Category: Nouns

A word that names a person, place, thing, quality, action, state, or concept. Nouns function as subjects or objects in sentences and can be modified by articles, adjectives, and other determiners. Nouns can be concrete (physical objects) or abstract (ideas, feelings), and can be classified as proper (specific names) or common (general categories).

Nouns Verbs

detour

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Word Image

plural: detours

Part Of Speech

noun, verb

Word Meaning

noun: a departure from a direct course or the usual procedure; a roundabout way temporarily replacing a regular route

verb: to send or proceed by a detour

Word Family

detoured

detouring

Sentences

After a number of unexpected detours, we finally arrived at our destination.

The little restaurant is well worth a small detour.

We took a detour from the busy main streets.

We had to make a detour around the heavy traffic.

The road is closed ahead, so traffic will have to follow the detour signs.

Traffic will be detoured to 72nd Street.

They took a couple of detours through the city to see the most popular sights.

We detoured around the road construction.

A police officer was detouring traffic around the scene of the accident.

Drivers are encouraged to detour around the crash.

Exercises

Tags detour

Nouns Verbs

detail

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Word Image

plural: details

Part Of Speech

noun, verb

Word Meaning

noun: a dealing with something item by item; a small part or feature; selection (as of a group of soldiers) for some special service

verb: to report in detail; to assign to a task

Word Family

detailed

detailing

detailer

Sentences

Every detail of the wedding was carefully planned.

The job requires attention to detail.

We admired the detail of the artist’s work.

The book details the series of events that led to the tragedy.

The Army has detailed him to investigate the complaints.

She wrote a letter detailing her complaints.

The novel is full of historical details.

The police were explaining without going into the details.

He is with the security detail assigned to guard the president.

The article provides further details.

Exercises

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Nouns Verbs

mess

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Word Image

plural: messes

Part Of Speech

noun, verb

Word Meaning

noun: a quantity of food; a place where meals are regularly served to a group; a state or condition of confusion, disorder, or unpleasantness; a large quantity or number

verb: to supply with meals; to make dirty or untidy; to do incorrectly; to interfere with; to work without a serious goal; to handle or play with something especially carelessly; to rough up

Word Family

messed

messing

messy

messiness

messily

Sentences

Well, that’s another fine mess you’ve gotten me into!

He was a muddy mess after gardening all day.

I need to clean my messy kitchen again.

My handwriting is the messiest!

Please stop messing with him while he’s trying to concentrate.

The soldiers ate together in the mess hall.

He was a mess during his daughter’s wedding ceremony.

Your home life is so messed up.

Her hair is pulled into a low, messy bun.

Your messiness is starting to get on my nerves.

Exercises

Tags mess

Adverbs Nouns

maybe

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plural:

Part Of Speech

noun, adverb

Word Meaning

noun: the quality or state of being uncertain

adverb: possibly but not certainly

Word Family

Sentences

Maybe we can make it to the concert if we hurry.

She answered with a shrug and a “maybe”.

He said he’d return in maybe a year or so.

Maybe I just need a little rest, and I will feel better.

Maybe they will win their final game this week.

Maybe that wasn’t what he meant.

There are too many maybes involved and the cost to taxpayers is too high.

They suggested that maybe the file had been saved in the shared cloud drive.

If the weather holds out, maybe the fireworks display will still take place this evening.

Maybe we should leave a few minutes early to avoid the traffic.

Exercises

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Nouns Verbs

sweep

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Word Image

plural: sweeps

Part Of Speech

noun, verb

Word Meaning

noun: an act or instance of sweeping; a winning of all the contests; a movement of great range and force; a curving or circular course or line; a person who cleans soot from chimneys

verb: to remove from a surface with or as if with a broom or brush; to drive or carry along with great force; to win all of; to move with stately or sweeping movements; to move or extend in a wide curve or range

Word Family

swept

sweeping

sweeper

sweepingly

upsweep

chimneysweep

streetsweeper

Sentences

He swept the dirt off the floor and into a dustbin.

The limo came sweeping up to the door.

The papers were suddenly swept off the desk by a gust of wind.

Are you finished sweeping the porch?

She swept the curtains aside to see who was out there.

He swept all the crumbs from the table.

Forest fires were sweeping across the state.

The police did a security sweep of the area.

The Mets lost all six games, including a sweep at Kansas City.

He did a quick sweep with his flashlight to check the alleyway.

Exercises

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Nouns Verbs

upgrade

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Word Image

plural: upgrades

Part Of Speech

noun, verb

Word Meaning

noun: an upward grade or slope; an increase in amount, number, or volume; enhanced value or excellence

verb: to raise to a higher grade, quality, or position; to improve or replace, especially software or a device, for increased usefulness

Word Family

upgraded

upgrading

upgradable

upgradability

Sentences

The office is upgrading the telephone system.

The hospital upgraded the patient’s condition to good.

This course will help you upgrade your computer skills.

They came upon a slight upgrade in the road.

They upgraded the hotel to attract more business patrons.

We were able to upgrade to first class on our flight.

We had reserved a double room, but the hotel upgraded us to a suite.

My computer needed multiple upgrades to run faster.

They’ve upgraded the quality of their service.

A system upgrade is being installed on my phone right now.

Exercises

Tags upgrade

Nouns Verbs

wrench

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Word Image

plural: wrenches

Part Of Speech

noun, verb

Word Meaning

noun: a violent twisting or pull; a sharp twist or sudden jerk that strains muscles or ligaments; a tool for holding, twisting, or turning (as nuts and bolts);

verb: to move with a violent twist; to pull, strain, or tighten with violent twisting or force; to injure by a violent twisting or straining; to snatch forcibly; to cause to suffer mental anguish; acute emotional distress or sudden, violent mental change

Word Family

wrenched

wrenching

wrenchingly

Sentences

He wrenched his back when he tried to lift a heavy box.

It was a wrench to say goodbye to all my friends.

My toolbox has a set of wrenches, pliers, and screwdrivers.

I tried to wrench myself free from his grip.

The statue was wrenched from its pedestal.

When I fell, I wrenched my knee badly.

She wrenched the toy from his grasp.

The statue was wrenched from its pedestal.

I brought the wrong size wrench for the job.

With a sharp wrench of the hammer, I pulled the nail from the board.

Exercises

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Nouns Verbs

flare

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Word Image

plural: flares

Part Of Speech

noun, verb

Word Meaning

noun: a fire or blaze of light used to signal, light up something, or attract attention; a device or material that produces such a flare; an unsteady, glaring light; a spreading outward; a sudden burst (as of flame or anger)

verb: to burn with an unsteady flame; to shine or blaze suddenly; to become suddenly excited or angry; to open or spread outward

Word Family

flared

flaring

flare-up

Sentences

The airport set flares to guide the landing plane at night.

Today, we witnessed a flare-up of tempers in the courtroom.

A match flared in the darkness as he lit the candle.

My sister took medication to prevent a flare-up of her asthma.

A sudden pain flared up in his chest, stopping him.

The jeans they used to wear would flare at the bottom.

The bull flared its nostrils, preparing to charge.

When the crew saw flares go up, they knew the other ship was in trouble.

The sun has been discharging major solar flares lately.

The fire department had already been there, but the fire had flared back up.

Exercises

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Nouns

appointment

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Word Image

plural: appointments

Part Of Speech

noun

Word Meaning

the act or an instance of appointing; a position or office to which a person is named; an agreement to meet at a fixed time

Word Family

appoint

appointed

appointing

appointee

reappoint

disappoint

Sentences

I have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow morning at nine o’clock.

He now holds an appointment from the President.

I don’t want to be late for my appointment again.

He has an appointment for an interview tomorrow.

She is very proud of her appointment as ambassador to Spain

Did he get his job by appointment or election?

They arrived promptly at the appointed time.

Today is the announcement of the presidential appointees to the cabinet.

Congress will be appointing a new committee for the issue.

After his parents died, the boy’s uncle was appointed as his guardian.

Exercises

PDF-Download Wordformulation: appointment

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Nouns Verbs

oil

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Word Image

plural: oils

Part Of Speech

noun, verb

Word Meaning

noun: any of numerous greasy, flammable, usually liquid substances from plant, animal, or mineral sources that do not dissolve in water and are used especially as lubricants, fuels, and food; something (as a cosmetic) like oil or containing an oil; artist’s paints made of pigments and oil

verb: to put oil on or in

Word Family

oiled

oiling

oily

oilier

oiliest

oiliness

oilskin

oilcan

oilcloth

oilseed

Sentences

The price of crude oil is expected to rise.

A little bit of oil will help lubricate the chain.

The dressing is made with oil, vinegar, and a pinch of herbs.

We heat our house with oil.

He oiled the bearings of the machine.

Olive oil is used at every meal in Italy.

I found a new facial oil that makes my skin so soft.

My hair is a little oily and needs to be washed tonight.

I spent the afternoon oiling the antique wooden chest to protect it from cracking and restore its deep luster.

Be sure to oil the grill before putting the chicken on to cook.

Exercises

Tags oil