English
Lesson Notes
Developing Your Vocabulary
LESSON
7
Teacher Guide
Using the thesaurus
7KHUHDUHPDQ\GLIIHUHQWW\SHVRIGLFWLRQDU\DQG\RXQHHGWRPDNHVXUHWKDWWKHGLFWLRQDU\\RXXVHVXLWV\RXU
SXUSRVHV,QWKLVOHVVRQZHLGHQWLI\WKHSXUSRVHVRIDWKHVDXUXVDQGOHDUQKRZWRXVHDWKHVDXUXVWRGHYHORSRXU
vocabulary.
Lesson Outcomes
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• identify the purposes of a thesaurus
• use a thesaurus to develop your vocabulary
Curriculum Links
LO 4: Language
• use dictionaries and a thesaurus effectively for
different purposes such as researching meanings
and pronunciation
Lesson Notes
A thesaurus is a reference book that supplies lists of
similar words or synonyms which relate to a topic or
theme.
An example
,I\RXZULWHDQDUWLFOHIRUDVFKRROQHZVSDSHURUPDJD]LQH
DERXWWKHZRUNWKDW\RXUJURXSGLGRQDSURMHFW\RXFRXOG
GLVFRYHUWKDW\RXKDYHXVHGRQHZRUGVXFKDV´ÀQLVKHGµ
VRPDQ\WLPHVWKDW\RXQHHGWRÀQGDQRWKHUZRUGWKDW
would sound more impressive.
7KHCollins Compact English Thesaurus lists the
IROORZLQJV\QRQ\PVIRUÀQLVKHG
FINISHED:
accomplished, achieved
closed, complete,
completed, concluded, done,
HQGHGHQWLUHÀQDOÀQDOLVHG
full, in the past, over and done
with, sewed up, shut, terminated,
through, tied up, wrapped up
A synonym is a word that has the same meaning as
another word.
Dictionary or thesaurus?
:KHQZHXVHDGLFWLRQDU\ZHNQRZZKLFKZRUGZH
ZDQWWRÀQGLQIRUPDWLRQDERXWDQGZHORRNIRUWKDW
ZRUGDOSKDEHWLFDOO\:KHQZHXVHDWKHVDXUXVZH
ORRNXSZRUGVWRÀQGRWKHUZRUGVRIVLPLODUPHDQLQJRU
synonyms.
Tips for using a thesaurus
• $WKHVDXUXVUHTXLUHV\RXWREHVHOHFWLYHDERXWWKH
words you choose to use as synonyms. You must
use only those words that suit your purposes.
• 'RQRWXVHDZRUGMXVWEHFDXVHLWVHHPVORQJRU
impressive – you must consider carefully which
word is best suited to your purpose.
• Make sure that the synonym you choose from the
thesaurus is the same part of speech as the word
that it is replacing.
161
1RWDOOWKHVHZRUGVDUHVXLWDEOHIRURXUDUWLFOH:HQHHG
the synonyms for ÀQLVKHG to work for a task that has
been done. AccomplishedZLOOEHVXLWDEOHDVZLOO
achieved. But closed does not really suggest that the
task is complete. CompletedZRUNVIRURXUSXUSRVHVDV
do concludeddoneended and ÀQDOL]HG7KHRWKHU
synonyms provided by the thesaurus entry seem a bit too
FDVXDORUFROORTXLDOIRUDIRUPDODUWLFOH
:HFRXOGUHSODFHWKHZRUG´ÀQLVKHGµZLWKWKHIROORZLQJ
synonyms:
7KHSURMHFWZDVaccomplishedLQWKHÀUVWWHUPDQGWKH
group achieved their goals.
Lesson Notes
English
Developing Your Vocabulary
LESSON
7
Teacher Guide
Using the thesaurus
FRQWLQXHG«
Another example:
7KHZRUG´ORFNµFDQEHXVHGLQDQXPEHURIGLIIHUHQW
ways.
Lock’nEROWIDVWHQLQJSDGORFN
HPEUDFHJUDSSOHKXJ
YEROWIDVWHQVHDOFRQÀQHFORJ
LPSHGHUHVWUDLQVWRSFODVS
HPEUDFHHQFLUFOHJUDSSOHKXJ
Lock2 nFXUOULQJOHWVWUDQGWUHVV
tuft
7KHn. tells us that those entries provide synonyms for
lock when it is used as a noun and the v. shows entries
when lock is used as a verb7KHVHFRQGHQWU\IRUlock
has the meaning of relating to hair. By looking at these
HQWULHV\RXZLOOQRWLFHWKDWQRWDOOWKHZRUGVSURYLGHGZLOO
be able to be used in a particular sentence. You need to
select the most appropriate word for your purpose.
?
TASK
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trip.
162