GLOSSARY FOR REFERENCE

Glossary

abbreviation 

A shortened form of a word, often with one or more full stops to represent missing letters.

abstract noun

The name was given to something that cannot be touched, such as a concept or a sensation. eg truthful.

acronym

An abbreviation made up of the initial letters of the main words in a phrase. These letters are pronounced as a word.(rather than as separate letters), which represents the meaning of the original phrase.

Clause

A grammatically unit that contains a subject and a verb.Sentences are made up of one or more clauses.

Colloquialism 

A word or phrase used only in informal speech

dialect 

The vocabulary (informal) used by a particular  geographical group.

Gerund

The name given to the present  participle when it is used as a noun.

hyperbole

An extreme form of exaggeration that may not be taken seriously, but grabs the readers attention.

Jargon

A type of slang that includes  specialist terms that are used and understood  by a select, often professional , group of people.

Morpheme

The smallest meaningful  part of a word.

Onomatopoeia

The use of word that mimic the sounds  they represent.

Pun

The use of  a word or phrase  that has two or more meanings for a comic effect.

rhetorical question

A question that does not require an answer but is used for effect.

Simile

A phrase that compares one thing to another using as using as or like.

EIGHT HOMONYMS YOU SHOULD KNOW

Eleven important figures of speech used in English

Figures of speech are used to create different effects in the English language, they usually emphasise a point or help an audience to visualise something.
Words and phrases  are used out of their literal contexts to create different,heightened effects.When a person is "starving" , for example, that person is unlikely to be dying of hunger; rather, he or she is simply hungry.
 Let's learn some of the figures of speech

Alliteration 

The same letter or sound is used at the start of  multiple words  Cathy cleverly combined cold coffee cake and kiwi fruit.

Simile  

The words like one as are used to compare two things.

She is as plump as a pumpkin ,but she moves like a deer.

Metaphor

One thing is described as being a different thing, resulting in a comparison between the two.

Her cheeks are sun-blushed apples.

Euphemism

 A mild word or phrase is substituted for a word or phrase  that might cause offence.

She has ample proportions.(She  is overweight).

Pun

Also known as word play, the multiple meanings  of a word  are used to create humour.

She gave me her measurements as a round figure.

Hyperbole

A statement is grossly exaggerated.

She said she could eat an elephant.

Personification

An object or animal is given human qualities.

Oxymoron

Two terms are used together that contradict each other.

The moon looked terribly beautiful.

Onomatopoeia

A word  is used  that mimics the sound of what it stands for.

She burped noisily.

Anaphora

A word or phrase is repeated  at the start of successive clauses for emphasis.

She ate the cake;she ate the apple;she ate the pie.

Irony

One thing is said but the opposite thing is meant,usually for humour or emphasis.

I admired her sense of dressing.(She was not well dressed).

Let's know these words better

Usage of certain words makes us pause for a minute. Some words in English language sound alike but are totally different in meanings.  This creates confusion in our minds, the wrong usage of words in a context often leave us in embarrassment.

So let's  check out a few of them

1.  accessory  -    a helper, contributing to a crime. 

accessory       - a supplementary part, or object

2.  accomplish -  finish, successfully; complete

accomplice - a companion, a partner in crime

3. advert  - turn attention  to, refer 

   avert   -  turn away, prevent.

4.  bait - food kept on a hook,      to attract fish.

bate - lessen, reduce, become less.

5. banish - drive away, exile.

     burnish - make bright, by rubbing polish.

6.  bean -  a seed in a long pod.

     been -   the past participle of 'be'

     I have been to London.

7. beer - an alcoholic drink

     bier - a coffin, along with its stand.

8. bell - hollow metal vessel, to give a ringing sound.

   belle - beautiful girl, or a woman.

9.breach -  a break, an opening, breaking of the rule.

  breech - the lower part of the body.

10. Canon -  a law, or rule of the church.

Cannon - a large gun

11.cease - stop,  discontinue, to desist from

  Seize - catch, grasp, lay hold off.

12. commensurate -  adequate, in proportion, equal in size.

Commiserate - to pity, sympathise, to condole.

13. defy - to dare, to resist, refusing to obey.

   deify -  to worship, as a God.

14.  demur - raise objections.

        demure - shy and modest.quiet and serious, reserved. 

15.dearth -  shortage,lack, scarcity

      death -  end of life, dying.

* keep viewing my blog for more such words.

Find out more about Prepositions

The usage of prepositions ,along with other words, are illustrated  as follows:

1. abhorrent  hateful,shocking,horrible, remote  in character. 

abhorrent  to  - Noise is abhorrent  to her feelings. 

2. abide - reside,  endure or be faithful  to

3. abide by - I hope you will abide by the rules and regulations.

abide at (a place)  - Do you abide at this place? 

abide  with (someone) - She abides with her sister. 

4. abounding  - containing  plenty. 

abounding  in: It is a  shop, abounding  with books. 

5.  access  - way to a place

      access to -  The staircase  is the only  access to the attic. 

6. abounding with -  English is a language  ,abounding with idiomatic  forms of expressions.

7. accede - agree, assent, to come forward. 

accede  to - He acceded, to the throne. 

8. accountable  - responsible  ,answerable 

9. accountable to - (person)   He is accountable  to me, for his actions. 

10. accrue  - add to, grow from, arise come

accrue  to - Many benefits  will accrue to him, if he works sincerely. 

  * More  usages of prepositions  to follow ...Keep  watching  my additions on this topic.

1. bare  - uncovered 

    bare of - That valley, is bare of trees. 

2. bent - natural skill, inclination, determined  to do. 

   bent on - He is bent on ,mastering the  subject. 

3. blended  - combined or mixed together 

    blended with - The rainbow  is blended  with several  colors. 

4. bred  - trained, educated, brought up

   bred in -  what  is bred in, will come out. 

   bred up -  He has not been  bred up as a          carpenter.

5. busy  - occupied 

busy at - They were busy  at, tidying  the room. 

busy in -  He is busy in washing, his clothes. 

busy with - He was busy with,  his work. 

busy over - She was busy over, her school  work. 

KNOW THESE INTERESTING FACTS

Some of the most interesting facts of English language

The word  "go" is the shortest  grammatically  correct  sentence  in English. 

The most common  words in English  language  are "I "and "You".

The most common  adjective  in English  used is good. 

The words month, orange, silver and purple  do not rhyme  with any other word. 

"Goodbye " originally came from the old English   phrase" God be with you."

Oxyphenbutazone  is the highest  scoring word in the game of scrabble. 

aegilops  is the  longest word with its letters in alphabetical  order. It is a type of a plant. 

Twyndyllyng is the longest  word without  any vowel. 

The words abstemious  has all the vowels in alphabetical  order. Other words are absentious, aerious, arsenious   and facetious. 

Fact of numbers - if you were to write  out every  number in order as words(one,two,three....) the letter  b will  not  be used until you reach  one billion. 

Triskaidekaphobia  is the fear  of the number 13. 

Paraskevidekatria   phobia is the fear of Friday  the 13th.It is also known as friggatriskaidekaphobia. 

The year 2018 will have two fridays  falling on 13th.one  was 13th April. The next 13th July. 

Best destination