The file you specified does not exist.The file you specified does not exist.The file you specified does not exist.
Use these flashcards to practice the verb tenses: present simple, present continuous, past simple, past continuous, future simple, and future continuous. (N) means negative. (Q) means question.
acknowledge: to admit to be true The man acknowledged that the boy was his son. The government will never acknowledge that the war on drugs isn’t working.
ban: to prohibit, make illegal The Port of Vancouver has banned any ship with nuclear weapons. Smoking is banned in all public buildings in the province.
coincide: to happen at the same time Her parents’ visit this year coincides with the annual fireworks show. They planned their trip to Italy to coincide with their grandmother’s 100th birthday.
dazzle: to amaze, astonish He was dazzled by her beauty and charm. She dazzled all her friends by showing them her diamond engagement ring.
deserve: to justify an outcome He deserves to win the competition because he’s worked very hard to improve his skills. The boys deserve to be punished for treating their sister so badly.
evade: to avoid doing, to escape from For many years, he evaded paying income tax. The men evaded capture by hiding in the attic.
harass: to continually disturb The company harassed him for the money until he finally paid. Every day gang members would enter his store and harass him.
jeopardize: to risk, put in danger You don’t want to lie to him and jeopardize your friendship. If I steal these things from my workplace, it could jeopardize my job.
negotiate: to reach an agreement The company negotiated an agreement with the union over salaries. The President said he would never negotiate with terrorists.
opt: to make a choice He opted not to get the operation and to take the medication instead. The students opted for an open-book test and not a multiple choice test.
promote: encourage, help achieve The teacher showed her students a video on hand washing to promote cleanliness. To promote health among the soldiers, they were supplied with fresh fruit every day.
rehabilitate: to make healthy or normal again He needed to rehabilitate his shoulder after the skiing accident. Prisons were designed to rehabilitate criminals but often don’t do the job.
settle: to start living and supporting oneself After traveling across the country, the family finally settled in northern California. The first people to settle the Yukon were in search of gold.
straighten: to make straight She used an iron to straighten her curly hair. He straightened his tie before he walked into the meeting room.
utter: to speak, to say She was too far away to hear the words that he was uttering. The first word that the baby uttered was “mama.”
I’m having trouble accessing my bank account. Students can easily access their marks online.
bargain: to make an agreement so both sides are satisfied The union bargained a new three-year contract. They bargained for half an hour before agreeing on a price for the car.
clarify: to make clear and understandable The candidate was asked to clarify his position on immigration. The company posted regulations to clarify how men should treat women in the workplace.
correspond: to communicate regularly They corresponded for years with emails before meeting face to face. She corresponds regularly with other scientists around the world.
devote: to give lots of time and attention (to something or someone) He devoted his time every summer to taking care of his aging parents. She has devoted her life to her children.
fidget: to move around nervously or impatiently She fidgets with her hair when she’s lying. He fidgeted with his keys as he waited for his interview.
impress: to cause admiration or approval He impressed her with his ability to play the piano. Her family was impressed with her fiance’s future plans.
linger: to stay longer than usual They lingered after the party so they could help clean up. The students all lingered after the basketball game was over.
observe: to watch for a while The park is a good place to observe birds. The student-teachers wanted to observe a class in action.
propose: to suggest (something) to be considered The committee proposed that future meetings should be recorded. She proposed that the family go on vacation together.
refrain: to not do (something) Please refrain from smoking in the car when children are present. He couldn’t refrain from laughing when he saw the look on her face.
shriek: to make a loud, high sound Many were shrieking in pain after the bus crash. She shrieked when she saw the snake on the floor.
squander: to use wastefully and have no more It only took him two weeks to squander the money his parents gave him. He squandered his time watching cartoons on TV.
undergo: to go through an unpleasant experience For a year he had to undergo radiation treatment for his bone cancer. The baby underwent three surgeries in the first year of his life.
withdraw: to move back or take back Every Friday she withdraws $200 dollars from her bank account. The police were ordered to withdraw from the building.
Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the vocabulary above on the audio file below.
Use these flashcards to help you study.
When you think you’re ready, do the following exercise.
attempt: to try, make an effort The man will attempt to walk on a wire between the two buildings. Every year climbers attempt to reach the summit of Mount Everest.
balance: to make two sides equal She needs to balance her checkbook. He never seems to be able to balance his work life and his home life.
confide: to tell a secret, discuss private matters The only person he confides in is his wife. She was too embarrassed to confide in her parents.
defy: to not follow orders After a strong warning, the gang defied the police and called a meeting. Teenagers often defy their parents and do what they want.
dwindle: to become smaller and smaller. As the number of jobs dwindled, more and more people were out of work. The fish off the east coast have dwindled to a very low number.
function: to work, operate, do the job The computer won’t function properly. We need to call tech support. I can’t function in the morning without two cups of coffee first.
invade: to enter forcefully He felt that the government had invaded his privacy. Napoleon invaded Spain in 1808.
migrate: to move in groups to another place far away In the late fall the birds migrate south to warmer places. The very first people in north America migrated from Asia.
perish: to die, be completely destroyed All his paintings perished in the fire. Millions of people perished from the Spanish flu of 1918.
recline: to lie down He reclined on the couch after dinner and turned on the TV. They reclined on the grass and looked up at the stars.
shiver: to shake from the cold, fear or excitement The children were shivering from the lack of heat in the classroom. He shivered at the thought that he could have been killed in the accident.
specify: to say or state clearly The recipe doesn’t specify what kind of oil to use. The directions specify that the product not be used indoors.
tend: to do naturally She tends to be lazy when she’s alone. Unlike dogs, cats tend to be independent.
vomit: to throw up, empty your stomach through your mouth After drinking more than six beers, he usually vomits. When the police officer discovered the headless body, she wanted to vomit.
wrinkle: to make lines or folds in (clothing, skin) so it’s no longer smooth He wrinkled his clothes by sleeping in them all night. This new shirt doesn’t wrinkle as much as cotton does.
Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the vocabulary above on the audio file below.
Use these flashcards to help you study.
When you think you’re ready, do the following exercise.
applaud: to clap hands in appreciation The audience applauded wildly at the end of the concert. I applaud her courage in leaving her husband.
benefit: to be good for A national health program benefits everyone. A house with more bedrooms would benefit us a lot.
concern: to be of interest to, be worried A shortage of water concerns all the farmers in the area. I’m concerned about my father’s health.
deprive: to stop from having As a good mother she deprives her children of candy. Because he studied all night, he was deprived of sleep.
ensure: to make sure, guarantee This new investment will ensure the success of the company. Please ensure that the door is locked after you leave.
glance: to look at very quickly She glanced at the clock and saw it was midnight. The child glanced over his shoulder to see if anyone was following him.
infuriate: to make very angry It infuriates me when my wife takes a long time to get ready to go. When the president cancelled elections, it infuriated the citizens.
magnify: to make larger He just needs reading glasses to magnify the words so he can see them. You don’t want to magnify the problem, so just be quiet.
oppose: to try to stop by doing things against There are many people who oppose war. The church opposes the new “right to die” law.
recommend: to say someone should do (something) My friends recommend that we go eat at the new Mexican restaurant downtown. What treatment does the doctor recommend for this patient?
regret: to be sorry about I hurt your feelings, and I regret that very much. After he bought the motorcycle, he regretted his purchase.
seal: to close up tight to keep the air out When he was finished, he sealed the letter in the envelope. You need to seal that container better if you want the food to last.
sponsor: to be responsible for, support with money This show is sponsored by the Ford Motor Company. Senator Cohen helped sponsor a bill to legalize marijuana.
terrify: to greatly scare The boy terrified his sister with a snake he found in the garden. When he thinks about losing his family, it terrifies him.
verify: to prove something is true She verified that the painting was a real Van Gogh. The bank verified his signature and gave him the money.
Use these flashcards to help you study.
When you think you’re ready, do the following exercise.
abolish: to make illegal, stop forever, eliminate Canadians should either abolish the Senate or make it more democratic. Many countries have abolished the death penalty.
beckon: to gently make someone come He beckoned her to come to the back of the bus and sit with him. Canada’s north with its high salaries beckons single young men and women.
collide: to hit, run into The truck lost its brakes and collided into a tree. They say the meteor will collide with the earth in four days.
consist: to be composed of These cookies consist of flour, sugar, eggs and butter. The test consisted of all multiple choice questions.
diminish: to reduce, lessen, make smaller Drinking three beers diminished his ability to drive. His apology did nothing to diminish her anger.
estimate: to make an educated guess It’s hard to estimate the cost of building a second bathroom. His wealth is estimated at over $3 billion.
intend: to plan on doing We intend to have a picnic this weekend. I intend to graduate next year and apply to Harvard University.
mount: to become more and more After a week of rain, the number of deaths started to mount. As his debts mounted, the phone calls from his creditors increased.
penetrate: to go into or through, enter The noise from the party penetrated the walls and bothered our quiet evening. The arrow penetrated his chest but missed his heart.
pursue: to chase after, follow She plans on pursuing a career in acting. The hunter pursued the deer for kilometers before he got a good shot.
reject: to refuse to accept The bank rejected his business plan and he didn’t get the loan. Many countries reject the death penalty even for murder.
reveal: to show or tell after being hidden Magicians never reveal their tricks to the public. The bank promises not to reveal any of your personal information.
scatter: to break up or throw in different directions When the police arrived, the crowd scattered. He scattered grass seeds all over his yard.
strangle: to kill by squeezing the neck, choke The killer strangled the man with his bare hands. I almost got strangled when a rope fell into the water when I was swimming.
ventilate: to move fresh air through We need to ventilate this room; it smells like a gym. A cool breeze ventilated the house.
Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the vocabulary above on the audio file below.
Use these flashcards to help you study.
When you think you’re ready, do the following exercise.
attend: to be part of a gathering (a class, a concert, a meeting) She doesn’t attend this class any more. I have to attend a meeting, so I can’t stay very long.
chase: to run and try to catch The police chased the man for three blocks before they caught him. He chased after the bus, but it left before he got there.
climb: to go up (a tree, a mountain, stairs) Because the elevator was broken, they had to climb the stairs to their apartment. The boy climbed every tree in the neighborhood.
connect: to put things together, join We have to connect this chord to the back of the TV. They’re building a bridge to connect the island with the mainland.
drip: to fall in drops, to leak The kitchen tap drips continuously. After the shower the rain dripped off the trees.
load: to put on or into (something) It takes them about 24 hours to load the ship with grain. The students loaded their backpacks with food.
place: to put (somewhere) She placed the flowers in the center of the table. You can feel the baby if you place your hand on her stomach.
punish: to give a penalty for doing something wrong Your son must be punished for lying to you. She punished her daughter by taking away her cell phone for a week.
rub: to touch a surface with a strong continuous motion I don’t like these shoes because they rub my heels. She rubbed her hands together to make them warm.
share: to use equally The sisters share a bedroom. No, I won’t share my dessert with you.
spend: to give money to buy (something) We have to stop spending so much money. How much did you spend on this coat?
stick: to make stay in one position She stuck the photo on the wall with tape. We will stick these paper stars to the ceiling with glue.
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.
beat: to defeat, to win She beat her sister three games to two in the tennis match. I won’t let this problem beat me.
believe: to think something is true We believe you are telling us the truth. Why don’t you believe me when I say I didn’t know?
decide: to make a choice from all the possibilities They decided not to go to the dance together. I can’t decide which dress to wear.
empty: to remove the contents (of something) It’s your turn to empty the garbage. We need to empty the bookcase before we move it to the other wall.
greet: to welcome by saying something It’s your job to greet the new members to the club. They were greeted at the door by a salesperson.
owe: to be required to pay (someone) back Here’s the twenty dollars I owe you. She owes the government for unpaid taxes.
punch: to hit with your closed hand Stop punching your sister right now! He got so angry, he punched a hold in the wall.
sink: to go down, to go under water The small boat sank in the storm. They got home just as the sun sank in the west.
sneeze: to force air from your lungs to clean out your nose Her perfume was so strong that he sneezed. If you sneeze into your sleeve, you won’t spread any germs.
stare: to look at (something/someone) for a long time
It’s a bad idea to stare at the sun. He couldn’t stop staring at her beautiful face.
trip: to fall after catching your foot on something He tripped on the stairs and fell. Someone could trip on that toy if you don’t put it away.
waste: to not use in the best way Don’t waste my time with your crazy ideas. He wastes too much money on lottery tickets.
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.
attach: to connect She attached a picture of herself to the email she sent to her parents. So her son wouldn’t lose his gloves, she attached them to his sleeves.
bite: to cut with teeth The dog bit the boy on the leg. It’s not a good idea to bite your fingernails.
check: to look at carefully When I get gas for my car, I also check the oil. Check your email address to make sure it’s correct.
control: to make someone / something do what you want He has trouble controlling his anger. The teacher has to control thirty students.
fear: to be afraid of She is a leader who fears nothing. He ran away because he fears snakes.
hunt: to look for so you can get or kill I’ve been hunting for a nice painting to put over the fireplace. He and his son like to hunt for rabbits.
mean: to intend, to plan, to say She didn’t understand what he meant. We didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.
relax: to rest and not be active He likes to relax in front of the TV on Friday nights. After setting up the campsite, everyone relaxed around the fire.
shout: to yell, to be loud with your voice It’s not necessary to shout; I can hear you. She shouted at him across the parking lot, but he couldn’t hear her.
stir: to move (a liquid) around in a circular motion Would you please stir the soup while it’s heating. He slowly stirred his coffee with a spoon.
tickle: to touch with the fingers to make someone laugh He tickled the bottom of her feet. The children like to tickle each other.
trust: to believe that someone will do the right thing They trust their children to take care of the family dog. I don’t trust you because you have lied to me before.
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.
