
wont
get
get
off the
couch
when
or come
when
off the
couch
when
I askI ask
or come
when
heshes
called.
called.
Look
Look
for
at
Look
Look
for phrases
phrases
at the
the
sentence!
like
sentence!
like to
toThe
The
illustrate
author
,, for
illustrate
author gives
gives
for
examples
instance
or
examples
instance!!,, You
You
or
can
such
conclude
as
that
can
such
conclude
as that
that
that
provide
Jack
provide
Jack is
is
examples
stubborn
aa
examples
stubborn,that
,that
define
synonym
the
for
define
synonym
the word
word
for
you
obdurate
dont
..
you
obdurate
dont know.
know.

Obdurate
Obdurate!!
Thats
Thats another
another
big
big word
word!! II
dont
dont know
know what
what
itit means
means!!

Clue
Clue 3:
3: Look
Look for
for contrast.
contrast.
Jill was sick
sickwith
withthe
theflu,
flu,so
sowhen
whenwe
weexplained
explainedthe
the
salubrious properties of chocolate-broccoli muffins,
she ate one.

Look
an
Look for
for
an
Look
at
the
Look
at
the
antonym
a
antonym
a
sentence!
If
shes
sentence!
If
shes
word
means
word,that
that
means
sick
she
wants
sick
,
she
wants
the
opposite

the
opposite

to
get
well
,
so
to
get
well
,
so
to
out
to help
help figure
figuremust
out
salubrious
salubrious
must
the
of
the meaning
meaning
of
mean
healthmean
healththe
word
thegiving
word you
you
!!
giving
dont
know
dont know..

Salubrious
Salubrious!! Ive
Ive
never
never heard
heard of
of
it!
it! How
How am
am II
supposed
supposed to
to
know
know ifif its
its the
the
right
right word
word or
or
not
not??

Clue
Clue 4:
4: Infer
Infer the
the meaning.
meaning.
Everyone calls that boy Sparky.
SparkyOnly
. Only
mother
hishis
mother
refuses to use the sobriquet, shouting, Cornelius!
Cornelius!
when dinner is ready.

Guess
Guess,, or
or
infer
infer,must
, the
the be
Sparky
Sparky
must
be
meaning!
meaning!
aa nickname
,,
nickname
Mothers
like
to
Mothers
like toa
which
is
what
which
is
what
a
call
their
children
call
their
children
sobriquet
is!
sobriquet
is!
by
their
real
by their real
names.
names.

Sobriquet
Sobriquet!! Who
Who
uses
uses that
that
word
word!! II dont
dont
know
know what
what itit
means
means!!

At
At many
many objective
objective exams,
exams, you
you
can
cannot
not use
use a
a dictionary!
dictionary!

When
When in
in doubt,
doubt, rely
rely on
on
gut
gut feelings.
feelings.
Your eyes have seen in print and your
brain has registered all of the possible
words that you will encounter for this skill. If
you dont know the meaning of any of the
words, go with the one that feels right.
Hey, Ive seen
that word
before!

Quick
Quick Test
Test
Directions: In the items that follow, choose
the most effective word or phrase within the
context suggested by the sentence(s).

Your
turn!

Lets see
what you
can do!

Item
Item 1
1
After an exhausting all-nighter to finish Professor
Clarks research paper, we found his dull lecture
the next morning __________.
A.uplifting
B.excruciating
excruciating
C.inspiring

Item
Item 2
2
After Betsys last purchase of a lemonand the
dealerships unwillingness to repair problems that
she thought the warranty coveredBetsy
__________ the contract for her new car before
she signed it.
A.
scrutinized
A.scrutinized
B.skimmed
C.glanced at

Item
Item 3
3
Walter winced as he tasted the sauce, shook his
head, and sighed. His __________ for Lorettas
cooking was obvious.
A.horror
B.excitement
C.disdain
disdain

Item
Item 4
4
The students wished Professor Davis gave
__________ directions for essays. Instead, the
assignment sheets are pages long and chocked
full of requirements.
A.complicated
B.wide
C.succinct
succinct

Item
Item 5
5
Sara was filled with __________, for she had
emailed Professor Carson to explain that she was
too ill to attend class but then ran into him at the
Student Center, a tennis racquet in her hand.
A.
trepidation
A.trepidation
B.mirth
C.brevity

Item
Item 6
6
Simon had to __________ his cell phone after it
rang for the third time in class.
A.
relinquish
A.relinquish
B.amputate
C.postpone

Item
Item 7
7
Rogers car holds four people comfortably, but he
stuffed nine classmates into the little vehicle.
Larissa had difficulty __________ herself from the
backseat when they arrived at her house.
A.modifying
B.hovering
C.extricating
extricating

Item
Item 8
8
Winston read his essay with a ruler, scrutinizing
each line for errors. When he finished, he read it
again just as carefully. We found his behavior
__________, but teachers loved his control of
grammar.
A.punitive
B.redundant
redundant
C.lackadaisical

Item
Item 9
9
Larry dyed his hair blue and green and painted his
face and torso in the same school colors. In
addition, he wore flippers on his feet and hands.
When his girlfriend Maria saw his game-day
preparations, she gasped and declared them
__________.
A.subdued
B.ostentatious
ostentatious
C.pedestrian

Item
Item 10
10
We followed the guide down the stairs to the floor
below the lobby. Then we toured the __________
storerooms where the museum kept priceless
treasures not on display.
A.
subterranean
A.subterranean
B.lofty
C.incapacitated

After the
denouement
Or the End.