amusing:  causing laughter, funny
That was an amusing story he told at the party.
Watching the kittens play was very amusing.

contagious:  able to spread from one person to another
Chickenpox is a contagious disease, so keep your child home.
AIDS is only contagious through body fluids

domestic:  in the home, on the farm, in the country
Pigs, sheep and cows are domestic animals.
She left her husband because of domestic violence.

flammable:  able to catch on fire easily
Natural gas is a highly flammable substance.
Don’t smoke around any flammable liquid.

horizontal:  positioned from side to side, lying
Draw a horizontal line across the middle of the page.
She stayed in a horizontal position until her back pain got better.

intense:  of an extreme kind, strong
They had to find shelter from the intense heat of the sun.
He won the video game with intense concentration.

junior:  with less experience, younger
He is only a junior partner in the law firm.
They met each other in junior high school.

mobile:  able to be carried or moved
Everyone I know has a mobile phone.
The family lives in a mobile home outside the city.

rebellious:  fighting against authority, disobedient
At the age of sixteen, he entered a rebellious stage in his life.
England tried to maintain control over the rebellious colonies in America.

senior:  of an older age or higher rank
He is senior vice president of sales at Microsoft.
That seating is for handicapped people or senior citizens.

typical:  usual, common, normal
It is typical of him to forget his keys.
The typical reader will find this book hard to read.

vertical:  positioned up and down, standing
The spaceship rose vertical to the horizon.
The vertical movements of the needle on the page indicate an earthquake.

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

Use these flashcards to help you study.

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

© 2013 Ambien Malecot

absolute:  100 percent, complete
No teacher has absolute control over her students.
He pushed his body to the absolute limit to win the race.

awesome: excellent, outstanding
That movie was awesome; I think I’ll go see it again.
The view from the top of the mountain was awesome.

desperate:  having an urgent need
She was desperate to find a summer job before school ended.
The fireman gave a desperate attempt to save the life of the child.

firm:  solid, unchanging
He had a firm belief that people would help when asked.
The seller was firm in his asking price.

illegal:  against the law
It’s illegal to smoke in any public building in Canada.
Gambling is illegal in that country.

nutritious:  having good food value, healthy
They always start their day with a nutritious breakfast.
Junk food is not very nutritious.

patriotic:  loyal to your country
The soldier feels a patriotic sense of duty.
They played patriotic music at his funeral.

romantic:  very loving, passionate
They had a romantic dinner by candlelight.
On a summer’s evening you can see many romantic couples walking hand in hand.

sore:  hurting a little
His legs were sore after a long hike in the mountains.
Lemon tea is a good cure for a sore throat.

thrifty:  not wasting money
Both she and her sister are thrifty shoppers.
Since he lost his job, they’ve had to be more thrifty.

tidy:  neat, clean, organized
Everything in her bedroom is tidy, including her closet.
I’m afraid my work space is not very tidy.

widespread:  happening in many places, over a wide area
There is widespread poverty in that part of the world.
Tsunamis can cause widespread destruction.

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

Use these flashcards to help you study.

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

© 2013 Ambien Malecot

allergic: making the body react badly
He had an allergic reaction to his medication.
Many people are allergic to nuts.

awful: very bad, terrible
When he entered the room, he smelled something awful.
That’s an awful restaurant; the food is terrible and the place is dirty.

cruel: hurting (someone) physically or mentally
Saying she was fat was a cruel thing to say to your sister!
Don’t be so cruel to your dog. Bring him inside on this rainy night.

dizzy: feeling like falling down
This medication can make you feel dizzy, so don’t drive.
I have to sit down; I’m feeling a little dizzy.

fierce: wild and dangerous, violently strong
The fights that couple has are sometimes fierce.
A fierce storm battered the coast for three days.

heroic: done without regard for your safety, bold
Saving that drowning child was very heroic of you.
Firemen often do heroic deeds bringing people to safety.

humble: having a feeling of not being important.
In my humble opinion, I think you should go to the police.
In the presence of these famous writers, I feel quite humble.

inevitable: certain to happen
If he continues to drink and drive, an accident is inevitable.
No matter how long we manage to live, death is inevitable.

insane: not mentally normal, crazy
It’s insane to think that you’ll be a millionaire by the end of the year.
The jury found the man insane and therefore not responsible for the crime.

popular: liked by many people
She’s the most popular girl in school.
I mostly listen to popular music.

responsible: having the duty (to do something)
Nobody else is responsible for the way you feel.
He is responsible for buying the boss a birthday present.

temporary: for a short time
She got a temporary job for the summertime.
The aspirin gave him only temporary relief from his pain.

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

Use these flashcards to help you study.

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

© 2013 Ambien Malecot

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Use these flashcards to help you study.

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

© 2013 Ambien Malecot

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

affectionate:  showing love
That little kitten is so affectionate.
The affectionate couple walked hand in hand.

constant:  all the time
The noise from the construction project next door is constant during the day.
I have a constant pain in my lower back.

deliberate:  with a plan, not accidental
His meeting her was deliberate.  He had planned it for days.
She made a deliberate mistake so that he would help her.

economical:  inexpensive, cheap
Driving to work everyday and paying for parking is not economical.
He thought it would be more economical to stay with his parents while at university.

expensive:  costing a lot of money
It’s becoming more and more expensive to buy a house in this city.
That engagement ring he gave you must have been expensive.

frigid:  very cold
The Yukon is a frigid place in winter.
The ocean off the coast of Argentina can get very frigid.

grateful:  thankful, showing gratitude
She was grateful for his help after the fire that destroyed her home.
His son was grateful that he could have his own room in the new house.

identical:  exactly the same
Julia and Gillian are identical twins with identical likes and dislikes.
The knife used in the murder was identical to those in the kitchen drawer.

mature:  like an adult, not childish
Stealing her smart phone was not a mature thing to do.
Jonathan, although he’s only eight, is very mature for his age.

negative:  bad, not good
I hope you have no negative feelings towards me.
The students’ attitude toward their substitute teacher was negative.

present:  happening now
I can’t tell you her present address because she recently moved.
Don’t daydream in class.  You need to be present to learn anything.

sensitive:  emotional, showing emotions easily
Their son’s suicide is a sensitive topic in that family.
I think that sometimes your sister is too sensitive.

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

Use these flashcards to help you study. 

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

© 2013 Ambien Malecot

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Use these flashcards to help you study.

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

© 2013 Ambien Malecot

approximate:  near but not exact
The approximate time is 3:00.
I don’t know exactly, but the approximate distance is 800 kilometers.

bulky:  very large and hard to carry
That piano is too bulky to move by yourself.
A bulky package arrived just before her birthday.

capable:  able to do something
I don’t believe he’s capable of murder.
She’s a capable mother of three.

eventual:  happening slowly
The eventual result of his smoking habit was lung cancer.
His carelessness with money caused his eventual bankruptcy.

fortunate:  lucky
It was fortunate that you were there to help her.
We all felt fortunate to meet the President.

humid:   with water vapor in the air
It’s not a good idea to exercise in hot, humid weather.
It feels very humid after a storm.

intelligent:  smart, quick to understand
Your dog is pretty intelligent.
She is highly intelligent, but not a genius.

jealous:  wanting what someone else has
He was jealous of his brother’s wealth.
She was jealous of his relationship with his sister.

loyal:  always ready to support (someone), faithful
He is a loyal friend whom I’ve known for years.
Dogs have been man’s loyal companions for thousands of years.

nude:  without any clothes on, naked
She stood in the doorway completely nude.
At some beaches in the world, you can go nude.

particular:  one and only, not general
They have a particular interest in old movies.
There’s a particular way she likes to brush her hair.

raw:  uncooked
The children love to eat raw carrots.
He tries to eat as much raw food as possible.

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

Use these flashcards to help you study.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Use these flashcards to help you study.

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

© 2013 Ambien Malecot