Vocabulary exercises

1. List 34
fiction
investigate
legible
outspoken
theory
Fiction—noun; made-up writing, literature, invention, imagination, novle
(fic/tion)
Fic/tion/al—adj
 Many people prefer reading fiction in their spare time because they like to
forget about their problems for a while.
 Newspapers are not supposed to print fiction because the articles are
true.
 Can you name a piece of fiction you have read?
Antonym – non-fiction, truth, reality
Investigate—verb; to look into, examine, inspect, research, analyze
(in/ves/ti/gate)
In/ves/ti/ga/tion—noun
In/ves/ti/ga/tor—noun (person)
 Students are always investigating as they are learning.
 If you smell a strange smell at home, you would probably investigate to
see what caused it.
 How would you investigate a new career/ a college/ a problem you child is
having in school?
Antonym – ignore, neglect
Legible—adj; easy to read, readable, clear, decipherable
(le/gi/ble)
Le/gi/bly—adv
 In elementary school, handwriting is a subject that all students have to
learn to make their writing legible.
 Teachers try to write legibly on the board.
 Is your handwriting legible?
Antonym – illegible, not easy to read, hard to read, unclear, undecipherable
Outspoken—adj; open and truthful, frank, direct, candid, honest, blunt
(out/spo/ken)
 People are often outspoken about their beliefs.
 What is a belief you are outspoken about?
 Some young children can be very outspoken and embarrass their parents.
Antonym – shy, diplomatic, cautious, reserved, tactful
Theory—noun; explanation, idea, assumption, hypothesis
(theo/ry)

2. Theor/ist—noun (person)
Theor/ize—verb
 There is a theory that because there may have been water on Mars that a
form of life might have existed there.
 Teachers have a theory that students who attend school regularly will
succeed more easily than those who don’t.
 What would be your theory for why the grass is green/ the sky is blue/
clouds are white?
Antonym – certainty, fact, assurance
List 34
fiction
investigate
legible
outspoken
theory
Definitions
1. ___________________ an explanation based on facts; a statement
believed to be true
2. ___________________ clear enough to be read
3. ___________________ literature consisting of imaginary stories; anything
made up
4. ___________________ direct and open; not shy about stating one’s
opinion
5. ___________________ to explore or examine carefully in order to learn
the facts
Fill in the Blank
6. Every class is made up of a mix of ___________________ students, very
quiet students, and students who are somewhere in between.

3. 7. Murphy has a ___________________ about life. He believes that
everything that can possibly go wrong, will.
8. When we go on our walks, my dog ___________________s every bush
and tree we pass.
9. When I want to relax, I read romances, mysteries, and other kinds of
___________________.
10.Ten years ago, I carved my initials in a tree. Recently I was surprised to
see that they were still ___________________.
Complete the Sentence
11.A person whose job is mainly to investigate is a
a. pet shop owner.
b. store detective.
c. gardener.
12.A second-grader whose writing is very legible can expect
a. criticism from his or her teacher.
b. to be asked to write smaller.
c. praise from his or her teacher.
13.A parent who is outspoken would
a. complain at a school board meeting.
b. help a teacher in a classroom.
c. stay home during conferences.
14.My favorite piece of fiction is
a. Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
b. an editorial in the newspaper.
c. a hot fudge sundae.
15.Scientists have given us a theory that
a. science is fun.
b. dinosaurs were wiped out by a meteor.
c. you can write with chalk.

4. Antonyms
16.outspoken
a. modern
b. graceful
c. quiet
d. tiny
17.fiction
a. justice
b. reason
c. ability
d. fact
18.legible
a. not for sale
b. not on purpose
c. not lasting
d. not readable
19.theory
a. agreement
b. explanation
c. fact
d. problem
20.investigate
a. ignore
b. puzzle
c. inspect
d. write

5. What/When/Would Questions:
21.What kinds of things would an outspoken person say?
22.When might a piece of fiction contain something that is true?
23.Would a GED essay that is not legible be a failure? Why or why not?
24.Would a scientist have a theory about why you burned supper?
25.Would a writer investigate a murder?