Grade 6: List 4

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 in Grade 6. 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
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. explanatory
    serving or intended to make clear
    He could only guess what it might fully mean, even with the explanatory footnote.Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel
  2. flashback
    a transition in a story to an earlier event or scene
    So eventually, in three quick flashbacks, Morgenstern returns to what I think is the story.The Princess Bride
  3. focus
    special emphasis attached to something
    "And what was the focus of your essay?"You Bring the Distant Near
  4. global
    involving the entire earth
    We also created a global communications network that lets us all talk to each other, all around the world, all the time.Ready Player One: A Novel
  5. note
    a comment or instruction (usually added)
    It’s hard for me to really understand most of the poems inside, but Gram has made little notes in the margins.How to Disappear Completely
  6. grammar
    the branch of linguistics that deals with sentence structure
    “Mrs. Hanover was always correcting my grammar and pronunciation,” Miss Love told me.Cold Sassy Tree
  7. usage
    the customary manner in which language is spoken or written
    There was also Ross Milton’s book—the book on English usage.Across Five Aprils
  8. heading
    a line of text indicating what the passage below it is about
    After that there was a review paper about cursive writing, and then there was a sample sheet showing how the heading should look on every assignment.Frindle
  9. imaginary
    not based on fact; unreal
    My father draws imaginary characters on the window.The Joy Luck Club
  10. inclusion
    the act of making a part of something
    But over the years, the word remained mostly spoken and rarely printed, so it lacked the criteria for inclusion in the dictionary.New York Times (Nov 3, 2021)
  11. infer
    reason by deduction; establish by deduction
    To imply is to suggest, or to throw out a suggestion; to infer is to conclude, or to take in a suggestion.Woe Is I
  12. inference
    a conclusion you can draw based on known evidence
    These books also offer all readers a way to practice important reading skills such as building vocabulary, understanding a sequence of events, discerning the plot of a story and making inferences.Washington Post (Feb 27, 2020)
  13. integrate
    make into a whole or make part of a whole
    The Met will need time to look beyond the gorgeous surfaces of these paintings, and to integrate them into a larger and more critical narrative of Indian and pan-Asian history and society.New York Times (Jul 14, 2016)
  14. interpretation
    an explanation that results from making sense of something
    We even began to exchange theories and to discuss our interpretations of specific passages in the Almanac.Ready Player One: A Novel
  15. introduction
    the first section of a communication
    Begin with an introduction that establishes the purpose for all the information that’s to follow.The Thing About Jellyfish
  16. justify
    show to be reasonable or provide adequate ground for
    She talks about all those pretty scientific words, all those Big Terms, and justifies all those footnotes in her book.The Science of Breakable Things
  17. key
    serving as an essential component
    He’d flip through the pages for five minutes—then lead a discussion on the paper’s key points.Bomb
  18. event
    something that happens at a given place and time
    “Find books about historical events and places you’ve always wanted to visit,” suggested Sierra.Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics
  19. logical
    marked by an orderly and coherent relation of parts
    He also talked about the importance of logical progression, of an action being a direct consequence of the preceding one.The Guardian (Jun 21, 2013)
  20. progression
    a series with a definite pattern of advance
    He also talked about the importance of logical progression, of an action being a direct consequence of the preceding one.The Guardian (Jun 21, 2013)
  21. sequence
    a following of one thing after another in time
    I was so stunned I couldn’t remember the sequence of events that had led me to this point.Burning Blue
  22. mental picture
    a clear and telling mental image
    Right away, the script had to reveal where the story was happening and who the characters were, providing enough details for the listener to form a mental picture.Spooked!
  23. paragraph
    one of several distinct subdivisions of a text
    “Write a paragraph about a real-life hero. You have a few minutes to get started now.”A Place at the Table
  24. multiple
    having or involving more than one part or entity
    A language has plenty of room for multiple meanings, including the ones that good writers hope to preserve.The Sense of Style
  25. meaning
    the message that is intended or expressed or signified
    A ballet can be many things and have many meanings: personal, public, symbolic, unconscious.New York Times (Sep 24, 2021)
Created on July 19, 2022 (updated August 30, 2022)

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