argue To argue is to disagree, debate, or fight with words. This is a good word to use when people are upset with each other and communicate their feelings: simple past past participle argue argued argued Our neighbors constantly argue with each other. You can always hear them yelling. David argued with the teacher after class because […]
appeal To appeal is to be attractive. When something is appealing, a person likes it: I like this car. This car appeals to me. Do you like those shoes? Do those shoes appeal to you? He likes that girl. She appeals to him. She doesn’t like that boy. He doesn’t appeal to her. You can also use
anxious To feel anxious is to look forward to an event, or to feel nervousness, worry, concern or fear. Tom feels a little anxious about his new job. Sarah says she’s anxious to get married. A growling dog outside the house made everyone very anxious. Roger is anxious to get going. (He wants to leave.) I feel anxious
anonymous Use the word “anonymous” when a person chooses to donate, comment, work, or contribute without being identified. A person who is anonymous wishes to remain nameless. An anonymous donor gave a $100,000 contribution. No one knows who the donor was. People who call in to the radio show are not permitted to be anonymous. They must give
ancient If something is ancient (ain shint), it’s really old. We use this adjective for civilizations, buildings, machines, and sometimes we use it for people who are still living. Ancient civilizations built many interesting things out of stones and rocks. The ancient city of Damascus has been inhabited for thousands and thousands of years. (inhabit = to have people
ambitious A person who is ambitious is determined to succeed. Through hard work and dedication, anyone can reach his or her goals. Ambitious people are persistent. They don’t give up or quit. She’s studying to be a doctor. She’s very ambitious. Ambitious people who work hard towards their goals often succeed. Tom turned in a very ambitious
ain’t Many people will tell you that “ain’t” represents poor (bad) English, but it’s so common in spoken English, you must learn about it because you will hear it used. “Ain’t” is a contraction of the verb “be” and the adverb, “not.” She ain’t here. (She’s not here.) He ain’t going to work today. (He isn’t going
aim We use the word “aim” when there’s a goal or a target and a person is trying to hit it. The man is aiming his gun at a target. What is he aiming at? Troops aim their weapons at other troops. Missiles are aimed at other countries. Never aim a gun at a police
ail To ail is to be sick. Henry is ailing from a bad back. Jennifer is taking care of her ailing mother. (In this sentence “ailing” is an adjective.) This medicine will surely cure what ails you. Oscar had been ailing from a mysterious sickness for weeks until he saw the doctor. What’s ailing you? The word
aid A person who receives aid receives help. To afford college, most students need some kind of financial aid. (financial help) Aid was provided to a woman who lost her husband. People involved in a car accident were given first aid by paramedics. Rescuers came to the aid of a man who was lost in the wilderness.
