Please select an activity.

1. Match Meanings                      

2. Use Words in Sentences

3. Latin Root Words

Match Meanings

Can you match the words with their meanings?

(Click here to see the answers!)

1. (correct; change; generally for the better)

2. (tending or holding toward; bent)

3. (vague; hazy; cloudy)

4. (light; heavenly; usually refined)

5. (flexible; easily influenced)

Use Words in Sentences

Can you correctly use this week's words in the following sentences?

(Click here to see the answers!)

1. In Shakespeare’s The Tempest, the spirit of Ariel is an _________ 
creature, too airy and unearthly for our mortal world.

2. Though I am _________ to be skeptical, the witness’s manner 
    _________ me to believe his story.

3. Hoping to _________ his circumstances, Luong left Vietnam for the
    United States .

4. After twenty years, she had only a _________ memory of her 
    grandmother’s face.

5. Pinocchio’s disposition was _________ ; he was like putty in his 
    tempters’ hands.

Latin Root Words

67% of all English words originate from Latin.  

Do you know which of this week's words come from Latin?

1. amend (correct; change; generally for the better)

2. inclined (tending or holding toward; bent)

3. nebulous (vague; hazy; cloudy)

4. ethereal (light; heavenly; usually refined)

5. pliant (flexible; easily influenced)

1. In Shakespeare’s The Tempest, the spirit of Ariel is an ethereal 
creature, too airy and unearthly for our mortal world.

2. Though I am inclined to be skeptical, the witness’s manner 
    inclines me to believe his story.

3. Hoping to amend his circumstances, Luong left Vietnam for the
    United States .

4. After twenty years, she had only a nebulous memory of her 
    grandmother’s face.

5. Pinocchio’s disposition was pliant; he was like putty in his 
    tempters’ hands.

Latin Root Words

nebulous (vague; hazy; cloudy) comes from the Latin word 
nebulosus < nebula meaning cloud.

pliant (flexible; easily influenced) comes from the Latin word 
plicare meaning to fold, wind, coil up.

inclined (tending or holding toward; bent) comes from the 
Latin word inclinare: in- meaning toward and clinare meaning 
to lean.

ethereal (light; heavenly; usually refined) comes from the Latin 
word aetherius meaning heavenly.

amend (correct; change; generally for the better) comes from 
the Latin word emendare meaning to correct.