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Unit a: areas, scripts, topics, categories

When learning new vocabulary , try to attach the new words to something previously learned. It helps if you try to categorize or group related words that share a «semantic field» (an area of meaning) . In English it pays to focus on the way a word looks (as opposed to the way it sounds) when trying to decide what other words it might be related to. (Many words sound alike but are spelled very differently. Chances are they are very different in meaning e.g. bare — bear; affect — effect.)

8. 1 Semantic Fields

List at least 5 words you associate with each of the following areas. Do any of your words cross areas?

 

ECONOMICS PSYCHOLOGY RELIGION MUSIC YOUR OWN FIELD OF STUDY

8. 2 The Vocabulary of the Script

Think of at least 5 words which relate to each of the following «scenes». Do any of your words cross scenes?

ARESTAURANT THE LIBRARY THE UNIVERSITY THE DENTIST

8. 3 Suggest a Topic

For each of the following word sets, suggest an area to which it relates, the topic of a text in which you are most likely to find most of the words. I. leaders, executives, abilities, |2. nuclear weapons, aggression, manager, performance, |geopolitical considerations, job, production, supervisor, |deterrence, restraint, selection, qualities, attributes, |attack, civilian targets personality traits Do any of these words cross topics?

8. 4 Imagine a Scene — Suggest a Script

What do all the following words have in common? For each of them, imagine a specific scene that it suggests. Tip ransom allowance refund honorarium bounty tuition retainer bonus rent fare child support bus money wage salary reward alimony prize

8. 5 Identify the Topic

In the following short «text» , what words are used to identify and to refer to the topic? What is the topic? What replacement or substitution words or phrases are used instead of repeating it? Is there any ellipsis (word(s) or idea(s) left out)?

«Did Gordon give us any work to do for tomorrows?»

«Of course! 5 pages to read and ten questions to answer.»

«Have you finished doing it?»

«Yes, most of it».

«Does that mean I can get it from you this evening?»

«Yes, if you'll do the same favor for me some time.»

8. 6 Co — reference or Synonymous Reference

In each of the following sets, some of the words have more in common with each other than they do with the other words in the set. Group together those words in each set which share a common meaning. Specify what you think that meaning is.

1. obligatory, compulsory, binding, voluntary, enforceable

2. legal, bona fide, legitimate, illicit, lawful

3. rule, law, institution, custom, violation, precedent, principle, standard

4. allow, permit, grant, sanction, censure

5. calm, concerned, anguished, distressed, agitated

6. achievement, calamity, catastrophe, disaster

7. provoke, please, irritate, annoy

8. dispute, disagreement, accord, argument, strain

9. biased, prejudiced, subjective, objective

10. conclude, deduce, infer, introduce

11. judge, appraise, evaluate, ignore, assess

12. anticipation, expectation, retrospection, plan, intention

Other Useful Groupings of Words

Words of related or overlapping meaning can sometimes be interchanged. They usually vary, however, in the degree to which they express a given concept.

8.7 Downtoners and Emphasizers

Words that are related in meaning may be positioned on a continuum according to the degree to which they express a given quality .

Position the following set of words on the continuum going from too little (insufficient) to too much (superfluous)..

An Insufficient Amount                                                                                                  A Superfluous Amount

generous, bountiful, ample, scarce, plentiful, sufficient, excessive, impoverished, adequate, lavish, deficient, sparse, skimpy, profuse, substantial, meagre, adequate, limited, abundant

If we want to strengthen or weaken a value word, we can choose an emphasizer to make it even stronger, or a downtoner to make it weaker.

b. Place the following sets of emphasizers on a continuum:

Emphasizers: certainly, definitely, fully, terribly, thoroughly, absolutely, completely, entirely, enormously, intensely, etc.

c. Place the following sets of downtoners on a continuum.

Downtoners: partly, almost, slightly, hardly, moderately, scarcely, possibly, quite, somewhat, rather, etc.. Combine words from a. and b. and a. and c. to illustrate the strengthening or weakening effect.

8.8 Place each of the following word sets on a scale as indicated . A scale of:

1. size — from small to large

huge, immense, microscopic, giant, minuscule, considerable, gargantuan, titanic, mammoth, miniature, massive, dwarf-like, average, colossal, infinitesimal

2. probability — from improbable to likely

feasible, apt, likely, certain, definite, doubtful, conclusive, sure, impossible, decided, possible

3. frequency — from infrequent to frequent

often, seldom, occasionally, never, once in a while, eventually, rarely, hardly ever, sometimes, hardly

4. quantity — from a little to a lot

much, many, few, hardly any, a mere few, a lot more than, most, a mere handful, the bulk of, the majority, massive amounts, some, several, a minority, not more than, somewhat less than, an infinite amount, countless, innumerable, numberless

5. quality — from inferior to superior

excellent, shabby, precious, rare, poor, genuine, good, feeble, sophisticated, crude, fine, rough

6. development — from increasing to decreasing

magnify, enlarge, minimize, supplement, multiply, augment, swell, reduce, prolong, diminish, expand, extend, amplify, maximize, shrink, condense, contract, miniaturize

7. disagreement/agreement — from, disagreement to agreement

balance, accord, discord, concord, confluence, harmony, concurrence, unanimity, cooperation, disharmony, disunity, dissonance, congruence, consensus, dissent, dissention, controversy

8 helpfulness — from hidrance to help,

benefit, hindrance, impediment, prevention, support, aid, prophylactic, assistance, obstruction, restraint, restriction, furtherance, repression, suppression, fosterage, sponsorship

9. achievement — from failure to success

attainment, failure, success, accomplishment, prosperity, fulfillment, realization, completion, perfection, consummation, triumph, breakdown, downfall, collapse, crash

8.9 Male/Female Words

While English is not considered a «gender» language in the sense that all words are specifically «marked» masculine or feminine, there are some words that are specifically masculine or feminine.

Place the following words in the appropriate column: «male», «female», or «unmarked». Indicate whether any of these words have any further specified meaning. (E.g. mullah — male [ in Islamic countries), title of respect for a person who is learned in, teaches or expounds the sacred law; ii. [in Turkey] a provincial judge.)

queen

minister

mother

priest

child

politician

employee

adolescent

nurse

Esquire (Esq.)

Mrs.

actress

princess

director

lass

lad

soldier

waiter

chairman

astronaut

Ms.

spinster

master

stewardess

conductor

caliph

mistress

nun

ballerina

maiden

Mr.

bachelor

 


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