...Fifteen Thousand Useful Phrases 1 Fifteen Thousand Useful Phrases Fifteen Thousand Useful Phrases Project Gutenberg's Fifteen Thousand Useful Phrases, by Greenville Kleiser This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org Title: Fifteen Thousand Useful Phrases A Practical Handbook Of Pertinent Expressions, Striking Similes, Literary, Commercial, Conversational, And Oratorical Terms, For The Embellishment Of Speech And Literature, And The Improvement Of The Vocabulary Of Those Persons Who Read, Write, And Speak English Author: Greenville Kleiser Release Date: May 10, 2006 [EBook #18362] Language: English Character set encoding: ASCII *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FIFTEEN THOUSAND USEFUL PHRASES *** Produced by Don Kostuch [Transcriber's Notes] Original "misspellings" such as "fulness" are unchanged. Fifteen Thousand Useful Phrases Unfamiliar (to me) words are defined on the right side of the page in square brackets. For example: abstemious diet [abstemious = Eating and drinking in moderation.] The blandness of contemporary (2006) speech would be relieved by the injection of some of these gems: "phraseological quagmire" "Windy speech which hits all around the mark like a drunken carpenter." [End Transcriber's Notes] BY GRENVILLE KLEISER HOW TO BUILD MENTAL POWER...
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...List of 100 difficult words that appear most frequently in GRE Sl.No. Word Meaning 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. Equivocal/Equivocate/Equivocation Tractable (Intractable) Placate (Implacable) Miser Engender Dogma(tic)(tism(tist) Garrulous (Garrulity) Homogeneous (Homogenize) Laconic Quiescence (Quiescent) Anomalous Venerate (ion) Assuage Misanthrope (-ic) Digress(ive) 16. 17. 18. Corroborate (ion) Buttress Antipathy 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. Disabuse Feigned (Unfeigned) Banal(ity) Desiccate (ion) Diatribe Pedant(ic)(ry) Guile(less) Eulogy (-ize) Fawn(ing) Aberrant/aberration Heresy/Heretic(al) 30. 31. 32. Obdurate Prevaricate(-ion) Embellish(ment) 33. Pragmatic/Pragmatism 34. Precipitate Ambiguous, open to two interpretations Obedient, yielding To soothe or pacify Person who is extremely stingy To produce, cause, bring out Rigidly fixed in opinion, opinionated Very talkative Composed of identical parts Using few words Inactivity, stillness Irregular or deviating from the norm To respect To make less severe, ease, relieve Person who hates human beings To turn aside; to stray from the main point To confirm, verify To reinforce or support Dislike, hostility, extreme opposition or aversion To free from error or misconception Pretended Trite and overly commom To dry completely, dehydrate Bitter verbal attack Uninspired...
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...Secrets to Academic Success was written by Elana Peled, Ed.D. She is the founder of Academic Success for All. She started writing to help people who struggle to achieve academic success. This book reveals the powerful secrets that underlie academic success. The second secret is the learning creativity. It is about that every single person on the planet has the capacity to be creative. Our creativity is involved in how we make sense of the world and is intimately connected with our ability to learn. Based on my analysis in her writing style, she had written this chapter in grammatical correct English. One of the most important factors is that sentences were not formed by words alone but by structural units. The author had conformed her words, phrases, and sentences to specific pattern determined by the syntactic rules of the language. She utilized different types of sentences, passive voice, relative clause, and pronoun to emphasize some facts, attract our attention, and make effective writing. The author used a variety of sentence types at varying lengths to express more strong statements, reasonable ideas, interesting and dynamic energy....
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...Phrase Bank for Literature Reviews Phrases for citing The research in this area has focused on… The literature largely supports… Specifically, there is evidence that… Thus the literature suggests that… Smith reports that… Smith postulates…; further, he suggests… Smith focuses on… In his discussion of x, Smith states… Investigating the relationship between x and y, Smith proposes… These ideas are first clearly conceptualized in Smith’s paper… Smith purports… According to Smith… The basis of Smith’s argument is… Similarly, Smith finds… Smith uses the example of… Smith’s and Brown’s work investigates… More recent investigations have concluded… Importantly, they argue that… Some commentators, such as Buttinski and Fyshwyfe, cite the importance of… Earlier work in this area concluded that … In discussing topic x they suggest… Many commentators (see Buttinski & Fyshwyfe) view this model as... However they note that… Phrases for comparing & contrasting This phenomena is recognized by a number of sources… There appears to be a reasonable consensus on… Several studies in this area have found…However other studies… Whereas earlier commentators support x, more recent commentators… An understanding of Smith’s theory is useful when exploring Brown’s concept of… Like Smith, Brown views topic x as… Smith’s approach is problem-centred, whereas Brown… This concept is strongly linked to Smith’s...
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...connect ideas at the sentence and paragraph level in academic writing In academic writing, it is important to present an argument clearly and cohesively. In addition, you may be required to discuss and evaluate existing research or ideas about the topic under discussion. Often you will be assessed on your ability to do both. Developing the language to connect ideas in academic writing will help you with both these tasks. The appropriate use of ‘discourse markers,’ that is, words or phrases that signal a relationship, can reveal and reinforce the direction that your argument is taking, and make clear the relations between sections of your writing. more information such as “Notwithstanding a lack of natural resources, the region has …” Addition – to add an idea additionally, and, also, apart from this, as well (as), in addition, moreover, further, furthermore, too Condition – to provide a condition if, in that case, provided that, unless Experienced writers use these special connecting words or phrases to bridge gaps between ideas that may at first seem unrelated. This flyer provides some suggestions for sentence openers, ‘linking words’ within sentences and between paragraphs, and alternative vocabulary choices you might use when connecting ideas in writing. For more information on other writing skills, see the Academic Skills booklet Tertiary Essay Writing. For comparison – to show how things are similar correspondingly, equally, for the same reason, in a similar manner...
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...George Orwell, "Politics and the English Language," 1946 [pic] Most people who bother with the matter at all would admit that the English language is in a bad way, but it is generally assumed that we cannot by conscious action do anything about it. Our civilization is decadent and our language -- so the argument runs -- must inevitably share in the general collapse. It follows that any struggle against the abuse of language is a sentimental archaism, like preferring candles to electric light or hansom cabs to aeroplanes. Underneath this lies the half-conscious belief that language is a natural growth and not an instrument which we shape for our own purposes. Now, it is clear that the decline of a language must ultimately have political and economic causes: it is not due simply to the bad influence of this or that individual writer. But an effect can become a cause, reinforcing the original cause and producing the same effect in an intensified form, and so on indefinitely. A man may take to drink because he feels himself to be a failure, and then fail all the more completely because he drinks. It is rather the same thing that is happening to the English language. It becomes ugly and inaccurate because our thoughts are foolish, but the slovenliness of our language makes it easier for us to have foolish thoughts. The point is that the process is reversible. Modern English, especially written English, is full of bad habits which spread by imitation and which can be avoided if one...
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...Weak Language is any word or phrase that does not add value to your message. In English, the word is umm. Every language has some version of umm, why do we say it? We use it as a crutch while we are thinking of what we are going to say next, and because we are uncomfortable with silence. Why is eliminating weak language so important for a public speaker? People are taking in what appears to be a limitless amount of information each day. Consider what happens to the brain when it has too much information to process. The brain makes choices, it decides what it will take in and what it will keep out. In order to process the large amount of information that we encounter daily, we often block new information that has no value to us as an audience. What does that mean for you as a presenter? Your audience is judging whether what you have to say is of value to them. Your goal is to get the audience’s attention and keep it, so that they receive the information you are communicating. Eliminating weak language is one of the key ways to increase the value of any message you communicate. Tip #1: Get comfortable with silence; silence is the most powerful tool you will ever have as a speaker. Tip #2: There is no neutral everything that comes out of your mouth makes your message stronger or weaker. Tip #3: Try to identify the most common weak words in your language. For example, umm, basically, and like are all examples of words that dilute your message. The goal is to eliminate...
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...or phrases describe these people? In the blank beside each word or phrase below, write Think of your job in general. All in all, what is it like most of the time? In the blank beside each word or phrase below, write N ? for “Yes” if it describes the people with whom you work for “No” if it does not describe them for “?” if you cannot decide Y N ? for “Yes” if it describes your job for “No” if it does not describe it for “?” if you cannot decide __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ Stimulating Boring Slow Helpful Stupid Responsible Likeable Intelligent Easy to make enemies Rude Smart Lazy Unpleasant Supportive Active Narrow interests Frustrating Stubborn __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ Pleasant Bad Great Waste of time Good Undesirable Worthwhile Worse than most Acceptable Superior Better than most Disagreeable Makes me content Inadequate Excellent Rotten Enjoyable Poor THE JOB DESCRIPTIVE INDEX Y The Job Descriptive Index Bowling Green State University 1975-2009 The Job In General Scale Bowling Green State University 1982-2009 2009 Revision including The Job in General Scale Work on Present Job Pay Opportunities for Promotion Supervision Think of the work you do at present. How well does each of the following words or phrases describe your work? In the blank beside each word or phrase below...
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...Figurative Language versus Literal Language The English language encompasses a myriad of different techniques to convey ideas and feelings. There are two ways that we use language: we use language literally, and we use language figuratively. When we use language literally, we actually “say” what we want the sender to hear. What actually comes from the speaker’s mouth can be comprehended and no add-ons are needed. Sometimes being literal is not enough to convey meanings or thoughts. At these times, we use figurative language, or figures of speech. Often, people will use figurative language to enliven ordinary conservations; thus, turning a dull conversation into an interesting conversation. There are several types of figures of speech that we sometimes employ in conversation: idioms, analogies, metaphors, similes, clichés, amphibolies, “flame words”, hyperboles, euphemisms, and colloquialisms. Below I will define each term of speech and how they are sometimes used in communication. According to The American Heritage Dictionary (1991), an idiom is “a speech or expression of a given language that is peculiar to itself grammatically or that cannot be understood from the individual meanings of its elements”. A common idiom that we may recognize is that “friends come a dime a dozen”. This does not mean that twelve (12) friends can be purchased for a dime; but what it does suggest, is that friends can be made anywhere. Depending on the context of the...
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...Most people who bother with the matter at all would admit that the English language is in a bad way, but it is generally assumed that we cannot by conscious action do anything about it. Our civilization is decadent and our language — so the argument runs — must inevitably share in the general collapse. It follows that any struggle against the abuse of language is a sentimental archaism, like preferring candles to electric light or hansom cabs to aeroplanes. Underneath this lies the half-conscious belief that language is a natural growth and not an instrument which we shape for our own purposes. Now, it is clear that the decline of a language must ultimately have political and economic causes: it is not due simply to the bad influence of this or that individual writer. But an effect can become a cause, reinforcing the original cause and producing the same effect in an intensified form, and so on indefinitely. A man may take to drink because he feels himself to be a failure, and then fail all the more completely because he drinks. It is rather the same thing that is happening to the English language. It becomes ugly and inaccurate because our thoughts are foolish, but the slovenliness of our language makes it easier for us to have foolish thoughts. The point is that the process is reversible. Modern English, especially written English, is full of bad habits which spread by imitation and which can be avoided if one is willing to take the necessary trouble. If one gets rid of these...
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...Running head: Vietnamese and English idioms related to the word “Dog”: Vietnamese and English idioms related to the word “Dog”: A contrastive Analysis Student: Nguyen Le Hoang Yen Class: 4A08 Ho Chi Minh City University of Pedagogy Contrastive Analysis Instructor: Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Vu December 31, 2011 Abstract One problem which makes a lot of people have difficulty in communicating with one another is to use idiomatic expressions. As far as you know, idiomatic expressions make English become colorful and full of vitality, so they are often used very much in the native speakers’ speech and in the writing such as news, songs, movies, etc. on the television. However, these idioms are sometimes are not easy to understand and study their meanings, so I decide to study them by studying Vietnamese and English idioms containing the word ‘dog’ and one another reason for this topic to study is that I really like lovely dogs. In my studying this topic, there are two parts such as theoretical background and Vietnamese and English idioms related to the word ‘dog’ which is the main part of my topic. Theoretical background Idioms versus proverbs Idioms and proverbs are frequently used in the daily speech, so we can not find the differences between them clearly. However, we can distinguish idioms and proverbs by basing on some criteria. Idioms * It is a fixed group of words. e.g. the idiom ‘chó chui gầm chạn’ has the same meaning of the word ‘hèn hạ’ (disgraced)....
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...HIGHER SCORE TOEFL, TOEIC and IELTS classes for serious students How to Paraphrase Effectively Introduction “Paraphrase” is a verb which means to re-write a phrase or sentence with the same meaning but using different words. Paraphrasing is a very important skill for most English tests, including TOEFL iBT, IELTS and TOEIC Speaking and Writing. In TOEFL iBT, for instance, paraphrasing is an important skill in the reading section, in the listening section and, above all, in the speaking and writing sections of the test. Here is a quick example of paraphrasing using a phrase from the paragraph above: 1. "Paraphrasing is a very important skill for most English tests." 2. "For many tests of English, being skilful at paraphrasing is extremely important." Notice how the paraphrased version (sentence 2) changes some vocabulary (e.g., “extremely” for “very”), changes the word order (e.g., “tests of English” for “English tests”) and changes the grammar (e.g., “being skilful at paraphrasing…” for “Paraphrasing is a very important skill…”) These are the three main ways to paraphrase and by combining all of these methods, you can achieve clear and accurate paraphrased sentences. The next sections will look at these methods in more detail. Paraphrasing Method 1: Use Different Vocabulary with the Same Meaning Most students try to use this method, but actually it can be difficult to use. The reason is that although English has many synonyms such as ‘large’ or ‘big’, it is unusual for...
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...IMPORTANT This electronic version of The Century Vocabulary Builder (1922) has been prepared by Serenson Pty Ltd for www.write-better-english.com. This PDF follows the pagination of the original (hard copy) book and includes hypertext links that we have inserted, which look like this. Please do not remove links. Reformatting the original text into this PDF has been no easy task; it is possible that the process has introduced errors or caused omissions. As a result, we make no guarantee about the accuracy or completeness of this version of the Vocabulary Builder. If you find an error or omission in this PDF, please check the original book and contact us so that we can fix the error or omission. Please check your local copyright laws before accessing this PDF. If you are serious about building your vocabulary, we highly recommend you try the popular vocabularybuilding program called Ultimate Vocabulary Want the ultimate vocabulary builder? Click www.write-better-english com/ultimate-vocabulary.aspx THE CENTURY VOCABULARY BUILDER BY GARLAND GREEVER AND JOSEPH M. BACHELOR NEW YORK THE CENTURY CO. Want the ultimate vocabulary builder? Click www.write-better-english com/ultimate-vocabulary.aspx PREFACE You should know at the outset what this book does not attempt to do. It does not, save to the extent that its own special purpose requires, concern itself with the many and intricate problems of grammar, rhetoric, spelling, punctuation, and the like; or clarify...
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...the words the author wants to say. For instance, when someone says that it’s raining cats and dogs, it actually means that it is raining very hard. Terms Idioms Idioms are those terms in the figurative language in which the words, phrases and expressions are either grammatically unique or have meaning that can be literally understood by the individual. For example, an idiom: ‘after John had broken the window, he decided to face the music and tell his mother. ‘ Meaning: to accept the unpleasant consequences of one's actions With the help of an idiom, it becomes very easy for a person to narrate their native-language but if the person is using the language of other culture, sometimes it becomes an entirely unapproachable thing. Analogy If in the figurative language in order to highlight some point of similarity, the author does comparison between two different things. This style of speech is known as analogy. They are used to give a brief and to the point-developed form of the topic. An analogy: Puppy: Dog: Kitten: Cat Meaning: It means a puppy is a small do likewise kitten is a small cat. Metaphor Metaphor is referred as figure of speech which has any phrase or words applied to an object which is not literally...
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...raising your legs slowly and laying on your back, you cannot sink into quicksand. # Dogs and cats, like humans, are either right or left handed. # The Guinness Book of Records holds the record for being the book most often stolen from Public Libraries. # Honey is the only food that doesn’t spoil. # The word “set” has more definitions than any other word in the English language. # “Rhythm” is the longest English word without a vowel. # The letter J does not appear anywhere in the periodic table of the elements. # 111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321 # The cigarette lighter was invented before the match. # The longest single-syllable word in the English language is “screeched.” # The word “Checkmate” in chess comes from the Persian phrase...
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