Grades 9–10: List 6

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
20 words 1438 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. reference
    a book from which you can seek authoritative facts
    It's a reference book given to me by my sister Amy, and it's full of useful information. Me Talk Pretty One Day
  2. source
    a document from which information is obtained
    “Well,” Mr. Bonner goes on, “if the person feels as though they have enough information—names, dates, access to primary sources like newspapers and photographs—they can seek out some truth that way.” Fast Pitch
  3. relevant
    having a bearing on or connection with the subject at issue
    It was an interesting question, but not relevant to the matter at hand. Six of Crows
  4. irrelevant
    having no bearing on or connection with the subject at issue
    My father considers this an irrelevant question and brushes it off, saying, "Not that I know of, but that's not the point." Me Talk Pretty One Day
  5. support
    establish or strengthen as with new evidence or facts
    Our hope, of course, is to find evidence to support the first of these three possibilities. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
  6. resolve
    reach a conclusion after a discussion or deliberation
    Readers may wonder why Spencer decides to end the novel without resolving many of the major plot points he introduces — including several buried secrets unlikely to stay buried in such a small town. Washington Post (Jun 16, 2017)
  7. resolution
    the way the main complication of a literary work is settled
    My former classmates who have published memoirs spoke of their editors' desire for the books to have a resolution, to have everything be better by the conclusion. Salon (Dec 5, 2021)
  8. revise
    make changes to
    I rework every sentence a few times before going on to the next, and revise the whole chapter two or three times before I show it to anyone. The Sense of Style
  9. root word
    the form of a word after all affixes are removed
    “Gala” — the root word that gives us “galaxy” — actually means “milk.” New York Times (Jul 23, 2018)
  10. root
    the form of a word after all affixes are removed
    The word "octave" comes from a Latin root meaning "eight." Understanding Basic Music Theory
  11. sensory
    involving or derived from the senses
    Mr. Martin said that his philosophy as a writer is to show and not tell, and doing so requires “vivid sensory detail.” New York Times (May 2, 2014)
  12. setting
    the context and environment in which something is situated
    The shack is like the setting for a horror movie. King and the Dragonflies
  13. shift
    change in quality
    Twig’s eyebrows pinched as she noticed my mood shift for the first time, but she stepped back and handed me the egg. The Science of Breakable Things
  14. perspective
    a way of regarding situations or topics
    It must be interesting from your perspective to hear how people interpret you through these characters. Salon (Jun 16, 2022)
  15. narrator
    someone who tells a story
    He speaks for almost two minutes as the story’s narrator. Spooked!
  16. skim
    read superficially
    “You were just skimming the pages. No way could you retain any knowledge.” The Smartest Kid in the Universe
  17. stanza
    a fixed number of lines of verse forming a unit of a poem
    I hummed a stanza of Areida’s favorite song, a sad one, about a farmer whose family is starving. Ella Enchanted
  18. style
    a mode of expression typical of a person, group, or period
    You have written your story with sound grammar and interesting style. The Kite Runner
  19. summarize
    briefly present the main points of something
    “It’s simple reading comprehension. Read the paragraph and summarize, in a couple of sentences, what it was about. That’s it. It’s not rocket science.” A Very Large Expanse of Sea
  20. synonym
    a word that expresses the same or similar meaning
    There are appropriate synonyms for “president,” including “chief executive.” Washington Post (Jun 19, 2020)
Created on Wed Jul 20 11:51:25 EDT 2022 (updated Tue Aug 30 15:08:29 EDT 2022)

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