English vocabulary practice: useful words beginning with W

A word list becomes easier to use when you know what each item does. Wait and warn are verbs. Warm can be an adjective, as in warm tea, or a verb, as in warm the soup. Whole is usually an adjective before a noun. Whether joins alternatives in a longer sentence.

Please warm the soup before lunch.

Warm is a verb here because it names the action. In The soup is warm, it describes the soup.

Which word class is whole in the whole weekend?

Whole is an adjective that describes weekend as complete.

Wait means stay or delay an action until someone or something arrives or happens. In ordinary English, use wait for before the person, object, reply, or event you expect. Use wait to plus a verb when the next part is an action.

I am waiting for the manager's reply.

The reply is the thing expected, so for is needed.

We waited to cross when the traffic stopped.

To cross names the action that will happen after the wait.

Which phrase fits before your turn: wait or wait for?

Use wait for your turn because your turn is the event you expect.

Use warn when you tell someone about a danger, difficulty, or possible bad result. The common pattern is warn someone about something. You can also use warn someone not to do something when you advise against an action.

My neighbour warned me about the loose gate.

Me is the person receiving the warning, and the loose gate is the possible problem.

The notice warned visitors not to touch the equipment.

Not to touch states the action that visitors should avoid.

How can you warn a friend about heavy rain?

You can say: I warned my friend about the heavy rain.

Wonder expresses curiosity or uncertainty. It often appears before whether or if when you are thinking about two possibilities. Whether is especially useful when you mention or not, when you discuss a choice, or in more formal writing.

We wondered whether the library would be quiet.

The speakers do not know the answer. Whether introduces the question they are considering.

Please tell me whether or not you can attend.

Whether or not makes the two possible answers explicit.

What does I wonder whether he agrees show?

It shows that the speaker is unsure and is considering whether he agrees.

Worth describes value, benefit, or an amount of money. After be, use worth plus a noun, a price, or an -ing form. Avoid worth to do in this meaning. Say worth reading or worth the cost instead.

The museum is worth a visit if you have time.

A visit is a noun phrase, so it can follow worth.

That short guide is worth reading twice.

Reading is an -ing form. It explains which effort has value.

Which is natural: worth to read or worth reading?

Use worth reading. Worth is followed by a noun phrase or an -ing form.

Use whole before a singular countable noun to mean complete: the whole plan, the whole morning, or a whole sandwich. Use warm for a moderate temperature or a friendly feeling. The same spelling has different roles, so the surrounding sentence tells you which meaning is intended.

They spent the whole afternoon preparing the room.

Whole describes the complete afternoon, not one part of it.

We received a warm welcome from the team.

Warm describes friendliness here, not temperature.

How do you describe every part of a report?

Say the whole report, or all of the report.