recite

Everyday

1. To recite is to say a poem, story or piece of writing aloud from memory. tree →
2. To recite a list is to say many things one after another, like facts or names. tree →

In the lessons

In school pupils recite poems, times tables and prayers in assemblies and performances. In everyday life a person may recite a phone number or a list of complaints. Phrases: «recite a poem», «recite the alphabet», «recite your times tables».

Examples

• She recited a poem in assembly. tree →
• Can you recite the seven times table? tree →
• We recited the alphabet backwards. tree →
• He recited the list of planets from memory. tree →
• The class recited the poem together. tree →
• The boy recited his address to the police officer. tree →
• Grandad can still recite poems from school. tree →
• She recited all the reasons she should get a dog. tree →
• Here a group played circus, there another sang and recited. tree →

Note

Regular verb; drop -e before -ing: reciting. Noun: recital (a performance), recitation. Reciting from memory is not the same as reading aloud.