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WorksheetYear 9Level 2 · Standard

Free Year 9 Academic Word List Practice 1 Worksheet

Students work with fifteen high-frequency academic words drawn from the Academic Word List, the words that appear across textbooks, exam questions and essays in every subject: analyse, significant, consistent, evident, interpret, context, establish, factor, require, vary, indicate, assess, derive, principle and specific. They match words to meanings, use them in context, build word families and rewrite everyday sentences in academic register. Confident use of these words lifts writing in English, Science and Humanities alike.

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Year
Year 9
Subject
English
Topic
Vocabulary
Difficulty
Level 2 · Standard
Estimated time
20 minutes
Curriculum
Australian Curriculum
Questions
15
Answers
Included, with working
Format
PDF (A4) + print

Students will practise

  • defining high-frequency academic words
  • using academic vocabulary in context
  • building word families (noun, verb, adjective forms)
  • rewriting everyday language in academic register

Curriculum: Australian Curriculum. We show specific outcome codes only where they have been verified against the official curriculum document.

What's next?

Completed: Academic Word List Practice 1

  1. 1Analysing Persuasive Techniques in Advertising
  2. 2Is Social Media Doing More Harm Than Good? — Persuasive Writing
  3. 3Language Features: Imagery, Tone and Mood

How to use this worksheet

  1. Print the PDF or complete it on screen. Write the student's name and date at the top.
  2. Read the instructions for each part together before starting. Encourage working to be shown.
  3. Mark with the answer sheet. Use the model answers and success criteria as a guide rather than a single right answer.
  4. Record the score, celebrate what went well, then follow the "What's next" suggestion.

Common questions

Who is this worksheet for?

Year 9 students (typically ages 14–15) working on vocabulary. It is pitched at level 2 · standard.

Are the answers included?

Yes. The PDF includes a full answer sheet with model answers and success criteria where there is more than one good answer. You can also view the answers online.

How long does it take?

About 20 minutes for 15 questions. Short, regular sessions work best: two or three a week beats one long one.

Do I need to sign up to download?

No. Click Download Free PDF and it opens immediately. It is free for personal, classroom and homeschool use.

What should we do next?

Try Analysing Persuasive Techniques in Advertising.

Preview

Year 9 · English · Vocabulary

Academic Word List Practice 1

Success Tutoring

Student name:

Date:

Score: /

Academic words are the words of explanation and argument. Keep a list of the ones you meet in other subjects this week.

Part A — Meanings

Circle the best meaning for each bolded word.

1.To analyse something is to:
  1. Adescribe it briefly
  2. Bbreak it into parts to understand how it works
  3. Cagree with it
  4. Dmemorise it
2.A significant result is one that is:
  1. Asmall and easily ignored
  2. Bimportant or meaningful
  3. Csurprising but irrelevant
  4. Ddifficult to read
3.If data are consistent, they:
  1. Achange unpredictably
  2. Bfollow the same pattern each time
  3. Ccome from one source only
  4. Dare always correct
4.Something that is evident is:
  1. Ahidden
  2. Bclear and easily seen or understood
  3. Cdoubtful
  4. Dcomplicated
5.To interpret a graph is to:
  1. Adraw it
  2. Bexplain what it means
  3. Ccopy it
  4. Dcolour it in

Part B — Words in context

Complete each sentence with the best word from the box: context, establish, factor, require, vary, indicate. Use each word once.

6.The quotation makes more sense when you read it in : the sentences around it change its meaning.
7.Before drawing conclusions, the scientists had to that their equipment was accurate.
8.Lack of sleep was one in the team's poor performance; nerves were another.
9.The experiment will at least three trials to be reliable.
10.Rainfall figures greatly between the coast and the inland towns.
11.The dark clouds that a storm is approaching.

Part C — Word families

Academic words usually come in families. Knowing the noun, verb and adjective forms lets you use the word in any sentence.

12.Match each verb to its noun form.
  • analyse
  • define
  • assess
  • vary
  • respond
  • derive
  • assessment
  • response
  • variation
  • analysis
  • derivation
  • definition
13.Write the adjective form of each noun: significance → ; consistency → ; evidence → ; specificity →
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Preview — the PDF contains the full resource and answer sheet.

Vocabulary in other year levels

About this resource

Created by
Success Tutoring
Last reviewed
1 October 2026
How it was made
Written by our team

Free to print and share for personal, classroom and homeschool use. Please don't resell. Spotted an error? Let us know.