Knowledge of

Words

Ernida Hamid, S.Ag., M.Pd

MEETING 4
WORD USE
 WORD USE

Use/Function: When or why is a particular lexical

item, used in a specific text (oral or written) Word
use is how a word, phrase, or concept is used in a
language
we choose to use the word are determined by the
situation we are in and/or what we want to
communicate to our listener(s).  
Grammatical form

 In contrast to content words, function words (also called

grammatical words) are words that have little lexical
meaning or have ambiguous meaning, but instead serve to
express grammatical relationships with other words within a
sentence. Function words are closed-class words.
KINDS OF FUNCTION WORDS
 Prepositions: 
of, at, in, without, between
 Pronouns: 
he, they, anybody, it, one
 Determiners: 
the, a, that, my, more, much, either,
neither
 Conjunctions: 
and, that, when, while, although, or
 Auxiliary: 
verbs be (is, am, are), have, got, do
 Particles: 
no, not, nor, as
EXAMPLE
 CONTENT WORDS VS FUNCTION WORDS

 “The sly brown fox jumped gracefully over the

lazy dog and cat,“
 exercise

 Mary has lived in England for ten years.

 He's going to fly to Chicago next week.
 I don't understand this chapter of the book.
 The children will be swimming in the ocean this time next week.
 John had eaten lunch before his colleague arrived.
 The best time to study is early in the morning or late in the evening.
 The trees along the river are beginning to blossom.
 Our friends called us yesterday and asked if we'd like to visit them
next month.
 You'll be happy to know that she's decided to take the position.
 collocation
Collocation is two or more words that often go
together. These combinations just sound “right”to
native English speakers, who use them all the
time. On the other hand, other combinations may
be unnatural and just sound “wrong”.
Look at the examples :
Why learn collocations?
 Your language will be more natural and more
easily understood.
 You will have alternative and richer ways of
expressing yourself.
 It is easier for our brains to remember and use
language in chunks or blocks rather than as single
words.
How to learn collocations
 Be aware of collocations, and try to recognize
them when you see or hear them.
 Treat collocations as single blocks of language.
Think of them as individual blocks or chunks, and
learn strongly support, not strongly + support.
 When you learn a new word, write down other
words that collocate with it (remember rightly,
remember distinctly, remember vaguely, remember
vividly).
 Read as much as possible. Reading is an excellent way
to learn vocabulary and collocations in context and
naturally.
 Revise what you learn regularly. Practise using new
collocations in context as soon as possible after
learning them.
 Learn collocations in groups that work for you. You
could learn them by topic (time, number, weather,
money, family) or by a particular word (take action,
take a chance, take an exam).
 You can find information on collocations in any good
learner's dictionary. And you can also find specialized
dictionaries of collocations.
 Types of collocation
There are several different types of collocation made from
combinations of verb, noun, adjective etc. Some of the most common
types are:
 adverb + adjective: completely satisfied (NOT downright satisfied)
 adjective + noun: excruciating pain (NOT excruciating joy)
 noun + noun: a surge of anger (NOT a rush of anger)
 noun + verb: lions roar (NOT lions shout)
 verb + noun: commit suicide (NOT undertake suicide)
 verb + expression with preposition: burst into tears (NOT blow up in tears)
 verb + adverb: wave frantically (NOT wave feverishly)
Sample Collocations

 Thereare several different types of collocation.

Collocations can be adjective + adverb, noun +
noun, verb + noun and so on. Below you can see
seven main types of collocation in sample
sentences.
1. adverb + adjective
 Invading that country was an utterly stupid thing
to do.

 We entered a richly decorated room.

 Are you fully aware of the implications of your

action?
2. adjective + noun
 The doctor ordered him to take regular exercise.

 The Titanic sank on its maiden voyage.

 Hewas writhing on the ground in excruciating

pain.
3. noun + noun
 Let's give Mr Jones a round of applause.

 The ceasefire agreement came into effect at

11am.

 I'd like to buy two bars of soap please.

4. noun + verb
 Thelion started to roar when it heard the dog
barking.

 Snow was falling as our plane took off.

 Thebomb went off when he started the car

engine.
5. verb + noun
 The prisoner was hanged for committing murder.

Ialways try to do my homework in the morning,

after making my bed.

 He has been asked to give a presentation about

his work.
6. verb + expression with preposition
 Wehad to return home because we had run out of
money.

 Atfirst her eyes filled with horror, and then she

burst into tears.

 Theirbehaviour was enough to drive anybody to

crime.
7. verb + adverb
 She
placed her keys gently on the table and sat
down.

 Mary whispered softly in John's ear.

Ivaguely remember that it was growing dark

when we left.
 More practice about collocation
1. A collocation is two or more words that....
a. often go together
b. have similar meanings
c. must be used together
2.Collocations sound "right" to native English
speakers because they .....

a. sound unnatural
b. are rarely used
c. are often used
3. If you learn and use many collocations, your
English will sound ....

a. more unusual
b. more grammatical
c. more natural
4. Which is a very common collocation?

a. quick food
b. fast food
c. rapid food
5. Complete the collocation: "I was running late
so I only had time for a _____ shower.“

a. short
b. quick
c. fast
6. It's best for learners to think of collocations as
being single

a. parts of speech
b. blocks of language
c. rules of grammar
7. Collocations can be divided into several types
such as _________ collocations.

a. verb + noun
b. subject + object
c. first + second
8. Which is an example of a verb + noun
collocation?

a. a terrible mistake
b. commonly mistaken
c. make a mistake
9. Complete with a verb + adverb collocation:
"You'll do it if you ________ enough.”

a. try hard
b. really try
c. want to
10. Which is a common adverb + adjective
collocation?

a. richly decorated
b. richly wealthy
c. greedily rich
Key Answer
1. a
2. c
3. c
4. b
5. b
6. b
7. a
8. c
9. a
10. a
Connotation
and Denotation
 Connotation is the  Denotation is the
emotional and strict dictionary
imaginative meaning of a word.
association
surrounding a word.
Here is a sample of a word that has
denotative meaning and connotative
associations:
“She’s my baby.”
Denotation
infant
Connotation
girl friend
“You may live in a house, but we live in a
home.”
 If you were to look up the  However, the speaker in
words house and home in the sentence above
a dictionary, you would suggests that home has an
find that both words have additional meaning.
approximately the same
meaning- "a dwelling
place." home

house
 Connotation and denotation love

 Aside from the strict comfort

dictionary definition, or
denotation, many people
associate such things as
comfort, love, security, or securiy
privacy with a home but
do not necessarily make HOME
the same associations
with a house. privacy
security
Connotation
 The various feelings,
images, and memories
that surround a word
make up its connotation.
 Although both house and
home have the same
denotation, or dictionary
meaning, home also has
many connotations
Example
Words: fat, obese, plump, large, stout
Denotation: being overweight or too heavy for your size.
Connotation:
fat: a greasy, flesh way, lack of self control.
obese: clinical word, grossly overweight.
Plump/chubby: pleasantly overweight, a bit round and cute.
large: heavy, but also have a bigger frame than average;
more flattering word than others.
stout: bulky and strong, like a football lineman.
Connotation Example
Thin Slim

[1] [2]
 The connotation of a word is often
either positive or negative

Positive Negative

We bought We bought cheap

inexpensive souvenirs souvenirs at the
at the amusement amusement park.
park.
Which word has a positive connotation
and which has a negative one?

negativ  Everyone had a

e smirk on his/her
face on the ride
home.
 Everyone had a
smile on his/her
face on the way
home.
it i ve
pos
Use it in a sentence.
Read the following sentences.
 Annette was surprised.
 Annette was amazed.
 Annette was astonished.

1. What is the general meaning of each of the three

sentences about Annette? Do the words surprised,
amazed, and astonished have approximately the same
denotation?
Use it in a sentence.
 2.What additional meanings are suggested by astonish?
Would one be more likely to be surprised or astonished at
seeing a ghost?
“I was surprised to see
a ghost.”
“I was amazed to see a
ghost.”
“I was astonished to see
a ghost.”
Compare some words.
 Write these examples in your paper along with your
answers
 3. Which word in each pair below has the more
favorable connotation to you?
 thrifty-penny
 pushy-aggressive
 politician-statesman
 chef-cook
 slender-skinny
More practice…..
 Directions: For these conditions, first think of a word with a positive
connotation, and then think of a word with a negative connotation.
  
 Condition Positive Connotation Negative Connotation
 1. Overweight
 2. Short
 3. Not smart
 4. Unattractive
 5. Non-athletic
 6. Self-focused
 Concluction of
meeting 2,3 and 4
 So…

Knowing a vocabulary
item means knowing its:
Form,
Meaning and
Function.
What does knowing a word actually
mean? (1/2)
It means that we can:
Recognise it in its spoken or written form.
Recall it at will.
Relate it to an appropriate object or concept.
Use it in the appropriate grammatical form.
Pronounce it in a recognisable way when speaking.
Spell it correctly when writing.
What does knowing a word actually
mean? (2/2)
 Use it in a collocationally appropriate way (with
the words it correctly goes with).
 Use it at the appropriate level of formality.
 Be aware of its connotations and associations.