Chapter: An old people’s home
📚 Vocabulary
ENGLISH FOR TODAY Class Six
⭐ Most Important Exam Words
auntwidowretiredelderlylonelyhelplessmiserablemeaningfulwell-offcolleaguesupportestablishtake care oflook afterfind outreplycommunitylocalityphysicallyabroadalreadywhenevertogethervolunteer
📃 Word Formation Rules
► Add the suffix -ful to nouns to form adjectives: meaning + ful = meaningful, help + ful = helpful.
► Add the suffix -less to nouns to form adjectives meaning without: help + less = helpless, care + less = careless.
► Add the suffix -ly to adjectives to form adverbs: eager + ly = eagerly, physical + ly = physically, frequent + ly = frequently.
► Add the suffix -ity to adjectives to form abstract nouns: local + ity = locality, possible + ity = possibility.
► Use the prefix un- to form opposites: happy → unhappy, willing → unwilling, healthy → unhealthy.
► Use the prefix dis- to form opposites: agree → disagree, connect → disconnect.
► Use -er to form a person noun from a verb: work → worker, teach → teacher, visit → visitor.
► Learn irregular or special forms: alone → loneliness, sick → sickness, poor → poverty, die → death.
1. People and Relationships (8 words)
aunt[/ɑːnt/]nouneasy
Meaning: খালা বা পিতার/মাতার বোন
Alt: চাচি, ফুফু বা মামি; প্রসঙ্গভেদে
Example: Mariam often visits her aunt on Fridays.
Syn: relativeAnt: stranger
💡 Exam tip: Aunt means the sister of one's father or mother.
widow[/ˈwɪdəʊ/]nounmedium
Meaning: বিধবা নারী
Alt: যে নারীর স্বামী মারা গেছেন এবং যিনি পুনরায় বিয়ে করেননি
Example: Suraiya Begum is a widow.
Syn: widowed womanAnt: widower
💡 Exam tip: Remember: widow is female; widower is male.
husband[/ˈhʌzbənd/]nouneasy
Meaning: স্বামী
Alt: বিবাহিত নারীর পুরুষ সঙ্গী
Example: Her husband died three years ago.
Syn: spouseAnt: wife
💡 Exam tip: The plural form is husbands, not husbandes.
daughter[/ˈdɔːtə/]nouneasy
Meaning: কন্যা বা মেয়ে সন্তান
Alt: কারও নারী সন্তান
Example: Her two daughters live abroad.
Syn: girl childAnt: son
💡 Exam tip: Daughter is pronounced without clearly sounding the gh.
relative[/ˈrelətɪv/]nouneasy
Meaning: আত্মীয়
Alt: রক্ত বা বিবাহসূত্রে সম্পর্কিত ব্যক্তি
Example: She visits her friends and relatives.
Syn: family memberAnt: stranger
💡 Exam tip: Relative can be a noun or an adjective; here it is a noun.
colleague[/ˈkɒliːɡ/]nounmedium
Meaning: সহকর্মী
Alt: একই পেশা বা প্রতিষ্ঠানে কাজ করেন এমন ব্যক্তি
Example: Suraiya writes letters to her old colleagues.
Syn: co-workerAnt: employer
💡 Exam tip: A colleague is not necessarily a close friend.
elderly[/ˈeldəli/]adjeasy
Meaning: বয়স্ক
Alt: বৃদ্ধ বা বেশি বয়সী
Example: The elderly people need care and support.
Syn: old, agedAnt: young
💡 Exam tip: Use elderly as a polite word for old people.
community[/kəˈmjuːnəti/]nounmedium
Meaning: সম্প্রদায় বা স্থানীয় জনগোষ্ঠী
Alt: একটি এলাকার মানুষের সমষ্টি
Example: The home will be a useful community project.
Syn: society, neighbourhoodAnt: isolation
💡 Exam tip: Community work means work done for the benefit of local people.
2. Feelings and Conditions (8 words)
bored[/bɔːd/]adjeasy
Meaning: বিরক্ত বা একঘেয়ে লাগা
Alt: আগ্রহের অভাবে ক্লান্ত বোধ করা
Example: She often gets bored of doing the same things.
Syn: uninterested, wearyAnt: interested, excited
💡 Exam tip: Use bored for a person's feeling; boring describes a thing.
miserable[/ˈmɪzərəbəl/]adjmedium
Meaning: দুঃখী বা অত্যন্ত অসুখী
Alt: কষ্টকর ও হতাশাজনক অবস্থায় থাকা
Example: The lonely old people often feel helpless and miserable.
Syn: unhappy, sadAnt: happy, cheerful
💡 Exam tip: Miserable is stronger than simply sad.
lonely[/ˈləʊnli/]adjeasy
Meaning: একাকী বা নিঃসঙ্গ
Alt: সঙ্গী বা আপনজনের অভাব অনুভব করা
Example: Some old people live alone and feel lonely.
Syn: alone, isolatedAnt: sociable, companioned
💡 Exam tip: Lonely describes a sad feeling; alone only describes being without others.
helpless[/ˈhelpləs/]adjeasy
Meaning: অসহায়
Alt: নিজেকে সাহায্য করতে বা সমস্যা সমাধান করতে অক্ষম
Example: They often feel helpless when they become sick.
Syn: powerless, weakAnt: powerful, capable
💡 Exam tip: Helpless = without help or ability to act.
weak[/wiːk/]adjeasy
Meaning: দুর্বল
Alt: শারীরিক শক্তির অভাবযুক্ত
Example: Some old people are physically weak.
Syn: feeble, frailAnt: strong, healthy
💡 Exam tip: Physically weak refers to the body, not necessarily the mind.
sick[/sɪk/]adjeasy
Meaning: অসুস্থ
Alt: রোগাক্রান্ত বা শরীর খারাপ
Example: They have no one to take care of them in sickness.
Syn: ill, unwellAnt: healthy, well
💡 Exam tip: Sick and ill are common synonyms in exam questions.
meaningful[/ˈmiːnɪŋfəl/]adjmedium
Meaning: অর্থপূর্ণ বা তাৎপর্যপূর্ণ
Alt: যা গুরুত্বপূর্ণ উপকার বা মূল্য সৃষ্টি করে
Example: She wants to do something more meaningful.
Syn: significant, valuableAnt: meaningless, pointless
💡 Exam tip: Meaningful is formed from meaning plus the suffix -ful.
well-off[/ˌwel ˈɒf/]adjmedium
Meaning: সচ্ছল বা আর্থিকভাবে স্বচ্ছন্দ
Alt: যার যথেষ্ট অর্থসম্পদ আছে
Example: Some of the old people are quite well-off.
Syn: rich, prosperousAnt: poor, needy
💡 Exam tip: Well-off is a compound adjective and is usually hyphenated before a noun.
3. Actions and Daily Activities (8 words)
retired[/rɪˈtaɪəd/]adjeasy
Meaning: অবসরপ্রাপ্ত
Alt: চাকরি বা পেশাগত কাজ থেকে অবসর নেওয়া
Example: Suraiya Begum is a retired school teacher.
Syn: pensioned, inactiveAnt: employed, working
💡 Exam tip: Retired is the past participle of retire and can work as an adjective.
spend[/spend/]verbeasy
Meaning: সময় কাটানো
Alt: অর্থ ব্যয় করা
Example: She spends her time reading books.
Syn: pass, useAnt: save, keep
💡 Exam tip: The past form of spend is spent.
visit[/ˈvɪzɪt/]verbeasy
Meaning: দেখা করতে যাওয়া
Alt: কোনো স্থান বা ব্যক্তির কাছে যাওয়া
Example: Mariam visits her aunt every Friday.
Syn: call on, meetAnt: avoid
💡 Exam tip: Visit takes a direct object: visit a friend, not visit to a friend.
establish[/ɪˈstæblɪʃ/]verbmedium
Meaning: প্রতিষ্ঠা করা
Alt: কোনো প্রতিষ্ঠান বা ব্যবস্থা চালু করা
Example: She plans to establish an old people’s home.
Syn: set up, foundAnt: abolish, destroy
💡 Exam tip: Establish and set up are frequent synonym pairs.
take care of[/teɪk keər əv/]verbeasy
Meaning: যত্ন নেওয়া
Alt: দেখাশোনা বা সেবা করা
Example: They need someone to take care of them.
Syn: look after, care forAnt: neglect, ignore
💡 Exam tip: This is a phrasal verb followed by an object.
look after[/lʊk ˈɑːftə/]verbeasy
Meaning: দেখাশোনা করা
Alt: কারও নিরাপত্তা ও প্রয়োজনের যত্ন নেওয়া
Example: Nobody is available to look after the elderly people.
Syn: take care of, nurseAnt: neglect, abandon
💡 Exam tip: Look after and look for have different meanings.
find out[/faɪnd aʊt/]verbeasy
Meaning: জেনে বের করা
Alt: তথ্য অনুসন্ধান করে জানা
Example: She tries to find out the problems of elderly people.
Syn: discover, learnAnt: conceal, ignore
💡 Exam tip: Find out means discover information, not simply find an object.
reply[/rɪˈplaɪ/]verbeasy
Meaning: উত্তর দেওয়া
Alt: চিঠি বা বার্তার জবাব দেওয়া
Example: I will wait eagerly for your reply.
Syn: answer, respondAnt: ask, question
💡 Exam tip: The noun and verb forms are both reply; the plural noun is replies.
4. Communication and Plans (8 words)
talk[/tɔːk/]verbeasy
Meaning: কথা বলা
Alt: কারও সঙ্গে আলাপ বা আলোচনা করা
Example: Her daughters talk to her over the telephone.
Syn: speak, chatAnt: listen, be silent
💡 Exam tip: Talk to someone and talk with someone are both used.
letter[/ˈletə/]nouneasy
Meaning: চিঠি
Alt: লিখিত বার্তা
Example: Suraiya writes a letter to her friend.
Syn: message, correspondenceAnt: speech
💡 Exam tip: Letter also means বর্ণমালা বা অক্ষর; context determines the meaning.
plan[/plæn/]nouneasy
Meaning: পরিকল্পনা
Alt: ভবিষ্যতে করার জন্য তৈরি করা কর্মসূচি
Example: She has a plan to help old people.
Syn: scheme, proposalAnt: disorder, improvisation
💡 Exam tip: Plan can be used as both a noun and a verb.
purpose[/ˈpɜːpəs/]nounmedium
Meaning: উদ্দেশ্য
Alt: কোনো কাজ করার কারণ বা লক্ষ্য
Example: Her purpose is to support lonely people.
Syn: aim, intentionAnt: aimlessness
💡 Exam tip: Purpose answers the question why an action is done.
relationship[/rɪˈleɪʃənʃɪp/]nounmedium
Meaning: সম্পর্ক
Alt: দুই বা ততোধিক মানুষের পারস্পরিক যোগসূত্র
Example: Their relationship is based on friendship and respect.
Syn: connection, bondAnt: separation
💡 Exam tip: Use between for two people and among for more than two in many exam contexts.
common[/ˈkɒmən/]adjeasy
Meaning: সাধারণ বা অভিন্ন
Alt: একাধিক ব্যক্তি বা বস্তুর মধ্যে একই
Example: They share one common problem.
Syn: shared, usualAnt: different, rare
💡 Exam tip: Common can mean shared or usual; identify the context.
eagerly[/ˈiːɡəli/]advmedium
Meaning: আগ্রহভরে
Alt: উৎসুক ও প্রবল আগ্রহের সঙ্গে
Example: She waits eagerly for her friend’s reply.
Syn: enthusiastically, keenlyAnt: reluctantly, unwillingly
💡 Exam tip: Eagerly is the adverb form of eager.
together[/təˈɡeðə/]adveasy
Meaning: একসঙ্গে
Alt: সহযোগিতার সঙ্গে বা একই সময়ে
Example: Together we can do a lot for the elderly.
Syn: jointly, collectivelyAnt: separately, apart
💡 Exam tip: Together often shows cooperation in paragraph-writing answers.
5. Care, Help and Service (8 words)
support[/səˈpɔːt/]nouneasy
Meaning: সহায়তা বা সমর্থন
Alt: কাউকে সাহায্য বা উৎসাহ দেওয়ার কাজ
Example: Old people need care and support.
Syn: help, assistanceAnt: opposition, hindrance
💡 Exam tip: Support can be a noun or a verb; here it is a noun.
care[/keə/]nouneasy
Meaning: যত্ন
Alt: কারও কল্যাণের জন্য মনোযোগ ও সেবা
Example: The home will provide care for elderly people.
Syn: attention, protectionAnt: neglect, carelessness
💡 Exam tip: Care for means look after; care about means feel concern.
help[/help/]verbeasy
Meaning: সাহায্য করা
Alt: কাউকে কোনো কাজ করতে সহায়তা করা
Example: Mariam wants to help the old people.
Syn: assist, aidAnt: hinder, obstruct
💡 Exam tip: Help can be followed by the base verb: help someone do something.
need[/niːd/]verbeasy
Meaning: প্রয়োজন হওয়া
Alt: কোনো কিছু অপরিহার্যভাবে চাওয়া
Example: They need someone to talk to.
Syn: require, wantAnt: lack
💡 Exam tip: After need, use to plus the base verb when stating an action.
meaningful[/ˈmiːnɪŋfəl/]adjmedium
Meaning: উপকারী ও তাৎপর্যপূর্ণ
Alt: যার বাস্তব মূল্য বা ভালো উদ্দেশ্য আছে
Example: Community service is meaningful work.
Syn: useful, worthwhileAnt: useless, meaningless
💡 Exam tip: A meaningful activity benefits people or has a valuable purpose.
charity[/ˈtʃærəti/]nounmedium
Meaning: দাতব্য কাজ বা দান
Alt: অসহায় মানুষকে সাহায্য করার কাজ
Example: The old people’s home may receive charity from local people.
Syn: benevolence, donationAnt: selfishness
💡 Exam tip: Charity can mean both kindness and money or goods given to the needy.
volunteer[/ˌvɒlənˈtɪə/]nounmedium
Meaning: স্বেচ্ছাসেবক
Alt: যে ব্যক্তি বিনা পারিশ্রমিকে কাজ করেন
Example: A volunteer can help the elderly residents.
Syn: helper, workerAnt: beneficiary
💡 Exam tip: Volunteer can also be used as a verb: volunteer to help.
residents[/ˈrezɪdənts/]nounmedium
Meaning: বাসিন্দারা
Alt: কোনো নির্দিষ্ট স্থানে বসবাসকারী মানুষ
Example: The residents of the home will live like a family.
Syn: inhabitants, occupantsAnt: visitors, outsiders
💡 Exam tip: Resident means a person who lives in a place; residence means the place itself.
6. Reading and Exam Expressions (8 words)
abroad[/əˈbrɔːd/]adveasy
Meaning: বিদেশে
Alt: নিজ দেশের বাইরে
Example: Her daughters live abroad with their families.
Syn: overseas, in another countryAnt: at home, domestically
💡 Exam tip: Abroad is usually used without an article: live abroad.
locality[/ləʊˈkæləti/]nounmedium
Meaning: এলাকা বা স্থানীয় অঞ্চল
Alt: কোনো শহর বা গ্রামের নির্দিষ্ট অংশ
Example: She plans to establish a home in her locality.
Syn: area, neighbourhoodAnt: foreign land
💡 Exam tip: Locality is related to local and means a particular area.
physically[/ˈfɪzɪkli/]advmedium
Meaning: শারীরিকভাবে
Alt: দেহের সঙ্গে সম্পর্কিতভাবে
Example: Some people are physically weak.
Syn: bodily, corporallyAnt: mentally
💡 Exam tip: Physically is the adverb of physical.
alone[/əˈləʊn/]adveasy
Meaning: একা
Alt: অন্য কারও সঙ্গে না থেকে
Example: Suraiya Begum lives alone.
Syn: by oneself, separatelyAnt: together, accompanied
💡 Exam tip: Alone does not always mean unhappy, whereas lonely usually suggests sadness.
whenever[/wenˈevə/]advmedium
Meaning: যখনই বা যে কোনো সময়
Alt: যে সময়েই কোনো ঘটনা ঘটে
Example: Her daughters visit her whenever they get time.
Syn: anytime, every timeAnt: never
💡 Exam tip: Whenever joins clauses and expresses an indefinite time.
already[/ɔːlˈredi/]adveasy
Meaning: ইতোমধ্যে
Alt: বর্তমান সময়ের আগেই
Example: Mariam has already become friendly with the old people.
Syn: by now, previouslyAnt: not yet
💡 Exam tip: Already is commonly used with the present perfect tense.
often[/ˈɒfən/]adveasy
Meaning: প্রায়ই
Alt: বারবার বা ঘন ঘন
Example: She often visits her aunt on Fridays.
Syn: frequently, regularlyAnt: rarely, seldom
💡 Exam tip: Adverbs of frequency usually come before the main verb.
evidence[/ˈevɪdəns/]nounhard
Meaning: প্রমাণ বা তথ্য
Alt: কোনো বক্তব্যকে সত্য প্রমাণ করার উপাদান
Example: The text gives evidence that the old people need support.
Syn: proof, confirmationAnt: disproof
💡 Exam tip: Evidence is usually an uncountable noun; avoid saying an evidence.
💡 Exam Tips
• For synonym questions, match bored with uninterested, miserable with very unhappy, colleague with co-worker, and support with help.
• For antonym questions, remember lonely ↔ sociable, weak ↔ strong, helpless ↔ capable, and well-off ↔ poor.
• Do not confuse alone with lonely: alone means without others, while lonely means unhappy because of being alone.
• Use the correct prepositions: fond of, live in a town, talk to someone, write to someone, wait for a reply, and take care of someone.
• In true-or-false answers, correct the false statement with a complete sentence based on the passage.
• For the letter question, identify Suraiya Begum as the writer and Sharmila as the recipient and former colleague.
• The establishment of an old people’s home is community work, not a profession, because it is planned to serve elderly people without describing it as paid employment.
• Use present simple for regular actions: Mariam often goes, Suraiya spends, and they often tell her stories.
• Use present perfect with already: Mariam has already become very friendly with some old people.
• In paragraph writing, mention the person, the problem, the help offered, and the expected benefit in two or three clear sentences.