Unit One. Building Your Vocabulary

Working on your vocabulary is considered to be one of the most important aspects in developing of your writing skills. First of all, a writer should determine an audience which will be using your piece of writing and determine a kind of vocabulary which you need to use.

If you use formal language, it may be useful because you wish to show respect, politeness, or to put yourself at a distance (for example, ‘official’ language). Informal language can show your friendliness, equality or a feeling of closeness and solidarity with someone. You should never use informal language just to sound fluent or clever.

There are basically three kinds of formality that can be seen as follows:

Informal words are often short and monosyllabic, and they often include slang words. For example: That black and white set (television) cost me ten quids (pounds). My junk (falling in pieces) car is heavy on petrol. (much-petrol consuming).

On the other side, formal vocabulary is commonly used in official papers, notices, instructions. for example, The Driver should not be addressed unless the bus is stationary.

Formal Words

The three passages below are written in formal English. They contain words and structures which are often found in notices, regulations and formal letters but which are not common in ordinary everyday conversation.

Exercise № 1. Put each of the following formal words in its correct place in the notice below.

Enquire, produce, facilitate, stating, seek, obligatory, attend, admitted, leave

ALL COLLEGE STUDENTS

If you wish to obtain a certificate of registration, you will be required to (a) … your admission slip. A note from your teacher (b) …that you (c) … your class regularly is not (d) … but will greatly (e) … matters. If you (f) … advice, please (g) … at the office. Overseas students should be aware that students are (h) … to the college only on condition that they have obtained (i) … to study from the Home Office.

Exercise № 2. Put each of the following words or phrases in its correct place in the passage below.

Provide, prior, notify, in possession of, additional, further, desire, in excess of, held, retain, locations, terminating

Conditions of Car Rental

Drivers must have (a)… a valid driving license for a minimum of three years. Overseas visitors should be (b) …a British or International license. Cars rented from our London office may only be returned to our other offices (Manchester, Bristol, and Oxford) by (c) … arrangement and on payment of an (d) …charge. If a driver fails to return a car to us by one week after the agreed (e) …date, we will be obliged to inform the police. Special rates are available for periods (f) … three months. Drivers who (g) ….to (h) ….the car for a longer duration should (i) …. the company as soon as possible. We also have offices at a number of (j)…. in Scotland. Our London office will be pleased to (k) ….(l) ….details.

Exercise № 3. Instructions as above.

funds, commencement, ensure, in duration, commences, departs, requested, prior to, undertake, assist, attire, appropriate

Make the following phrases more formal by replacing each word or phrase in italics with a word or phrase from one of the groups in the above three exercises. In some cases, it is necessary to make a small change in, or addition to, the words or phrases, e.g., the train leavesat 07.15 or the train departs at 07.15

A TOUR OF NORTHERN SHREWSBURY

The tour is fifteen days (a) … and (b) … on Saturday 12 June, when our luxurious coach (c) … from our London office. The price, which should be paid at least 10 days (d) … the (e) … of the tour, is inclusive of all transport, meals and accommodation, but travellers should (f) … that they take with them adequate (g) … for extra expenses. In the event of the cancellation of the tour we (h) … to refund the complete amount paid. The tour group will be accompanied by a courier, who will (i) … members of the group at all times. Travelers are (j) … to wear (k) … (l) … for visits to churches and other holy places.

Slang and Colloquial Words

Slang is vocabulary which is used in very informal spoken language but not considered good in formal ‘correct’ English. For example, a slang word for ‘thank you’ is ‘ta’ and a slang word for ‘mad’ is ‘nuts’.

Exercise № 4. The slang words in the sentences below are printed in italics. Replace each slang word with a word or phrase from the following list,

made friend, television, policeman, discarded, nuisance, pound(s), cigarettes, alcohol, prison, without money

1 He smokes 30 fags a day. Too many!

2 He drinks a lot. He must spend twenty quid a week on booze.

3 He thought his meal was overcooked. When the waiter brought his bill he kicked up a fuss and would not pay.

4 I lost £ 500 at a casino last night. I’m absolutely skint.

5 My mate stole a car. Now he’s in the nick.

6 She got bored with her boyfriend and ditched him.

7 There’s a good film on the box tonight, but I've got to go out. What a dragI

8 I wouldn't like to be a copper directing traffic in the street in this bad weather.

Colloquial words are words, which are quite acceptable in spoken English but not in written English (except in informal letters to friends etc.). For example, we might say, ‘He’s a nice chap, ' but we would probably write, 'He is a pleasant man.' (The line between slang and colloquial words is not at all clear and many words considered colloquial by some people would be considered slang by others.)

Exercise № 5. The colloquial words in the sentences below are printed in italics. Replace each colloquial word with a word or phrase from the following list.

Drunk, very good, child, short sleep, bicycle dismiss, joking, without money, toilet, possessions, newspaper, upper class

(a) Her boss said he would sack her if she was late again.

(b) There’s a super film on at the pictures this week.

(c) He made a lot of money and now he lives in a very posh district.

(d) When I was a kid I went everywhere by bike.

(e) My grandfather usually has a snooze after lunch.

(f) Did you really find £ 50, or are you kidding?

(g) She lives in just one room and has to share a kitchen, bathroom and loo with the other people in the house.

(h) I’m broke. Can you lend me some money?

(i) I’m afraid I drank too much and got a bit merry.

(j) You can’t believe everything you read in the paper.

(k) She’s very untidy. She leaves her stuff lying all over the place.

American Words

Exercise № 6. The American words in the sentences below are printed in italics. Replace each American word or phrase with a British word or phrase from the following list.

Fail, rise, chemist, caretaker, playing truant, fiat, railway timetable, tap, nappies, holidays, ordinary uniformed policeman, bill, pavement, trousers, saloon car, postman, post

(a) His mother thought he was at school but in fact he was playing hookey. He’ll probably flunk his exams.

(b) The kitchen faucet in my apartment isn’t working. I’ll tell the janitor. He’ll get it fixed.

(c) Blue-collar workers are asking for a pay-hike and longer paid vacations.

(d) The dog attacked the mailman and tore his pants.

(e) Do you have a railroad schedule? I want an early train for Chicago tomorrow.

(f) A patrolman reported a light-blue sedan parked right across the sidewalk on 3rd Street.

(g) She has a little baby so she has to make regular visits to the drugstore to buy diapers.

(h) When the waiter handed me the check after the meal, I found that I had no money!

(i) How much does it cost to mail a letter to Australia?

Exercise № 7. Replace cursive American words with common English words.

Petrol, jam, specialize (university studies), garden, windscreen, lift, underground, cinema, university, queue, maths (mathematics), shops sweets, rubbish, note, petrol station, autumn, secondary school, ground floor

(a) We had to stand in line at the movie-theater last night.

(b) Our back yard looks lovely in the fail. The leaves on the trees turn brown and red.

(c) He wants to major in math at college when he leaves high school.

(d) When you stop for gas at a gas station, they sometimes clean your windshield.

(e) We had to buy a lot at the stores, then we took the subway home.

(f) The elevator’s broken down again, but it doesn’t matter. We live on the first floor.

(g) She likes candy, and bread and butter with jelly on it. They’re bad for her teeth,

(h) The only money I have is a twenty dollar bill.

(i) in this district they only collect the garbage once a week.

Exercise № 8. Make up a list of most commonly used stores in your neighbouhood area. Then define them by using proper adjectives and compound nouns like in the model.

Model: There’s just one ironmonger store in my neighbouhood. It’s rather close situated to my block of flats, just four hundred yards south-east from my flat. I suppose it’s quite useful when I need to buy some kinds of nails, screws or wall-plaster for renovation of my flat.

Exercise № 9. Make up a list of your kinsmen or friends and characterize them by using appropriate adjectives and compound nouns as shown in the model.

Model: There’re just three close people of our family who are my uncle Andrew, an aunt Stephanie and their only son Jacob. Andrew is a curly-haired, sun-tanned, blue-eyed and muscular man in his early forties. He’s a well-educated and Moscow bred intelligent.