MODULE 5 (of 30)

If you wish your speech and writing to have impact, you must choose precise, dynamic verbs. Here are twelve precise, dynamic verbs used in context. Study them carefully and try to guess their meanings.

The definitions are given below. 1. He was incensed by the committees curt refusal to give him a hearing. 2. The witnesss evidence vindicated the accused man. 3. They were unable to produce any proof to substantiate their claims. 4. She relinquished her claim to the house. 5. He attempted unsuccessfully to dissemble his real intentions. 6. The novelist had plagiarised the work of others. 7. They feign penitence but persist in their sinful ways. 8. He was exposed as a cheat and ostracised by his fellow officers. 9. He was vilified by the tabloid press. 10. Accepting the lawyers plea that there were extenuating circumstances, the judge decided not to impose a custodial sentence. 11. They arrived early at the meeting so as to pre-empt the most advantageous positions. 12 He had a capacity for delineating emotions he had never felt.
ANSWERS

incense - enrage, make angry. vindicate - establish the existence or merits or justice of ( ones character, conduct, assertion). substantiate - demonstrate or verify by proof or evidence. relinquish - give up, abandon, resign, surrender; let go (something held). dissemble - cloak, disguise, conceal; conceal ones opinions, intentions, etc. under feigned guise; play the hypocrite. plagiarize - take and use another persons (thoughts, writings) as ones own. feign - invent (excuse, story, accusation); forge (document); represent fictitiously; imitate deceptively. ostracize - exclude from society, refuse to associate with. vilify - defame; speak evil of. extenuate - lessen seeming magnitude of (guilt, offence) by partial excuse.

pre-empt - acquire or appropriate in advance; purchase before opportunity is offered to other. delineate - show by drawing or description, portray. Google's photo software. It's what should've come with your camera. Referring to the list above only where necessary, write the appropriate verb beside its
definition. 1. He was enraged by the managers decision to transfer him. He was ......................... 2. The accused accountant cleared himself of guilt by producing his bank statements. He ........................... himself. 3. She has been unable to verify her claims. She has been unable to ........................ them. 4. He surrendered the gun. He ................. it. 5. He tries to disguise his real intentions for the purpose of deceiving. He ..................... his real intentions. 6. He steals from anothers work and presents it as his own. He ........................... 7. He pretends to be injured. He ....................... injury. 8. He has been blacklisted by the other members of his club. They have ........................ him. 9. They blackened his good name. They ................ him. 10. His present concern for his parents is an attempt to lessen the blame for his past neglect of them. He is trying to ................. his past neglect. 11. When we arrived we found that the visitors had taken up all the parking spaces. They had ...................... all the parking spaces. 12. The author described in great detail the many-faceted character of the heroine. The author ................ the many-faceted character of the heroine.

ANSWERS
1 - incensed; 2 - vindicated; substantiate; 4 - relinquish; 5 -dissembles; 6 - plagiarizes; 7 - feigns; 8 - ostracized; 9 - vilified; 10 - extenuate; 11 - pre-empted; 12 - delineated.

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If you are still unsure of the meanings of today's twelve verbs, read over the following definitions before completing the final exercise below. incense - anger. vindicate - clear of blame or suspicion, justify by evidence. substantiate - prove, confirm. relinquish - surrender, yield, relax hold of. dissemble - disguise, pretend. plagiarize - pirate, steal. feign - counterfeit, fabricate. ostracize - blacklist, boycott. vilify - revile, asperse, malign. extenuate - excuse, justify; to make something seem less blameworthy. pre-empt - usurp. delineate - depict, portray, outline. In the column on the right are twelve dictionary definitions of the words dealt with today. Try to match each word with its definition.

1. ................ disguise, pretend. 2. ................ excuse, justify. 3. ................ blacklist, boycott. 4. ................ surrender, yield, relax hold of. 5. ................ usurp. 6. ................ clear of blame or suspicion, justify by evidence. 7. ................ depict, portray, outline. 8. ................ pirate, steal. 9. ................ prove, confirm. 10. ................ anger. 11. ................ revile, asperse, malign. 12. ................ counterfeit, fabricate. ANSWERS
1 - dissemble; 2 - extenuate; 3 - ostracize; 4 - relinquish; 5 - pre-empt; 6 - vindicate; 7 - delineate; 8 - plagiarize; 9 - substantiate; 10 - incense; 11 - vilify; 12 - feign. Copyright 2002-2006 Assignments Plus Publications Ltd