1st Grade Reading › Distinguish Shades of Meaning Among Verbs and Adjectives: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.1.5.D
In general, Ally was a happy student who enjoyed learning in all of her classes, but she absolutely loved science, perhaps because it was led by her all-time favorite teacher, Mrs. Goshorn.
Which of the following words would be the best replacement for the underlined word “loved” above?
liked
enjoyed
adored
approved of
We already know that Ally likes most of her classes, so when the sentence goes out of its way to highlight a class she absolutely loved, we know we need a really strong word. “Adored” is a really strong way of saying that someone especially likes something, much stronger than just “liked” or “enjoyed.”
Tarik worked hard on his art project, so he was extra proud when his teacher told him that he did a spectacular job on it.
Which of the following words would be the best replacement for the underlined word “spectacular” above?
fantastic
good
nice
okay
The word “spectacular” is even better than just “good” or “nice,” and we know that Tarik was “extra proud” of what his teacher told him. So we need a word stronger than “good” and here “fantastic” is the strongest adjective available.
Select the best word to replace “thrilled” in the sentence below.
Alice was thrilled to wear her new dress for her birthday party.
Sad
Excited
Troubled
Concerned
“Sad”, “troubled”, and “concerned” are adjectives that are not used to express happiness. “Excited” is a synonym of “thrilled” and is the best word to replace “thrilled.”
Select the correct word to replace “jumped” in the sentence below.
James jumped over the puddle in his new rain boots.
Rolled
Skated
Slid
Hopped
“Rolled,” “slid,” and “skated” are actions that are not possible to do in rain boots. “Hopped” is the correct answer because it is a similar action to “jumped.”
Select the word that would best replace "huge" in the sentence below:
The bear looks huge from up close.
gigantic
large
small
tiny
Huge means to be very big, it's a more intense adjective than just saying "big". "Tiny" and "small" are opposites of "huge", which means neither are correct.
"Large" and "gigantic" could both replace the word "huge" because they both mean big. However, "gigantic" is the best choice because like "huge" it means very big and is a more intence adjective.
Select the verb that would best complete the sentence below:
I was so angry at her, when she walked by I __________ at her.
glared
looked
glanced
peeked
"Glared", "glanced", and "peeked" are all ways to look at someone. However, because the person is angry in this sentence the best answer to fill in the blank is "glared".
"Glare" means to look at someone with anger.
Select the correct word to replace “jumped” in the sentence below.
James jumped over the puddle in his new rain boots.
Rolled
Skated
Slid
Hopped
“Rolled,” “slid,” and “skated” are actions that are not possible to do in rain boots. “Hopped” is the correct answer because it is a similar action to “jumped.”
Select the best word to replace “angry” in the sentence below.
Charlie was angry when his block tower fell over but he was excited to be able to build a bigger and better block tower.
Happy
Concerned
Frustrated
Pleased
“Happy” and “pleased” is the opposite of “angry” therefore neither are a good replacement for “angry.” “Concerned” could be used but expresses worry rather than being “angry.” “Frustrated” is the correct word to replace “angry” in the sentence above.
Select the verb that completes the sentence below.
Georgia was running fast in her race and I was so excited I _____ her on as she crossed the finish line!
Cheered
Cried
Worried
Waved
“Cried” and “worried” do not show the excitement Georgia’s friend was feeling as she was running her race. “Waved” also does not express the excitement Georgia’s friend felt. Therefore, “cheered” is the correct answer to show the excitement Georgia’s friend had for her as she ran her race and crossed the finish line.
Select the adjective that best completes the sentence below.
Clara’s eyes lit up with delight and her smile was ____ at the sight of the newly blooming flowers in her garden.
Little
Miniature
Huge
Crooked
“Little,” “miniature,” and “crooked” do not show the delight Clara was feeling when she saw the flowers in her garden. “Huge” best describes Clara’s smile as her eyes lit up with delight and is the correct answer.