Heartland English School – Word of the Day

Theme: THE ACADEMIC WORD LIST – P

*The Academic Word List is a list of 570 words which frequently appear in academic texts.*

Word:  plus (conj.)

Pronunciation: /pl∧s/

Meaning:  Furthermore, also, and

Examples:

• Having an SUV is great because you can transport big things, plus you are less likely to get stuck in the winter.
• Drinking soft drinks gives the body empty calories, plus it is bad for your heart.
• If people get loans from the bank, they have to pay back that money plus interest.

Also… for temperatures:  It was  -10°C one day and +10°C the next day! What crazy weather.

Also… for math:  1 + 1 = 2

Also… for marks:  He got a B+ on his essay.

Theme: THE ACADEMIC WORD LIST – P

*The Academic Word List is a list of 570 words which frequently appear in academic texts.*

Word:  prohibit (v.)

Pronunciation: /pro-hI-bIt/

Meaning:  Not allow, formally forbid something, especially by law

Examples:

• Laws in Manitoba prohibit drinking alcohol in parks or on the street.
• The City of Winnipeg prohibits people from owning certain animals. Some of those listed are monkeys, bears and American Pit Bull Terrier dogs.
• Smoking on an airplane is prohibited by Transport Canada.

Theme: THE ACADEMIC WORD LIST – P

*The Academic Word List is a list of 570 words which frequently appear in academic texts.*

Word:  prior  (adj.)

Pronunciation: /prai-or/

Meaning:  Before something else or a particular time

Examples:

• I always research a new city prior to arriving there.
• Prior to working here, he worked at a bank.
• Students need prior knowledge of calculus to register for this course.

Theme: THE ACADEMIC WORD LIST – P

*The Academic Word List is a list of 570 words which frequently appear in academic texts.*

Word:  portion  (n.)

Pronunciation: /por-ʃən/

Meaning:  A part of something larger; an amount of food

Examples:

• He saves a portion of his paycheck every month.
• If you want to lose weight, you can try eating smaller portions.

Theme: THE ACADEMIC WORD LIST – P

*The Academic Word List is a list of 570 words which frequently appear in academic texts.*

Word:  purchase  (v.)

Pronunciation: /p∋r-tʃəs/

Meaning:  To buy

Examples:

• When you purchase something, the store will add tax to the price.
• Where do you purchase your groceries?

Theme: words from Indigenous languages

Word: Canada

Meaning: the country where you are studying

Example: The Toronto Raptors brought the NBA championship trophy to Canada!

History: from the Iroquoian word kanata, which means village

Theme: words from Indigenous languages

Word: caucus

Meaning: all members of the same political party in Parliament

Example: The Liberal caucus met to discuss the upcoming election.

History: from the Algonquian word caucauasu

Theme: words from Indigenous languages

Word: kayak

Meaning: a boat made of a light frame with a watertight covering and a small opening in the top to sit in

Example: If you’re going for a ride in a kayak, be ready to get wet.

History: from the Inuktitut word qayaq

Theme: words from Indigenous languages

Word: toboggan

Meaning: a long narrow sled with a curved front that is used for sliding on snow or ice

Example: Many children like to ride their toboggan down hills in winter.

History: from the Mikmaq word topagan

Theme: words from Indigenous languages

Word: whiskey jack

Meaning: a songbird that is known for stealing people’s things (also known as the gray jay or Canadian jay)

Example: If you leave your keys on the picnic table, the whiskey jack is going to come and take them.

History: From the Cree word wisakedjak. The English learned about this bird from the Cree. When Cree people said, “Wisakedjak,” English people heard, “Whiskey jack.”