Best way to broaden your vocabulary.... (examples, paragraph, quote, words)

[Gottasay]

Get a word-of-the-day calendar -- 2010's coming up before you know it!

[RVlover]

Get a Thesaurus. Very useful.

[KAYLINDA]

And for fun...work crossword puzzles!

[USlover]

I think it depends on what you are going to use the words for. I wouldnt learn new vocabulary from ancient books if they are not gonna be valid to use in our era.

Say, I have learned the word "bygone", which means in the past times. That word will never fit in in a sentence like " I used to go out with my friend back in bygone"

It sounds totally gregarious.

Best way to learn new words are:

TV
RADIO
BOOKS
ENGLISH BOOKS
MAGAZINES
WORD OF THE DAY EMAILS


And then just surfing the net and spending lots of time doing research.In order to remember those words, some people might even stick a lil stick in note on their wallets everyday.

Well, thats all I can think of now. Hope it helps!

Andres from Argentina.

[jcoltrane]

Originally Posted by USlover

I think it depends on what you are going to use the words for. I wouldnt learn new vocabulary from ancient books if they are not gonna be valid to use in our era.

Say, I have learned the word "bygone", which means in the past times. That word will never fit in in a sentence like " I used to go out with my friend back in bygone"

It sounds totally gregarious.

Best way to learn new words are:

TV
RADIO
BOOKS
ENGLISH BOOKS
MAGAZINES
WORD OF THE DAY EMAILS


And then just surfing the net and spending lots of time doing research.In order to remember those words, some people might even stick a lil stick in note on their wallets everyday.

Well, thats all I can think of now. Hope it helps!

Andres from Argentina.

I used to go out with my friend back in bygone

The above sentence is improper and/or incorrect on two fronts:

1) The use of "bygone" as a noun is improper.

a. as a noun, it s/b "bygones".

Though, use in the above sentence as a noun is improper. The first and most common use of the word is as an adjective. As in, "bygone days" or "bygone times".

Bygone Definition | Definition of Bygone at Dictionary.com

–adjective
1. past; gone by; earlier; former: The faded photograph brought memories of bygone days.
–noun
2. Usually, bygones. that which is past: Let's not talk of bygones.
—Idiom
3. let bygones be bygones, to decide to forget past disagreements; become reconciled: Let's let bygones be bygones and be friends again.

2) The use of "back" in the sentence is wholly improper. Such usage is quite common in everyday language, but nonetheless is improper and incorrect. The fact that the user does so, and is unaware of the impropriety, directly highlights the overall issue regarding the general public.

"Back" can be used in reference to time, but its use is rather specific:

–adjective
31. situated at or in the rear: at the back door; back fence.
32. far away or removed from the front or main area, position, or rank; remote: back settlements.
33. belonging to the past: back files; back issues.

Back Definition | Definition of Back at Dictionary.com

Properly and correctly, for example, the exampled sentence would read:

I used to go out with my friend in bygone days.

Using "bygone" properly as an adjective, and eliminating "back" as unnecessary and improper.

The poster's assertion that the use of "bygone" is archaic in regard to modern usage, more accurately highlights that modern common usage of language to be the issue.

The English language can and should be used in its entirety, and is relevant in any "era", if used properly and accurately. The general public is deficient, not the language.


---

If one wants to view and hear an extensive use of the English language in a particularly accurate and proper fashion (and entertaining), I suggest finding and viewing the HBO series, "Deadwood". It's a western set in the late 1800s, but its use of language is exemplary. Be forewarned, profanity and nudity is extreme.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deadwood_(TV_series)

HBO: Deadwood

[1984vt]

I add to reading books as the best way... Plus, try older books. The writing is verbose so lots of opportunity to learn new words.

[SXMGirl]

Freerice.com

[brubaker]

Originally Posted by Redisca

The best way to broaden one's vocabulary is to read a lot. Spoken from personal experience.

Not just reading but looking up the words you don't understand in the dictionary....keeping a list of those words and reviewing maybe....that's what I do anyhow.

[Leisesturm]

Originally Posted by jcoltrane

This might sound elitist or snobbish, but so what.

The best way to increase your vocabulary is to surround yourself with people of a high vocabulary and converse.

The worst thing is to be conversant with a good vocabulary, and to have no one to converse with except for those for whom English is a distant language, even though its their first and only language.

True fact.

Also, it is a good idea to learn to speak as you write. That is, your writing is the same as your speech. This way you can expand your vocabulary, simply by writing. No purpose in writing properly and speaking improperly, nor vice versa.

Speak as you write.

Of course, you'll need to learn to "flip the switch". That is, speak as you write, but only in "good" company. In lessor company, speak in a normal or average fashion, otherwise you'll walk around sounding like a dictionary. Nothing wrong with that, but average or lessor company tends to not be capable of handling it. Sa la vie!

Your opinions sound quite elitist and snobbish, as you know, but they also sound wrong. A good written vocabularyj will always contain many, many more words than the most extensive spoken vocabulary. Not even vetted Mensa elitists converse with the same lexicon as the one with which they correspond or produce literature.

And since we are aiming for precision here, 'lesser' should be substituted for lessor in your last paragraph and the correct phrase is c'est la vie!

H

[jcoltrane]

Originally Posted by Leisesturm

Your opinions sound quite elitist and snobbish, as you know, but they also sound wrong. A good written vocabularyj will always contain many, many more words than the most extensive spoken vocabulary. Not even vetted Mensa elitists converse with the same lexicon as the one with which they correspond or produce literature.

And since we are aiming for precision here, 'lesser' should be substituted for lessor in your last paragraph and the correct phrase is c'est la vie!

H

Well, if we want to be precise, then one cannot "sound" wrong! As "wrong" does not have a sound. One can 'be' wrong, but not "sound" wrong.

Another example of the ill language of popular speech.

Regarding "lessor", you are correct, it s/b lesser. Sorry, I am a victim of my work. I also confuse, in my writing, father, farther and further, some sort of mental block. My old boss would laugh at me all the time. I can recall having a problem with father and farther as a child. Apparently, never corrected until my boss chided me out of the habit. Feel free to correct me anytime.

Regarding being elitist or snobbish, I make NO apologies!

Moreover, regarding written or spoken vocabulary----you are totally and absolutely wrong. If you cannot speak with the vocabulary you write with, its and issue for you----not anyone else. Frankly, I view your comment as oxymoronic.

Not even vetted Mensa elitists converse with the same lexicon as the one with which they correspond or produce literature.

Well, "Mensa" has to do with IQ level, not specifically language skills---and, certainly NOT the use of language to any specific degree. (Are writing and verbal skills part of the IQ test?) So, the comparison is irrelevant. IQ is not a precursor to one's ability to write or speak. An SAT or LSAT is more relevant, in terms of testing.

Lastly, if you have the opportunity to observe, you'll find that erudite attorneys, for whom language is the tool by which they ply their trade, speak precisely as they write, and most often sound like talking legal dictionaries Latin verses included.

For some, out vocabluarying or out-Latining each other is a sport; and ripping people through use of their extensive language skills is a daily occurrence (and viewed as a sport as well).

It's all a matter of whom you surround yourself with.