arrest
The police want to arrest a man they suspect of burglary.
capture
Prison guards set a trap to capture the escaped prisoner.
trap
Trap that spider, said Granny, then put it outside.
change (1) VERB
When you change something, it becomes different.
alter
The tailor said he could soon alter the length of the trouser legs.
modify
Lets modify the plan. Well go this afternoon instead.
reorganize
Oh no! cried Mrs Jones. Im going to have to reorganize everything.
revise
The teacher said my story was good, but I should revise the ending.
change (2) VERB
When something changes, it becomes different.
develop
Caterpillars develop into moths or butterflies.
shift
The wind shifted to the west.
turn
Tadpoles soon turn into frogs.
change (3) VERB
If you change something, you replace it with something else.
exchange
Can I exchange this blue shirt for a green one? asked the customer.
swap
Henry wanted to swap his pop music CD for one of Rosies.
switch
I didnt see him switch his old pen for my new one.
chase VERB
If you chase someone, you try to catch them.
follow
The boys followed the man they suspected of stealing a bike.
hunt
Our cat was out all night, hunting mice and rats.
pursue
Police pursued the speeding car for miles along the motorway.
trail
It was easy to trail the robber by following his footprints in the snow.
check VERB
If you check something, you make sure it is correct and safe.
examine
The witch frowned and examined the contents of the cauldron.
inspect
The mechanic inspected the cars brakes.
make sure
Before we set off, I made sure wed remembered everything.
test
He tested the ground in case it was boggy.
choose VERB
When you choose, you decide what to have or do.
elect
They quickly elected a new leader.
name
Each one named the person they wanted.
pick
He picked the biggest cake he could find.
select
They were told to select a book and read for the rest of the lesson.
take
We took the shortest way.
clean (1) VERB
If you clean something, you remove dirt from it.
DIFFERENT WAYS OF CLEANING:
bathe
brush
dust
mop up
polish
rinse
scour
scrub
shampoo
sponge
sweep
vacuum
wash
wipe
clean (2) ADJECTIVE
If something is clean, it is free from dirt.
blank
She took a blank sheet and began to write.
sparkling
Penelope polished the glasses until they were sparkling.
spotless
The floor was spotless by the time theyd finished mopping it.
clear (1) ADJECTIVE
If something you say or write is clear, it is easy to understand.
evident
It was evident she didnt like me.
obvious
It was obvious from the first sentence that this was a sad book.
plain
Ill make my idea plain, in words of one syllable, his brother said.
simple
The instructions were really simple and easy to follow.
clear (2) ADJECTIVE
On a clear day there are no clouds in the sky.
bright
On a bright day there are strong shadows on the ground.
cloudless
After the storm the sun shone brightly in the cloudless sky.
fine
If the weathers fine well go to the beach tomorrow, said Dad.
sunny
It was sunny one minute and raining heavily the next.
clear (3) ADJECTIVE
If a space is clear, there is nothing in it or it is free from things you dont want.
bare
The room was bare when we got it ready for decorating.
empty
For once, the car park was empty and Mum could park close to the shops.
clever ADJECTIVE
Someone who is clever can learn and understand things easily.
brainy
Matt is really brainy. He gets top marks for everything.
bright
The babys very bright. Shes saying lots of words already.
crafty
A crafty old fox sneaked into the kitchen and stole the sausages.
cunning
She disguised her scar with a cunning use of make-up.
gifted
Kamal is a gifted writer.
intelligent
Our cats quite intelligent. It understands ten words.
inventive
Matt was really inventive when it came to making up excuses.
sharp
That old man is still as sharp as ever.
skilful
Finches are skilful at getting the shells off sunflower seeds.
talented
He was a talented musician who could play any instrument well.
climb VERB
When you climb something, you move upwards.
ascend
The lift ascended so rapidly it took their breath away.
clamber
They clambered up the steep hill, clutching at bushes.
shin up
They shinned up the tree and looked at the view.
clothes PLURAL NOUN
Clothes are the things people wear, such as shirts, trousers and dresses.
clothing
Youll need warm clothing if you want to watch the fireworks.
costume
The actors in the film wore wonderful bright costumes.
dress
We were asked to wear informal dress to the dance.
garments
The charity shop is always glad of garments we no longer need.
gear
Sebastian had to have all the right gear for skateboarding.
outfit
Mum said her new outfit would be perfect for the wedding.
wardrobe
A famous designer planned the wardrobe for the musical.
wear
The shop sold everything you could want in the way of outdoor wear.
cold ADJECTIVE
If the weather is cold, the temperature outside is low.
WORDS THAT DESCRIBE THE COLD:
arctic
biting
bitter
chilly
cool
freezing
frosty
frozen
icy
raw
wintry
collect VERB
If you collect a number of things, you bring them together.
assemble
assemble
They assembled lots of food for the midnight feast.
gather
We went out to gather blackberries from a field near our house.
hoard
David hoarded empty glass bottles for his display.
raise
The school is trying to raise money for Children in Need.
save
We have been asked to save used stamps for a school project.
collection NOUN
A collection is a group of things brought together over a period of time.
assortment
The bathroom shelf is full of an assortment of shampoo bottles.
heap
Now and again, Dad adds another book to the heap.
mass
Dan worked his way through a mass of clothes to find his jeans.
pile
There was a pile of smelly old trainers in the corner.
set
One more card and Ill have a complete set, said Raymond.
colour NOUN
The colour of something is the way it looks in daylight.
shade
The walls were painted in different shades.
tint
The autumn leaves were taking on a warm red tint.
DIFFERENT COLOURS:
black
blue
navy
sky blue
turquoise
brown
chocolate
coffee
fawn
green
bottle-green
lime
orange
tan
pink
rose
purple
lavender
lilac
mauve
red
crimson
scarlet
vermilion
white
cream
ivory
yellow
amber
gold
come VERB
To come to a place is to move there or arrive there.
appear
We all giggled when the magicians rabbit appeared on stage.
approach
The guard dog growled loudly when the stranger approached.
arrive
The train arrived, and Grandma got out.
draw near
As they drew near to the castle, the great door opened.
show up
Most of the acts were good, but the conjuror didnt show up.
turn up
Dont worry about us. Well turn up later, said Ted.
visit
The Mayor is going to visit this afternoon.
ANTONYM: go
comfortable (1) ADJECTIVE
Something comfortable makes you feel relaxed and snug.
cosy
My rooms warm and cosy in winter, even when its freezing outside.
snug
Jamil felt snug tucked up in bed.
soft
Charlotte snuggled into the soft pillow and fell asleep straight away.
comfortable (2) ADJECTIVE
If you are comfortable, you feel at ease.
contented
The cat looked contented stretching out beside the fire.
happy
He was happy in his new room.
relaxed
Rebecca felt relaxed in the company of her friends.
ANTONYM: uncomfortable
common ADJECTIVE
If something is common, you often see it or it often happens.
average
Its average behaviour for a boy of his age.
everyday
Children feeding ducks on the pond is an everyday sight in this park.
standard
Power steering is standard in many cars that are made today.
usual
It is quite usual to see dogs and cats getting on well together.
competition NOUN
A competition is an event to see who is best at doing something.
championship
Our school is taking part in the junior swimming championship.
contest
There was a fierce contest between the red and blue teams.
game
Supporters cheered when their team won the game.
race
Attilio was by far the fastest runner and easily won the race.
tournament
My brother is through to the finals of the table-tennis tournament.
complete (1) ADJECTIVE
If something is complete, there is nothing missing.
entire
Ive got the entire set of famous people in my album.
full
The teacher wanted a full report of the science experiment.
whole
Amy recited the whole poem without a single mistake.
complete (2) VERB
If you complete something, you finish it.
conclude
The head teacher concluded his lecture with a warning about litter.
do
Have you done your homework?
end
Simon ended his talk by asking if there were any questions.
finish
Charles couldnt think how to finish his story.
conversation NOUN
If you have a conversation with someone, you talk to each other.
chat
My mum likes to have a chat with friends over a cup of coffee.
discussion
There was a long discussion about which class Sheena should be put in.
gossip
The opening of the new school provided plenty of gossip.
talk
I think we should have a talk about this, said his teacher.
cook VERB
When you cook food, you prepare it for eating by heating it.
WAYS OF COOKING:
bake
barbecue
boil
fry
grill
microwave
poach
roast
steam
stew
stir-fry
toast
copy (1) NOUN
A copy is something made to look like something else.
fake
The police say that painting is a fake.
forgery
He thought the man gave him a twenty-pound note, but it was a forgery.
imitation
Those jewels are only imitations. Theyre made of glass.
photocopy
Can you give me a photocopy of that page? asked Domenica.
Its not an original painting. Its a print.
replica
Manuel bought a plastic replica of the Eiffel Tower.
copy (2) VERB
If you copy what someone does, you do the same thing.
follow