remove
v
(1) take off or take away; take to another place: Remove your cap.
(2) get rid of: Remove the mud from your shoes.
(3) live or work in another place: Our office has removed to Kowloon Tong.
How do you look for a particular word in a dictionary?
Drag the word you think should be put on the first line on page 20.
Well done!
How do you find the pronunciation, meaning, grammar and usage of a particular word?
e.g.
abstracted
abstraction
abundant
above /ǝ'bʌv/ adv
- at or to a high point: His flat is above the shop.
the word
pronunciation
part of speech
meaning
the example showing the usage
abstracted
abstracted
The first word on the page.
The last word on the page.
What will be the first word on the next page?
Activity 1: Choosing the correct meaning
When we look up a word in the dictionary, we often find that one word may have many meanings.
In this activity, look at the entries in the red box taken from a dictionary.
Decide which meaning corresponds to the meaning in the given sentences.
Sentence 1
The waitress removed the cups from the table.
What is the meaning of "remove" in the above sentence?
Read the following entry from a dictionary.
Is it 1, 2 or 3?
Oops, read the meanings again!
Well done!
Sentence 2
He hurt himself seriously.
What is the meaning of "seriously" in the above sentence?
Read the following entry from a dictionary.
seriously
adv
(1) in a serious way, not joking: Do you mean it seriously?
(2) badly or severely: He wasn't seriously injured, he just got a few cuts and bruises.
(3) to consider a person, subject, or situation to be important: You must take your studies seriously.
Is it 1, 2 or 3?
Oops, read the meanings again!
Well done!
Sentence 3
David is the toast of the city.
What is the meaning of "toast" in the above sentence?
Read the following entry from a dictionary.
toast
n
(1) bread made brown by heat: She has a toast for breakfast.
(2) an act of drinking wine in a ceremonial way: Let's drink a toast to the winners.
(3) someone or something extremely popular in a place: He became the toast of the industry after his successful performance.
Is it 1, 2 or 3?
Oops, read the meanings again!
Well done!
Activity 2: Finding words of similar meanings
Drag the blue words in the following boxes to replace the underlined words.
on top of
above
tutor
tutor n
(1) a staff member in university teaching small groups of students (2) a private teacher to a student or a very small group of students
thoughtful
thoughtful adj
(1) thinking about something (2) caring about what others need or feel
cheerful
cheerful adj
happy and joyful
diligently
diligently adv
showing care and effort when doing something
I love my father. He is a happy person. He laughs a lot. He always has a positive attitude and keeps telling me not to give up easily. He works very hard during the day. At night, he helps me with my homework. To me, he is also a good personal instructor. He is a kind and considerate man. All his friends like him.
Activity 3: Making word cards (1)
- Read a book or an article.
- Note down five words you do not know on Word Card 1 (on the next page).
- Look up the words in the dictionaries (books or websites) and write down the information (in words or pictures) on the word card.
- Finish at least a word card a week.
- Do this for three months.
Activity 3: Making word cards (1)
You may use the following online dictionaries:
Activity 4: Making word cards (2)
- Build new words with some of the words on Word Card 1 by adding prefixes, suffixes, etc.
- Note down the information on Word Card 2.
- If possible, make sentences by using the words on the word card.
Activity 5: Making a word bank for self reference
Put word cards together to make a word bank.
Study it whenever you have time.
Evaluation
Complete the checklist below to see if you can use dictionaries to learn vocabulary and make word cards/banks for self reference.
| Self-evaluation Checklist | |||
| Always | Sometimes | Never | |
| When I don't know a word, I check the meaning in the dictionary. | |||
| When I don't know how to say a word, I check its pronunciation in the dictionary. | |||
| When I am not sure about how to use a word correctly, I check its usage in the dictionary. | |||
| I make word cards or word banks under different topics to help myself learn more vocabulary. | |||
| I can use my own word cards/banks to check meaning and spelling. | |||