mostly
Almost; for the most part; nearly.
My homework is mostly done.
mainly
For the most part; chiefly; primarily.
The band's members are mainly girls.
different
Not alike; dissimilar; not identical.
I didn't recognize her at first because her hair was so different.
based
The bottom support of anything; foundation; basis.
He based his answer on the dictionary definition.
order
The listing of things by some characteristic, eg., first letter; size, color, age.
The student names were listed in alphabetical order.
paragraph
The portion of written matter dealing with one idea, usually beginning with an indentation on a
new line.
The paragraph had an excellent topic sentence.
routine
Regular; typical or everyday activity
Singing is part of the routine in Mr. Taylor's class.
speaker/s
A person who talks or is talking.
Mrs. Kuhn was the speaker at the school assembly.
most likely
Best chance of happening; highest probability.
If you don't do your homework, you will most likely get into trouble in Mr. Taylor's class.
lesson
Something to be learned or studied; part of a book, an exercise, etc., assigned for study.
The math lesson for today is long division.
suggest
To propose an idea for consideration.
Please suggest methods for encouraging students to do their homework.
comparison
Likening; reviewing similarities.
There is no comparison between driving and flying to New York.
describe/s
To tell about; to list important characteristics; to draw a picture to represent something.
Please describe Rio Vista Elementary School.
purpose
The reason for doing something; the reason something exists or is done, made, used, etc.
The purpose for homework is to give students practice in reading, writing, and arithmetic.
selection
A person or thing that has been chosen.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is one book selection for Mr. Taylor's class.
according
Agreeing.
Pluto is no longer a planet, according to a new definition.
event/s
Something that happens; an occurrence, especially one of importance.
The Science Fair is a big event at Rio Vista Elementary School.
section
A part that is cut off or separated; a part of a book or newspaper.
I like to read the sports section in the newspaper.
statement/s
Setting forth facts, etc., in a speech or writing; a single sentence or assertion.
Mrs. Kuhn issued a statement about the school performance at the last fire drill.
main idea
The most important thought of a paragraph, article, or larger written work.
The topic sentence expresses the main idea in a paragraph.
compare
To look at two or more objects to see how they are alike and different.
Mr. Taylor asked the class to compare Arizona and New Mexico.
contrast
To identify the differences between two or more things.
Mr. Taylor asked the class to contrast the Harry Potter and Malfoy characters.
greatest
Used to identify the best of three or more objects, people, etc.
The University of Kansas beat Kentucky and was the greatest college basketball team in 2012.
description
A statement, picture in words, or account that tells us how something looks, sounds, smells, thinks, etc.
Jose gave a description of the speeding car to the police.
considered
Thought about or decided upon with care.
Louis considered whether or not to have a soda with his lunch.
organized
To put things in order; people in a group with structure, e.g., a union or sports team.
It's easier to find something in an organized backpack than one with everything thrown in.
organizes
To put in order; to put individual items into some order.
Mr. Taylor organizes his class by assigning tables.
reason
A basis or cause for some belief, action, event, etc.
The reason given most often for not having a journal in class is that it was left in a car.
provided
On the condition or understanding; often with that.
You will avoid problems in Mr. Taylor's class, provided you do your homework and behave in class.
preventing
To keep from happening; to stop.
Preventing war is the goal of many people.
represent
To stand for; to present a picture to the mind.
A student was chosen to represent the class in the school council.
decides
Chooses; settles.
My mother decides what we're going to have for dinner.
theme
The subject of a composition; a short essay; the main idea or topic.
The importance of graduating from high school was the theme of of the TV show.
presented
The past tense of present; to give; to hand over.
Winners of sports tournaments are usually presented with trophies.
phrases
Two or more words in a sentence which act together as a unit.
Long sentences contain several phrases.
turning point
The place in a story where a decisive change occurs; a change of direction.
The turning point in the story was the car accident.
examples
Single items that represent a group of similar items; a pattern or model.
There are several examples of good behavior in Mr. Taylor's class.
predict/ed
To foretell the future; declare of tell in advance.
Many basketball fans predicted that Kentucky would win the NCAA basketball tournament.
cause
The reason something happens; the reason for an action.
You can cause a forest fire if you don't make certain your camp fire is out.
effect
Result; to produce results.
We do not know how much effect that CO2 produced by man has on the climate.
differ
To be unlike; to disagree in opinion or belief.
Students often differ with the grades they've been given.
article
A piece of writing about a specific topic; an individual item.
Mr. Taylor asked the class to write an article about the University of Arizona farm across from the school.
summary
A shortened version of a book, article, or paragraph which includes only the most important
ideas.
We have to write a summary about the main idea for each chapter in the book we are reading.
diagram
Usually a line drawing to illustrate a mathematical idea, or to explain the parts or operation of something.
A diagram usually helps explain the answer to a science problem.
instructions
Orders; directions; passing on knowledge or information.
Mr. Taylor has given instructions many times on the required Read and Response format.
directions
Instructions; the path to follow; steps to complete a project.
Many students do not follow the science report directions.
probably
Likely; more likely than not.
If you do not do your homework, Mr. Taylor will probably talk to your parents.
detail
A small, individual part; an item.
Responses in Mr. Taylor's class must include a topic sentence and five sentences with detail about the topic sentence.
supports
Holds up; justifies; provides a foundation for.
Mr. Taylor supports reading improvement by assigning challenging books to his class.
term
A work or group of words naming something; a division of the school year.
There is a Latin term for each part of the human body.
definition
A statement of the meaning of a word or phrase.
You sometimes have to use the Oxford English Dictionary to find the definition of a word.
closely
Near; close by.
The students closely followed each other out of the classroom when the fire alarm rang.
