My knee really throbbed after I fell over on the uneven pavement.
action (1) NOUN
An action is something you do for a particular purpose.
act
Rescuing the baby from the burning house was an act of great courage.
deed
Theseus’s bravest deed was the slaying of the dreaded Minotaur.
exploit
The explorer, Sir Archie Pounder, told the school of his exploits in the jungle.
feat
To build Stonehenge without modern equipment was a great feat.
move
I think resting after dinner is a sensible move.
action (2) NOUN
An action is a physical movement, such as jumping.
activity
Our classroom was a hive of activity as we got ready for the concert.
motion
The up-and-down motion of the boat made me feel queasy.
movement
The movements of the conductor’s baton guided the orchestra.
actual ADJECTIVE
Actual can mean something is real, rather than imaginary or guessed at.
genuine
“This table is a genuine antique,” said Gran.
real
The film is based on a real story.
true
“Is this a true record of what you said?” the judge demanded to know.
very
The guide told us Ann Boleyn was beheaded on the very spot where we stood.
add (1) VERB
If you add something to a number of things, you put it with those things.
combine
Orange juice combined with lemonade makes a refreshing drink.
include
“Don’t forget to include a sentence about what your friends think,” Mr Bishop reminded us.
add (2) VERB
If you add numbers together, or add them up, you work out the total.
count up
I counted up the spoons, and found there were three missing.
total
Miss Dobson told us to total the figures at the bottom of each column.
tot up INFORMAL
It took me ages to tot up how many hours I had worked that week.
ANTONYM: subtract
adjust VERB
If you adjust something, you change its position or alter it in some other way.
change
I changed the time on my new watch so that it was correct.
correct
Fortunately, the pilot corrected the plane’s course before it hit the storm clouds.
modify
The racing car’s tyres had been specially modified for wet weather.
tune
Dad tuned the radio to a different station.
tweak INFORMAL
Mrs Tordoff asked me to tweak my story to include more dialogue.
admit VERB
If you admit something, you agree that it is true.
acknowledge
Good drivers acknowledge when they have made a mistake.
confess
The prisoner confessed that she had lied.
grant
“I grant that it’s not a great meal,” my brother said, “but at least I cooked it myself.”
own up
The head teacher asked whoever had broken the window to own up to it.
adult ADJECTIVE
An adult is a mature and fully developed person.
grown-up
Dad asked another grown-up for directions.
man
Jim is now a man of 42.
woman
A woman was seen leaving the building.
adventure NOUN
An adventure is something that is exciting, and perhaps even dangerous.
escapade
Entering the Sheriff of Nottingham’s chamber was perhaps Robin Hood’s boldest escapade.
exploit
Several films have been made of the brave exploits of the Three Musketeers.
feat
To abseil down a skyscraper would certainly be a daring feat.
venture
The expedition proved a dangerous venture.
advice NOUN
Advice is a suggestion from someone about what you should do.
guidance
Larissa needed guidance from her teachers about which college to apply for.
recommendation
Mum followed the doctor’s recommendation, and gave up smoking.
suggestion
My friend’s suggestion was to do our work first and play later.
tip INFORMAL
A good tip is to test the water with your toe before you jump in.
advise VERB
If you advise someone to do something, you tell them you think they should do it.
recommend
Mrs Singh recommended that I should sit nearer the front of the classroom.
suggest
“I suggest we go home,” said Mum.
urge
In his speech, the MP urged people to vote for him in the election.
affect VERB
If something affects someone or something else, it influences or changes them.
concern
The issue of global warming concerns everybody on the planet.
have an effect on
The moon’s gravity has an effect on the oceans, creating high and low tides.
influence
The judge’s sentence was influenced by the prisoner’s previous good behaviour.
involve
The accident happened nearby, but fortunately our car was not involved.