Y08W13VC Word Roots — ex- (out / from)

To deliberately keep someone or something out, or to leave something out of a group or category.

Word Breakdown: ex- (prefix meaning ‘out’) + -clude (from Latin ‘claudere’, meaning ‘to close’) — to exclude is to ‘close out’

Example: The study excluded participants who had not completed all phases of the trial.

Synonyms: omit, bar, leave out

Collocations: exclude from, be excluded, exclude data

Stated clearly and directly, leaving no room for misunderstanding; not implied or hidden.

Example: The instructions were explicit: no prior knowledge of the topic was required.

Synonyms: clear, direct, unambiguous

Collocations: explicit instructions, make explicit, explicitly stated

To inspect or investigate something carefully and in detail.

Example: The historian examined a wide range of primary sources before drawing her conclusions.

Synonyms: investigate, analyse, inspect

Collocations: examine closely, examine evidence, examine the impact

To gradually gather or collect a large amount of something over time.

Word family: accumulation (n.)

Example: Strong essays accumulate evidence steadily throughout the body paragraphs rather than saving it all for the end.

Synonyms: gather, collect, build up

Collocations: accumulate evidence, accumulate wealth, gradually accumulate

To consist of or be made up of a number of parts or elements.

Word Breakdown: com- (prefix meaning ‘together’)

Example: The committee comprises representatives from twelve different community organisations.

Synonyms: consist of, include, be made up of

Collocations: comprise of (avoid), is comprised of (avoid), comprises

To organise different elements or people so they work together effectively.

Word Breakdown: co- (prefix meaning ‘together’)

Word family: coordination (n.), coordinator (n.)

Example: The relief effort required multiple agencies to coordinate their responses across different regions.

Synonyms: organise, manage, arrange

Collocations: coordinate efforts, coordinate a response, well-coordinated

To reach a conclusion by reasoning from known facts or evidence.

Word family: deduction (n.), deductive (adj.)

Example: From the available evidence, investigators were able to deduce that the fire had been deliberately lit.

Synonyms: conclude, infer, reason

Collocations: deduce from, logically deduce, deduce that

To treat a person or group differently and unfairly based on characteristics such as race, gender, or age; or to recognise distinctions.

Word Breakdown: dis- (prefix meaning ‘apart’)

Word family: discrimination (n.), discriminatory (adj.)

Example: Legislation was introduced to ensure that employers could not legally discriminate against applicants on the basis of age.

Synonyms: differentiate, distinguish, treat unfairly

Collocations: discriminate against, racial discrimination, discriminatory practice

A writing function phrase that signals the writer is drawing attention to a hidden or significant meaning found in the evidence.

Example: The language of the policy document is notably passive; this reveals an unwillingness to assign clear responsibility.

Synonyms: this shows, this exposes, this uncovers

Collocations: this reveals that, this reveals a, this clearly reveals