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Michael McCarthy , Felicity O'Dell
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Study
unit

1 Learning vocabularyA

What do you need to learn?
Did you know that there are over half a million words in English but that the average native speaker
only uses about 5,000 in everyday speech? You already know many of those 5,000 words. This bookwill help you to learn many of those that you do not yet know and it will help you to use themappropriately and accurately.

B

What does knowing a new word mean?
It is not enough just to know the meaning of a word. You also need to know:––––

which words it is usually used with;
its grammatical characteristics;
how it is pronounced;
whether it is formal, informal or neutral.

So when you learn a word you should make sure that you:
• Learn new words in phrases not in isolation.
• Notice how words commonly go together. These are called collocations and include:

adjectives + nouns, e.g. rich vocabulary, classical music, common sense;
verbs + nouns, e.g. to express an opinion, to take sides;
nouns in phrases, e.g. in touch with, a train set, a sense of humour;words + prepositions, e.g. at a loss for words, in particular.
• Notice special grammatical characteristics of new words. For example, note irregular verbs,
e.g. undertake, undertook, undertaken; uncountable nouns,
e.g. luggage; or nouns that are only used in the plural, e.g. scissors.
• Notice any special pronunciation problems with new words.
• Check if the word is particularly formal or informal in character, in other words if it has aparticular register.

C

How can you help yourself to memorise words?
Research suggests that some students
find it easier to learn words if they(a) learn them in groups and (b) make useof pictures, as shown here.
E
R

G

D

T A
N

You can group words in any way you like –topic, grammatical feature, word root, andso on. The unit titles in this book might give
you some ideas.

C

L

E

How can you help yourself learn more words?
This book will help you to learn vocabulary in a systematic way. However, you can also help yourself
to learn more words and expressions by reading and listening to as much English as possible. Hereare some ideas about things you can read or listen to:YouTubeacademic oraudio books
websitesmagazines
professionalTVreference material
literature

recipes

radio, e.g.
BBC World
Servicepoetryblogs
8newspapers
songs

fictionfilms

tweets(dictionaries,
encyclopedias)

podcasts

sports reports

conversations
with native
speakers

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1

Exercises
1.1

Here are some aspects of grammar to be aware of when learning new vocabulary.
Give two examples of words that reflect this aspect of grammar.

scissors

1 a noun only used in the plural
2 an uncountable noun
3 an irregular verb
4 a noun with an irregular plural

1.2

What aspect of pronunciation should you notice about the following words?
1 subtle the b is silent

3 chemistry
4 answer
5 a record / to record(not pronounced)

2 catastrophe

1.3

Study
unit

6 photograph / photographer /photographic

Read the text. Use words from the box to complete each ‘collocations fork’.
English has a remarkable range of words. Thanks to periods of contact with foreign languages andits readiness to coin new words out of old elements, English has a particularly large vocabulary.
For example, as well as kingly (from Anglo-Saxon) we find royal (from French) and regal (from Latin).
There are many such sets of words, which make it possible to express subtle shades of meaning.

coincidence
range

diference
shade

range

1 a remarkable likenessfamilysuggestion

likenessa term2 to coinpalacewelcome3 a royala phrase
new words

4 a subtle

coincidence

1.4

Write i by the words that are informal and f by those that are formal.
1 guys i
2 a minor
3 Awesome!

1.5

4 to alight (from a bus)
5 to feel gutted
6 a felon

7 to bug someone
8 to zone out

A student learnt each of these sets of words as a group. What is the unifying factor foreach group? Can you add one more word to each group?
1 king, queen, prince, princess royalty - duke
2 sunshade, shady, shadow, shade, to shadow, shadowy
3 articulate, communicate, convey, express, put across
4 noun, verb, adjective, adverb
5 subtle, comb, lamb, crumb, debt, plumber

1.6

Draw a picture to help you remember each of the following vocabulary items.
1 circle
C I

3 screwdriver

4 to drip

L E

1.7

2 to coin new words

R C

Over to you
Look at the suggestions in D. Can you think of any other ideas to add to the list? Think about the waysof learning vocabulary that you use now, and think about ways you could use more in the future.

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unit

2 Organising a vocabulary notebook
A

Organising words by meaning
Try dividing your notebook into diferent broad sections, with sections for words for feelings, words
to describe places, words for movement, words for thinking, etc.
Charts and tables of various kinds can help you organise your vocabulary. Here is an example forwords connected with music:

B

Instruments

Types of music

Verbs

Related words

guitarcello
pianoclassical (not classic)
folk (not folkloric)
world

play
strum (a guitar)
perform

practice (n) practise (vb)trackrelease (an album)

Building networks of meaning
A network diagram is useful. It can grow in whatever direction you want it to.
sign up
unfriend
someone

tweet

virus
securitysocial networks

THE WEBlink

password

identity thet
upload(verbs)download

surfing

post

email
pop-uphomepageCforward

junk mailspam

Collocations and fixed phrases
It is important to know how a word combines with other words (its collocations).
Always record the common collocations of a word as you meet them, e.g.
win (prize, award, medal)
earn (money, a high salary)gain (time, an advantage)
Where a word is oten used in a fixed phrase, always record the whole phrase, e.g.
in a hurryout of touch to and fro now and again

D

Synonyms and antonyms
When you find a synonym (same meaning) or an antonym (opposite meaning) of a word you alreadyhave in your book, enter it next to that word with a few notes, e.g.
urban ≠ ruralstop = cease (cease is very formal)

E

Organising by word class
Make a note of the word class of a new word (whether it is a noun, verb, adjective, etc.). Record words
from the same word family together, e.g.
produce (verb or noun)
product (noun)
productive (adjective)

F

StressRecord where the stress falls on a multi-syllable word, especially if the stress changes between wordclasses, e.g. produce (verb)
produce (noun)
productive (adjective)

Language help
Note any typical errors you make or which your teacher has mentioned.

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2

Exercises
2.1

Study
unit

Organise the words into the topics below. Use a dictionary if necessary.
tabloid stress hang out with sb
exhaustion
podcastoverwork
upload a video
burnt out
blogospherejournalist
snowed under with work
casual acquaintanceblog be close to sb count on sb be under pressure
topic

words

working too much / too hardstressfriendship
media

2.2

Here is a list of words a learner of English made in a vocabulary notebook in class.
Organise them in a more eficient way, using the chart.
rush oversleep
latecomer
out of breath heavy sleeper
exhausted
verbs

nouns

alarm clock
set a clock
deep sleep
fast asleep
in a hurrybreathlessnightmaredash yawn

adjectives

collocations

fixed phrases

latecomer

2.3

Change the sentences using a synonym (S) or antonym (A) of the words in bold using
words from the box.
glad

spicy

deprive sb of sth

shot

dissatisfied

chilly1 I was pleased gladto hear you’d passed your exam. (S)2 I got some excellent photosof the Grand Canyon on my trip to the US. (S)3 She was happy
with the conditions they ofered her in the new job. (A)4 The prisoners were supplied withfood and medical care. (A)
5 I don’t like mild
curries. (A)
6 It’s a cold
day today. (S)2.4

Fill in the missing word forms. Then mark the word stress for each item.
noun

verb

adjective

personperfection

perfect

perfect

perfectionist

information

informpolitics
economics** Give two adjectives.

2.5

Over to you
Think about your own learning style and which ways of organising vocabulary would work bestfor you.

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Michael McCarthy , Felicity O'Dell
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Study
unit

3 Using your dictionary
A

What a good dictionary tells you: the basics
A good learners’ dictionary (in book form or online) can tell you about:• Pronunciation: this may mean learning some symbols which are diferent from the letters of

the English alphabet.
T

th in thickð

th in thenʧ

ch in church

S

sh in sheʤ

j in jams in pleasureŋng in ringa in badɒo in topO:or in formυu in put@a in aboutu in up:

ir in bird

• Word stress: oten shown by a mark before the syllable to be stressed or by underlining orbold type, e.g. /@dvenʧ@/, /west@n/, complicated.
• Usage: how a word is used and any special grammatical pattern that goes with it, e.g.
suggest + clause (not an infinitive) – I suggest you ring her right away.
(NOT I suggest you to ring her right away.)

B

Additional information• Synonyms (words of similar meaning) and antonyms (opposites), e.g. mislay and misplace(synonyms), friend ≠ enemy/foe (antonyms).
• Collocations (how words go together), e.g. the adjective firm is oten used in thesecollocations: firm commitment, firm grip, firm believer.
• Whether a verb is transitive or intransitive: catch is transitive and must have an object,e.g. He caught the ball and threw it back to me; laugh is intransitive and does not need an
object, e.g. She laughed when I told her the news.
• Whether a word is used for people and/or things. In this entry for the adjective hurtful in
the Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary online,
we can see that hurtful can be used about what
hurtful /h:tf@l/ adjective
someone says or about someone:causing emotional pain:
That was a very hurtful remark!
• Word class (oten as abbreviations n noun, adj
How can you be so hurtful?
adjective, etc.), and whether a noun is countable oruncountable.
• Information about how words are related to one another through meaning. The Cambridge
Advanced Learner’s Dictionary online allows you to see a visual display of the networks ofmeaning for a word, as in this display for the adjective fascinating. The Visual Thesaurus
shows related adjectives.
enchanting
enthralling

captivating

entrancing
The adjectives are grouped
according to meaning. Thiscan be very useful when you
are writing. If you want tovary your use of adjectives,
you can look up the related
adjectives to see which one(s)most closely express(es) the
meaning you need.

12

bewitchingfascinating
absorbingengrossing

riveting
gripping

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3

Exercises
3.1

Pronunciation. What English words are these?
1 /edjυkeS@n/2 /pɑ:spO:t/

3.2

education

3 /li:nŋ/
4 /lbəti/

5 /r@v@n/6 /brð@/

Underline the stressed syllable of these words. Check your answers in your dictionary.
1 unique2 elegant

3.3

Study
unit

3 urgently
4 eyebrow

5 record (verb)
6 thermometer7 extract (noun)
8 lifestyle

Look at the grammar patterns which the Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary gives
for these words and then correct the sentences that follow.
1

supply /s@pla/  verb [T] to provide something that is wanted or needed, often in large
quantities and over a long period of time: Electrical power is supplied by underground cables. Three people have been arrested for supplying arms to the terrorists.  The company has supplied
the royal family (= provided them with something they need) for years.  At the beginning of term,
students are supplied with a list of books that they are expected to read.

Brazil supplies coffee to many countries.

Brazil supplies cofee at many countries.
The oficer supplied each soldier a map.
2

deny /dna/ verb [T] NOT TRUE 1 to say that something is not true: He will not conirm or deny
the allegations.  [+ that ] Neil denies that he broke the window, but I’m sure he did.  [+ -ing verb]
Neil denies breaking the window.

The Minister denied to have received any money from the oil company. (two answers)

3.4

Put a tick ( ) if these adjectives can be used about a person, or a thing (which could bean event, an object, a fact, an idea, etc.) or both. Use your dictionary if necessary.
person3.5

person

sad

damp

lucky

awkwardcontent

compulsory

thing

A typical dictionary abbreviation for a noun is (n) and for an adjective (adj). What do you
think these abbreviations mean?
(adv) adverb(prep)
verb [T]

3.6

thing

(pron)
UK
noun [U](conj)
noun [C]verb [I or T]

Over to you
Go to Cambridge Dictionaries Online at http://dictionary.cambridge.org, select the Cambridge
Advanced Learner’s Dictionary and look up the adjective damp. Click on the Visual Thesaurus. How
many of the words do you know? Choose four words you don’t know and look them up. Record
them in your notebook.

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unit

4 Guessing and explaining meaning
A

Working out meaning from context
There are a number of clues you can use to help you understand the meaning of an unfamiliar word.
The context in which the word is used
• Visual clues: for example, a picture in a book or film footage in a TV news broadcast.
• Your own background knowledge about a situation: for example, if you already know that

there has just been an earthquake in a big
city, then you will find it easy to understandthe word ‘earthquake’ when you hear anews broadcast about it.
• The words around the unfamiliar word:
for example, ‘Tara picked one tall yellow
gladiolus to put in her new vase.’ Even if
you have never seen or heard the word
‘gladiolus’, it is clear from the context that
it is a type of flower.
• Grammatical clues: for example, it isclear that ‘superstitious’ must be an
adjective in the sentence ‘Alejandro is very
superstitious and would never walk undera ladder’, or that ‘gingerly’ is an adverb
in ‘Mike came gingerly down the stairs,
trying to avoid all the broken glass.’
Similarity to other words you already know in English
A large number of words in English are made up of combinations of other words. You may never haveseen the word ‘headscarf’, for example, but it is easy to work out that it is a scarf worn on the head.
Units 74–76 will help you improve your skills in understanding how English uses everyday words tobuild up new concepts.
Structure
A prefix or sufix may give you a clue: for example, Units 70–72 focus on diferent aspects of word
formation in English and should help you use those clues to make sense of unfamiliar words.
Similarity to a word you know in your own (or some other) language
If your first language is of Latin or of Germanic origin, you will come across many words in Englishthat resemble words in your own language. However, English has taken many words from manyother languages too. So make use of any other languages you know.
But remember that some words are false friends – they sound as if they mean the same
but in fact they have a diferent meaning. For example, git in English means a present but in German
Git means poison.

B

Explaining unknown words
The following expressions are useful when you are trying to explain what a word or expression
means:
It’s probably something (a bit) like (a chair) …
It’s got to be something you use for (painting pictures / cleaning the kitchen floor) …
It’s a kind of (bird / musical instrument / building) …
I think it must / could mean …

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4

Exercises
4.1

Study
unit

Look at the following text. Before you read it,
see if you know what the underlined words mean.

A tortoise is a shelled reptile famed for its
slowness and longevity. The Giant Tortoise of theGalapagos may attain over 1.5 metres in lengthand have a lifespan of more than 150 years.
Smaller tortoises from Southern Europe and North
Africa make popular pets. They need to be tended
carefully in cool climates and must have a warm
place in which they can hibernate.
Which of the underlined words can you guess from the context or using any other clues?
First make a guess and then check your guesses in the Answer key.

4.2

Use the context to work out what the underlined words mean. Explain them using one orother of the expressions in B on the opposite page.
1 Above the trees at the edge of the meadow, a buzzard hangs for a moment on the wind before
soaring towards the hills. I think a buzzard must be a kind of bird.
2 According to some sources, the water vole is one of the most rapidly declining creatures in Britain
and a new survey is now being carried out to determine how serious the threat of extinction really is.
3 Using a large chisel and a hammer, Jack managed to knock down the old garden wall.
4 Kate carried in a delicious chicken and noodle soup in a large tureen and we enjoyed several bowls
each.
5 We oten used to walk up to the clif top where we would clamber over the farmer’s gate and go rightto the edge where the view was better.
6 Some people get really ratty when they haven’t had enough sleep.

4.3

Use your knowledge of other basic English words to help you work out the meaningsof the underlined words and expressions. Rewrite them using simpler words orexplanations for the underlined words and phrases.
1 It says on the can that this drink is sugar-free. this drink doesn't contain sugar
2 I find Caitlin a very warm-hearted person.
3 I’ve been up to my eyes in work ever since I got back from holiday.
4 We walked down a tree-lined street towards the station.
5 The little boys were fascinated by the cement-mixer.
6 More and more shops now have their own special store cards and ofer you a discount if you use
one of them.

4.4

Use your knowledge of prefixes and sufixes to suggest what these phrases mean.
1 to redirect a letter to send it to a different address
2 uncontrollable anger
3 pre-dinner drinks
4 bi-monthly report
5 my ex-boss
6 anti-tourist feelings
7 to disconnect the telephone
8 undelivered letters

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5

Countries, nationalities and languages

A

Using ‘the’
Most names of countries are used without ‘the’, but some countries and other names have ‘the’before them, e.g. the United States / the US(A), the United Kingdom / the UK, the Netherlands,
the Philippines, the United Arab Emirates / the UAE, the European Union / the EU, theCommonwealth.

B

Adjectives referring to people, countries and languages
With -ish: British Irish Flemish Polish Danish Turkish Spanish
With -(i)an: Canadian Brazilian Latvian Korean Russian AustralianWith -ese: Japanese Chinese Vietnamese Portuguese Maltese TaiwaneseWith -i: Israeli Iraqi Kuwaiti Pakistani Yemeni Bangladeshi
With -ic: Icelandic Arabic Slavonic
Some adjectives are worth learning separately, e.g. Swiss, Thai, Greek, Dutch, Cypriot.

C

Nationalities
Some nationalities and cultural identities have nouns for referring to people, e.g. a Finn, a Swede, aTurk, a Spaniard, a Dane, a Briton, an Arab, a Pole. For most nationalities we can use the adjective asa noun, e.g. a German, an Italian, a Belgian, a Catalan, a Greek, an African,
a European. Some need woman/man/person added to them (you can’t say ‘a Dutch’), so if in doubt,
use them, e.g. a Dutch man, a French woman, an Irish person, an Icelandic man.

D

World regions
The Arctic
Scandinavia
Asia

North America

CentralAmerica

EuropeThe Mediterranean
North Africa

The Caribbean

The Middle
East

The Atlantic
South America

The Far East
East Asia The Pacific

The Indian Ocean

Southern Africa

Australia

The Antarctic
Antarctica

E

Regional groups and ethnic groups
People belong to ethnic groups and regional groups such as African-Caribbean, Asian, Latin
American, North African, Scandinavian, Southern African, European, Arabic. These can be used
as countable nouns or as adjectives.
Many Europeans enjoy travelling to the Far East to experience Asian cultures.
Arabic culture extends across a vast region of North Africa and the Middle East.
People speak dialects as well as languages. Everyone has a native language or first language(sometimes called mother tongue); many have second and third languages. Some people areexpert in more than one language and are bilingual or multilingual. People who only know one
language are monolingual.

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Exercises
5.1

Write the related adjectives in the correct columns.
IrelandTurkeyIcelandThailand
Latvia Israel Switzerland China
ArabiaBrazil
the Netherlands Korea
Denmark-(i)an-ic-ish

Latvian5.2-ese(other)Irish

Match the countries with their world regions.
1 Sweden
2 Cambodia
3 Nicaragua
4 Tunisia
5 Saudi Arabia
6 Botswana

5.3

-i

Pakistanca the Middle Eastb Southern Africac Scandinavia
d East Asiae Central America
f North Africa

Correct the mistakes in these newspaper headlines.
1

New James Bond
to be played by a
Swedish!

2

BRITAIN’S HAVE HIGHEST
TAX RATE IN EUROPE

3

MALTISH PRIME MINISTERVISITS WASHINGTON

Swede
4

5.4

Police arrest Danishon smuggling charge

5

Iraqian delegation
meets PakistanianPresident

Famous names. Can you name a famous …
1 Argentinian sportsman or woman? Lionel Messi
2 Spanish actor?
3 South African political leader?
4 Australian singer?

5.5

5 Italian opera singer?
6 Irish rock-music band?
7 American golfer?

Over to you
Complete the sentences so that they are true for you.
. (nationality)

1 I am.

2 My first language is
3 I speak(number) language(s) fluently, so I am.

4 My ethnic/regional group is.

5 I have visited these countries:.

6 I would like to travel to.

7 One language I would like to learn is.

8 I’ve never been to these two countries:

and.

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