Helping English

Five Words in Context

Figure out the meanings of the following five words by looking closely and carefully at the sentences below.

1. comprehend          a. Although my Japanese friend knew English pretty well

verb                             when she came to this country, she did not

                                    comprehend such  slang terms as “cool” and “gross”.

                                  b. I cannot comprehend how a computer words, but at

                                       least I understand ow to use one for writing papers.

     2  dramatic                      a.  Because of their dramatic size and thick shells,

       adjective                             ostrich eggs take forty minutes to hard boil.  

                                                b. To hold our attention, our gym teacher used

                                                     dramatic movements, such as waving her arms or

                                                     or jumping.  

3. frank                        a. Mr. Robins told his doctor, “Please be frank with me.

adjective                           If you have determined what is wrong with me,

                                      please tell me the truth.”

                                    b. “To be frank,” my sister said to me, “your new hairdo

                                         looks like you stuck your finger into an electrical

                                         socket.

     4  illustrate                      a. Reverend Johnson illustrated his point about

         verb                                     forgiving by telling a story about one victim who

                                                    who learned to forgive his attacker.

                                                b. The second graders wrote stories and then

                                                     illustrated them with colorful pictures.

     5   impression                  a. My first impression of Leroy was that he was loud

           noun                                and ill-mannered, but spending time with him

                                                    convinced me that under all the noise was a warm,

                                                    friendly person.

                                                 b. I had the impression that Vicky was coming to the

                                                      ski trip, but at the last minute I learned that she’d

                                                     never really planned to come.   

Matching Words and Definitions

Check your understanding of the five words by matching each word with its definition. The sentences above will help you decide on the meaning of each word.

_______ 1. comprehend                                 a. to make clear, as with example,

                                                                                  demonstration, or picture

_______ 2. dramatic                                         b. very impressive or noticeable

_______ 3. frank                                                c. a belief, opinion, or thought – often

                                                                                   based on little information

_______ 4. Illustrate                                         d. to completely understand

_______ 5. Impression                                     e. honest and open; sincere

Answer Key

1 d – 2 b – 3 e – 4 a – 5 c

Checkpoint 1

Complete each sentence below with the correct word from the box. Use each word once.

1. A __________________outfit is unusual and will attract attention.
2. Your first __________________ of people is the same thing as your first opinion of them.
3. If you say that you __________________ a math problem, it means you understand it well.
4. A __________________person, is likely to tell you just what he or she thinks of your new hairdo, instead of giving you false compliments.
5. A good way to make an idea more clear is to __________________ it in some way. To do so, you might use an example or a picture.

Answer Key

1 dramatic – 2 impression – 3 comprehend – 4 frank – 5 illustrate