USING AN ENGLISH DICTIONARY

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.____________