Tips & Tricks
The most commonly used words in written
English
1. The
2. Of
3. And
4. A
5. To
6. In
7. Is
8. You
9. That
10. It
11. He
12. For
-ize or -ise
Many people in the UK believe that words
ending in “-ize” such as “organize” are US spellings, and that the correct
spelling is “organise”. However, the Oxford University Press insists that words
such as computerize, capitalize, capsize, organize, organization, privatize,
publicize, realize should take the -ize ending, but that others, eg analyse,
advertise, advise, arise, compromise, disguise, despise, enterprise, exercise,
merchandise, revise, supervise, surprise should take the -ise ending.
In the Concise Oxford Dictionary you will
often find that both options are possible in British English - 'realise' or
'realize', 'organise' or 'organize' - whilst for other entries -ize
is listed as unmistakably American, e.g. 'analyse' = British English,
'analyze' = American English.
Here's a checklist you can use:
Noun and verb: Where the noun and verb are the
same (like “exercise”), use -ise.
Pronounciation: Anything that doesn't sound
like “-eyes” uses -ise, such as “promise”.
Stem: Where the stem word (usually Latin or
Greek) ends in “is”, then use -ise, as in vis (to see) gives
“televise”.
Anything else: Use -ize.
Learning new vocabulary
If you find it difficult to remember the
meaning of a word write it on a card - then look it up in Wiki or Google and
copy out (with pen and paper on the other side of the card) a few sentences that
you find relating to the word.
For example: squirrel
On Wiki - One well-known trait of some species
of squirrel is the gathering and storing of nuts for the winter.
On Google - Squirrel is the common name for
rodents of the family Sciuridae, and can sometimes be used to describe someone
who is a 'goof' or 'clown'.
Practise
Learning a word won't help very much if you
promptly forget it. Research shows that it takes from 10 to 20 repetitions to
really make a word part of your vocabulary.
It helps to write the word - both the
definition and a sentence you make up using the word - perhaps on an index card
that can later be reviewed.
Do a search on a word using
Google, first find the
definition by searching for "define: word", then do a general search and write
down 3 examples of how the word has been used in different sentences.
As soon as you learn a new word, start using
it. Review your index cards periodically to see if you have forgotten any of
your new words.
Take part
No one can teach you English. Rather, you have
to learn it. In order to do this you have to participate. To get the full
benefits, of any learning experience you need to be active:-
Learn from your mistakes
We all make them, so we need to learn to
accept them as a fact of life. Making a genuine mistake does not make you any
less of a person.
If anyone gives you an unnecessarily stressful time about making a mistake,
remember they will have made just as many mistakes as you, if not more. The
question 'May I congratulate you on never having made a mistake in your life?'
is a useful answer here (just not to your teacher)!
Never making a mistake means never living life
to the full. More useful lessons are learned from mistakes than from success.
Children learn to walk because they get up when they fall, not because they stay
down. Repeat each morning that to risk failure is to court success.
Talk to yourself
Talking to yourself is no longer the first
sign of madness - it's the first sign of excellence. "Self-talk" can help you to
become more fluent. And the great thing is - you can do it anywhere: in the
bath, in the car, while you're taking the dog for a walk. Try to put a regular
time aside everyday when you can talk to yourself in English. Talk about
interesting things which have happened to you and the things you're planning to
do in the future.
