What does inanimate mean?
Word: Inanimate
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Inanimate means not alive, as a stone or a chair is not alive.
How do you spell inanimate?
Syllables: in - an - i - mate
Tricky part: The weak vowel between the second n and the m is spoken so lightly that pupils guess at e or a. It is an i.
Watch out for: inanemate, inanamate, innanimate
Memory tip: Picture a thin, stiff stick figure standing between the n and the m: that upright stroke is the i.
Inanimate in a sentence
Example 1: Young children often give names to inanimate things such as spoons and shoes.
Example 2: The painter arranged inanimate objects, a jug and three lemons, on the table.
Example 3: In the story, an inanimate wooden chair begins to tell jokes.
Fun Fact
Russian grammar treats nouns for people and animals differently from inanimate ones, so a word's ending can change for that reason alone.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Insert the correct pair of letters to form a word:
in_nim_te
a) e,a
b) a,a
c) a,e
d) i,a
Show answer
b) a,a. Both gaps hold the same letter; the first is the short vowel in hand.
Mingle-Mangle
Rearrange the jumbled letters in the sentence to form the right word:
A skilled puppeteer can make any mneitanai object seem to breathe and dance.
a) innermost
b) intricate
c) inanimate
d) intimate
Show answer
c) inanimate. Two a's and two n's with no r or second t fit one option alone.
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word inanimate as used in the sentence:
To the toddler, even an inanimate teddy bear was a dear friend with feelings.
a) mechanical
b) living
c) lifeless
d) unmoving
Show answer
b) living. A bear with feelings would need to be living; no other option is the opposite.
Spell-o-Spell
Only one word in the list is misspelt. Choose its meaning.
1. ancestor 2. priviledge 3. inanimate 4. bouquet
a) a bunch of flowers arranged neatly
b) having no life of its own
c) a family member from long ago
d) a special right given to only a few
Show answer
d) a special right given to only a few. There is no d in privilege, however natural it may look.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. On a walk along the shore, what would you call inanimate?
a) a fern by the stream
b) a pebble on the beach
c) a crab under the rock
d) a gull above the waves
Show answer
b) a pebble on the beach
2. A poet makes the wind 'sing' and the door 'sigh'. What is she doing?
a) treating objects as if they were alive
b) copying sounds from a real choir
c) listing the names of real animals
d) describing the weather on one day
Show answer
a) treating objects as if they were alive
