The document discusses building vocabulary by learning the meanings, contexts, and pronunciations of new words. It covers topics like phrasal verbs, idioms, acronyms, analogies, etymology, synonyms, antonyms, word roots, prefixes, suffixes, one-word substitutions and phrases.
The document discusses building vocabulary by learning the meanings, contexts, and pronunciations of new words. It covers topics like phrasal verbs, idioms, acronyms, analogies, etymology, synonyms, antonyms, word roots, prefixes, suffixes, one-word substitutions and phrases.
The document discusses building vocabulary by learning the meanings, contexts, and pronunciations of new words. It covers topics like phrasal verbs, idioms, acronyms, analogies, etymology, synonyms, antonyms, word roots, prefixes, suffixes, one-word substitutions and phrases.
The document discusses building vocabulary by learning the meanings, contexts, and pronunciations of new words. It covers topics like phrasal verbs, idioms, acronyms, analogies, etymology, synonyms, antonyms, word roots, prefixes, suffixes, one-word substitutions and phrases.
Introduction: A person's vocabulary is the set of words within a language that are familiar to that person. A vocabulary usually develops with time, and serves as a useful and fundamental tool for communication and acquiring knowledge. Vocabulary is commonly defined as "all the words known and used by a particular person".
Objectives: To develop vocabulary as it is directly impacts communication skills. To study the history and origin of the words. Knowing literal and figurative meanings.
Vocabulary knowledge is the single most important area of language competence and is of concern to all four language skills. We will not be able to listen or speak confidently or read and write effectively if we do not have reasonable vocabulary competence, which may include our stock of perceptive vocabulary as well as productive vocabulary. All successful communicators do have a reasonable stock of words. We should therefore, develop our vocabulary.
What does vocabulary development mean? What does learning a new word involve? Does it involve knowing just the meaning of the word? Learning or knowing a new word involves knowing its different shades of meaning (both denotation and connotation), use in context, grammatical characteristics, and pronunciation so on.
The importance of a vocabulary
An extensive vocabulary aids expressions and communication.
Vocabulary size has been directly linked to reading comprehension. A person may be judged by others based on his or her vocabulary.
Phrasal verb: It is a combination of a verb and a preposition, a verb and an adverb, or
a verb with both an adverb and a preposition. A phrasal verb often has a meaning which is different from the original verb.
Idiom: It is an expression, word, or phrase that has a figurative meaning that is
comprehended in regard to a common use of that expression that is separate from the literal meaning or definition of the words of which it is made.
Acronym: a pronounceable name made up of a series of initial letters or parts of
words; for example, UNESCO for the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. As WAC from Women's Army Corps, OPEC from Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, or loran from long-range navigation.
Analogy: The word analogy can refer to the relation between the source and the target themselves, which is often, a similarity.
Etymology is the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time.
Synonyms: Synonyms are different words with almost identical or similar meanings. Words that are synonyms are said to be synonymous, and the state of being a synonym is called synonymy. Antonyms: A word that expresses a meaning opposed to the meaning of another word, in which case the two words are antonyms of each other. Word Root, Prefix & Suffix: A root, as its name suggests, is a word or word part from which other words grow, usually through the addition of prefixes and suffixes. The root of the word vocabulary, for example, is voc, a Latin root meaning "word" or "name." This root also appears in the words advocacy, convocation, evocative, vocal, and vociferous.
Word Roots ROOT MEANING EXAMPLES -graph- (G) write autograph, graph
asteroid, -jur-, -jus- (L) law jury, justice
-ast(er)-(G) star astronomy -log-, -logue- thought logic, obloquy -audi- (L) hear audible, audience (L)
automatic, -luc- (L) light lucid, translucent
-auto- (G) self autopsy -man(u)- (L) hand manual, manure -bene- (L) good benefit, benign -mand-, -mend- demand, order biography, (L) recommend -bio- (G) life biology missile, -mis-, -mit- (L) send chronic, transmission -chrono- (G) time synchronize -omni- (L) all omnivorous -dict- (L) say dictate, diction empathy, -path- (G) feel -duc- (L) lead, make deduce, produce pathetic
Idioms & Phrases: An idiom is a form of expression peculiar to a particular
language and often having a meaning other than the one that it appears to have.
Smell a Rat: How come the front door is open? Frankly, I smell a rat. I’m convinced that something is definitely wrong here.
Go to the Dogs: Have you seen their house lately? It’s really gone to the dogs. It’s true that it has become run-down and in serious need of repair.
For the Birds: As far as they were concerned, it was for the birds! They left during an intermission because they found the reading totally uninteresting and meaningless.
Tongue-in-Cheek: I didn’t mean to offend her. I was simply making a tongue-in-
cheek remark.
Pull Someone’s Leg: Oh, really? Come on, you’re pulling my leg! Do you really think that I’m trying to fool you with a ridiculous story?
Arm in arm(interlinked). Ex: America and India work arm in arm.
Bag and baggage(with all one’s belongings).
Ex : To travel with bag and baggage is a Herculean task.
Blow one’s own trumpet(praise oneself)
Ex: Some people blow their own trumpet though nobody likes it.
Corner stone(something of great importance)
Ex: The philosophy of ’karma’ is the corner stone of Hindu philosophy. A dead letter (obsolete). Ex: The regulation is already a dead letter.
End in smoke(failed). Ex: All the plans of the father ended in smoke.
Egg on(instigate). Ex: Some lectures egg on students to resort to strike.
Eleventh hour(last minute efforts).
Ex: Some students make eleventh hour preparation.
From hand to mouth(without making provisions for the future).
Ex: Most of the Indians lead a hand to mouth living.
Kick the bucket(die).
Ex: The old man kicked the bucket at the age of 90.
Move Earth and heaven(make a great effort)
Ex: America moved Earth and
One Word Substitutions:
One who is recovering from illness Convalescent One who is all powerful Omnipotent One who is present everywhere Omnipresent One who knows everything Omniscient One who is easily deceived Gullible One who does not make mistakes Infallible One who can do anything for money Mercenary One who has no money Pauper One who changes sides Turncoat One who works for free Volunteer One who loves books Bibliophile One who can speak two languages Bilingual
PHRASES
Break down(to stop due to a mechanical fault).
Ex: The bus broke down due to some mechanical problem.
Cut off(to isolate).
Ex: The unexpected floods cut off the city from the rest of the villages. Get at(to find). Ex: The judge got at the truth by questioning.
Keep off(be away from).
Ex: We must keep off black sheep.
Make off(to run away).
Ex: The thief made off with the suitcase.
Cotton on(understand) Ex: It took me sometime to cotton on to why my boss was angry with me.
Deal in(buy and sell)
Ex: I deal in leather goods.
Figure out(understand) Ex: I cannot my figure out.
Hush up(keep secret by enforcing silence about it)
Ex: These days, it is difficult to hush up murders for political causes.
ANALOGY
The ability to grasp the similarity or difference between pairs of words is, in a way, necessary for scientists, engineers and technologists.
The following examples of pairs belonging to different classes and categories may help the learner:
1.Broad – Narrow
Animal: Tiger: : Stationery: Pen
2. Person-Quality
Dwarf: Shortness: : Solomon: Wisdom
3. General-specific
World: India: : Transport: Train
4. Word-Synonym
Cunning: Deceptive: : Contented:Satisfied
5. Operation –Stage Football: First Hal: :Cricket: First Innings
