Chains Vocabulary Practice #4 Name: ______

Chains Vocabulary Practice #4 Name: ______

Directions: Read the passage from the novel and based on the context clues, explain what the vocabulary word means.

1. The captain said something that we couldn’t hear, and then he pulled the sword from his scabbard … . (p. 115)

From this passage, a scabbard might be a ______.

2. Instead of wearing a hat or coat, he had a long cloak draped over his head, and his wig sat askew. (p. 107)

From this passage, askew might mean ______.

3. Within the pouch lay a green flask filled with a calming elixir prescribed by the doctor. (p. 124)

From this passage, an elixir is probably a ______.

4. Melancholy held me hostage, and the bees built a hive of sadness in my soul. (p. 157)

Melancholy most likely means ______.

5. Fortifications,” a soldier explained to a cart man. “To protect against the invasion … (p. 75)

Fortifications most likely means ______.

6. Melancholy describes a mood of sadness usually caused by thinking on an event or person. List something a person might feel melancholy about. ______

7. If a person next to you was prattling, you would most likely

a. listen closely b. ignore their mindless chatter c. tell them to stop cursing

8. If a person was on parole, they would have to

a. stay out of trouble b. report to their parole officer c. both a and b

9. If a business was unprofitable, it would most likely

a. spend more moneyb. expand to more locationsc. close

10. If your hat was askew, you would most likely

a. throw it awayb. adjust it to be straightc. wash out the stains

Directions: Underline the main verb in the sentences.

1. It is unprofitable to close your shop early on Christmas Eve.

2. I am melancholy when I think about my old dog Spotty.

3. There are fortifications all around the city of New York.

4. It is my inclination to eat ice cream when it is hot outside.

5. The prisoner was released on parole.

NOTE: All of the above main verbs are linking verbs. Linking verbs link the subject of the sentence to a word in the predicate. The most common linking verbs are forms of the verb be. Example: We are late.

Action verbs are less passive than linking verbs, and therefore they add energy and action to your writing. Action verbs tell what the subject does, either physical or mental.

Directions: Rewrite the sentences to replace the linking verb with an action verb. It is okay if you have to change the wording or add/delete words in order to create a new sentence. You are improving them!

1. The prisoner was released on parole.  The prison released the prisoner on parole.

2. Mrs. Lockton is prattling on and on about her clothes! ______

3. The elixir is needed to provide the cure.

______

4. I was in a fervor to see One Direction in concert.

______

5. The scabbard is protecting the sword.

______

6. There are fortifications erected all around the city of New York.

______