Newsgroups: alt.usage.english
From: gtoal@pizzabox.demon.co.uk (Graham Toal)
Subject: List of common words
Date: Sun, 24 Jan 1993 12:00:52 +0000

Anthony Bayer mailed this to me because he thought it was me who
asked for it originally.  It wasn't, and we've forgotten who it 
was who raised the subject, but we do remember it was on alt.usage.english
so I'll post it here for whoever's interested.  (Anthony can't post
directly, though I forgot to mention to him that he *could* post by
mailing to alt-usage-english@ucbvax.berkeley.edu !)
---
:From ajrbayer%deepthnk%deepserv%kiwi.gen.nz@ccvcom.aukuni.ac.nz Sat Jan 23 10:52:56 1993
:Date: Sun, 24 Jan 1993 13:05:54 NZ
:From: "Anthony J.R. Bayer" <ajrbayer@deepthnk.kiwi.gen.nz>
:Subject: Re: Need Help finding common words
:To: gtoal@pizzabox.demon.co.uk
:Organization: Deep Thought BBS, New Zealand
:Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT

:In reply to your request dated 19 January 1993 regarding the 500 to 1000 most
:common words in English, I can give you the following list of 250 words. They
:are taken from a study done by McNally and Murray in 1962, but as I only have
:a photocopy of this one page, I can't be more precise about the work.

:The words are laid out in a chart of 5 groups, with group 1 being the most
:common, and group 5 the least common of what the authors consider to be the 20
:000 words in an average vocabulary. Each group also occupies an area of the
:chart in proportion to frequency of use, and within each group, words are
:arranged almost alphabetically. Hope this is useful.

:G1
:a and he I in is it of that the to was

:G2
:all are as at be but are for had have him his not on one said so they we with you

:G3
:about an back been before big by call came can come could did do down first
:from get go has her here if into just like little look made make me more much
:must my no new now off only or our other out over right see she some their
:them then there this two when up want well went were what where which who will
:your old

:G4
:after again always am ask another any away bad because best bird black blue
:boy bring day dog don't eat every fast father fell find five fly four found
:gave girl give going good got green hand head help home house how jump keep
:know last left let live long man many may men mother me never next once open
:own play put ran read red room round run sat saw say school should sing sit
:soon stop take tell than these thing think three time too tree under us very
:walk white why wish work woman would yes year  bus apple baby bag ball bed
:book box car cat children cow cup dinner doll door egg end farm fish fun hat
:hill horse jam letter milk money morning Mrs name night nothing picture pig
:place rabbit road sea shop sister street sun table tea today top toy train
:water

:Gp 5
:The next 19 750 words in their list (not printed)

:Sorry it's taken so long, and I have to post it directly because my board
:can't provide public posting overseas yet

:Regards

:Anthony Bayer    ajrbayer@deepthnk.kiwi.gen.nz
:--
:       _/_/_/   _/_/_/_/       Anthony J.R. Bayer
:      _/    _/    _/          Deep Thought BBS, Auckland, New Zealand
:     _/    _/    _/          A FirstClass(tm) Macintosh GUI BBS
:    _/_/_/      _/          Internet: ajrbayer@deepthnk.kiwi.gen.nz