Martin gonzalez

Andrés Rivas

English composition

INTRODUCTION

• What word choice means:

THE DICTIONARY AND THE THESAURUS

dictionary

an unabridged:

An adbridged:

THE THESAURUS

• A thesaurus lists synonyms for each entry. Manythesauruses list antonyms as well.

WHAT’S IN A DICTIONARY ENTRY?

WHAT’S IN A DICTIONARY ENTRY? • The entry word

• Pronunciation

• Parts of speech labels

• Inflected forms

• The derivation

• Definitions

• Synonyms and antonyms

• Usage labels

• Usage notes

WORDS AND THEIR MEANINGS• ROOTS, PREFIXES, AND SUFFIXES: Roots, prefixes

and suffixes provide substancial clues to a word’s meaning. A root is a base word, or part of a word, from which other words are formed: mile in the word mileage.

A prefix is a group of letters attached to the beggining of a root that changes its meaning: un- in unfinished.

A suffix is a group of letters attached to the end of a root: -age in mileage.

WORDS AND THEIR MEANINGS Denotations and connotations: the denotation

of a word is its direct, literal meaning. Fragance,odor, and smell denote the same thing: aperception detected by your olfatory sense. But theassociations the words bring to mind differ. “Youhave a ´distinct fragance” is quite differentfrom“You have a distinct odor”. Fragance suggests apleasant smell; odor suggets an unpleasant one.The associated or indirect meaning of a word is itsconnotation.

IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS Why do we ride in a car but on a bus? Why do we take a

picture but make a recording? These speech patterns arecalled idioms. Sometimes idiomatic patterns do not followrules of logic or grammar, so it’s easy tu misuse one you arenot familiar with.

A preposition such as at, by, for, out, or to shows arelationship between a noun or a pronoun and other wordsin the sentence. The only guide to the correct use ofprepositions with nouns and verbs and in standardexpressions about time and space is to learn theconventional idioms.

WORD ORDER WITH PHRASAL VERBS

A phrasal verb consists of a verb plus a particle– aword such as on, up, by or through. Both the verb andthe particle are needed to convey the full meaning ofthe phrasal verb: put on, give up, get by, muddlethrough.

WORD ORDER WITH PHRASAL VERBS

Intrasitive phrasal verbs: These phrasal verbs do nottake a direct object..

The particle for such a phrasal verb should alwayscome directly after the verb.

EX: The stray dog came back the next day.

WORD ORDER WITH PHRASAL VERBS Transitive phrasal verbs: these phrasal verbs can take a

direct object.

EX: WHEN I LOOK INTO YOUR EYES, I CAN SEE HOW MUCH YOU LOVE ME . CORRECT

WHEN I LOOK YOUR EYES INTO, I CAN SEE HOW MUCH YOU LOVE ME. INCORRECT

SLANGS, REGIONALISMS, AND COLLOQUIALISMS

Slangs: very informal language that is usually spokenrather than written, used especially by particulargroups of people.

Slang is the use of informal words and expressionsthat are not considered standard in thespeaker's language or dialect but are considered moreacceptable when used socially.

SLANGS, REGIONALISMS, AND COLLOQUIALISMS

Regionalisms are expressions in one part of the country, but not common elsewhere. The name for a carbonated beverage for example varies from pop to soda to soda drink to seltzer.

Colloquialisms are expression common to spoken language but seldom used in formal writing.

JARGONS Jargon is terminology which is especially defined

in relationship to a specific activity, profession,group, or event.

Examples: RAM, bit, byte, CPU, and hexadecimal are jargon terms related to computing.

Figurative Language

figurative language is a distinction in traditionalsystems for analyzing language.

CLICHÉS A cliché is an expression, idea, or element of an

artistic work which has been overused to the point of losing its original meaning or effect, especially when at some earlier time it was considered meaningful or novel.

EX: I've taken everything but nothing seems to do me any good.

Live and learn.