Word study: government to individual

1 · Learn

Practise a small number of words over several days. First explain the meaning, then inspect the spelling. Look for a familiar root, a changed ending or letters that are hard to hear. Cover the model, write from memory and check. Use the word in your own writing so it is more than a memorised list.

government: the people and institutions that govern a country or area. Government keeps n from govern before ment. Read: 'The class compared the roles of government and parliament.'

guarantee: a firm promise that something will happen or meet a condition. Guarantee starts guar and ends tee with double e. Read: 'One successful test is not a guarantee that every future test will succeed.'

harass: to trouble someone repeatedly in an unwanted way. Harass has one r and double s. Read: 'The class agreed never to harass someone who disagreed with them.'

hindrance: something that makes progress difficult. Hindrance ends ance; compare hinder but do not keep its e here. Read: 'The blocked path was a hindrance to reaching the garden.'

identity: who or what someone or something is. Identity ends ity and keeps the middle t. Read: 'The sample label showed its identity without using a pupil's name.'

immediate: happening without delay. Immediate has double m and ends iate. Read: 'The loud crash prompted an immediate pause in the performance.'

immediately: without delay. Keep immediate, including final e, and add ly to make immediately. Read: 'The character immediately asked an adult for help.'

individual: one person or thing considered separately. Individual contains divi in the middle and ends dual. Read: 'Each individual had a chance to explain an idea.'

2 · Worked example

To learn government, I connect its meaning, the people and institutions that govern a country or area, with this spelling detail: Government keeps n from govern before ment. I write it from memory, compare it and identify exactly which letters need attention. I then use it in a new sentence and check whether the meaning fits.

3 · Your turn

Without looking, write the studied word meaning 'a firm promise that something will happen or meet a condition'. Check it against the model. Write your own sentence using guarantee and explain the spelling feature you needed to remember.

4 · Apply your learning

Choose two words for a personal practice list. Ask a partner or adult to dictate one supplied sentence after you have discussed its meaning. Proofread the result, then try a new sentence of your own. Revisit the words after a delay and note whether you can use them accurately without the model.