Grade 5: List 6

Vocabulary is key to performing well on Common Core-aligned tests for English Language Arts as well as for building literacy in social studies, science, and technical subjects. This collection features common tier-2 words that are taught and tested at every grade level. These words are used in a variety of contexts, exhibit different shades of meaning based on those contexts, and appear commonly in classroom instruction and on standardized assessments.

Here are links to our lists for the collection: List 1, List 2, List 3, List 4, List 5, List 6, List 7, List 8
20 words 46 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. punctuation
    marks clarifying meaning by indicating separation of words
    The semicolon is one of the most useful but least used punctuation marks.Woe Is I
  2. punctuate
    insert marks to clarify meaning
    “Of course I punctuate my text messages, I did A-level English,” one young man explained, with a look of scorn.Eats, Shoots & Leaves
  3. purpose
    an anticipated outcome that guides your planned actions
    If that sounds surprising, given her passionate Jewish identity and family history with the Holocaust, know that the whole purpose of this book is to explore and explain it.Washington Post (Aug 27, 2021)
  4. speaker
    the narrative voice of a poem (as distinct from the poet)
    "I was a poet in hiding and as a result wrote poems with a speaker always in hiding," she says of the poems written before 2006, when she became a legal permanent resident.Los Angeles Times (May 5, 2016)
  5. informative
    serving to instruct or enlighten
    “While we research your family trees,” she said, “please enjoy this short and informative film.”Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library
  6. quotation
    a passage or expression that is cited
    All quotations were either from the Bible or Shakespeare.The Westing Game
  7. direct
    in precisely the same words used by a writer or speaker
    See, I told you it was a direct quote.Better Nate Than Ever
  8. quotation mark
    a punctuation mark used to attribute the enclosed text to someone else
    The opening quotation marks always go right before the first word of the quotation: “Can we talk?”Woe Is I
  9. reason
    an explanation of the cause of some phenomenon
    The reason she sounded different was because she was pinching her nose.Crash
  10. report
    an essay, especially one written as an assignment
    And he signals for Carlyle to give me an F on my report.Challenger Deep
  11. research
    systematic investigation to establish facts
    You’ll all be researching your question, because research is fun, fun, fun!The Science of Breakable Things
  12. revise
    make changes to
    “I revised one chapter and added a new scene. Slow and steady wins the race. But enough about me. Tell me about this project.”The Parker Inheritance
  13. root word
    the form of a word after all affixes are removed
    “Gala” — the root word that gives us “galaxy” — actually means “milk.”New York Times (Jul 23, 2018)
  14. root
    the form of a word after all affixes are removed
    The word "octave" comes from a Latin root meaning "eight."Understanding Basic Music Theory
  15. sensory
    involving or derived from the senses
    The idea for this particular book came out of the sensory details of the wars.New York Times (Mar 11, 2018)
  16. setting
    the context and environment in which something is situated
    The shack is like the setting for a horror movie.King and the Dragonflies
  17. similar
    having the same or nearly the same characteristics
    She turned the next page and saw a second map, this one similar in style, but the focus was different.Beasts of Prey
  18. skim
    read superficially
    I skim straight down the paper, seeing these words without really reading them, because the phrase that matters most is penned at the very end.I Can Make This Promise
  19. source
    a document from which information is obtained
    “Well,” Mr. Bonner goes on, “if the person feels as though they have enough information—names, dates, access to primary sources like newspapers and photographs—they can seek out some truth that way.”Fast Pitch
  20. specific
    stated explicitly or in detail
    You chose a very specific word for the title of the book.Salon (Apr 30, 2020)
Created on July 5, 2022 (updated August 30, 2022)

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