What does recycle mean?
Word: Recycle
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: Recycle means to treat things that have been used, such as paper, glass or plastic, so that they can be used again.
How do you spell recycle?
Syllables: re - cy - cle
Tricky part: The 's' sound after re is spelt cy, with a y, not ci or si. Students often write recicle or resycle.
Watch out for: recicle, resycle
Memory tip: The y in recycle is shaped like the forked branch of a tree: paper that is recycled saves trees.
Recycle in a sentence
Example 1: Our school collects old newspapers to recycle every Friday.
Example 2: Glass bottles can be recycled again and again.
Example 3: Mum showed me how to sort the waste so that it can be recycled.
Fun Fact
An aluminium drink can can be recycled over and over without losing its quality, and a recycled can may be back on a shop shelf within a couple of months.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Fusion
Choose the two parts that join to make a real word:
1. re 2. ful 3. un 4. ment 5. cycle 6. pre
a) 1 and 2
b) 3 and 5
c) 6 and 4
d) 1 and 5
Show answer
d) 1 and 5. Re and cycle are the only pair here that join into a real word.
Spellacadabra
In which word will the same letter fill both blanks?
a) c__mpl__te
b) b__cycl__
c) r__cycl__
d) m__nag__
Show answer
c) r__cycl__. Recycle takes e in both blanks; bicycle needs i and e, manage a and e, complete o and e.
Word Tally
How many words are misspelt in the given sentence?
Our housing society now recycles old newspapers and plastic bottles, and the money raised is used to plant trees along the main rode.
a) 2
b) 0
c) 1
d) 3
Show answer
c) 1. Rode is a past tense of ride; a street is a road, so there is one error.
Word Puzzle
Match the words with their meanings:
1. recycle 2. reduce 3. reuse a. to use something again as it is b. to use less of something c. to turn used material into something new
a) 1-c, 2-b, 3-a
b) 1-b, 2-c, 3-a
c) 1-b, 2-a, 3-c
d) 1-a, 2-c, 3-b
Show answer
a) 1-c, 2-b, 3-a. Recycling turns used material into something new (c); reducing means using less (b) and reusing keeps a thing as it is (a).
Multiple Choice Questions
1. At a recycling centre, which bin should hold an empty glass jam jar?
a) old clothes
b) food waste
c) garden waste
d) glass
Show answer
d) glass
2. Which sign is often printed on things that can be recycled?
a) a crescent moon and star
b) a crown with five points
c) three arrows in a loop
d) a red cross on white
Show answer
c) three arrows in a loop
