The Sunday News
Charles Dube
LEARNERS struggle to express themselves well because their vocabulary is restricted. In the past English teachers would encourage them to read as many novels if they were to acquire a substantial amount of vocabulary. I believe this is still common practice and teachers are not tiring in offering this kind of encouragement. Of course there are more challenges than before. The reading culture has disappeared yet the opposite is supposed to be the case.
Modern technology has made it possible for learners to access as many novels from various platforms. It is unlike before where an average of forty learners would share a few books leading to widespread loss of interest among the learners. Lack of interest in reading leads to mediocre pieces of writing. Learners run short of words in writing. This is widely exhibited in composition writing. Learners run short of words in trying to express themselves.
This manifests itself in jerky and choppy sentences culminating in writing losing cohesion. As a result of this ineptness you find pieces of writing littered with gross spelling mistakes. This is clear evidence that the learners have not come across words which they use. Wide reading helps them have wide choices of words. Learners should develop their word power as they move along with learning. They should not just cram big words while failing to use them in sentences. Functional approach is the best. Learn the words and be able to use them in correct sentences.
Here are some exercises you can attempt as you try to boost your word power. Some useful words that end in –ile: docile, fragile, futile, agile, hostile, mobile, senile, servile. Each one is a set in brackets. Does it fit into the sentence, or does another word of the set fit better?
1. It is useless and — to try to stop the waves. (picturesque, partial, futile, humid). 2. His greeting was friendly, not — (humorous, edible, virtuous, hostile). 3. The dogs were so tame and — that they hardly barked. (docile, jubilant, pathetic, shrewd). 4. The very old man had become so — that he could no longer help himself. (corrupt, senile, mortal, stagnant). 5. It is — to jump into the sea if you cannot swim. ( regal, external, risky, docile). 6. Handle the glasses carefully because they are (monotonous, conscious, pliant, fragile).
7. A goalkeeper has to be very — to jump anywhere to hold the ball. (venomous, contagious, agile, listless). 8. The wheels on a vehicle enable it to be — (mobile, amiable, tardy, and sinister). 9. On our walk up the hill we found that the — was very rough and we had to step carefully. (terrain, luxury, departure, disaster). 10. When we walked on the level ground we could — as slowly as we liked. (magnify, employ, ensure, saunter). 11. We smelled the — of the flowers coming from everywhere. (aroma exodus, boredom, junction).
12. We heard the — of the water where a stream was flowing. (serenity, mockery, gurgle vigour). 13. Someone was clearing a — of land to plant a crop. (neglect, tract, career, occupation). 14. The congregation of people in church walked down the — between the pews. (track, vehicle, aisle, equipment).15. The story she told was quite — so I believed it. (surpassed, responsible, credible, lavish). 16. We listened to the preacher — a group of people in the Square. (depleting, threshing, devising, haranguing).
17. Girls like to — themselves to be attractive. (neglect, adorn, disperse, dispute). 18. A cry of — went up when the sad news came. (lament, exultation, denial, reluctance). 19. I want to sit quietly and — what to do. (dispense, trespass, ponder, persist). 20. We must eat nourishing food –to — us while we work. (sustain, assure, manipulate, submit).
Think about the following words and decide about which one fits best into each sentence. (solid, explores, absorb, cells, layers consisting, function and dissolve). The blotting paper will – the ink. Water is not — , it is a liquid. The sugar will — when you put it into water. The girls prepared a meal — of rice, meat, and peas. The cake had three — of different colours. Living substances are made up of many tiny —. A bright boy walks around and — a place to learn things. Another — of the roots is to keep the plant upright.
Each of these words fits with one of the words given below: retrieve, contemplate, venture, significant, prominent and dominate. 1. Take a risk, face danger 2. Standing out; easily seen 3. Get back possession of something 4 have total control over 5 think carefully; look at something with your mind 6 having some special importance.
You can also develop your vocabulary through studying words alike in meaning. For example: Jennifer tried to walk elegantly. Three other words that are similar in meaning to tried are; attempted, endeavoured, strove. Three other words that are similar in meaning to elegantly are stylishly, gracefully, correctly.
Think about which three words in each set below are similar in meaning to the first word, in capitals, of the set: WALK — amble, trek, ramble, observe. USE- employ, venture, adopt, utilise. Clothes — garments, attire, environment, apparel. CLEANED –regarded, laundered, purified, sterilised. MAIN — principal, central, primary, exact. NOTICED- observed, sauntered, recognised, scrutinised.
It is never too late to do these exercises. Who knows maybe knowledge of such words might be a game changer and boost one’s grade.
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