Make Your Point > Archived Issues > LABORIOUS

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"LABORIOUS" Pronunciation: luh BORE ee us Part of speech: Adjective. (Adjectives are describing words, like “large” or “late.” They can be used in two ways: 1. Right before a noun, as in “a laborious process” 2. After a linking verb, as in “The process was laborious.”) Meaning: Something laborious takes a lot of labor (hard work). Laborious tasks are difficult and require you to work on them for a long time and put in a lot of effort. Other forms: laboriously, labor How to use it: Talk about a laborious task, a laborious job, a laborious process, and so on. People can work laboriously on something, something can be laboriously done, and you can be laborious in your work. Getting a new law passed is a laborious process, perhaps for good reason—we wouldn’t want new laws cropping up indiscriminately. Why did I just spend five laborious minutes typing an email with my thumbs on a tiny cell phone when my desktop computer is right here?! Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You'll know you understand what "laborious" means when you can explain it without saying "work" or "effort." Think of a task you dislike because it’s hard and takes a long time, and fill in the blank: “I wish I could avoid the laborious process of _____.” Example: “I wish I could avoid the laborious process of plucking off all the little pieces of cat hair that litter the furniture and the floor.” Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game and quote below. Then try the review questions. Don't go straight to the review now; let your working memory empty out first. Playing With Words: This month's game is "guess the common word based on the given literal root meanings." Try it out each day and see the right answer the next day. It can be fun and illuminating to see the literal meanings of words when they came into the language! More than one right answer might be possible in some cases, just so you know. Also, it's okay if you can't come up with most or even any of the answers on your own; just check out the solutions and you'll learn the roots as you go along this month. From yesterday: "hand" + "hold" = ? Answer: "MAINTAIN" Try this one today: "apart" + "carry" = ? A Point Well Made: Carl Sagan: "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence." 1. The opposite of LABORIOUS is A.  VOLUNTARY B.  SPEEDY C.  EASY 2. Understandably, the more laboriously handcrafted items at the market were _____. A. more expensive. B. much smaller. C. more seriously flawed. Answers are below. To be a sponsor and send your own message to readers of this list, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each day for free by Mrs. Liesl Johnson, M.Ed., a word lover, learning enthusiast, and private tutor of reading and writing in the verdant little town of Hilo, Hawaii. For writing tips, online learning, essay guidance, and more, please visit www.HiloTutor.com. Disclaimer: Word meanings presented here are expressed in plain language and are limited to common, useful applications only. Readers interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words are encouraged to check a dictionary. Likewise, word meanings, usage, and pronunciations are limited to American English; these elements may vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. C 2. A