The Sunday News
Charles Dube
Students improve their writing skills by mastering basic language usage as we have shown through the various parts of speech. Reading widely helps students increase their word power or vocabulary. A lot of encouragement has been given to students to have note books as they read to take down all unfamiliar words and look for their meanings from dictionaries later on. Of course, at times they get meanings through the context.
Well read or practised students eliminate unnecessary words in their meanings. Unnecessary words like in the following examples are left out. Children first begin to lose teeth when they are about six. First is unnecessary in the cited sentence. After being at sea for a month, the sailor returned back home. (back) is unnecessary. In the following sentences all the unnecessary words will be in brackets. The dentist warned me that my tooth trouble could recur again (again).
An unknown stranger approached our house. (an unknown) The sentence then reads: A stranger approached our house. By following behind the car in front, we didn’t get lost. (behind). The old chimney collapsed and fell down in a heap. ( down). The film star chose a most perfect diamond at George’s. (most). In the following sentences, more than one word could be left out. In a case where you have a choice of two groups, circle the first group.
Check for answers in the next issue. At the party I hope to meet up with some of my friends. The boy was standing all alone by himself with his surfboard. In my opinion I really think that school students should wear uniforms. Early on a clear morning, the mountains are visible to the eye.
My mother is one who worries about her children all the time. His hat was too large in size for me to wear to the beach. The harbour was brown in colour after the heavy rains. If you do not finish your meal we shall miss out on the beginning of the film.
Exercises of the following nature help boost students’ vocabulary development. Match these useful verbs with meanings coming after them. The first example is done for you: reverse — go backwards.
Do the same with the following: scuttle, bellow, brandish, ignite, wrench, poach, blend, wade, loll, cower, gargle, compress, incense, testify, slink, waylay, banish, salvage, scamper. Here are the meanings of these words:
Mix together, shout angrily, walk through water, wash your throat, squeeze together, sink on purpose, pull sharply, make very angry, set on fire, lean lazily, hunt without a permit, give evidence, creep about, crouch in fear, lie in weight for, run hastily, send away, shake threateningly, save from loss. In the following exercise replace given phrases with single words below: university grounds, treat harshly, small village, make changes, one of a kind, dead flesh, heroic deeds, escape from justice, plot together, ponder moodily, the very best, agitated state.
Choose answers for the above questions from this list: carrion, modify, campus, hamlet, prime, fugitive, frenzy, oppress, exploits, unique, conspire, brood. Match the following as well: ten-year period, glaze of publicity, make empty, make foul, turned aside, make worse, provide food, mix well together, of lower rank, strength of mind, moo like a cow, think deeply. Choose words which match the phrases from this list: blend, diverted, low, evacuate, defile, limelight, aggravate, ponder, fortitude, subordinate, decade.
Students increase your word power by using the words that follow in the spaces provided. Use each of the words once in each space. — invaluable, perishable, insurmountable, impracticable, inflammable, dutiable, despicable, inhospitable.
We had no refrigerator so we could not take any — food with us on trip. Soldiers who fought in the jungles of New Guinea overcame — problems. Clothing that can easily catch fire is labelled — . It is hardly worth buying a television set overseas as it would be — coming through customs. A dictionary is — when attempting many of the exercises in this book. Arabs in the desert wear sandals because boots have been found to be — . The intruders acted in a — manner when they stole the pensioner’s savings.
Fill in words for the next set of questions: alcoholism, colloquialism, vandalism, anarchism, capitalism, communism, sadism.
The scrawling of offensive words on the memorial was a severe case of — . — is the system in which all or most property is owned by the state. — is the practice of receiving pleasure from hurting someone. People who believe in — think that all forms of government are harmful. A condition in which a person cannot control their intake of beer, wine or spirits is known as —. A — is a word or phrase used in everyday conversation. — is a system in which private people own property and factories.
Working on the exercises presented here will leave students richer in vocabulary acquisition.
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