Lesson 21: LOQU / LOCUT

Practice 1: Multiple Choice

Choose the word that best completes each sentence.

1. The professor was so __________ that she held the audience's attention for the entire two-hour lecture.

a) loquacious
b) grandiloquent
c) colloquial
d) eloquent

2. My grandmother is quite __________; she can talk for hours without stopping.

a) eloquent
b) loquacious
c) obloquy
d) circumlocution

3. The comedian performed as a __________, making jokes through a puppet that seemed to have its own personality.

a) interlocutor
b) soliloquy
c) ventriloquist
d) colloquium

4. In Hamlet, the famous "To be or not to be" speech is a __________ where the prince reveals his inner thoughts.

a) colloquium
b) circumlocution
c) locution
d) soliloquy

5. The diplomat's __________ frustrated journalists who wanted a direct answer.

a) elocution
b) circumlocution
c) eloquence
d) colloquy

6. "Gonna" and "wanna" are examples of __________ speech that wouldn't appear in formal writing.

a) grandiloquent
b) eloquent
c) colloquial
d) loquacious

7. The acting coach gave lessons in __________ to help students project their voices clearly.

a) obloquy
b) locution
c) soliloquy
d) elocution

8. The __________ speech was so pompous and overblown that the audience lost interest.

a) colloquial
b) eloquent
c) grandiloquent
d) loquacious

9. "At the end of the day" is a common __________ in business meetings.

a) obloquy
b) interlocutor
c) locution
d) colloquium

10. In a formal debate, each __________ must listen carefully before responding.

a) soliloquy
b) interlocutor
c) ventriloquist
d) elocution

11. After the scandal broke, the senator faced public __________ from newspapers across the country.

a) colloquium
b) circumlocution
c) obloquy
d) locution

12. The university is hosting a __________ on climate change where researchers will present their findings.

a) soliloquy
b) colloquium
c) elocution
d) ventriloquist

Practice 2: Fill in the Blank

Use each word from the word bank exactly once.

Word Bank: eloquent, loquacious, colloquial, soliloquy, circumlocution, elocution, locution, ventriloquist, interlocutor, grandiloquent, obloquy, colloquium

1. The defense attorney was so __________ that the jury was moved to tears.

2. My neighbor is extremely __________; a simple "hello" turns into a thirty-minute conversation.

3. Slang and contractions are examples of __________ language.

4. The actor delivered a powerful __________, speaking alone on stage about his character's guilt.

5. The witness's __________ made it impossible to get a straight answer.

6. Before radio and television, __________ was taught in schools to improve public speaking.

7. "It is what it is" is a popular __________ that people use to accept situations they cannot change.

8. The __________ amazed children by making the puppet appear to speak on its own.

9. The negotiator served as the main __________ between the two companies.

10. The mayor's __________ speech, full of fancy words, failed to impress the practical-minded voters.

11. The disgraced official faced years of __________ after the corruption charges.

12. Scholars from around the world gathered at the __________ to discuss new research.

Practice 3: Reading Passage

Marcus had always been the quiet one in his family, but when he joined the debate club, something changed. At first, his coach noticed he struggled with elocution—he mumbled and spoke too quickly. With practice, however, Marcus developed into an eloquent speaker who could present complex arguments clearly.

His older sister, on the other hand, had always been loquacious. She could talk endlessly about anything, but her tendency toward circumlocution often frustrated their parents. "Just get to the point!" they would say.

In his first competition, Marcus faced a formidable interlocutor—a student from a rival school known for her grandiloquent style. She used complicated vocabulary and dramatic gestures, trying to impress the judges. Marcus took a different approach. He spoke simply and directly, avoiding the kind of pompous locutions his opponent favored.

After his closing statement, the auditorium fell silent. It was almost like a soliloquy in a play—just Marcus and his words, filling the space. When the results were announced, Marcus had won. His colloquial, down-to-earth style had connected with the audience in a way that fancy language never could.

Questions

1. What was Marcus's initial problem with speaking?

a) He was too grandiloquent
b) He struggled with clear pronunciation and delivery
c) He used too much circumlocution
d) He spoke too formally

2. How is Marcus's sister described?

a) She is eloquent and persuasive
b) She is quiet and reserved
c) She is very talkative but indirect
d) She uses grandiloquent language

3. What does it mean that Marcus's opponent had a "grandiloquent" style?

a) She spoke quietly and simply
b) She used pompous, elaborate language
c) She was a skilled ventriloquist
d) She participated in colloquiums

4. Why is Marcus's closing statement compared to a soliloquy?

a) Because he was speaking to a puppet
b) Because he was criticizing someone
c) Because it felt like he was alone with his words, filling the space
d) Because he was speaking in slang

5. What made Marcus's speaking style effective?

a) His use of complicated vocabulary
b) His grandiloquent gestures
c) His simple, direct, and relatable approach
d) His lengthy circumlocution