A dance review calls the performer thin, and the writer means it as praise. All four words below denote 'thin.' Which one carries the approving shade?

A coach admires a runner who kept training after two losses. All four words below denote 'unwilling to give up a position or plan.' Which one shows the writer's approval?

A student writer wants readers to dislike a character who speaks with correct manners but treats others as beneath him. Which word carries that critical shade?

A letter of recommendation describes a student who speaks up in group work, and the writer wants to sound approving. All four words denote 'sure of oneself.' Which one fits?

An article criticizes a landlord who will not spend money on repairs. All four words denote 'careful about spending money.' Which one carries the critical shade?

A review warns readers away from a jacket that costs little and falls apart. All four words denote 'low in price.' Which word adds the critical hint of poor quality?

A science teacher praises a student who asks question after question about the experiment. All four words denote 'eager to find things out.' Which one is approving?

A news report names a witness's age group and must sound neutral, taking no side. All four words denote 'advanced in years.' Which one carries no judgment?

A food writer wants readers to want the bread that is baking. All four words denote 'a smell.' Which word carries the approving shade the writer needs?

A reporter describes the people waiting outside the stadium and must not suggest they are dangerous. All four words denote 'a large group of people together.' Which is neutral?

A narrator disapproves of a classmate who says little and keeps apart from the group. All four words denote 'not talkative.' Which one carries the critical shade?

A profile praises a ninety-year-old swimmer's energy. All four words denote 'having qualities of the young.' Which word carries the approving connotation?

An editorial attacks a senator who changes position with every new poll. All four words denote 'willing to change one's stated position.' Which one is critical?

A columnist distrusts a new voting machine and wants readers to distrust it too. All four words denote 'recently introduced.' Which word carries that critical shade?

A memoir condemns a supervisor who punished every small mistake. All four words denote 'holding people to demanding rules.' Which word carries the harshest critical shade?

A principal objects to a joke made during a moment of mourning. All four words denote 'treating something in a joking way.' Which one is critical?

A thank-you letter praises a donor who gave freely to the food bank. All four words denote 'giving money away readily.' Which one is approving?

A biographer reports that the inventor thought highly of her own work, and wants to state it without praising or blaming. All four words denote 'having a high opinion of oneself.' Which word states it without judgment?

A club adviser is annoyed by a member who answers before questions are finished. All four words denote 'showing strong readiness to take part.' Which one is critical?

A safety article praises a hiker who turned back before the storm. All four words denote 'unwilling to take a risk.' Which word carries the approving shade?

A housing report names the building a family lives in and must not judge its condition. All four words denote 'a building people live in.' Which one is neutral?

A hearing transcript records that a student told the office what happened, in wording that blames no one. All four words denote 'told an adult about someone's actions.' Which word is neutral?

A supporter writes approvingly of a mayor who changed her vote after reading new data. All four words denote 'changed a stated position.' Which word is approving?

A narrator is irritated by a younger brother who asked for the same thing all afternoon. All four words denote 'asked for something repeatedly.' Which one is critical?

A witness statement must describe how a man moved down the hallway without hinting at pride or scorn. All four words denote 'moved on foot.' Which is neutral?

A field notebook records that a scientist looked at the nest for an hour, with no judgment of her manner. All four words denote 'looked steadily.' Which is neutral?

An author wants readers to distrust a merchant who wins every bargain by tricks. All four words denote 'quick to understand and plan.' Which word is critical?

A team member complains about an editor who returned a draft over two commas. All four words denote 'paying close attention to detail.' Which word is critical?

A festival program praises a crowd that sang and danced all evening. All four words denote 'full of noisy energy.' Which word carries the approving shade?

A design critic dislikes a waiting room with bare gray walls. All four words denote 'without decoration.' Which word carries the critical shade?

An article praises a captain who called the play in two seconds. All four words denote 'making choices quickly.' Which word carries the approving shade?

A gallery notice praises a sculptor whose work resembles no one else's. All four words denote 'unlike what is usual.' Which word carries the approving shade?

A team's newsletter thanks the supporters who filled the stands every week. All four words denote 'strongly attached to a cause or team.' Which word is approving?

A buyer's guide warns readers off a bicycle sold with rust and a bent rim. All four words denote 'owned before by someone else.' Which word is critical?

A peer reviewer complains that a report circles the same point for pages. All four words denote 'containing a great deal of material.' Which word is critical?

A time-study log records what a worker did during a scheduled break, without judging him. All four words denote 'not working at the moment.' Which is neutral?

A grant letter praises a group that set out to plant ten thousand trees. All four words denote 'aiming at something difficult and large.' Which word is approving?

A costume critic dislikes a jacket covered in mismatched sequins. All four words denote 'attracting attention by its appearance.' Which word carries the critical shade?

A narrator wants readers to dislike a boy whose face changed when his rival lost. All four words denote 'turned the mouth up in a smile.' Which word is critical?

A complaint letter objects to a salesperson who would not let a shopper leave. All four words denote 'moved someone toward a decision.' Which word is critical?