What's the Word Wednesday! Incidents - Incidence

in·ci·dence

 [in-si-duh ns]

noun

1. The rate or range of occurrence or influence of something, especially of something unwanted: the high incidence of heart disease in men over 40.

2. A falling upon, affecting, or befalling; occurrence: The incidence of murder that Sunday afternoon shocked the sleepy village.

in·ci·dent

 [in-si-duh nt]

noun

1.

an individual occurrence or event
An occurrence or event that interrupts normal procedure or precipitates a crisis: an international incident.

Write a story about an international incident or an incidence that shocked a sleepy village.
NOTE: Write about something other than murder. What else can be shocking?

Storee Wryter is working on a mystery. What are you working on?

What's the Word Wednesday? That's Silly.

Some words sound silly. Here are three that made Storee laugh when she heard them the first time.

Diphthong
Quibble
Sluice

Before reading the definitions below can you guess what they mean?
Write a story using one or more of the words on the list.

diph·thong (d f thông , -th ng , d p -)

n.

A complex speech sound or glide that begins with one vowel and gradually changes to another vowel within the same syllable, as (oi) in boil

quib·ble (kw b l)

intr.v. quib·bled, quib·bling, quib·bles

1. To evade the truth or importance of an issue by raising trivial distinctions and objections.

2. To find fault or criticize for petty reasons; cavil.

n.

1. A petty distinction or an irrelevant objection.

2. Archaic A pun.

sluice (sl s)

n.

1.

a. An artificial channel for conducting water, with a valve or gate to regulate the flow: sluices connecting a reservoir with irrigated fields.

b. A valve or gate used in such a channel; a floodgate: open sluices to flood a dry dock. Also called sluice gate.

2. A body of water impounded behind a floodgate.

3. A sluiceway.

4. A long inclined trough, as for carrying logs or separating gold ore.

v. sluiced, sluic·ing, sluic·es

v.tr.

1. To flood or drench with or as if with a flow of released water.

2. To wash with water flowing in a sluice: sluicing sediment for gold.

3. To draw off or let out by a sluice: sluice floodwater.

4. To send (logs, for example) down a sluice.

v.intr.

To flow out from or as if from a sluice.

 

What's the Word Wednesday - Waffle (Sorry I'm Late)

Storee was so wrapped up in writing her next book What's the Word Wednesday slipped right by her. She invites you to share some waffles with her on this Thursday to make up for her tardiness.

This week's word is: Waffle

   

waffle (WAH fuhl) (noun)

1. A crisp cake with a pattern of deep squares on both sides that is made by cooking batter in a special device called a waffle iron: "Each member of the family had a waffle for breakfast this morning."

 

 

 

2. An informal British term meaning foolish or dull talk or writing that continues for a long time: "The speech was a load of waffle about politics."

 

 

 

waffle (WAH fuhl) (verb)

To be unable or unwilling to make a clear decision about what to do: "Every time Paul spoke, it was to waffle from one point of view to another one."

 

 

 

 

Having breakfast with some people is always interesting. So often someone will waffle back and forth between whether to have pancakes for breakfast or to have a waffle with syrup, while maintaining a dull waffle about the weather.

Write a story and include a waffle. Noun or Verb - the choice is yours.

What's the Word Wednesday - Wail, Whale, Wale

English is a tricky language. Spelling can be a real challenge. Consider the three words Storee Wryter is working on this week.

wail – verb

To make a prolonged, high-pitched sound suggestive of a cry.

Storee didn't like to hear the baby wail when she was hungry. She got her a bottle right away.

 

whale - noun

A marine mammal shaped like a fish with flippers, a tail with horizontal flukes, and one or two blowholes for breathing.

"Critique is amazed by the size of that whale. It sure looks like a big fish!"

 

whale – verb

To hit repeatedly and forcefully. "

Addie was so excited about Thanksgiving treats she started to whale on her sleeping cushion with her paws.”

wale - noun

One of the heavy planks extending along the sides of a wooden ship

“ WhenStoree and her pets went to the marina to see the wooden ships she wondered if a whale ever bumped into the wale and made the captain wail.”

 

Write a story about a whale. Include the words wail or wale if you can. Have fun!

Teachers: For a free e-book version of Storee Wryter Gets a Dog send an email request to: storeewryter@gmail.com or to the author at bobbi.carducci@youngvoicesfoundation.org

 

What's the Word Wednesday - Good or Well

 

People are often confused about when to use the words good and well.

"Good" is an adjective (and a noun in some cases); "well" is used as an adverb unless used as an adjective meaning "healthy". If we need a word to describe noun or pronoun we use "good". If we need a word to describe verb (or sometimes adjective or other adverb) we use "well". For example:

Kate is a good piano player. (correct)
Kate is a well piano player. (incorrect!)

Kate plays the piano well. (correct)
Kate plays the piano good. (incorrect!)

My brother did well on the English test. (correct)
My brother did good on the English test. (incorrect!)

Do you think I'm doing well at school? (correct)
Do you think I'm doing good at school? (incorrect!)

After linking verbs such as be, taste, sound, smell, look, seem, appear we use the adjective "good" as we are describing the subject of the sentence, not the action of the verb:
The concert last night wasn't very good.
Your idea sounds good and if it works would be great.
It always smells good after the rain.

More confusion???

 If your doctor asks, "How do you feel?" You should say, I am well. / I feel well. / I'm feeling well. (refers to health, a physical state)

If you just scored a touchdown and your friend asks, "How do you feel?"  You should say,
"I am good. / I feel good. / I'm feeling good. (refers rather to emotional than physical state)

Write a story using the words good and well. How do you feel about that?