Chapter 16. English - Part 2 Academic Words

Active Vocabulary General and Academic Words - Amy E. Olsen 2013

Chapter 16. English
Part 2 Academic Words

Writing Tips

When writing for school, work, or personal use, here are a few points to keep in mind that will make your writing more effective and interesting.

Generally Avoid

The euphemism, cliche, and colloquialism are best avoided in formal writing. Euphemisms are replacement words used for terms that are considered unpleasant. You may have heard a small house called cozy by a real-estate agent or "passed away" used to describe the sad situation of death. You usually want to avoid euphemisms because they tend to hide informa­tion or distort a situation.

Cliches, overused phrases, should be avoided because they can make your writing as dead as a doornail. They are handy in speech because they easily convey an idea: "I'm going to sleep like a log after today's hike." In writing, however, they are usually boring. Make your writing more engaging by creating your own original comparison or plainly state your point: "I'm exhausted."

Colloquialisms are words or phrases used in everyday speech that usually aren't appropriate in formal writing. For example, "She ain't interested in gain' to the movie with us" uses two colloquialisms: "ain't" for "isn't" and "goin"' for "going." Unless your goal is to capture the flavor of everyday speech, avoid colloquialisms.

Use Appropriately

Introduce an acronym properly. If you refer to a CD, your readers may initially be bewildered if they are thinking of a compact disc and you mean a certificate of deposit. To use an acronym, first write the full name followed by the acronym in parentheses, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). Now you can use the acronym throughout your paper, and the reader will know what you are referring to.

Watch your use of homonyms. Pay attention when you use words that sound alike, and are sometimes spelled alike, but have different meanings, such as which and witch. Scrutinize your writ­ing for homonym errors, and if you often mix up certain homonyms, carefully proofread for those.

Think Carefully About

Consider the words you use; you want to be concise while still giving enough information to convey your point. During the revision phase, look for wordiness. For example, in "Mary is a loud and noisy woman," loud and noisy mean the same thing, so only one of the words is needed, and Mary's name indicates she is a woman. The revised "Mary is loud" is more powerful.

Also learn how much your reader wants you to cover. Does your boss want a synopsis of the meeting or a detailed account? You will likely not appreciate the irony when you have stayed up all night writing a ten-page report on a sales call to find your boss the next day praising the 200-word summary a colleague wrote in half an hour.

Predicting

For each set, write the definition on the line next to the word to which it belongs. If you are unsure, re­turn to the reading on page I 08, and underline any context clues you find. After you've made your predic­tions, check your answers against the Word List on page I 13. Place a checkmark in the box next to each word whose definition you missed. These are the words you'll want to study closely.

Set One

a commonplace expression

the substitution of a mild expression for one considered harsh

a word or abbreviation formed from initial letters

an expression used in informal language confused

□ 1. euphemism (line 5) ...

□ 2. cliche (line 5) ...

□ 3. colloquialism (line 5) ...

□ acronym (line 23) ...

□ 5. bewildered (line 23) ...

Set Two

brief

two or more words that have the same sound but differ in meaning

a summary

to examine carefully

a clash between what is expected to happen and what really does

□ 6. homonyms (line 27) ...

□ 7. scrutinize (line 28) ...

□ 8. concise (line 31) ...

□ 9. synopsis (line 35) ...

□ 10. irony (line 36) ...

Self-Tests

1 Circle the correct word to complete each sentence.

1. When writing you should avoid using (cliches, acronyms) because they make your writing as dull as dirt.

2. I gave the judge a (concise, cliche) history of my problems with the store; I thought all the details would bore him.

3. I gave my friend a (colloquialism, synopsis) of a five-hundred-page book in two minutes.

4. Computers have introduced several new (colloquialisms, acronyms) into our language, such as HTML and URL.

5. My cousin always departs using the (euphemism, colloquialism) "outta here."

6. The (irony, synopsis) was obvious when my brother said, "Beautiful day for a picnic," as we looked out at the rain-soaked street.

7. I always (bewilder, scrutinize) my credit card bill each month to make sure I haven’t been over­charged.

8. It is important to be aware of (homonyms, euphemisms) because they can be used to mislead people; for example, instead of going to war, a country may be involved in "a military action."

9. I was (scrutinized, bewildered) by my son’s note that he was going to pick up his dad at the airport. His dad was out front mowing the lawn.

10. It is important to double-check your writing for (homonym, irony) errors, such as their, there, and they’re.

Identify the two vocabulary words represented in the photos.

2 Put a T for true or F for false next to each sentence.

1. Acronyms are popular with computer users.

2. "Cool as a cucumber" is a cliche.

3. Fair (a carnival) and fair (reasonable) are homonyms.

4. Knowing the best way to get to the museum would show that the person is bewildered.

5. If it is snowing and your friend says, "It sure is cold," his statement is an example of irony.

6. "Powder room" and "comfort station" could be considered euphemisms for the bathroom.

7. It is a good idea to use colloquialisms in your college papers.

8. Talking to your friend for three hours about last night’s date would be giving her a concise version.

9. When your boss looks over your five-page report in two minutes, he has really scrutinized it.

10. A synopsis of an article should take less time to read than the original.

3 Match each word below to the appropriate example.

Vocabulary list

acronyms 

homonyms 

bewilder 

synopsis 

cliches

concise

euphemisms

irony

scrutinize 

colloquialism

1. I see that this hem you just sewed is missing three stitches.

2. I thought my friends were planning a surprise party for me; instead, they completely forgot my birthday.

3. patience and patients

4. I could go for a hamburger for lunch.

5. "Tell me about the party." "It was a huge success."

6. fit for a king, the greatest thing since sliced bread

7. let go, dismissed, made redundant, outplaced

8. ATM, NASA, ASAP, WWW

9. The story is about a girl who goes to a house and tries three bowls of porridge. One is too hot, one is too cold, and the other is just right. While she is napping, the bears that live in the house come home, and she runs away.

10. Why are there golf balls all over the kitchen floor?

Context Clue Mini-Lesson 4

This lesson uses the general meaning of a sentence or passage to help you understand the meaning of the underlined words. In the paragraph below, circle any words that give you clues to the meaning. Then write your own definitions of the underlined words on the lines next to the words that follow the paragraph.

Though I only heard a snippet of my parents’ conversation as I walked past their room, it was enough for me to know that I had to leave. They always tried to coddle me, but I was ready to go away to college, and they weren’t going to stop me. I would spurn their offer to pay for all of my college expenses if I stayed at home. Though the route to my independence might be tortuous, I was willing to face the challenges to show my parents that I was becoming an adult. I would apply to colleges across the country and look for a job tomorrow.

Your Definition

1. Snippet ...

2. Coddle ...

3. Spurn ...

4. Tortuous ...

Interactive Exercise

Practice using the vocabulary words by completing the following activities.

1. What are two acronyms used on your campus?

2. Name something that bewilders you.

3. List two sets of homonyms you often use.

4. Sometimes cliches contradict each other. What cliche is the opposite of "Too many cooks spoil the broth"

5. Give an example of a colloquialism you often use.

6. Euphemisms are popular for "used" items, such as the term preowned automobile. List two other euphemisms for used goods.

7. List two things you would want to scrutinize before buying.

8. Write a synopsis of a movie you like.

9. Give an example of a statement you might make to a friend that would show irony.

10. Give a concise recounting of your activities yesterday.

A World of Words

Keep your eyes open for new words. You will certainly encounter new words in the textbooks you read and in the lectures your professors give, but new words can be found everywhere. Don't turn off your learning when you leave the classroom. When you see a new word in the newspaper, on the Internet, or any other place, use the strategies you have learned in this book: Look for context clues around the new word, try to predict the meaning. and check the dictionary if you aren't sure of the meaning. No matter where you are or at what age you may be, your vocabulary can continue to grow.

Words to Watch

Which words would you like to practice with a bit more? Pick 3-5 words to study, and list them be­low. Write the word and its definition, and compose your own sentence using the word correctly. This extra practice could be the final touch to learning a word.

Word

Definition

Your Sentence

1.



2.



3.



4.



5.