Signs and Signals

Eight words for the signs we send and the ones we read.

Meet each word one at a time, then take the quiz to lock them in.

1. 1 signal noun
2. 2 symbol noun
3. 3 unite verb
4. 4 prevent verb
5. 5 watchful adjective
6. 6 irritable adjective
7. 7 instantly adverb
8. 8 awkwardly adverb

Nelson's word

noun

Signal. A noun, and I file it under any sign, sound, or action that sends a message. A green light is a signal. A raised hand is a signal. A whistle on the field is a signal. The message does not travel by itself; the signal carries it. When a lighthouse flashes, that flash is a signal to the ships. But keep an eye on this word, because it wears two hats. As a noun it is the sign itself, a clear signal from the tower. Slap it into an action, though, and the referee signals the start, and now it is a verb, and Vinny will want a word. We sort those hats in Practice.

The green light was the signal that told the runners to start.

Nelson's word

noun

Symbol. A noun, and one I file with care, because it does a clever job: a symbol is a mark or an object that stands for something else. A heart stands for love. A dove stands for peace. The letters on a map stand for real roads and rivers. The symbol is small, but the thing it points to can be large. When you read that a flag is a symbol of a country, you know the cloth itself is not the country; it stands for it. State it precisely: a symbol carries a meaning bigger than itself.

The heart is a symbol that stands for love.

Vinny's word

verb

Unite! To take people or things that stand apart and bring them TOGETHER as one! When the captain unites the players, the scattered team becomes a single force, and that is a heroic act! That is the verb, and it is mine. And here is a gift for you: change the ending and you get union, the act of uniting, the thing that happens when many become one. A union of states, a union of hands. Learn the verb, learn its family, and you hold both.

The captain unites the players into a single, cheering team.

Vinny's word

verb

Prevent! To STOP a thing before it ever gets the chance to happen! When the fence prevents the dog from reaching the street, the danger never arrives, and that is the quiet kind of heroism, the trouble no one ever sees because you stopped it first. That is the verb, and it is mine. A helmet prevents a bump. A checkup prevents an illness. To prevent is to stand between someone and the thing that would hurt them, and to say, not today. Learn this word, and you learn how heroes work ahead of trouble.

The strong fence prevents the dog from running into the street.

Jake's word

adjective

Watchful. An adjective, and mine, describing someone who pays close attention, eyes open, ready to spot trouble. A watchful lifeguard, a watchful guard dog, a watchful older sister keeping one eye on the little ones. Its Frown is careless, the one who is not paying attention at all. Could we be more specific than saying someone was paying attention? We could say they were watchful, which tells the reader they were looking for trouble on purpose. Same picture, sharper edges. Magnifique.

The watchful lifeguard noticed the swimmer struggling right away.

Jake's word

adjective

Irritable. An adjective, and mine, describing someone who is easily annoyed, quick to grow grumpy over small things. A tired toddler turns irritable. A hungry friend gets irritable. It is the mood where every little thing bothers you. Its Frown is cheerful, the sunny, easygoing mood where nothing bothers you at all. Could we be more specific than saying someone was in a bad mood? We could say they were irritable, which tells the reader that even small things were setting them off. Same feeling, sharper word.

The tired toddler grew irritable and fussed at every little thing.

Benny's word

adverb

Instantly. An adverb, and I own it the way Nelson owns his nouns. It tells you WHEN an action happens: right away, this very second, with no wait at all. She answered instantly. The lights came on instantly. Here is your coaching tip: instantly is faster than quickly. Quickly still takes a moment; instantly takes none. So when you want the reader to feel that no time passed at all, do not settle for fast. Reach for instantly, and make it sharper. You can always be more precise, and here is how.

She answered instantly, before I even finished the question.

Benny's word

adverb

Awkwardly. An adverb, and mine to coach. It tells you HOW an action happens: in a clumsy, uncomfortable way, all elbows and second thoughts. He waved awkwardly. She laughed awkwardly at the wrong moment. Here is your tip: awkwardly does not just mean badly; it means uneasy, unsure, not quite fitting the moment. So when a character stumbles through a first hello, do not write shyly, and do not write badly. Write awkwardly, and the reader will feel every uncomfortable second. Make it precise, and you make it real.

He waved awkwardly and knocked over the cup on the table.