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EXERCISES WITH
YOUR D IC T IO N A R Y
BY
ERIC NEAL
HULTON EDUCATIONAL PUBLICATIONS
©
X<)66
ERIC NEAL
This book has been specially prepared for use
with A SENTENCE DICTIONARY, but
pupils may use any good dictionary.
First published 1966 by Hulton Educational Publications, Ltd,
55/59 Saffron Hill, London, E.C.i.
Printed in Great Britain by Richard Clay (The Chaucer Press), Ltd,
Bungay, Suffolk
EXERCISE 1
Do you REALLY know the alphabet ?
(a) Write down the letter of the alphabet that follows
each of these given below:
b, j, n, s, v, g, d, i, o, a, k, w, q, 1, e, x, c, f, h, m, p, r, t,
u, y.
(b) Now write the letters which come BEFORE each of
these:
c, j, x, b, f, n, s, m, v, p, g, d, r, i, t, o, u, z, y, 1, k, e, q, w.
EXERCISE 2
Here are some sentences which have been put in
‘code\ To de-code them you have to replace each
letter with the one that comes after it in the alphabet.
The first sentence has been de-coded for you. Do the
others for yourself.
(1) XNT LTRS 3QX XNTQ ADRS. (YOU MUST TRY YOUR BEST.)
(2) JDDO SGD RDBQDS.
(3) SGD RTM HR GNS.
(4) LX BNTRHM JMNVR.
(5) SGHR HR HM BNCD.
To de-code the next five sentences you replace each
letter with the one that comes BEFORE it in the
alphabet.
(1) QBTT UIF DBLFT QMFBTF.
(2) XIBU JT UIF UJNF?
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(3) UPOZ JT MBUF.
(4) EP OPU UFMM KBNFT.
(5) DPEFT BSF GVO.
EXERCISE 3
This exercise is to give you practice in finding words
quickly. Look up the words below and write down the
WORD THAT COMES AFTER each in the dictionary.
See how many words in each group you can find in
three minutes.
Keep your score and try again each week to see if you
can do better.
BEFORE BEGINNING TO LOOK UP A WORD CONSI
DER WHETHER THE LETTER IT BEGINS WITH IS
NEAR THE BEGINNING, THE MIDDLE, OR THE END
OF THE DICTIONARY.
(1) abandon, azure, babble, buzzer, cabbage, Czechoslo
vakia, dabble, dynamo, each, eyrie, fable, future.
(2) gabble, gypsy, haberdashery, hysterics, ice, ivy, jab,
juvenile, kangaroo, Kremlin, label, lyric.
(3) mythical, nag, nymph, oak, oyster, pace, python,
quack, quote, rabbi, rye, Sabbath, systematic.
(4) tab, tyre, udder, utterly, vacancy, vulture, wad, wry,
Xmas, xylophone, yacht, yule-tide, zeal, Zulu.
(5) beige, hash, confide, confiscate, pylon, haven, intact,
prim, humane, spool, hart, beckon, hexagon, horde,
pious.
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(6) rotation, pith, robot, plumage, intricate, gimlet, baulk,
privet, vanilla, sinew, abusive, escapade, plaice, sheik,
trowel.
(7) pliable, slogan, bailiff, grovel, bask, wisp, brink,
ponderous, synopsis, perimeter, modulate, intrepid,
accessible, excavate, hermit, platinum, russet.
(8) astrologer, mosque, instep, fluent, camouflage, wary,
implicate, effigy, wily, vacation, subtle, resin, harass,
rotation, gesticulate, dalmatian, benefactor, amputate.
(9) theme, vixen, bilberry, capstan, ungainly, silhouette,
divulge, admonish, recipient, yoke, shaft, hilarious,
spa, viaduct, shrew, weir, mutual, hovel, cassock,
abscond.
EXERCISE 4
As many of the words in the dictionary begin with the
same letter, they are arranged according to the letter
that comes second. For example, in the A’s, words
beginning ab come first, then words beginning ac, and
so on—like this:
A (i) (1) aMe, (2) acid, (3) admit, (4) aerial, (5) a/fable,
(6) agency, (7) a^ead, (8) afsle, (9) ajar, (10) a&in.
Look up all the above words in your dictionary, and
WRITE DOWN ANY FOR WHICH THE DICTIONARY
GIVES MORE THAN ONE MEANING.
Now do the same with the words in the groups below.
(You will see that each group is arranged in alphabeti
cal order of the SECOND letters of the words.)
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THE FIRST WORD ON EACH PAGE OF THE DIC
TIONARY IS PRINTED AT THE TOP LEFT-HAND
CORNER, AND THE LAST WORD ON THE PAGE AT
THE TOP RIGHT-HAND CORNER, SO YOU CAN SEE
AT A GLANCE WHICH PART OF THE ALPHABET IS
ON EACH PAGE.
A (ii) (i) angle, (2) approve, (3) aquarium, (4) artful,
(5) astute, (6) attire, (7) audible, (8) aviary, (9)
awash, (10) azure.
B (1) barge, (2) beam, (3) biceps, (4) bleach, (5) boar,
(6) braille, (7) bungle.
C (1) cashier, (2) cedar, (3) chaff, (4) cistern, (5) clan,
(6) colon, (7) crane, (8) curt, (9) cyclone, (10) Czech.
D (1) dais, (2) debris, (3) digit, (4) docile, (5) drawl,
(6) dune, (7) dwindle, (8) dyke.
E (i) (1) eaves, (2) eccentric, (3) edge, (4) eerie, (5) effigy,
(6) Egypt, (7) eiderdown, (8) ejaculate, (9) elegant,
(10) eminent.
E (ii) (1) entry, (2) epic, (3) equinox, (4) erosion, (5)
estuary, (6) eternity, (7) evasive, (8) ewe, (9) exhale,
(10) eyrie.
F (1) fallacy, (2) feint, (3) finch, (4) fleece, (5) foist,
(6) frivolous, (7) fugitive.
G (1) gastric, (2) gesture, (3) ghastly, (4) gimlet, (5)
glade, (6) gnash, (7) gouge, (8) grain, (9) guttural,
(10) gymnastic.
H (1) harrow, (2) heritage, (3) hind, (4) hose, (5)
husky, (6) hypocrite.
I (1) idol, (2) i.e., (3) ignite, (4) illusion, (5) immune,
(6) incline, (7) irate, (8) isobar, (9) italics, (10) ivory.
J (1) jaunt, (2) jettison, (3) jingle, (4) joiner, (5) junk.
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K (i) kayak, (2) kestrel, (3) kindred, (4) knot, (5)
Kremlin.
L (1) lance, (2) lenient, (3) listless, (4) llama, (5) lodge,
(6) lurid, (7) lynch.
M (1) maroon, (2) mettle, (3) mite, (4) mobile, (5)
mute, (6) mythical.
N (1) navigate, (2) negative, (3) nitrogen, (4) novel,
(5) nuclear, (6) nymph.
O (i) (1) oast, (2) obtuse, (3) octagon, (4) odious, (5)
officious, (6) ogre, (7) ointment, (8) olive, (9) omit,
(10) onslaught.
O (ii) (I) ooze, (2) opaque, (3) order, (4) Oslo, (5) otter,
(6) oust, (7) ovation, (8) owe, (9) oxygen, (10)
oyster.
P (1) parasite, (2) perch, (3) phase, (4) pilfer, (5)
plausible, (6) pneumatic, (7) pore, (8) prefix,
(9) psalm, (10) putrid.
Q ALL words beginning with Q have U as their
second letter.
R (1) rabble, (2) recess, (3) rhododendron, (4) rime,
(5) routine, (6) rustic, (7) rye.
S (i) (1) savoury, (2) scull, (3) seethe, (4) shaft, (5) sinew,
(6) skulk, (7) sliver, (8) smirk.
S (ii) (1) snare, (2) sole, (3) species, (4) squalid, (5)
stevedore, (6) supreme, (7) swivel, (8) synopsis.
T (1) tangible, (2) tedious, (3) theme, (4) tiller,
(5) toll, (6) trounce, (7) tuition, (8) twine, (9)
tyrant.
U (1) udder, (2) ukulele, (3) ulcer, (4) umpire, (5)
unruly, (6) upshot, (7) urban, (8) usher, (9) utter.
V (i) vandal, (2) vendor, (3) visual, (4) void, (5)
vulgar.
W (1) waif, (2) weal, (3) whet, (4) wily, (5)w oe,
(6) wrap.
Y (1) yam, (2) yearn, (3) yield, (4) yoke.
Z (1) zeal, (2) zither, (3) zoology, (4) Zulu.
EXERCISE 5
This exercise has to do with arranging words in order.
(All the words are in the dictionary; so if you have
difficulty in arranging them you can look there to see
how it is done.)
(1) Arrange these words in their correct alphabetical
order, according to their FIRST letters;
(a) fifty, jewel, deck, history, absent, boil, yolk, knot,
mole, cube.
(b) rank, organ, petal, gull, abolish, dahlia, force, bacteria,
earn, cancel.
(c) capsule, easel, idea, bailiff, jewel, gravy, acacia, lazy,
nap, damson.
(d) deceit, halo, academy, ignore, learn, banisters, canopy,
eclipse, jewel, native.
(e) impudent, casserole, kennel, niece, barrier, legend,
decree, hammer, access, elegant.
(/) harpoon, acquit, index, design, kettle, baton, numb,
cavity, embrace, lily.
(g) beige, indeed, deluge, haunt, achieve, enmity, census,
kilt, lion, oath.
ill) love, erupt, believe, heather, inhale, kiss, affable,
deprive, obedient, chalet.
(i) labour, desk, loyal, biceps, explain, octave, chef, herd,
ailment, ingot.
(j) maggot, chrysalis, devote, fable, amiable, hermit,
inside, billion, lace, owl.
(k) farm, ample, hide, circuit, iron, lance, blithe, dignity,
maize, tabby.
(/) jester, disgust, lard, blurt, mauve, clarinet, annex,
pantry, zinc, fiction.
(2) All the words in each group have the same first
letter; arrange them in alphabetical order according
to their SECOND letters:
(a) aspire, affable, avert, abolish, annex, acacia, appro
priate, amiable, ailment.
(b) biceps, baton, bulge, believe, blurt, braid, bouquet.
(c) cringe, console, cygnet, climax, cavity, chalet, cubicle,
census, circuit.
(d) duke, daffodil, dial, deaf, dozen, dynamo, dwarf,
dragon.
(e) elegant, eternal, eye, earn, effort, eclipse, edible, error,
eject, Egypt.
(/) flex, freeze, fife, fabric, fuse, fern.
(g) ghost, gnaw, gym, gander, genuine, giddy, gull, glen,
gravy, goal
(k) hide, hump, home, hyphen, halo, hermit.
(*) ignore, idea, ice, ivy, item, illness, issue, invade, iron,
impudent.
(/) lion, lyre, luxury, lock, lace, lethal.
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