Study guides › Level 8 · Academic Words

Subject words from the sentence

Level 8 · Meaning · for questions like “‘The treaty ended the war.’ A treaty is…”

💡 The idea

History and science words often come with clues in the sentence: what the thing does, what it causes, or what it is like. Use what happens in the sentence to work out the word.

✏️ Worked examples

1. “The treaty ended the war.” Wars end when countries agree. A treaty is a formal agreement between countries.

2. “The drought lasted two years, and the crops dried up.” Crops dry up without rain. A drought is a long time with little or no rain.

3. “The volcano is dormant; it has not erupted for centuries.” Not erupting means not active. Dormant means not active for now.

🪜 The steps

1. Find what the word does or causes in the sentence.
2. Rule out choices that fit the topic but not the clue.
3. Try your choice in place of the word.

⚠️ Watch out

• Topic traps: “a battle” is about war, but a treaty ends a war; it isn’t one.
• Dormant vs. extinct: dormant volcanoes may wake up; extinct ones won’t.

🎯 Try these

1. “The merchants traded silk and spices.” Merchants are …
2. “The two scientists collaborated, sharing their notes.” Collaborated means …

Answers: 1) people who buy and sell goods 2) worked together

This guide is also in the 10WordsQ app: tap “📖 Study guide” after a question.