English Vocabulary Fundamentals

Vocabulary

• Word formation:
  • Prefixes: un-, re-, de- (e.g., unhappy, redo, defrost)
  • Suffixes: -able, -less, -ful (e.g., comfortable, helpless, hopeful)
  • Compounding: combining two words to form a new one (e.g., toothbrush)
• Word classes:
  • Nouns: person, place, thing, idea
  • Verbs: action, state, linking
  • Adjectives: describe nouns, e.g., happy, big, blue
  • Adverbs: describe verbs, e.g., quickly, loudly, wisely
• Synonyms and antonyms:
  • Synonyms: words with similar meanings (e.g., happy, joyful, cheerful)
  • Antonyms: words with opposite meanings (e.g., happy, unhappy)

Grammar

• Parts of speech:
  • Articles: the, a, an
  • Prepositions: in, on, at, with
  • Conjunctions: and, but, or, so
  • Interjections: oh, wow, ouch
• Tenses:
  • Present: I am, you are, he/she/it is, we are, they are
  • Past: I was, you were, he/she/it was, we were, they were
  • Future: I will be, you will be, he/she/it will be, we will be, they will be
• Clause and sentence structure:
  • Independent clause: a complete sentence (e.g., I went to the store)
  • Dependent clause: a sentence that cannot stand alone (e.g., because I needed milk)
  • Compound sentence: two or more independent clauses joined (e.g., I went to the store, and I bought milk)

Writing Skills

• Writing styles:
  • Narrative: tells a story
  • Descriptive: describes a person, place, or thing
  • Expository: explains or informs
  • Persuasive: tries to convince the reader
• Writing components:
  • Introduction: grabs the reader's attention and states the thesis
  • Body: provides supporting details and evidence
  • Conclusion: summarizes the main points and reiterates the thesis
• Paragraph structure:
  • Topic sentence: states the main idea
  • Supporting details: provide evidence and explanations
  • Linking sentence: connects the paragraph to the next one

Conversation

• Conversation starters:
  • Questions: e.g., How are you?, What's your favorite hobby?
  • Statements: e.g., Nice weather, isn't it?, I love this restaurant
• Conversation maintenance:
  • Active listening: paying attention to the speaker
  • Responding: answering questions, making comments
  • Turn-taking: taking turns speaking and listening
• Idiomatic expressions:
  • Phrasal verbs: e.g., get up, pick up, turn off
  • Idioms: e.g., break a leg, cost an arm and a leg, bite off more than you can chew

To-Be Verbs

• Forms of to-be verbs:
  • Present: am, is, are
  • Past: was, were
  • Future: will be
• Uses of to-be verbs:
  • Linking: connecting the subject to additional information (e.g., I am a student)
  • Identifying: describing the subject (e.g., He is a doctor)
  • Emphasizing: stressing the importance of the subject (e.g., I am the best candidate)

Vocabulary

• Word formation involves prefixes, suffixes, and compounding to create new words
• Prefixes include un-, re-, and de-, which change the meaning of a word
• Suffixes include -able, -less, and -ful, which modify a word's meaning
• Compounding combines two words to form a new one, such as toothbrush
• Word classes categorize words into nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs
• Nouns represent people, places, things, and ideas
• Verbs express action, state, or linking
• Adjectives describe nouns, while adverbs describe verbs

Grammar

• Parts of speech include articles, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections
• Articles are the, a, and an, which modify nouns
• Prepositions show relationships between words, such as in, on, and at
• Conjunctions connect words, phrases, or clauses, like and, but, and or
• Interjections express emotion, such as oh, wow, and ouch
• Tenses express time, including present, past, and future
• Present tense describes current actions, using forms like I am and you are
• Past tense describes completed actions, using forms like I was and you were
• Future tense describes future actions, using forms like I will be and you will be
• Clause and sentence structure involve independent and dependent clauses
• Independent clauses are complete sentences, while dependent clauses rely on others
• Compound sentences join two or more independent clauses

Writing Skills

• Writing styles include narrative, descriptive, expository, and persuasive
• Narrative writing tells a story, while descriptive writing describes people, places, or things
• Expository writing explains or informs, and persuasive writing tries to convince
• Writing components include introduction, body, and conclusion
• Introductions grab attention and state the thesis
• Bodies provide supporting details and evidence
• Conclusions summarize main points and reiterate the thesis
• Paragraph structure involves topic sentences, supporting details, and linking sentences
• Topic sentences state the main idea, while supporting details provide evidence
• Linking sentences connect paragraphs

Conversation

• Conversation starters include questions and statements
• Questions begin conversations, such as How are you? and What's your favorite hobby?
• Statements initiate conversations, like Nice weather, isn't it? and I love this restaurant
• Conversation maintenance involves active listening, responding, and turn-taking
• Active listening involves paying attention to the speaker
• Responding includes answering questions and making comments
• Turn-taking ensures each person has a chance to speak and listen
• Idiomatic expressions include phrasal verbs and idioms
• Phrasal verbs are idiomatic expressions using verbs, like get up and pick up
• Idioms are fixed expressions with specific meanings, such as break a leg and cost an arm and a leg

To-Be Verbs

• To-be verbs have present, past, and future forms
• Present forms include am, is, and are
• Past forms include was and were
• Future forms include will be
• To-be verbs are used for linking, identifying, and emphasizing
• Linking uses to-be verbs to connect the subject to additional information
• Identifying uses to-be verbs to describe the subject, like He is a doctor
• Emphasizing uses to-be verbs to stress the importance of the subject