What's the best way to improve my vocabulary?

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Zetsu - 06 May 2008 12:51 GMT

I'd like to impress my english teacher at school by presenting my
essay work with an astonishing array of vocabulary. Is there any one
best way I should go about doing this, so that I can learn a lot of
words in a short time and have them come to mind automatically at my
disposal whenever I need them? I mean, so that they come naturally to
my head and not unnaturally, as opposed just writing random synonyms
that don't really fit the context. I enjoy reading and have been doing
that lots, and that seems to have improved my word power, especially
as a youngster when I read favorite tales such as 'Harry Potter' or
'The Lord of the Rings'. I also keep a dictionary at hand so that I
can check whenever there's a word I couldn't understand and that has
made a significant and rapid impact.

Is there any suggestions you guys can make, or anything you personally
found most effective? Thanks!

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Molly Mockford - 07 May 2008 01:27 GMT

At 04:51:32 on Tue, 6 May 2008, Zetsu <absolutelyinvincible@hotmail.com>
wrote in
<d856d53f-69a7-45ce-8c7d-d90a622da76a@l64g2000hse.googlegroups.com>:

>Is there any suggestions you guys can make,

*Are* there any suggestions...

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Molly Mockford
They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety
deserve neither liberty nor safety - Benjamin Franklin
(My Reply-To address *is* valid, though may not remain so for ever.)

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The Wanderer - 07 May 2008 07:32 GMT

> At 04:51:32 on Tue, 6 May 2008, Zetsu <absolutelyinvincible@hotmail.com>
> wrote in
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>
> *Are* there any suggestions...

Read, read, read, and read.....

That's how most people with a wide vocabulary tend to acquire said wide
vocabulary.

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the dot wanderer at tesco dot net

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sprocket - 07 May 2008 08:10 GMT

> I'd like to impress my english teacher at school by presenting my
> essay work with an astonishing array of vocabulary. Is there any one
> best way I should go about doing this, so that I can learn a lot of
> words in a short time and have them come to mind automatically at my
> disposal whenever I need them?

Buy Roget's Thesaurus, plus a good English dictionary like Chamber's.
Get a book of crosswords e.g.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Guardian-Book-Quick-Crosswords-Crossword/dp/1843540053,
and finish them and understand the answers.

If you don't get failed for never handing any work in, then take time to
consider whether the best way to communicate is to use a vast and
artificial vocabulary, or to use a natural vocabulary effectively.

JS

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Longshanks - 19 May 2008 16:03 GMT

> I'd like to impress my english teacher at school by presenting my
> essay work with an astonishing array of vocabulary. Is there any one
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
> Is there any suggestions you guys can make, or anything you personally
> found most effective? Thanks!

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Discussion Groups / British English / May 2008

What's the best way to improve my vocabulary?