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When you are asked about yourself in a job interview, or you’re describing someone, the best way to do that is to use the following personal qualities:

accurate:              able to do the work with no mistakes
adaptable:           able to change to a new situation
ambitious:           wanting more and better things in life
amusing:              able to make people laugh
athletic:                 being in shape and able to do sports
bold:                        fearless, doing things before others do them
caring:                   caring about other people
confident:             knowing who you are and what you can do
conscientious:    always doing the right thing
considerate:        thinking of other people’s needs and emotions
cooperative:        able to work well with other people
creative:                able to make things no one has made before
curious:                wanting to know something
decisive:                able to make decisions quickly
dependable:         always doing what you say you’ll do
determined:        willing to do what’s necessary to achieve a goal
diligent:                 making a constant effort
disciplined:         able to control yourself
efficient:                able to get a lot done in a short amount of time
energetic:              having a lot of energy and not getting tired
enthusiastic:       very interested and excited
flexible:                  able to change in a new situation
generous:              sharing what’s yours with other people
honest:                    telling the truth and doing the right thing
informed:              knowing a lot of information
loyal:                         faithful to your friends or to an organization
mature:                   acting like an adult and not a child
modest:                   not telling other people what good things you have done
motivated               having good reasons to do well
open-minded:       able to listen to opposite sides of an argument
optimistic:             able to see the good things in life
organized:              knowing where everything is and what needs to be done
passionate:            having strong emotions about something
patient:                    able to do hard or boring jobs and not get angry or bored
personable             well-liked by others, friendly
persuasive:            able to make other people agree with you
practical:                 doing things that you know are going to work
proactive:                doing things to stop a future problem from happening
punctual:                 on time
qualified:                 having the training, education or experience to do a job
resourceful:           able to solve problems creatively by using what is available
responsible:            feeling like it’s your duty to do a job
sensible:                   having good judgment
sensitive:                  able to feel your own and others’ emotions
sincere:                     honest and open in feelings and thoughts
talented:                    having an easy ability to do something
thorough:                  doing everything that is required and then more
trustworthy:           able to be trusted
versatile:                   able to do many different skillful things
well-balanced:         doing equal work and equal play, having a lot of interests
well-groomed:         having a neat and clean appearance

Use these flashcards to help you study.

© 2013 Ambien Malecot

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afford: to have enough money or time for (something)
I can’t afford a new car this year.
Can we afford to ignore his advice?

beg: to ask desperately
She begged her father for a loan until she could find a job.
I beg of you, please don’t hurt me!

cause: to make happen
The accident on the highway caused thousands to be late for work.
Did you hear that loud noise last night? I wonder what caused it.

confuse: to make unclear
Calculus has always confused me.
The teacher’s instructions confused some of the students.

damage: to break or partly destroy something
The explosion damaged his eardrums.
The flood damaged all their furniture.

embarrass: to make (someone) feel shame
I want you to behave and not embarrass me at the party.
His mother embarrassed him by showing pictures of him as a baby.

guarantee: to promise a refund if you don’t like something
The store guaranteed their customers’ satisfaction.
The online store guarantees delivery in five business days.

itch: to have an irritation on your body that needs to be scratched
My right ear has been itching ever since we went swimming yesterday.
My toes itch so bad that I can’t stop scratching them.

mend: to fix, to repair (clothing, heart, relationship)
How do you mend a broken heart?
I can mend those holes in your jeans, if you like.

possess: to have as your own
He possesses the ability to make people believe him.
We know that you possess two handguns.  Where’s the other?

prevent: to stop (something) from happening
I can’t prevent my teenage daughter from seeing her boyfriend.
Only you can prevent forest fires.

reflect: to bounce light back after hitting a surface
White roofs reflect sunlight back into space and help cool the earth.
The mirror reflected an image of a tired old man.

require: to need
This job requires someone with patience and organization.
He requires absolute silence when he’s studying.

shock: to surprise in a bad or strong way
She shocked her parents when she said she wasn’t going to university.
He enjoyed shocking his sister with a dead snake.

wonder: to think about curiously
I wonder what’s taking her so long. She should be here by now.
Do you ever wonder what it would be like to fly?

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

 

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affect:  to make a change on something/someone
Too much sugar affects my health in a bad way.
Your lateness affects everyone in the class.

commit:  to do what is necessary to achieve a goal.
You must commit to practicing the violin everyday if you want to get good.
She’s willing to commit to this relationship.

demand:  to strongly ask for
I demand to see the manager.
She demanded to be included in the meeting.

discard:  to throw away
I’m keeping this one but discarding all the rest.
Please discard your old batteries at the recycle center.

explode:  to expand rapidly with force and a loud noise
They heard a bomb explode inside the bank.
At nine o’clock, the sky exploded with fireworks.

gather:  to collect together, to come together
The campers gathered wood for the fire.
The children gathered together to hear the story.

interrupt:  to rudely stop someone else’s activity
I didn’t mean to interrupt your dinner, but this is important.
The fire alarm interrupted their final exam.

last:  to continue in time
How long will this movie last?
If you take care of this car, it should last you another ten years.

moan:  to make sounds of being hurt, to complain
Stop moaning and finish your homework.
He could hear the wounded soldiers moaning in the dark.

prepare:  to get ready
She prepared a wonderful dinner for their anniversary.
The village was not prepared for the earthquake.

reach:  to get to (a place)
He had to reach the top shelf to get a role paper towels.
When they reached the beach, everyone ran towards the ocean.

replace:  to change one thing for another
In my coffee I replace sugar with honey.
Please replace the top on the toothpaste when you’re finished.

sparkle:  to shine by reflecting light
Her diamond sparkled in the sunlight.
Her eyes sparkle when she laughs.

suggest:  to introduce an idea for possible action
Her mother suggested that she start a diary.
I suggest we have a barbecue this weekend.

whisper:  to talk without using your voice
In the library everyone is supposed to whisper.
He whispered something in her ear and then left.

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

 

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admit: to say that you did something wrong
There’s no way I’m going to admit to taking that money.
She admits lying to the police.

argue: to disagree with someone in a strong voice
Many couples argue over how to spend their money.
I don’t remember what we argued about, but it was serious.

complain: to say that you don’t like something
They complained several times about the loud music nest door.
He can complain all he wants, but it will do no good.

drown: to die by not breathing under water
Her husband drowned in a boating accident last summer.
If you don’t want to drown, you’d better wear that lifejacket.

frighten: to scare, to make afraid
Both cats were frightened by the loud thunder and ran under the bed.
You frightened me when you came in without knocking.

instruct: to teach, to show how to do something
The coach instructed him on how to play defence.
She was instructed in all the arts, especially music,

manage: to be able to
They managed to escape through the bathroom window.
I can’t manage three things at the same time.

notice: to see briefly
He noticed that she wasn’t wearing her wedding ring.
Did you notice the words on his T-shirt?

perform: to entertain people
He likes to perform magic tricks at children’s birthday parties.
She’s never performed before such a large audience before.

prove: to show something is true with evidence
You can’t prove that I was the last one to see him alive.
In the end they proved that he was responsible for the crash.

receive: to get
We received this package this morning, but we haven’t opened it.
Yesterday he received a phone call at about six o’clock.

release: to let go, to set free
He was released from prison last month.
She took a dove out of the cage and released it into the air.

soak: to be under water for a long time
The dishes are soaking in hot water. I’ll wash them later.
She likes to soak in the bathtub for hours.

surround: to be all around
The boys surrounded the campfire and started to cook their hotdogs.
They’ll catch him. The building is surrounded by police.

worry: to think bad things are going to happen
She is always worrying about her children.
Don’t worry. Everything’s going to be alright.

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

 

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audience:  the people who are listening or watching
After her performance, the audience cheered loudly.
During the school play, Susan saw her mother sitting in the audience.

beard:  the hair a man has on his cheeks and chin
The little girl pulled on Santa’s beard to see if it was real.
He shaved off his beard because his girlfriend didn’t like it.

building:  a structure with walls, a roof and usually windows used for activities such as living, entertainment and manufacturing
He works in the medical research building at the hospital.
There are many more buildings in the city than ten years ago.

edge:  the part where a surface drops off
The movie was so exciting everyone was sitting on the edge of their seats.
The car drove off the edge of a cliff and crashed into the ocean.

gasoline:  the liquid that is necessary for a motor to run
They canceled their trip across the country because of the price of gasoline.
Henry ran out of gasoline and had to walk to the nearest service station.

hanger:  a metal or plastic device used to hang shirts, coats and other clothing in a closet
All the coats are on hangers in the hall closet.
After she irons her blouses, she puts them on hangers.

island:  a piece of land totally surrounded by ocean or other water.
They own an island in Maine, where they have a summer camp.
Jamaica is an island in the Caribbean Sea.

marriage:  the official union of two people.
Paul asked his long-time girlfriend if he could have her hand in marriage.
Their marriage ended in divorce in 2007.

noise:  unpleasant or meaningless sound
Mom says to stop that noise.  She’s trying to study.
He knew there was a party next door because of all the noise.

piece:  part of something
For dessert I’ll take a piece of that blueberry pie.
She knocked the vase off the table and had to clean up all the broken pieces.

secret:  information that is known and shared by only a few people
Her surprise birthday party is a secret, so don’t tell anybody
Can you keep a secret?

video:  moving picture
The police have been given videos of the fight that people took with their smart phones.
You can upload your wedding video to YouTube so your relatives can see it.

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

 

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artificial:    made by humans, not natural
This candy has artificial colors and flavors.
After the accident, he got an artificial leg.

circular:    in the shape of a circle
Be careful with that circular saw.  You can lose a finger.
He cleaned the windows using a circular motion.

daily:    happening every day
Do you read the daily newspaper?
I always take my daily vitamins .

enormous:    very large
His feet are enormous.
The Rocky Mountains are an enormous range.

entire:    all, whole
I can’t believe I ate the entire cake.
The entire school welcomed the returning war hero.

fancy:    much better than ordinary
She made a fancy dinner for her in-laws.
I think I’ll wear something fancy on my date.

forgetful:    not able to remember
She’s becoming more and more forgetful.
When I’m very busy, I sometimes become forgetful.

hilarious:    very funny
That was a hilarious speech you gave to the students.
It’s hilarious that you can’t remember your own phone number.

miserable:    very uncomfortable or uneasy
It’s been raining for 3 days.  I don’t like this miserable weather.
Everyone feels miserable when they have a cold.

narrow:    thin, not wide
His truck is too wide for these narrow streets.
Her hair is brown and her nose is narrow.

obedient:    doing what you are told to do
I trained my dog well, and now he’s very obedient.
What an obedient child you have!

plentiful:    lots, much, many
The apples on my tree are plentiful this year.
The fish are plentiful in this lake.

reckless:    careless, unconcerned about results
My friend is a reckless driver, and it scares me.
He is reckless with his money.

stubborn:    not wanting to change your mind
When she gets stubborn, she won’t listen to you.
He wants to have dinner at 6:00, and he’s stubborn about it.

wealthy:    rich, having a lot
There are many wealthy people living in Vancouver.
He has a wealthy knowledge of history.

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