Improve and expand your English vocabulary

Friday 31 May 2013

detrimental (to)

harmful; damaging

the sun's detrimental effect on skin

The policy will be detrimental to the peace process.

mug

to attack and rob somebody, especially a pedestrian in a public place

She had been mugged in the street in broad daylight.

rich

containing/providing something

Oranges are rich in vitamin C.

The area is rich in wildlife.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Ways to build your vocabulary fast

There are a number of methods to help you improve and expand your English vocabulary. Some of them are listed below:

1. When you read English newspapers, literature or whatever you like, write down the meanings of the difficult words. Working with vocabulary in context helps one remember the meanings of the new words. This blog has been created to fulfil the same purpose.

2. Try to add context. Writing words, meanings and example sentences will help you remember the words in context.

3. Reading can be a great way to improve your vocabulary. So regularly try to spare some time for reading. Study an English magazine (The Economist, for example) or go for articles of a newspaper (The Guardian, for example).

4. Expose yourself to as much English as possible by speaking, reading, watching the news and listening to the radio.

5. Learn collocations, not isolated words. For example, a prestigious award, a prestigious university.

6. Don't make random lists of unrelated vocabulary. Try to group words in themes (BBC words: vocabulary).

7. Regularly consult a good dictionary when you need to look up the meaning of an unfamiliar word (Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary).

8. Revise the vocabulary items on a regular basis.