Vocabulary exercises

1. List 43
abolish
corrupt
decay
expand
nevertheless
Abolish—verb; to get rid of, to put an end to, to repeal, to dissolve, to annul, to
overthrow
(a/bo/lish)
a/bo/li/tion—noun
a/bo/li/tion/ist—noun (person)
 I wouldn’t like to abolish the policy of no smoking in restaurants.
 The world would be better if we could abolish hunger.
 What would you like to abolish?
Antonym – allow, approve, establish, permit, pass, create
Corrupt—adj; not honest, unethical, crooked, untrustworthy, fraudulent
(cor/rupt)
Cor/rup/tion—noun
 A corrupt politician should not be in office.
 The computer file was corrupted and didn’t work.
 What should be the punishment for corrupt police officers/ teachers/
social workers?
Antonym – honest, good, ethical, honorable, moral
Decay—verb; to rot, to deteriorate, to disintegrate, to decompose
(de/cay)
De/cay - noun
 If you leave vegetables in the refrigerator for several months, they will
decay.
 I don’t rake the leaves in the fall; I just let them decay into the ground.
 Name something that can decay.
Antonym – build, develop, grow, improve
Expand—verb; to grow, to enlarge, to increase, to spread, to widen
expansion—noun
 The more you learn, the more you mind expands.
 Her family is expanding because her cousins are coming to live with her.

2.  Would you like to expand your house or apartment? Would you like to
expand your job duties?
Antonym – to decrease, to diminish, to lessen, to reduce, to restrict
Nevertheless—adv; in spite of that, but, though, although, even though
(ne/ver/the/less)
 I like chocolate; nevertheless, I shouldn’t eat too much of it.
 Too much sun can cause skin cancer; nevertheless, I like to feel the sun on
my skin.
 Finish this sentence: My life is great; nevertheless…
Antonym – and
List 43
abolish
corrupt
decay
expand
nevertheless
Definitions
1. _________________ to spread out; get larger
2. _________________to break down gradually; rot
3. _________________ in spite of that; even so; despite that
4. _________________ dishonest; crooked
5. _________________ to put an end to

3. Fill in the Blank
6. The sun is shining brightly; _________________, it is quite chilly outside.
7. The house is beginning to _________________. Its windows are broken, and its
paint is peeling off.
8. The high school is going to _________________ by adding more classes.
9. Former employees told us about _________________ practices in the
supermarket such as soaking spoiled hams in bleach to get rid of the bad
smell.
10. The restaurant’s owner decided to _________________ the smoking section.
Complete the Sentence
11. If a school abolishes its football team, the football players will probably
a. be upset.
b. be more popular.
c. win more games.
12. A business is likely to expand when it is
a. not honest.
b. closing.
c. doing very well.
13. I love chocolate ice cream; nevertheless,
a. I am not going to have any.
b. I am going to take a large helping.
c. it is my favorite flavor.
14. The food in the compost began to decay
a. when we took it out.
b. when it had been there for a few weeks.
c. when we had just put it in.
15. The speeding driver was stopped by the corrupt police officer who
a. gave him a ticket.
b. invited him to visit the station.
c. asked for $50 to ignore the speeding.

4. Antonyms
16. corrupt
a. small
b. honest
c. helpless
d. stiff
17. expand
a. grow stronger
b. break
c. get smaller
d. build
18. abolish
a. end
b. like
c. become used to
d. create
19. decay
a. build
b. spoil
c. fresh
d. continue
20. nevertheless
a. also
b. despite that
c. perhaps
d. sometimes
Why/What/Should Questions
21. Why do police officers become corrupt? What are police officers like in
your country?
22. What is something that you would like to expand in your life? Why?

5. 23. Should the no cell phones in class policy be abolished? Why? What else
should be abolished?
24. Should a house that is decaying be torn down? Why or why not?
25. Would you use “nevertheless” in a sentence when you mean “and”? Why
or why not?