Improve and expand your English vocabulary

Monday 26 January 2015

1. The 16 December school massacre sent shock waves through the country and beyond.

2. The military should take on Islamist militants of all shades.

3. The government was forced to backpedal on some of its earlier announcements.

shock wave: a very strong reaction

take on: fight against

backpedal: retreat or move backward; recant

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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.