Practice
English vocabulary practice: useful words beginning with N
Sign in to saveA station can be nearby, but a narrow street may still take time to walk through. Small details like these help you choose a word that says exactly what you mean.
Understand and use six useful English words beginning with N in everyday messages and conversations.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
It is necessary to notice the nearby sign. /ɪt ɪz ˈnes.ə.ser.i tə ˈnəʊ.tɪs ðə ˌnɪəˈbaɪ saɪn/
The short answer
Use narrow for limited width, nearby for a short distance, necessary for something needed, negotiate for trying to reach an agreement, nervous for worried before something, and notice for seeing or becoming aware of something.
It is necessary to bring your passport to the appointment.
Why it works: Necessary tells us that the passport is needed for the appointment.
6 more examples
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The narrow bridge only has space for one car.
Narrow describes the bridge's limited width.
Not this:The
widebridge has space for two cars. What changes: Wide describes more width, so it gives the opposite picture. -
There is a pharmacy nearby if you need one.
Nearby means the pharmacy is close to the speaker's location.
Not this:The nearest pharmacy is forty minutes
awayby bus. What changes: Away shows distance, so this pharmacy is not nearby. -
A receipt is necessary if you want to return the jacket.
Necessary tells us that the receipt is needed for the return.
Not this:A receipt is
helpful, but it is not required for this repair. What changes: Helpful can make a task easier. Necessary means the task cannot proceed without it. -
The two teams will negotiate a new delivery date.
Negotiate describes the action of discussing terms to reach an agreement.
Not this:The two teams will
announcethe new delivery date tomorrow. What changes: Announce tells people a decision. Negotiate happens while people are still trying to agree. -
I felt nervous before my first presentation at work.
Nervous describes a worried feeling before the presentation.
Not this:I felt
calmafter the presentation ended. What changes: Calm describes the absence of the worry that nervous can describe. -
Did you notice the change in the meeting time?
Notice means become aware of the changed time.
Not this:Did you
ignorethe change in the meeting time? What changes: Ignore means choose not to give attention, while notice means become aware.
Read the full guide
Do not learn a new word as a translation alone. Ask what it describes and which sentence pattern it needs. For these N words, the difference between a place, a feeling, an action, and a requirement will usually lead you to the right choice.
Use narrow for limited width
Use narrow when something has little space from one side to the other. A road, hallway, gap, or bridge can be narrow. The word can appear before a noun or after be.
The narrow hallway made it difficult to carry the table inside.
The hallway has limited width, so narrow describes its shape.
Which word fits a street with room for only one car: narrow or nearby?
Choose narrow because the sentence describes the street's width.
Use nearby for a short distance
Use nearby when a place or person is close. Put it before a noun, as in a nearby station, or after a verb, as in We live nearby. The listener does not need an exact measurement to understand that the distance is short.
We found a nearby cafe while we waited for the train.
Nearby describes the cafe's location in relation to where the group is waiting.
Which sentence is natural: There is a nearby cafe, or There is a narrow cafe?
Choose a nearby cafe when you mean that the cafe is close.
Use necessary for a real requirement
Necessary means needed for a purpose or result. Use it when something is required, not simply useful. It often follows be: An ID card is necessary. It can also come before a noun: Make the necessary changes.
It is necessary to confirm the address before the order is sent.
Confirming the address is needed before the order can go to the right place.
If a document is required for an application, is it necessary or nearby?
It is necessary because the application needs that document.
Use negotiate while people seek agreement
Negotiate is a verb. People negotiate prices, dates, contracts, or solutions when they discuss different needs and try to agree. The final agreement may come later, so negotiate does not mean that the discussion has already succeeded.
The landlord and tenant negotiated a later payment date.
They discussed the date to find terms both sides could accept.
Do people negotiate before or after they have reached an agreement?
They negotiate while they are trying to reach an agreement.
Use nervous for a worried feeling
Nervous is an adjective for a worried, uncertain, or excited feeling, often before an important event. Say feel nervous or be nervous. It describes a person, not the event itself; an event can make someone nervous.
Rina was nervous before she called the clinic.
Nervous describes Rina's feeling before the call, not the clinic.
Which is correct: I felt nervous before the interview, or I negotiated before the interview?
Choose nervous when you describe your feeling before the interview.
Use notice when a detail becomes clear
Use notice when you see, hear, or become aware of a detail. You can notice a sign, a sound, a change, or that something is different. Notice often helps people avoid small mistakes because it brings attention to useful information.
Please notice that the office closes early on Friday.
The speaker wants the listener to become aware of the earlier closing time.
What should you do if a message has a changed date that affects your plan?
Notice the change, then check whether you need to update your plan.
Before you go
Remember this
Use the situation to choose these N words. Describe width with narrow, distance with nearby, a requirement with necessary, an agreement discussion with negotiate, a worried feeling with nervous, and new awareness with notice. Keep one useful sentence for each word and reuse it in a different context.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "English vocabulary practice: useful words beginning with N"
What does narrow mean in English?
Narrow means having little width from one side to the other. It can describe a road, bridge, hallway, gap, or path. Use it when the available space is limited, and compare it with wide when there is more space across something.
The narrow bridge only has space for one car.
What is the difference between nearby and near?
Nearby means close in distance and can come before a noun or after a verb: a nearby store or The store is nearby. Near is often followed by the place used as a reference, such as near the library or near my home.
The wide bridge has space for two cars.
When should I use necessary?
Use necessary when something is needed for a purpose, rule, or result. A passport may be necessary for travel, while an extra bag may only be helpful. Necessary often follows be or comes before a noun in a phrase such as necessary information.
There is a pharmacy nearby if you need one.
How do I use negotiate in a sentence?
Use negotiate for discussing prices, dates, conditions, or other terms while people try to reach an agreement. It is a verb, so a person or group negotiates something or negotiates with someone. The word does not promise that an agreement was reached.
The nearest pharmacy is forty minutes away by bus.
Can notice mean more than see?
Yes. Notice can mean see a detail, but it also means become aware of something through sight, sound, or other information. You might notice a spelling error, notice that a schedule changed, or notice a sound from another room.
A receipt is necessary if you want to return the jacket.