A lot or alot? A lot is a two-word phrase meaning very much.

This is an informal expression, so you shouldnt use it a lot in your writing. Alot is not a word, so you should never use it! Its a good idea to avoid this expression altogether. All together or altogether?

Backup or back up? There are many compound words that confuse us because they sound similar to a verb phrase. In general, the verb form usually consists of two words and the similar compound word version is a noun or adjective. Verb: Please back up your work when using a word processor. Adjective: Make a backup copy of your work. Noun: Did you remember to make a backup? Go ahead and make up your own examples!

Altogether is an adverb meaning completely, entirely, wholly, or "considering everything." It often modifies an adjective. "All together" means as a group. The meal was altogether pleasing, but I would not have served those dishes all together. Please try to avoid these everyday mistakes! Every day or everyday? The two-word expression every day is used as an adverb (modifies a verb), to express how often something is done: I wear a dress every day. The word everyday is an adjective that means common or ordinary. It modifies a noun. I wore an everyday dress to the party. Never mind or nevermind? The word nevermind is often used in error for the twoword term never mind. Be careful of this one! In a nutshell, youll probably never need to use "nevermind." Its an oldfashioned noun meaning attention or notice, used in the negative sense: Pay no nevermind to that man behind the curtain. The phrase never mind is a two-word imperative meaning please disregard or pay no attention to that. This is the version you'll use most often in your life. Never mind that man behind the curtain. You should avoid using the single word nevermindaltogether if you are confused by this! Is that explanation all right?

Makeup or make up? Verb: Make up your bed before you leave the house. Adjective: Study for your makeup exam before you leave the house. Noun: Apply your makeup before you leave the house. Understanding the differences between these words and phrases can be a real workout for your brain! Workout or work out? Verb: I need to work out more often. Adjective: I need to wear workout clothing when I go to the gym. Noun: That jog gave me a good workout. Did you pick up on the various meanings? Pickup or pick up? Verb: Please pick up your clothes. Adjective: Dont use a pickup line on me! Noun: Im driving my pickup to the mall. Remember the differences! Don't be set up for failure! Setup or set up? Verb: You'll have to set up the chairs for the puppet show. Adjective: Unfortunately, there is no setup manual for a puppet show. Noun: The setup will take you all day. Are you waking up to the fact that the verb form usually consists of two words? Wake-up or wakeup?

All right or alright? Alright is a word that appears in dictionaries, but it is a nonstandard version of all right and should never be used in formal writing. To be safe, just use the two-word version. Is everything all right in there? If you have any doubts about this expression, please ask your teacher for backup information. Verb: I could not wake up this morning. Adjective: I should have asked for a wake-up call. Noun: The accident was a good wake-up.

A Day in the Life ... It was a __________ (Adjective) day in __________ (Month) and the __________ (Man's name) decided to __________ (Verb). As soon as he got to the __________ (Noun), he sat down and took out his __________ (Noun). He certainly hadn't expected to be able to __________ (Verb), but was __________ (Adjective) for the chance to do so. __________ (Verb ending in -ing), the time passed __________ (Adverb) and before he knew it, it was time to go home. He gathered his things and began to walk home. Unfortunately, it began to __________ (Verb concerning the weather) so he decided to __________ (Verb of transportation i.e. take a taxi, run, skip, etc.). While he was _________ (Verb of transportation i.e. take a taxi, run, skip, etc. in the -ing form), he noticed that he had forgotten to __________ (Verb). He __________ (Adverb of frequency) forgot such things!

3.

4.

Vocabulary Quiz
1.

What do people sing at Christ mas? a. carols b.

2.

lullabie s c. lyrics Which word does not mean lovely? a. pleasa nt

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b. amusin g c. faithful Who offers a house or an apartm ent for rent? a. a landlad y b. a charwo man c. a tenant What do you put on the finger to protect it while sewing ? a. a thumb b. a thimble c. a thorn Who sees that

6.

7.

the rules are obeyed in a baseba ll game? a. a judge b. a referee c. an umpire What word does not refer to babies? a. pacifier b. milkwe ed c. cradle Which word comple tes the prover b: "Every _____ha s its day." a. tiger b. dog

8.

c. horse Which word does not mean dismal? a. queasy b. lugubri ous c. gloomy

Martin Luther King, Jr., 1929-1968: He Used NonViolence and Civil Disobedience to Gain Equal Rights for Black Americans It all started on a bus. A black woman was returning home from work after a long hard day. She sat near the front of the bus because she was tired and her legs hurt. But

the bus belonged to the city of Montgomery in the southern state of Alabama. And the year was nineteen fiftyfive. In those days, black people could sit only in the back of the bus. So the driver ordered the woman to give up her seat. But the woman refused, and she was arrested. Incidents like this had happened before. But no one had ever spoken out against such treatment of blacks. This time, however, a young black preacher organized a protest. He called on all black citizens to stop riding the buses in Montgomery until the laws were changed. The name of the young preacher was Martin Luther King. He led the protest movement to

end injustice in the Montgomery city bus system. The protest became known as the Montgomery bus boycott. The protest marked the beginning of the civil rights movement in the United States. This is the story of Martin Luther King, and his part in the early days of the civil rights movement. Martin Luther King was born in Atlanta, Georgia, in nineteen twenty-nine. He was born into a religious family. Martin's father was a preacher at a Baptist church. And his mother came from a family with strong ties to the Baptist religion. In nineteen twenty-nine, Atlanta was one of the wealthiest cities in the southern part of the United States. Many black families came to the city in search of a

better life. There was less racial tension between blacks and whites in Atlanta than in other southern cities. But Atlanta still had laws designed to keep black people separate from whites. The laws of racial separation existed all over the southern part of the United States. They forced blacks to attend separate schools and live in separate areas of a city. Blacks did not have the same rights as white people, and were often poorer and less educated. Martin Luther King did not know about racial separation when he was young. But as he grew older, he soon saw that blacks were not treated equally. One day Martin and his father went out to buy shoes. They entered a shoe store owned by a

white businessman. The businessman sold shoes to all people. But he had a rule that blacks could not buy shoes in the front part of the store. He ordered Martin's father to obey the rule. Martin never forgot his father's angry answer: "If you do not sell shoes to black people at the front of the store, you will not sell shoes to us at all. " Such incidents, however, were rare during Martin's early life. Instead, he led the life of a normal boy. Martin liked to learn, and he passed through school very quickly. He was only fifteen when he was ready to enter the university. The university, called Morehouse College, was in Atlanta. Morehouse College was one

of the few universities in the South where black students could study. It was at the university that Martin decided to become a preacher. At the same time, he also discovered he had a gift for public speaking. He soon was able to test his gifts. One Sunday, Martin's father asked him to preach at his church. When Martin arrived, the church members were surprised to see such a young man getting ready to speak to them. But they were more surprised to find themselves deeply moved by the words of young Martin Luther King. A church member once described him: "The boy seemed much older than his years. He understood life and its problems."

Martin seemed wise to others because of his studies at the university. He carefully read the works of Mahatma Gandhi, the Indian leader and thinker. Martin also studied the books of the American philosopher, Henry David Thoreau. Both men wrote about ways to fight injustice. Gandhi had led his people to freedom by peacefully refusing to obey unjust laws. He taught his followers never to use violence. Thoreau also urged people to disobey laws that were not just, and to be willing to go to prison for their beliefs. As he studied, Martin thought he had found the answer for his people. The ideas of Gandhi and Thoreau -non-violence and civil

disobedience -could be used together to win equal rights for black Americans. Martin knew, then, that his decision to become a preacher was right. He believed that as a preacher he could spread the ideas of Gandhi and Thoreau. Years later he said: "My university studies gave me the basic truths I now believe. I discovered the idea of humanity's oneness and the dignity and value of all human character. " Martin continued his studies in religion for almost ten years. When he was twenty-two, he moved north to study in Boston. It was in Boston that Martin met Coretta Scott, the woman who later became his wife.

Martin always had been very popular with the girls in his hometown. His brother once said that Martin "never had one girlfriend for more than a year". But Martin felt Coretta Scott was different. The first time he saw her Martin said: "You have everything I have ever wanted in a wife. " Coretta was surprised at his words. But she felt that Martin was serious and honest. A short time later, they were married. Martin soon finished his studies in Boston, and received a doctorate degree in religion. The young preacher then was offered a job at a church in Montgomery, Alabama. Martin Luther King and his wife were happy in Montgomery. Their first child was born.

Martin's work at the church was going well. He became involved in a number of activities to help the poor. And the members of his church spoke highly of their new preacher. Coretta remembered their life as simple and without worries. Then, a black woman, Rosa Parks, was arrested for sitting in the white part of a Montgomery city bus. And Martin Luther King organized a protest against the Montgomery bus system. Martin believed it was very important for the bus boycott to succeed -more important even than his own life. But he worried about his ability to lead such an important campaign. He was only twentysix years old. He prayed to God for help and believed that

God answered his prayers. Martin knew that his actions and his speeches would be important for the civil rights movement. But he was faced with a serious problem. He asked: "How can I make my people militant enough to win our goals, while keeping peace within the movement. " The answer came to him from the teachings of Gandhi and Thoreau. In his first speech as a leader, Martin said: "We must seek to show we are right through

peaceful, not violent means. Love must be the ideal guiding our actions. If we protest bravely, and yet with pride and Christian love, then future historians will say: "There lived a great people, a black people, who gave new hope to civilization. " With these words, a new movement was born. It was non-violent and peaceful. But victory was far from sure, and many difficult days of struggle lay ahead.