Memorize synonyms and antonyms

Mannkavi · Dec 29, 2011

Respected Teacher, I want to know a good method to memorize synonyms and antonyms. I know I need to increase my vocabulary first. But i don't know any effective and fast way to increase the vocabulary. Please show me some direction.
Any small help from your side could be really big for me.

paul.moss · Dec 29, 2011

Generally, it's not a good idea to memorise synonyms and antonyms out of context. Try to focus on differences and collocations, There are two dictionaries that I can recommend to you:the Longman Language Activator and Oxford Learner'sThesaurus. They have arranged synonyms and give accurate definitions and examples that help you to distinguish between similar words.Plus, read widely on various topics and use the dictionaries routinely and your vocab will improve by leaps and bounds!

Mannkavi · Dec 29, 2011

paul.moss said:
Generally, it's not a good idea to memorise synonyms and antonyms out of context. Try to focus on differences and collocations, There are two dictionaries that I can recommend to you:the Longman Language Activator and Oxford Learner'sThesaurus. They have arranged synonyms and give accurate definitions and examples that help you to distinguish between similar words.Plus, read widely on various topics and use the dictionaries routinely and your vocab will improve by leaps and bounds!

Thanks a lot paul.moss.

English Freak · Dec 29, 2011

As paul.moss said, learning new vocabulary is not recommended out of a context. The best way is to learn them in an understandable context like classified short stories. Just go for the ones that best fit your level.
A very good way I can draw your attention to is to associate new vocabulary with your own life, personality or, in general, things / people around you. It always works. I mean you should personalize the new words. In this way, you can learn them better. Since you make an association between the new words and your own life or things around you, they (the new words) will be engraved on your mind. ;-)
For example:
You learn "refrigerator", then try to make a real sentence with it. If your refrigerator makes noise while working, you could make this one: "My refrigerator is noisy."
Or anything else, it was just an example. I just made it glibly.
Hope you like it.

Mannkavi · Dec 29, 2011

English Freak said:
As paul.moss said, learning new vocabulary is not recommended out of a context. The best way is to learn them in an understandable context like classified short stories. Just go for the ones that best fit your level.
A very good way I can draw your attention to is to associate new vocabulary with your own life, personality or, in general, things / people around you. It always works. I mean you should personalize the new words. In this way, you can learn them better. Since you make an association between the new words and your own life or things around you, they (the new words) will be engraved on your mind. ;-)
For example:
You learn "refrigerator", then try to make a real sentence with it. If your refrigerator makes noise while working, you could make this one: "My refrigerator is noisy."
Or anything else, it was just an example. I just made it glibly.
Hope you like it.

Thank you. This is an interesting way. Thank you "English freak". I think you completely enjoy English language(as your name is English freak). But I'm just a beginner.

birdeen's call · Dec 30, 2011

Mannkavi said:
Thank you. This is an interesting way. Thank you "English freak". I think you completely enjoy English language(as your name is English freak). But I'm just a beginner.

Hello, Mannkavi. I would like to congratulate you on your English. In the three posts you wrote in this thread, I haven't found any glaring mistakes.

I recommend reading anything that is written in good English and interests you. It's a very good way of learning new words and phrases!

Good luck!

konungursvia · Dec 30, 2011

Mannkavi said:
Respected Teacher, I want to know a good method to memorize synonyms and antonyms. I know I need to increase my vocabulary first. But i don't know any effective and fast way to increase the vocabulary. Please show me some direction.
Any small help from your side could be really big for me.

It's sad people are still looking for fast short-cuts. Memorizing vocabulary is nearly useless. You only remember the words in terms of the list, and the list is completely out of context.

When you're in context, in life, you won't remember most of the words on your lists.

The only real way to learn more vocabulary is to speak and read, and love what that brings you, gradually building yourself into a fluent English speaker.

No tricks will work.

Mannkavi · Jan 2, 2012

birdeen's call said:
Hello, Mannkavi. I would like to congratulate you on your English. In the three posts you wrote in this thread, I haven't found any glaring mistakes.

I recommend reading anything that is written in good English and interests you. It's a very good way of learning new words and phrases!

Good luck!

Thank you Birdeen's call.
One more thing I want to know, is there any way to check the sentence for grammatical misake, online?
The fear of incorrection demotivate me. I desperately need a way to check myself, to check my grammar. When I don't know what I'm writing is correct or incorrect, how could I improve it.
I'm really confused, please show me some direction.

Mannkavi · Jan 2, 2012

konungursvia said:
It's sad people are still looking for fast short-cuts. Memorizing vocabulary is nearly useless. You only remember the words in terms of the list, and the list is completely out of context.

When you're in context, in life, you won't remember most of the words on your lists.

The only real way to learn more vocabulary is to speak and read, and love what that brings you, gradually building yourself into a fluent English speaker.

No tricks will work.

@Konungursvia
Sorry Konungursvia. Maybe my method of putting that ques. was wrong but I'm not looking for any short-cuts. I just wanted to know, what I should do to learn more words fastly. And as u said I need to use different words in my daily life, I think that's the best way to build vocabulary.
Thank you.

Tdol · Jan 2, 2012

Memorising words is one thing, but it is important to know how to use them- simply having a big vocabulary doesn't mean that you will speak well. Many students who try learning a lot of words use them all the time to display their knowledge, and their language is often cluttered with misused words as a result. Also, learning all the forms a word can have can be an economical way to expand your vocabulary. :up:

birdeen's call · Jan 2, 2012

Mannkavi said:
Thank you Birdeen's call.
One more thing I want to know[STRIKE], is there [/STRIKE] is if there is any way to check [STRIKE]the[/STRIKE] my sentences for grammatical misakes online?
The fear of [STRIKE]incorrection[/STRIKE] incorrectness demotivates me. I desperately need a way to check myself, to check my grammar. When I don't know whether what I'm writing is correct or incorrect, how [STRIKE]could[/STRIKE] can I improve it?
I'm really confused, please show me some direction.

I'm sure there are some online grammar checkers, but I don't think it's a good idea to use them. Computer programs still don't understand language the way humans do. It's best to ask another human. You can always post your questions here.

Note that "incorrection" is an obsolete word for "lack of correction". It is now used sometimes to mean miscorrection, but this is not what you meant I think.

Mannkavi · Jan 2, 2012

Tdol said:
Memorising words is one thing, but it is important to know how to use them- simply having a big vocabulary doesn't mean that you will speak well. Many students who try learning a lot of words use them all the time to display their knowledge, and their language is often cluttered with misused words as a result. Also, learning all the forms a word can have can be an economical way to expand your vocabulary. :up:

@Tdol
Thanks Tdol. Actually thanks to all for giving your time and helping me out.
Now I know what exactly I need to do. All I need to do is to write down all the words I use commonly and then find out synonyms of each word and then use them accurately in my sentences.
Only after building the strong base, I can move forward and think of other words which are out of my comfort zone.

Mannkavi · Jan 2, 2012

@birdeen's call
Thank you birdeen's call for correcting me. Yes, incorrectness is the word I meant.
By the way birdeen's call, you wrote can in place of could. I was taking about possibility there, then why do use of "could" is incorrect there?
I learnt that-
could is for possibility
can is for ability.
Is it incorrect?

5jj · Jan 2, 2012

Mannkavi said:
@birdeen's call
Thank you sir for correcting me. .

Your courtesy is appreciated, but we prefer to be called by name rather than 'sir' or 'madam'. We work together in this forum. Those of us who answer questions may happen to know more about English than those who ask the questions, but we are equals in our interest in English.

ps. birdeens's call is a lady.

Mannkavi · Jan 2, 2012

5jj said:
Your courtesy is appreciated, but we prefer to be called by name rather than 'sir' or 'madam'. We work together in this forum. Those of us who answer questions may happen to know more about English than those who ask the questions, but we are equals in our interest in English.

ps. birdeens's call is a lady.

Ok 5jj. I will keep this thing in my mind. And thanks a lot for letting me know that birdeen's call is a lady.
I will correct myself in the replies I have posted earlier.
(By the way can I say, "I will correct myself in the replies I postedearlier" instead of "I will correct myself in the replies I have posted earlier")

birdeen's call · Jan 2, 2012

Mannkavi said:
@birdeen's call
Thank you birdeen's call for correcting me. Yes, incorrectness is the word I meant.
By the way birdeen's call, you wrote can in place of could. I was taking about possibility there, then why do use of "could" is incorrect there?
I learnt that-
could is for possibility
can is for ability.
Is it incorrect?

If the rule you have been taught says that "could" is always for possibility and "can" is always for ability, then no, it's not a correct rule.

I hesitated before changing your "could" to "can". "Can" sounds better to me there, but I'm not a native speaker and probably should have left the word uncorrected rather than risk miscorrecting it. Let's hope a native speaker tells us what they think.

5jj · Jan 2, 2012

birdeen's call said:
If the rule you have been taught says that "could" is always for possibility and "can" is always for ability, then no, it's not a correct rule.
I agree

I hesitated before changing your "could" to "can". "Can" sounds better to me there, but I'm not a native speaker and probably should have left the word uncorrected rather than risk miscorrecting it. Let's hope a native speaker tells us what they think.

birdeen's call: I think you were right to change this. 'Could' is possible, but it distances the chances of improvement in reality. If we assume that Mannkavi thinks that improvement is possible, then 'can' is the better word.

Note to others: birdeen's call is not a native speaker but, in my opinion, she has a better understanding of, and feeling for, the English language and its grammar than many native speakers.

Mannkavi · Jan 2, 2012

5jj said:
birdeen's call: I think you were right to change this. 'Could' is possible, but it distances the chances of improvement in reality. If we assume that Mannkavi thinks that improvement is possible, then 'can' is the better word.

Note to others: birdeen's call is not a native speaker but, in my opinion, she has a better understanding of, and feeling for, the English language and its grammar than many native speakers.

Thank you 5jj. Now I also feel that "can" is better option but why we can't use "could" there as we are talking about possibility.

TheParser · Jan 2, 2012

Mannkavi said:
I know I need to increase my vocabulary first. But i don't know any effective and fast way to increase the vocabulary.

NOT A TEACHER

(1) I hear that some students find that flash cards are helpful:

(a) They write the word on one side of the card.

(b) They write the definition/ antonym on the other side.

(c) You can add some cards each day and review, say, 20 cards each

day.

(d) You and your friends can make up a game: see who can earn the most points

(for example, one point for the definition; another point for the antonym).

(2) I understand that some students who study Chinese do this. It helps them

to remember thousands of Chinese characters (pictures).

(3) If the cards are little, you can take them with you and practice whenever you have

some extra time (during lunch, on the bus, etc.).

AlexAD · Jan 2, 2012

Not a native, nor a teacher.
At First, I mostly agree with what have been wrote before me.
As for me, I have learnt a few words 3 years ago and still can recall for them!
I just made a cards and draw a pictures for them by myself and I spoke them out loud while drawing. I have learnt these words separate from context. Now, when I need to remember them I just picture the image and there comes the written word connected with the drawing and how it uttered.
The words has been done in bold as well as the drawings (at least I did my best

).
This technique is called visualization. It has drawbacks that you have to spend some time thinking of and creating your image and some words are difficult to think an image of.

Regards, Alex.

Memorize synonyms and antonyms

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