Grades 9–10: List 3

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 Grades 9 and 10. 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. conclude
    decide by reasoning
    “I don’t think there really is such a country,” he concluded after studying it carefully.The Phantom Tollbooth
  2. conclusion
    the last section of a communication
    At the conclusion of the previous novel, “The Paris Spy,” Hope is locked in prison because she knows too much.Washington Post (Jul 23, 2018)
  3. draw
    make, formulate, or derive in the mind
    Additional work is needed to draw more detailed conclusions.Scientific American (Aug 5, 2019)
  4. concrete
    capable of being perceived by the senses
    In countless essays you produced an argument, and then you proved it with concrete detail and credible sources. US News
  5. detail
    a single fact considered separately from the whole
    In countless essays you produced an argument, and then you proved it with concrete detail and credible sources. US News
  6. word
    a unit of language that native speakers can identify
    The word "octave" comes from a Latin root meaning "eight."Understanding Basic Music Theory
  7. phrase
    an expression consisting of one or more words
    I flip through it to see that someone—Gram, probably—has underlined certain phrases and words and starred some of the poems.How to Disappear Completely
  8. language
    a means of communicating by the use of sounds or symbols
    The language is simple, clear and precise, making it easy for children to understand all the various ways they could take part in making a great exhibition.New York Times (Nov 12, 2021)
  9. conflict
    a state of opposition between persons or ideas or interests
    “You don’t like conflict. You want everything and everyone to be in perfect harmony.”Keep It Together, Keiko Carter
  10. tension
    feelings of hostility that are not manifest
    I settled close to Kevin, relaxing, letting go of tension I had hardly been aware of.Kindred
  11. context
    the set of facts or circumstances that surround a situation
    In the run-up to her 2019 audition, she was given a series of lines to read but was provided zero context about the character or the story line.New York Times (Mar 3, 2021)
  12. contradict
    be in opposition to
    It would take months to contradict every other wild assertion in Miss Skeeter’s book.Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
  13. thesis
    an unproved statement advanced as a premise in an argument
    “It depends on how you frame it. What's your angle, your thesis statement? What are you trying to say?”Pride
  14. convention
    something regarded as a normative example
    Language Arts 3: Use knowledge of language and its conventions when speaking, reading, or listening.Music and the Child
  15. credible
    capable of being believed
    A CNN spokeswoman said the information was based on three credible sources and was changed as soon as sources provided new information.Reuters (Apr 19, 2013)
  16. develop
    elaborate, as of theories and hypotheses
    “Mr. Morrison, if we’re writing our own scripts, shouldn’t I have some say about the character I develop?”Watch Us Rise
  17. evidence
    knowledge on which to base belief
    There’s enough “primary source” evidence—the newspaper and journal—to piece all that together.Fast Pitch
  18. elaboration
    a discussion that provides additional information
    His only elaboration had been that they were “delightful people.”The Incredible Journey
  19. dialogue
    the lines spoken by characters in drama or fiction
    I reached for the script and flipped to the first page of dialogue.It All Comes Down to This
  20. draft
    any of the various versions in the development of a work
    I’m always curious about other artists and their habits, their unfinished drafts, their inspirations.I Can Make This Promise
Created on July 20, 2022 (updated August 30, 2022)

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