PATHFINDER SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME,

DAILY SKILL SET

(English Vocabulary and Power-Phrases)

1. VOCABULARY
 Vocabulary
In first phase, we will cover 10 different levels of vocabular, in ascending order of difficulty. Let
us start from, Level-I. You are given 20 vocabulary words for today’s consumption.

Level-I
Word 1: PARAPHRASE (PAR-uh-frayz)

To restate, put what someone else has expressed into different words.
The noun a paraphrase is a restatement of a text or passage to give the sense of the original in
fuller terms. The verb to paraphrase means to restate something, giving the meaning in another
form.
To quote and to paraphrase are sharply distinguished. To quote is to use or repeat the words of
someone else, giving acknowledgment to the source. To paraphrase is to restate in different
words what someone else has said or written.

Word 2: OSTENSIBLE (ah-STEN-si-bul)

Apparent, appearing or seeming to be true, professed or declared as true without being

demonstrated or proved.
More difficult synonyms of ostensible include plausible (PLAW-zi-bul) and specious (SPEE-
shus). Specious, however, has the negative suggestion of using deception to make something
false appear true. A specious argument is one that looks good on the surface but is flawed
underneath.
Ostensible is often used in opposition to real or actual. An ostensible motive is not necessarily a
real motive; an ostensible advantage is not necessarily an actual advantage. Ostensible means
apparent, stated as true but not necessarily proved.

Word 3: DIGRESS (di-GRES or dy-GRES)

To wander, stray from the point, ramble, deviate, go off in another direction.
Digress comes from the Latin digressus, which comes in turn from the prefix dis-, apart, and
gradi, to go, walk, step. Digress means literally to go apart, walk away. From the same Latin
source come ingress (IN-gres), the place you walk in, the entrance; and egress (EE-gres), the place
you walk out, the exit.
Digress once was used of a physical wandering or turning aside, but that sense is now archaic
(ahr-KAY-ik), which means old-fashioned. Today we do not say, “She turned right and
digressed down Main Street.” Instead, digress is used of speaking or writing that departs from
the main point or subject at hand and wanders off in another direction: “In a business report or
an oral presentation, it’s important to stick to the facts and not digress”; “If she hadn’t digressed
so much, her lecture would have been more interesting.”
The corresponding noun is digression (di-GRESH-un or dy-GRESH-un): “The old man’s story
was full of humorous digressions.”

Word 4: UNCANNY (uhn-KAN-ee)

Eerie, strange, weird, mysterious: “an uncanny experience.”
Uncanny may refer to something that is strange in an unnatural or unearthly way, something
whose strangeness is unsettling or even frightening.
Uncanny may also be used to mean beyond what is normal or expected, strange in a remarkable
or marvelous way, as “an uncanny resemblance,” or “uncanny ability.”

Word 5: CANDOR (KAN-dur)

Frankness, openness, sincere expression.

Synonyms include straightforwardness, outspokenness, forthrightness, and ingenuousness. Candor is
the noun; the adjective is candid, frank, open, sincere.
The candid person expresses his or her thoughts frankly and openly, with no hesitation. The
forthright person speaks directly to the point, plainly and sometimes bluntly, in a no-nonsense
manner. The ingenuous (in-JEN-yoo-us) person speaks honestly and sincerely, with no hint of
evasiveness or deception

Word 6: MOROSE (muh-ROHS)

Gloomy, moody, glum, grumpy, ill-tempered, depressed. “After weeks of futile job-hunting,
he became morose.”
More difficult synonyms of morose include dolorous (DOH-luh-rus), which means mournful, full
of sadness; lugubrious (luh-GOO-bree-us), which means extremely gloomy or dismal; and
saturnine (SAT-ur-nyn), which means having a bitter disposition or sour outlook on life.
Antonyms—words opposite in meaning—include optimistic, jovial (JOH-vee-ul), and sanguine
(SANG-gwin), which means having a cheerful, confident outlook on life.
Sullen (SUHL-in) and morose are close in meaning. When you refuse to speak or associate with
people because you’re in a bad mood, you are being sullen. When you are depressed and silent
because you are feeling bitter or resentful, you are morose. Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate
Dictionary, tenth edition, says that morose suggests “bitterness or misanthropy.” Misanthropy
(mis-AN-thruh-pee) is hatred of humankind, a spiteful or pessimistic attitude about the human
race. Moroseness is ill-tempered, bitter gloominess.

Word 7: ADEPT (uh-DEPT)

Skilled.
Synonyms include handy, clever, able, deft, expert, adroit, dexterous (DEK-strus, also DEK-stur-us),
and proficient (pruh-FISH-int, not proh-).
Adept comes from the Latin adeptus, an alchemist who has learned how to do the impossible—
change base metals into gold. The noun an adept (AD-ept) means a highly skilled person, an
expert. The adjective adept means skilled, dexterous, proficient: “He was adept at managing his
investments, and they always turned a handsome profit.”

Word 8: SATURATED (SACH-uh-RAY-tid)

Soaked, thoroughly wet, full of moisture.

Synonyms include drenched, steeped, permeated (PUR-mee-AY-tid), impregnated, imbued (im-
BYOOD), and sodden (SAHD-’n).
Sodden may mean heavy with moisture, soggy, or dull, stupefied, expressionless, as from
drinking too much liquor. To saturate means to soak or wet thoroughly, either literally, as in
“My french fries are saturated with oil,” or figuratively: “The company saturated the media
with ads for its new product.” Saturation is the corresponding noun.

Word 9: PRAGMATIC (prag-MAT-ik)

Practical, having to do with actual practice, concerned with everyday affairs as opposed to
theory or speculation.
Pragmatic comes from the Latin pragmaticus, which means skilled in business or law. The lawyer
is concerned with evidence and proof; the businessperson is concerned with facts and figures.
Both have little time for idle speculation or harebrained schemes. Both must be pragmatic,
concerned with practical, everyday affairs

Word 10: CONGENIAL (kun-JEE-nee-ul)

Sympathetic, agreeable, compatible, kindred, harmonious, having the same taste, nature, or
temperament.
Congenial persons have similar or sympathetic tastes, interests, or personalities. Congenial
things agree, go well together.
Antonyms, or opposites, of congenial are alien, dissident (DIS-uh-dint), and incongruous (in-
KAHNG-groo-us).

Word 11: CAPRICIOUS (kuh-PRISH-us)

Unpredictable, tending to change abruptly for no apparent or logical reason.

Synonyms of capricious include flighty, changeable, impulsive, and fickle. More difficult synonyms
include erratic, whimsical (W(H)IM-zi-kul), volatile (VAHL-uh-tul), and mercurial (mur-KYUR-
ee-ul).
A caprice (kuh-PREES) is a sudden change of mind or change in the emotions. A person or a
thing that is capricious is subject to caprices—to abrupt, unpredictable changes: “He’s so
capricious, his mood changes with the wind”; “New England has a capricious climate”; “The
stock market is notoriously capricious.”

Word 12: BLATANT (BLAYT-’nt)

Noisy, disagreeably or offensively loud, boisterous, clamorous: “the blatant sound of horns
honking in heavy traffic.”
Blatant is also used to mean sticking out in a glaring way, obtrusive, flagrant, as in “a blatant
lie,” “a blatant error,” “a blatant attempt to impress the boss.”
In either sense, blatant suggests something conspicuous and disagreeable

Word 13: OBLIGATORY (uh-BLIG-uh-tor-ee)

Required, necessary, binding, mandatory.

Obligatory duties are those you must perform to fulfill an obligation or responsibility. Doing
miscellaneous paperwork is an obligatory function of the clerical worker.
Do not pronounce the initial o in obligatory like the o in open. Pronounce it like the a in above.

Word 14: NEGLIGIBLE (NEG-li-ji-bul)

Unimportant, trifling, of little consequence.

That which is negligible can be neglected. A negligible concern can be disregarded; it is so
trivial and insignificant that it warrants little or no attention.

Word 15: ADAMANT (AD-uh-mint)

Unyielding, immovable, inflexible, refusing to give in, unshakable, unrelenting, implacable.

“She was adamant in her opposition to the plan.”
The adjective adamant comes from the noun adamant, which refers to a hard substance or stone,
such as a diamond, that in ancient times was believed to be unbreakable. There is an old word
adamantine (AD-uh-MAN-tin), still listed in current dictionaries but not often used; it means
like adamant, very hard, unbreakable. The adjective adamant, which has replaced adamantine in
current usage, means hard in the sense of inflexible, immovable, unyielding

Word 16: SPORADIC (spuh-RAD-ik or spor-AD-ik)

Occasional, infrequent, irregular, not constant, happening from time to time, occurring in a
scattered or random way.
A business venture may have sporadic success. A gambler’s luck may be sporadic. Sporadic
crimes are crimes scattered throughout a city or neighborhood. Sporadic outbreaks of a disease
in the population are occasional, isolated outbreaks.
Antonyms of sporadic include constant, incessant (in-SES-int), and unremitting

Word 17: VANGUARD (VAN-gahrd)

The forefront of an action or movement, leading position or persons in a movement: “They

were in the vanguard of the war on poverty.”
In its strict military sense, vanguard means the troops moving at the head of an army, the part
of the army that goes ahead of the main body, an advance guard.

Word 18: CONCUR (kun-KUR)

To agree, be in accord with, unite in opinion.

Concur comes from the Latin con-, together, and currere, to run, flow, and means literally to run
or flow together, go along with. That derivation has led to three slightly different meanings of
the word.
First, concur may be used to mean to act together, combine in having an effect, as “Time and
chance concurred in our success.”
Second, concur may be used to mean happen together, occur at the same time, coincide, as “His
pay raise concurred with his promotion.”
The third and most common meaning of concur is to agree, as “Your story concurs with theirs”;
“We concurred on almost every point of negotiation.”

Word 19: PRECOCIOUSNESS (pruh-KOH-shus-nis)

Early development or maturity, especially in mental ability.

The noun precociousness and the adjective precocious come from the Latin praecox, which means
premature, or literally, “ripening before its time.” Precocious is most often used of children
whose intellectual or emotional development is unusually advanced. Precociousness, early
development, is the opposite of retardation, slowness in development.

Word 20: ALOOF (uh-LOOF)

Apart, at a distance, removed, withdrawn, not wishing to speak or associate with others.
The aloof person is emotionally reserved and keeps a cool distance from others. Aloofness means
reluctance to get involved or take an interest in something.
Synonyms of aloof include unsympathetic, unapproachable, standoffish, and indifferent.
2. POWER-PHRASES
 CHAPTER 1
PowerPhrases® Defined:
What Is a PowerPhrase Anyway?

Let’s get some help from the dictionary.

• Power is the ability to get results. Your words have
power when they work for you. Target your words
for the results you want.
• A phrase is a brief, apt, and cogent expression.
That means a PowerPhrase is an expression that is brief,
well-chosen and effective. I describe a PowerPhrase as: a
short, specific expression that is focused on results.
Your results come when you say what you mean, mean PowerPhrase:
what you say, and are not being mean when you say it. A short specific
expression that
It really is that simple. A PowerPhrase is: a short, spe- gets results by
cific, focused expression that says what you mean and saying what you
means what you say without being mean when you say it. mean, meaning
Let’s get a closer look. what you say, and
not being mean
when you say it.
A PowerPhrase Is a SHORT Expression.
• Less is more!
Make your point and stop talking! Forget the detailed
explanations that sound like apologies and suggest that
you do not have a right to your position. For example, if
someone asks you to run for club president and you do
not want to, don’t say:
— You know, it is really great that you asked
me to serve, and I want to tell you how much I

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appreciate it! This is the first time anyone has

made me an offer like this. Really, ordinarily I
would love to, but under the circumstances…
Instead, use a short PowerPhrase for Saying No, such
as:
• I’m flattered you asked. My decision is to not serve
at this time.
• Thanks for asking. I choose not to serve.
• I would be happy to if I had the time. I make a
policy of not over-scheduling myself, and this
would overload my schedule.
Martin Luther King, Jr. understood the importance of
being brief when he said,
• “I have a dream!”
A longer phrase such as:
PowerPhrases
grab your — I have some really good ideas that inspire me and
attention and I think you’ll want to listen.
create pictures does not carry the impact and is not a PowerPhrase.
in your mind.
PowerPhrases Are Specific Expressions.
Their power is in details. Being specific adds impact.
Imagine you gave a presentation about a project you are
working on. Certainly you would appreciate comments
about how great a job you did. However, the comment
about the subtlety you used to build expectancy before
you detailed your conclusions is the comment you will
appreciate the most. By being specific, they showed they
were really paying attention.
Being specific limits the possibility of misunderstanding.
If I tell you about a dog I see on my hikes, you might
imagine a tiny creature or an enormous animal. If I tell
you about the Golden Receiver I see on my hikes, your
picture is much closer to what I am describing.

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PowerPhrases Get RESULTS

Consciously choose what results you want to achieve,
and focus your words to make them happen. Set con-
scious goals. If your conscious mind does not set a goal
for the conversation, your unconscious mind will. I am
amazed at how often people speak in a way that alien-
ates the very person who can help them. Consider these
questions in every conversation you have.
1. How can I get what I want?
2. How do I preserve the relationship while
getting what I want?
Weigh both values and choose words that address both.

PowerPhrases Say What You Mean

It sounds simple enough. But don’t kid yourself. Do you If your conscious
really say what you mean? Or do you avoid clarity to mind does not
avoid a reaction? Perhaps you say: set a goal for the
conversation,
— That’s okay. Don’t worry about it.
your unconscious
A PowerPhrase for Addressing Conflict would be more mind will.
effective. Consider these:
• This is a problem. We need to find a solution.
• This is unacceptable and needs to be addressed.
• I need your help to resolve this.
Do you say what you mean about a problem to everyone
but the person you need to tell the most? You are prob-
ably so accustomed to editing your thoughts, you are not
even aware you do it. Your best PowerPhrases are the
direct expressions of your own heart and your own mind.
Say what is in there.
I get numerous letters from my newsletter subscribers
asking how to communicate in difficult situations.
When I respond, they sometimes think I’m some kind of

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genius. I’m not…I find words for them in what they tell
me. Realize that the perfect words are hidden in the last
place you are likely to look…in your own heart. The
authenticity in your heart is your best source of word
power.

Power Pointer— Talk to the Person

That You Have the Issue With

Robert came to me with a concern about how his

supervisor did not back him up on his decisions. I
asked, “What did she say when you talked to her about
it?” He replied, “I haven’t mentioned it to her.” It was
easy to tell him what he needed to do.
There are so few role models of how to communicate
well. Most sitcoms would not have a story if people
Back up your would regularly communicate with PowerPhrases. In
words with my fantasy career I will write for nighttime soap
actions. operas, and put in some good healthy PowerPhrases.
That would present a model of what good communi-
cation can look like.

With PowerPhrases You Mean What You Say!

Your words are only as powerful as your commitment to
them. How about you? Do you mean what you say? Or
do you say:
• I will…(start the meetings on time whether you are
here or not.)
And then when that person is late you wait to begin.
Everyone knows when your deadlines aren’t real.
Everyone knows when your resistance can be overcome.
Everyone knows when you do not intend to follow
through!

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In the words of Emerson:

• “What you do speaks so loudly I cannot hear a
thing you say.”
Do not say something unless you intend to back yourself
up with action.
This can be hard! Have you ever told a coworker what
time you could meet and they pressured you to meet
with them immediately? What did you do? Yield to their
pressure or stand firm with what you said? Back your
words up with actions. If the guilt monster starts whis-
pering recriminations in your ear, remind yourself that
your needs are important too.

Power Pointer— Mean What You Say

Claudia consistently would tell her boss how impor- PowerPhrases

tant it was to her to leave work on time, and she told are as powerful
him what she needed from him in order to complete as your
her work by the end of her work day. Her boss ignored commitment
her requests and Claudia stayed late to make sure to them.
everything was completed.
Then Claudia had a change in childcare that made it
impossible for her to stay more than fifteen minutes
past the time she was scheduled to leave. Her boss was
upset the first time she left before the work was
complete, but he quickly learned that now Claudia
meant what she said about leaving on time.
Miraculously, now that there was a cost to him of not
getting things to her, he began to get her what she
needed so that she was able to complete her work by
end of the business day.

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PowerPhrases Avoid Being Mean

Are you being mean in your choice of words? Don’t be
so sure that you’re not. Here are some communication
tactics to watch out for. PowerPhrases (1) avoid sarcasm,
(2) overkill, (3) assumption of guilt and (4) an attempt
to overpower the other person with wit.

1. PowerPhrases Avoid Sarcasm.

— Look who decided to show up…
is NOT a PowerPhrase.
• When you come late it throws my schedule off
for the rest of the day. How can I help you get here
on time?
is a PowerPhrase.
Sarcasm is indirect. PowerPhrases are direct. Sarcasm
PowerPhrases mocks the listener. PowerPhrases honor the listener.
avoid being One definition of sarcasm is “the tearing of flesh.” Is that
mean. what you really want to do?

2. PowerPhrases Avoid Overkill.

A PowerPhrase is as strong as it needs to be and no
stronger. A PowerPhrase does not shoot a cannon when
a BB would work. For example:
• Absolutely not!
can be a PowerPhrase, but only when a gentler version
such as:
• Not this time. Thanks for asking.
does not work.
I recently had a conversation with a woman who blasted
a coworker for speaking too loudly on a personal con-
versation. It didn’t occur to her to simply ask her to
speak more softly. Use the appropriate amount of power.

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3. PowerPhrases Avoid Assumption of Guilt.

PowerPhrases assume positive intentions unless it is
proven otherwise. Don’t be too quick to judge! The
woman whose coworker was speaking loudly assumed
her coworker was aware of how disturbing it was, and
simply didn’t care. She was incorrect in her assumption.
Avoid the accusative voice of “you” language. Say:
• I am getting angry.
Rather than:
— You make me so mad!
Say:
• I was promised a commission structure six months
ago and I still do not have one. If this is not
resolved I will…
rather than: PowerPhrases
— You lied! avoid the
assumption
4. PowerPhrases Avoid Attempts to Outsmart the of guilt.
Other Person With Wit.
This can be hard! If the other person is behaving in an
offensive way, it is tempting to attempt to outsmart
them. Avoid the temptation.
If the boss asks “What kind of idiot are you?” you might
be tempted to say:
— The same kind of idiot as the person who hired me.
— You tell me. You are the obvious expert.
Are they clever responses? Yes. Are they PowerPhrases?
No. People who use PowerPhrases speak to obtain pow-
erful results. Instead, use the PowerPhrase:
• When you ask, “What kind of idiot are you?” I
find it insulting. I prefer you offer solutions when
I make mistakes.

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Power Tip— Speak up EARLY!

When you express yourself as soon as things become a

problem, you minimize the likelihood that you will
overreact.
Kris and Carol were on a team in a job that required
them to set up displays. Kris thought Carol always
undid any display she arranged and she resented it.
Carol didn’t know there was a problem until the end of
a week of working together when she overheard an
indirect remark Kris made to someone else. She was
surprised to discover what a villain she had become!
Because Kris hadn’t spoken up, what began as a few
rearranged display items became an issue of power and
When you speak control. We have all done this. Speak up early!
up as soon as
things become a
problem, you
minimize the
likelihood that
you will overreact.

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Exercise — The PowerPhrase Questions

Now that you understand the characteristics of PowerPhrases, practice the
exercises below. Then read Chapter 2 to see how PowerPhrases can overcome
Poison Phrases.
PowerPhrase wisdom says, before you speak, ask yourself:
1. Is it short?
2. Is it specific?
3. Is it focused?
4. Does it truly say what I mean?
5. Do I intend to back my words with action?
6. Am I being kind in my choice of words?
List your favorite phrases below.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Next, apply the above questions to your phrases.
If all of your answers are yes, your phrases are PowerPhrases! If you get any “nos,”
find a better expression in the chapters of this book.
For example, a common phrase among teenagers is “Whatever.”
1. Is it short? Yes!
2. Is it specific? No. It carries little information.
3. Is it focused to get positive results? No. It is likely to create resentment
and resistance.
4. Does it truly say what you mean? It conveys very little information.
5. Do you intend to back the message up with action? The message does
not imply a clear position to back up.
6. Are you being kind in your choice of words? No. Usually this expression
is intended sarcastically.
Eliminate the powerless phrases and fill your vocabulary with PowerPhrases.
Read on to chapter 2 for more tools in recognizing what PowerPhrases are,
by examining what they are not.

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