At the Market
Eight words for a busy morning at the market.
Meet each word one at a time, then take the quiz to lock them in.
Wonderful Words · Today with the Mayor
At the Market
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Nelson's word
market
noun
Market. A noun. I file it under a place where things are bought and sold. Picture the tables of fruit, the stands of bread, the baskets of eggs, all in one busy spot. A person carries money in, picks what they need, and carries the food out. That is a market. It can be a small stand on a corner or a big hall full of sellers. State it precisely: a market is where buying and selling happen.
The farmers sell fresh corn at the market every Saturday.
Ways to know it
MeaningWord Detective
Nelson's word
bargain
noun
Bargain. I file this one as a noun: something you buy for a low price. When you find two loaves of bread for the price of one, you have found a bargain, and you feel good about it. But watch this word, because it likes to change jobs. As a noun it names the good deal you found. As a verb it means the back-and-forth talk you do to lower a price, the way Vinny would haul the cost down. Same word, two hats. We sort them in Practice.
Two loaves of bread for one coin is a real bargain.
Ways to know it
MeaningMany Hats
Vinny's word
haul
verb
Haul! To pull, to drag, to CARRY something so heavy your arms burn with the doing of it! When the workers haul the crates of apples up the ramp, they do not float them; they grip, they pull, and they haul that weight. That is the verb, and it is mine, and it takes real muscle. A little wagon can haul a load a child could not lift. Any time something heavy has to go from here to there, someone has to haul it. That someone is a hero.
The workers haul the crates of apples up the ramp.
Ways to know it
MeaningWord Detective
Vinny's word
choose
verb
Choose! To look at many things and PICK the one you want! When I choose the ripest peach from a whole basket, I do not grab at random; I decide, and I take it. That is the verb, and it is mine. You choose a book, you choose a seat, you choose a friend. Every choice is a tiny act of power, because you are the one who decides. Choose well, and choose with your whole heart.
I choose the ripest peach from the whole basket.
Ways to know it
MeaningWord Detective
Jake's word
cheerful
adjective
Cheerful. Oh, I love this one, and it is mine. As an adjective, cheerful describes a person or a place that is full of happiness: a cheerful smile, a cheerful song, a cheerful morning at the market. Look closely and you can see how it is built, from cheer and the ending ful, which means full of. Full of cheer. Its Frown is glum, all sad and gray. Could we be more specific than saying someone was happy? We could say they were cheerful. Magnifique.
The cheerful baker waved to everyone who passed her stand.
Ways to know it
MeaningWord FamilySmile or Frown
Jake's word
busy
adjective
Busy. An adjective, and mine, describing a place or a person that is full of activity, with a great deal going on at once. A busy market hums with sellers calling out and shoppers rushing by. A busy bee never sits still. Its Frown is empty, quiet and with nothing happening. Could we be more specific than saying the market was crowded? We could say it was busy, which tells the reader that everyone there was doing something. Same picture, sharper edges.
The busy market buzzed with sellers, shoppers, and songs.
Ways to know it
MeaningSmile or Frown
Benny's word
loudly
adverb
Loudly. This is an adverb, and I own it the way Nelson owns his nouns. It tells us how something happens, and this one means in a way that makes a lot of sound. When the seller calls out loudly, the whole market can hear. Hear the ending ly? Take loud and add it, and now the word can tell you how the calling was done. That is the coach in me talking: do not just say she called, tell me how. She called loudly. Now I can hear it.
The seller calls out loudly so the whole market can hear.
Ways to know it
MeaningWord Detective
Benny's word
proudly
adverb
Proudly. Another of my adverbs, and a good one. It means in a way that shows you feel good about something you did. When the boy proudly holds up the tomato he chose himself, you can see it in how he stands. Take proud, add my ending ly, and now it tells you how he held it up. Here is your coach again: how did she win, how did he walk in? If she feels good about it, she did it proudly. Make it sharper, and the reader feels it too.
The boy proudly holds up the ripe tomato he chose himself.
Ways to know it
Meaning