I can't do it on my own

[NearThere]

and I wonder if anyone is willing to help me with it. Anyone please?!

I'm giving myself a challenge: Learn 5 new words a day, and use them in a paragraph.

I'll take any 5 new words from you and find the difinition of each word, and write a short paragraph (no one in their right mind likes reading a long one) using the new words to the best of my ability of understanding. (Does this last part of the sentence correct or make sense by the way?)

I did this before on my own (without writing paragraphs), unfortunately it didn't last long. There's no way to know if I got the words right or not, so very often and quickly I forgot the words that I had learned. So if anyone who's generous enough to take on the challenge with me, gosh, I don't know, that would be just God-sent. Please anyone?!

 

[Stilo]

I will try to help but how advanced do you want it to be?

Your english appears to be very sound.

I will start with some you may not have come upon.


A Goth



A Mystery Shopper



Slideshow



Inheritance



A semi-detatched




I am learning Thai and find that it helps learning 5 a day


Best of luck

 

[Mohammed Abu Risha]

My advice for you is to have a dictionary called Collins Cobuild English Language Dictioanry. This dictioanry gives you the word, its definition and an example on how to use that word.

It is also recommended that you read the Encarta Encyclopedia for Kids. It uses a simplified yet very idiomatic English.

The problem of forgetting the learnt words can be solve by reading and reading and reading. So, read.

Anyways, if you want to learn five words a day, how can we tell which word you know and which one you don't?

 

[NearThere]

To Stilo: Thanks so much for helpling, I didn't really expect anyone would care to work with me, that's a great start, I'll come back with a paragraph tonight. Thanks again.

When I started the post, I did wonder how would anyone know what words I have learned or haven't and or level of vocabulary that I am on since I've never been tested if there's such a test. I thought maybe I'd ask for 10 words and there'd have to be at least 5 words that I don't yet know, but then again that would seem to put too much burden on strangers even if ther're willing to help. So really, I'm a little stuck. But this is a good start, I'll start soon.

As for the the advice of deligent reading from Mohammed. Trust me. I had tried deligently (then again, this too seems like a relative term), either my method was wrong or just miserably ungifted, the words just didn't stick in most cases.

 

[blouen]

Why not read articles that interest you the most? This, I guess, would leave some things in your shell.

Your activity is quite interesting. You know, I enjoy reading and writing. I read but couldn't write, not that I couldn't but I don't have the time or quite lazy to. Let me try to find some words here for you, in which I too can make a paragraph with.

These might be easy for you though:

1. Redemption
2. Retaliate
3. Retribution
4. Renegade
5. Robust

:-D Now you have 5 R's here.

 

[NearThere]

"She called herself a mystery shopper, she collects mysteries and she's obssessed with them. With the generous inheritance she got from her wealthy grandfather from whom she's emotionaly semi-detached due to an obscure family feud between her parents and their parents, she's able to travel the world to fullfill her obssession. She feels empowered with the money she has, really, money can buy you a lot of possibilities. Right now she's in Germany, after being shown a slideshow regarding artifacts found in the ruins of Roman Empire, and a mysterious acount on a Goth. She knows she won't be going home empty-handed..."

The word that I had to look up was "Goth" defined in Webster's dictionary which as: "any member of the Germanic people that conquered most of the Roman Empire in the 3rd, 4th and 5th c. A.D." As you can probably tell, I'm not feeling the definition. What does that really mean anyway?

 

[NearThere]

To Blouen: thanks so much. That's a great advice, I'm not kidding you, that's what I have been trying to do. My problem is to decide what article is "in my shell"?

I'll get to it with the 5 words later, thanks a million!!

 

[blouen]

A "goth" for me is a person part of a group of usually rock musicians, but not all, with black eye shadows and wearing black shirts and pants almost everyday. I hope I'm right(crossing my fingers).

That's what I have been doing. I like religion so much that it gets my blood running just hearing the topic popping up. I read a lot about other religions and other denominations in Christianity.I think I haven't done enough though, I have been quite a slacker lately. I need to go back to the saddle and do the things I really enjoy doing.

 

[NearThere]

A "goth" for me is a person part of a group of usually rock musicians, but not all, with black eye shadows and wearing black shirts and pants almost everyday. I hope I'm right(crossing my fingers).

Should I just abandon my Webster dinctionary? It mentions none of your explanation of the word, I was lost with its "sole" difinition.

Ok, here's the paragraph, the only word I'm not sure of is "renegade", I first guessed it to be a "verb", but it turns out to be a "noun":

"They were in a robust relationship she believed, but after what he did to her he's hoping for redemption. It would have been easier to retaliate by burning down the house he's paying the mortgage for, she would be order to pay a restitution for it maybe some jail time, yes that would have been easier. But she's planning way bigger plan than that one that would justify his action of being the renegade of thier dream, it was both thier dream which is no more........"


Are the usage of these words correct and appropriate? With me it's a common occurence that there's a gap between the actual meaning of the word and my understanding of it.

 

[blouen]

A "goth" for me is a person part of a group of usually rock musicians, but not all, with black eye shadows and wearing black shirts and pants almost everyday. I hope I'm right(crossing my fingers).

Should I just abandon my Webster dinctionary? It mentions none of your explanation of the word, I was lost with its "sole" difinition.

from Dictionary.com
1. A style of rock music, noted especially for somber or ethereal tones and lugubrious lyrics.
2. A performer or follower of this style of music.

Here's another one :
a crude uncouth ill-bred person lacking culture or refinement

And check this out:
http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?p=goth&fr=yfp-t-501&toggle=1&cop=mss&ei=UTF-8&fp_ip=PH&vc=

 

[Stilo]

NearThere Hi

I love it! I didn't think you would come up with a paragraph using all the words, but "made up" that is a Liverpudlian expression, that you did. It proves your good grasp of English. It also proves there is a gaping difference between American version of English and the real thing!

The first sentence is great, I would never have thought of it as, in England a Mystery Shopper is a person employed by an agency to help companies(Corporates) deliver better customer service. The MS has a script to work from and enters the establishment and marks the level of service received..

Semi-detached here in UK, would immediately bring to mind a house which is attached to the next door house. i.e houses are detached, semi-detached,town house, terraced etc.


Mis-spelling of account but often happens.

A Goth , is as described by blouen (sorry to bring the subject up blouen ) I am also a Christian but I was trying to think of a word that NearThere had not come across. The Adams family are Goths and I guess the Ozzy Osbourne and his daughter can be classed in a similar way.


Now I have a better idea of your level of English I will have a rethink and supply a further selection of words.

In the meantime, rural and urban may have a different meaning in American English, not too sure. Can you define them? Please forgive me if I supply words which maybe basic to you.

Regards,

 

[NearThere]

Wow, stilo, thanks for that feedback. But I have a feeling that you might have overpraised my understanding of English.

Now I see I didn't quite understand these 2 words: "mystery shopper" and "semi-detached". I didn't looked up "mystery" nor "shopper" for I'd learned them in their seperate and basic sense. Therefor I put 2 together, viola! that's what I came up. And as for "semi-deteched", initially I felt it had more of a physical sense, but I had a hard time incoprating it into my paragraph, so I twisted it a little bit. And sorry about "goth" in the paragraph, after learning the real implication from Bleoun, the last part of the story seemed rediculous.

My English is not representive of American English, cause I"m still learning general English, and learning it in my own way (don't have a teacher or anything). I most certainly don't have any opinions on urban or rural English, cause I don't even know there are such distinctions. Last, you're not offending me in any way with the words you gave, I felt very lucky to have someone who's gracious to help me. Thanks again:-D

 

[blouen]

Wow! I'm learning to love this thread afterall. I'd say NearThere has a huge understanding of English( but usually jumble word spellings:-D).
Sometimes I see that basing all our understanding on the dictionary is somewhat frustrating for they usually appear differently in execution with what we comprehended it to be. With this, I think it's better to, yes, check the dictionary and to look for several examples in writing. Well, just to have the absolute understanding of the word and not simply shooting in the dark and writing ohh so miserable sentences. We non-natives are usually victims of this, even some natives I think. And I'd like to join you NearThere with your activity here.

Why don't you also try giving me some 5 words today? If you will!:-D
And let's ask our friend, Stilo, to proofread it for us.;-)

 

[NearThere]

Heeha!! Blueon, welcome to the bandwagon! (that's the right phrase, right?)

Sure I'll give you words that I have hard time grasping the meanings of, therefore unable to use them as confidently.

Here some 5:

patronize
flighty
earnest
precarious
encumber

But do know that whatever you write, I may not be in the position to give you feedback. You can not ask a toddler barely learning to walk to dance for you.

 

[blouen]

I think I you will make a good learning partner, NearThere!

 

[blouen]

And how about, you too come up with a paragraph out of the five words you gave me. We do this together, what do you think?

 

[NearThere]

Sure, Bluoen, I'll be your partner so long you are sure you've picked the right one.

I'll come back with a paragraph later tonight (central mountain time), the girl have to cook some food you know.:lol:

 

[blouen]

patronize
flighty
earnest
precarious
encumber

Here's my paragraph:

On the way home, I stopped off the newly established mall to lighten up my head a bit. I strolled in the lobby and up the escalator. I noticed a tinted room, with walls painted with colored balls and letters B-I-N-G-O inscribed on it. A little nosey myself, I stepped closer to investigate and saw a multitude of flighty people from all walks devotedly patronizing a precarious game of chance. All earnestly wanted gain. But their pursuit was encumbered by their own delusion of accumulating greater cash from an unpredictable source, I said talking to myself.

 

[blouen]

Sure, Bluoen, I'll be your partner so long you are sure you've picked the right one.

I'll come back with a paragraph later tonight (central mountain time), the girl have to cook some food you know.:lol:

Thank you very much! I have been waiting for someone to learn with here for a very long spell. Now I found one. And I just that knew she's a girl( I never figured that our earlier). I thought only men could have such an earnest desire to learn systematically. I thought wrong again.:-D

My paragraph's done, so it's your turn to make one. I'll think of another set of words then.

Hmmmm.....

* twitch
* painstaking
* arcane
* myriad
* drudgery

I picked these words in random. They may not be too difficult to use but they're not very common to me.

 

[NearThere]

I

thought only men could have such an earnest desire to learn systematically.

Hmm, that sounds sexist to me. Are you a male or female?


Awsome paragraph! You're not expecting me to make comments on it right? I wouldn't even know how to start.

Now it brings me to wonder if there's a way to sillicit help from others for opinions and suggestions, or "scrutnies" in my case. Any ideas? anyone?!

There are 3 out of the 5 that I don't know or haven't used, it's a challenge but I'll take it, just give me time. Oh by the way, mispelling is my nother name. If you see any, feel free to point out and correct.