USING AN ENGLISH DICTIONARY
For foreign students of English, a good dictionary is a valuable tool that will save you many times if it is use correctly and efficiently. An English dictionary is a record of how English speakers define, pronounce, spell and use the words of their language. A good dictionary will be a small desk dictionary that contains more than 100.000 different words, as well as other useful references and information. Your study needs will be met satisfactorily by one of these dictionaries. It is also important to use only a dictionary that has been recently published or revised.
What will you find in a dictionary?
1. Spelling: A dictionary shows the accepted spelling of every word that is listed, as well as the spelling of irregular verb forms and plurals.
2. Pronunciation: Each dictionary has a special way of showing how words are pronounced, including stress.
3. Syllable division: This helps in spelling and pronouncing words and indicates where the word should be divided at the end of a line.
4. Derivation: A dictionary includes the history of each word, indicating its origin and development through different languages before it became an English word.
5. Meaning: Almost every word has more than a single meaning. Different meanings are given, often with illustrative sentences; especially technical definitions are also listed. You must be careful; the real meaning of a word depends upon how it is used in a sentence.
6. Part of a speech: These are determined by actual use in a sentence. A dictionary indicates, however, whether the word is commonly used as a noun, pronoun, adjective, verb, adverb, conjunction or preposition.
7. Usage: Your dictionary will tell you whether the word is chiefly British or American or whether the word is form, colloquial, dialectal, archaic, poetic or slang.
8. Synonyms and antonyms: Frequently words are similar or opposite meanings are listed, with explanation of distinctions.
9. General information: Information about persons and places are listed, either within the alphabetical arrangement of the words or in special section at the back. Any good dictionary will give this much information. Some dictionaries also include rules for spelling, punctuation and capitalization, and a list of common names in English. If you are confused by the system of weights and measures in English, you can find a table of equivalents in your dictionary. A good dictionary will become a friend of yours.
Taken from: Study Skills.
By: Richard C. Yorky.
Answer the questions according to the reading.
1. What is an English dictionary?
2. What kind of dictionary will be more helpful for you?
3. How many words should a desk dictionary contain?
4. Should you use old dictionaries?
5. What kind of information will you find in a dictionary?
6. Do you think a dictionary can become a good friend of yours? Why?
C. Copy the following words in alphabetical order.
Phrase Holly Scowl Sneak Coal Lie Zone Weapon | Pumpkin Whip Young Ugly Hole Pert Sadness Thumb | Youth Search Prepay Coach Abase Unknown Above World | Waste Level Adjust Life Huddle Prefix Mountain Telephone |
1. ________________ 9. _______________ 17._____________ 25.____________
2.________________ 10._______________ 18._____________ 26.____________
3.________________ 11._______________ 19. ____________ 27._____________
4.________________ 12._______________ 20._____________ 28._____________
5.________________ 13._______________ 21._____________ 29.____________
6.________________ 14._______________ 22._____________ 30.____________
7.________________ 15._______________ 23._____________ 31.____________
8.________________ 16._______________ 24._____________ 32.____________
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