Lesson 32: VEN / VENT
The Root
VEN and VENT come from Latin venire, meaning "to come."
When you see these roots in a word, think about arrival, coming together, or something that happens as a result of coming.
Word List
| Word | Parts | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| advent | AD- (toward) + VENT (come) | the arrival of an important person or event |
| event | E- (out) + VENT (come) | something that happens; an occurrence |
| prevent | E- (out) + VENT (come) | to stop something before it happens |
| intervene | INTER- (between) + VEN (come) + -E | to come between; to step in to help |
| convene | CON- (together) + VEN (come) + -E | to come together; to call a meeting |
| avenue | A- (to) + VEN (come) + -UE | a way of approach; a wide street |
| revenue | RE- (back) + VEN (come) + -UE | income that comes in, especially to a government or business |
| venture | VENT (come) + -URE (act or result of) | a risky undertaking; to dare to go |
| adventure | AD- (toward) + VENT (come) | an exciting, risky experience |
| convention | CON- (together) + VENT (come) + -ION | a formal meeting; an accepted practice |
| invent | IN- (upon, into) + VENT (come) | to create something new |
| circumvent | CIRCUM- (around) + VENT (come) | to go around; to find a way to avoid |
| eventual | E- (out) + VENT (come) | happening at the end; resulting in time |
| intervention | INTER- (between) + VENT (come) + -ION | the act of stepping in to help or change something |
| covenant | CO- (together) + VEN (come) + -ANT | a formal agreement; a binding promise |
Practice 1: Multiple Choice
Choose the word that best completes each sentence.
- The __________ of social media changed how people communicate.
a) event
b) advent
c) revenue
d) venture
- Vaccines help __________ the spread of infectious diseases.
a) convene
b) invent
c) prevent
d) circumvent
- The United Nations decided to __________ to stop the humanitarian crisis.
a) invent
b) prevent
c) intervene
d) circumvent
- The board will __________ next Thursday to discuss the proposal.
a) prevent
b) convene
c) circumvent
d) invent
- The company's annual __________ exceeded projections.
a) adventure
b) convention
c) revenue
d) covenant
- Starting a new business is always a risky __________.
a) adventure
b) convention
c) intervention
d) venture
- Thomas Edison is credited with __________ the phonograph.
a) circumventing
b) inventing
c) preventing
d) convening
- The lawyer found a way to __________ the legal restrictions.
a) convene
b) prevent
c) circumvent
d) invent
- The political __________ nominated their candidate for president.
a) intervention
b) convention
c) advent
d) covenant
- Medical __________ can sometimes save lives that would otherwise be lost.
a) adventure
b) revenue
c) intervention
d) prevention
- The ancient __________ between the tribes established lasting peace.
a) convention
b) covenant
c) adventure
d) venture
- Her __________ success came after years of failure.
a) eventual
b) preventive
c) conventional
d) inventive
Practice 2: Fill in the Blank
Use each word from the word bank exactly once.
Word Bank: advent, event, prevent, intervene, convene, avenue, revenue, venture, adventure, convention, invent, circumvent
The charity gala was the social __________ of the season.
The __________ of the automobile transformed daily life.
She tried to __________ the meeting, but it happened anyway.
The company explored every __________ to increase profits.
Starting a tech company is a risky __________.
The council will __________ at city hall tomorrow.
Some students try to __________ the dress code by exploiting loopholes.
A bystander had to __________ to break up the argument.
Annual __________ from tourism supports the local economy.
Hiking in the wilderness felt like a real __________.
Who did __________ the telephone—was it Bell or Meucci?
At the science fiction __________, fans dressed as their favorite characters.
Practice 3: Reading Passage
When the venture capital firm offered funding, Maya knew this was her moment. After years of trying to invent a better water filter for rural communities, she finally had an avenue to success. The advent of this investment changed everything.
But starting a company was an adventure with many obstacles. Revenue was slow to come, and some investors wanted her to circumvent safety testing to speed up production. Maya refused. "We convene as a team to help people," she reminded them. "Not to prevent nothing."
Her eventual success came after an intervention from an unexpected source. At a convention for social entrepreneurs, she met a manufacturing partner who shared her values. Their covenant was simple: quality over speed, impact over profit.
Years later, when journalists asked about her journey, Maya described the early days as one long intervention—against poverty, against shortcuts, against anyone who said it couldn't be done.
"Every event in business is a test," she said. "The question is whether you stay true to what you came to do."
Questions
- The "advent" of the investment means:
a) The end of the investment
b) The arrival of the investment
c) The prevention of the investment
d) The intervention of the investment
- Maya refused to "circumvent" safety testing. This means:
a) She followed safety procedures strictly
b) She found ways around the safety rules
c) She invented new safety tests
d) She convened a safety meeting
- The "convention" Maya attended was:
a) An accepted social practice
b) A formal gathering of social entrepreneurs
c) A risky adventure
d) A government intervention
- Maya and her partner made a "covenant." This is:
a) A casual suggestion
b) A formal, binding agreement
c) A revenue stream
d) An adventure
- Maya described her journey as "one long intervention." This suggests:
a) She gave up easily
b) She constantly stepped in to change what was happening
c) She invented nothing
d) She prevented success
Answer Key
Practice 1: Multiple Choice
- b
- c
- c
- b
- c
- d
- b
- c
- b
- c
- b
- a
Practice 2: Fill in the Blank
- event
- advent
- prevent
- avenue
- venture
- convene
- circumvent
- intervene
- revenue
- adventure
- invent
- convention
Reading Passage Questions
- b
- a
- b
- b
- b