Introduction
Vocabulary enrichment is crucial for many people, including high school students who are still building their base vocabulary, anyone preparing for college or graduate-school entrance exams, and adults who want to improve their communication in the workplace.
Although we are introduced to many important words in conversation or through reading, we may often skip over words we don't know or make an assumption about a difficult word's meaning rather than consult a dictionary. The materials in this vocabulary workbook provide methods for studying words systematically and testing one's progress, as well as more casual, fun ways of learning, allowing readers of any age to improve their vocabulary.
Contents
The Love of Words
The word entries in this section, with etymology, succinct definitions, and illustrative sentences, show you where words come from, how they're related to each other, and how they're used every day. Perusing this section will foster a love of words and enrich your understanding and appreciation of the English language.
Word Drills
If you're looking for a more systematic study of vocabulary — to prepare for an exam, or to improve your communication — this section's for you. Many of the words that are often most troublesome to students and readers are presented in lessons of ten words, with each word's definition and an example of its use, as well as synonyms and antonyms. To reinforce the learning of new vocabulary words, a quiz is provided with each lesson.
Word Building
Word Building provides an overview of word roots, especially Latin or Greek derivations. Knowledge of the Greek and Latin roots, prefixes, and suffixes most frequently used in English words increases vocabulary and comprehension.
Perfect Spelling
The spelling section focuses on words that are often misspelled or incorrectly used. By understanding the ways in which words are put together, the rules governing spelling, and patterns that develop among similar words, readers will be able to determine the correct spelling even for words they haven't studied specifically.
Gee Whiz!
Take a journey into the sometimes-colorful origins of words — rather than a purely scientific investigation, this is a more relaxed view, presenting the prevailing theory (or as is often the case, the prevailing guess) regarding the origin of some words and expressions.
Here are a few to whet your appetite:
Does the word carat have anything to do with the vegetable carrot?
How did the lemon-lime soft drink 7UP get its name?
How did the term "black sheep" come to signify something of lesser value or worthless?