Verbal Analogies

A Vocabulary lesson for mid - high Intermediate 

It's funny to hear children talk naively about age. "He's a nice guy," one will say, "but he's old." "Oh, how old is he?" "I don't know. Forty, I guess. Your age."
In the year 1200, forty may have been old, but it isn't any longer. For well-understood reasons, life expectancy has increased significantly in the last century. People are eating healthier, smoking less, and better understand the benefits of exercise. Thanks to advances in medicine and public health, are well on their way to addressing chronic diseases like cancer and heart disease.
The result is mind-blowing. In 1900, an American could anticipate a life span of 48 years, whereas in 2000, the average life span climbed to 75!
Naturally, this leads us to speculate, "What is the limit? How old is old?" According to records believed to be authentic, a man in Japan lived to the age of 120.
Scientists agree that the answer lies in these three factors: genetics, environment and lifestle. It may not be easy, but people can change their environments and their lifestyles. However, for a long time, most experts felt that little could be done about the first, genetics. Now, with recent scientific advances, there's reason to wonder whether that is true. For example, Helen Brau of Stanford University was able to modify the genetic make-up of muscle mass, where they would produce human growth hormone. (Human growth hormone, a synthetic version of the hormone produced by the pituitary gland, has been shown to reverse the effects of aging.)
Skeptics say that it's silly to want to add more and more years to one's life. What matters, they assert, is the quality of that life. Enjoy yourself, they say, and let the end come when it will.
Either way, we now have reason to wonder whether Ponce de Leon's "Fountain of Youth" is more than just a myth. We seem to be closer than ever to shattering our previous conceptions of the average human life span.

Read each sentence to decide if the underlined word is used correctly in context.

1. Sandra had a naive view of the world: she was suspicious of everyone.
2. In trying to determine which patients to treat first, the doctors had to figure out which injuries were significant and which were slight.
3. Whether Matt earns on A on the science exam is a matter of great public interest, as he discusses his test scores only with his best friend.
4. Terri's rash had all the makings of a chronic condition: it appeared that one time...and never again.
5. The three-game series was completely sold out, and the announcers correctly concluded that the fans eagerly anticipated these important games.

Use the correct forms of the following words to complete this paragraph:
speculate, authentic, modify, altered, mass

No one can deny how beautiful diamonds can be, but an untrained observer might not be able to tell whether a stone is even ______________. Have you ever seen a brilliantly shinin diamond on a woman's finger? It's hard to realize that once it was simply a _____________. Tons and tons of pressure have so dramatically ______________its appearance. A non-expert can only _______________ about the steps a gem cutter must take in order to _______________ the stone to its final shape.

Select the word closest in meaning to the given form of the list of word.

1. __________ synthetic
a. unbelievable     b. lengthy     c. nearby     d. manmade

2. __________ skeptic
a. disbeliever     b. infant     c. student     d. expert

3. __________ assert
a. manage     b. create     c. claim     d. obliterate

4. __________ myth
a. legend     b. athlete     c. wizard     d. hero

5. __________ conception
a. attempt     b. victory     c. idea     d. simplicity

Verbal Analogies
One way to test your knowledge of words is a task known as a verbal analogy.
example:

temperature: thermometer:: weight : scale

An analogy consists of two pairs of words, with each pair domonstrating the same relationship. In this case, you realized that temperature is measured by a thermometer, just as weight is measured by a scale.

 

Try these:

 

1. wizardry : magician :: diagnosis : _____

a. realtor   b. doctor  c. printer  d. athlete

2. cliche : overused :: miser : _____
a. generous  b. skimpy  c. old  d. cheap

3. agile : awkward :: immune : _____
a. vulnerable  b. treated  c. sticky  d. painful

4. naive : sophisticated :: public : ____
a. assertive  b. authentic  c. private  d. significant

 

At first glance, the thought of living a long life is a very attractive one. If we look at the amazing difference in life spans from 1900 to 2000, it's hard to find any negatives at all!

What if life could be extended even more? By a lot! A significant number of problems would result. Write at paragraph using as many words from this lesson describing some possible negative outcomes of longer life spans. 

 

 



Commonly Confused Words

 

 

economic/economical

“Economic” and “economical” are two adjectives that are frequently used interchangeably. They are clearly related but they have, strictly speaking, quite distinct meanings.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the definition of economic is

Relating to economics or the economy.

Economical, however, means

Giving good value or return in relation to the resources used or money spent; sparing in the use of resources or money.

So, government policies to do with finance would be economic but fuel-efficient cars would be described as more economical.

the adverb for both words is the same: economically

announcements/advertisements    An announcement is an unpaid ad. An advertisement or ad is paid by the .

journey/voyage Journey is countable. It means one piece of travelling. We wish you a happy journey. (NOT We wish you a happy travel.) The word voyage refers to a long sea journey. “Voyage” refers to a long journey mainly to a distant place or foreign place especially by the sea. The word “voyage” is not often used in modern times but historically. Voyages were very significant        sensible/sensitive SENSIBLE - having an awareness or understanding of a situation Examples: It wasn’t very sensible to leave the car unlocked. SENSITIVE - easily influenced, changed or damaged, especially by a physical activity or effect; easily upset by the things people say or do, or causing people to be upset, embarrassed or angry Examples: Some people's teeth are highly sensitive to cold.

Connectives

Connectives that express Cause and Effect, Contrast and Condition

 

{Chapter 19 of the blue Azar}

 

 

 

Practice

Circle the words or phrases that can complete the sentences correctly. More than one can be correct in some sentences!

 

1. We delayed our trip (because / because of / due to) dad was sick with the flu.

 

2. Sue's eyes were red (due to / because of / because ) she had been crying.

 

3. The water in most rivers is unsafe to drink (because / due to / because of ) pollution.

 

4. Some people think Harry succeeded in business (due to / because of / because ) his charming personality.

 

5. It's unsafe to travel in that country (because of / due to / because of ) the ongoing civil war.

 

 

Practice

 

Combine the two sentences in italics in four different ways.

 

1. The store didn't have orange juice. I bought lemonade instead.

 

a) __________ because the store __________.

b) Because __________ , __________.

c) __________. Therefore, __________.

d) __________ , so __________.

 

 

2. There had been no rain for several months. The crops died.

 

a) Because __________ , __________.

b) __________. Consequently, __________.

c) __________. _________ , therefore, __________.

d) __________ , so __________.

 

You can even have students create their own two sentences ( Cause and effect ) and then have them combine both sentences.

 



 

 

 

Practice

Make logical completions by completing the sentences with is or isn't.

 

1. It's the middle of the summer, but the weather _____ very cold.

2. The weather _____ warm today even though it's the middle of summer.

3. Even though it's the middle of summer, the weather _____ very cold today.

4. Despite the fact that it is the middle of summer, the weather _____ very cold today.

5. It's the middle of summer, yet the weather _____ very warm today.

6. Despite the cold weather, it _____ the middle of summer.

 

 

Reading: Potatoes

Read the passage about the history of potatoes. 

Potatoes are so commonplace in most parts of the world today that we take them for granted. In spite of the fact that potatoes seem to be native everywhere, in the majority of places they have been around for only about three hundred years.

The history of the potato began high in the Andes Mountains of South America. The early people in the area discovered and cultivated the potato about 7,000 years ago. The climate conditions were bad and the soil was poor, yet the strong, durable potato grew well there. It thrived despite the very thin air at the top of the Andes, where it is almost impossible for vegetation to grow. Those early farmers appreciated the potato because of its heartiness as well as its excellent nutrition.

No other people came into contact with the potato until the 1500s, when the Spanish arrived in South America in search of gold. Although the potato was easy to grow and very strong, the Spanish did not like the plant very much. Nevertheless, they brought the potato back to Europe with them.

In Europe, the potato was not popular at first, and was eaten only by the very poor. Because potatoes are part of the Nightshade family, people did not want to eat them. (Nightshade is a class of plants which include some that are poisonous.) However, eventually people realized that potatoes are not poisonous; they also discovered how easy it was to grow them. Potatoes became a staple crop, particularly in Ireland. Among the first to appreciate potatoes as food were the English sailors, who consumed them on their long ocean voyages. That is how the potato reached India, China, and Japan early in the 1600s.

In due course, the potato returned to the New World, brought to the North American English colonies by the Irish immigrants. Here, as elsewhere, its popularity grew.  While at first considered a food for ordinary people, it had been elevated to a much higher status by the French. Now the potato is grown from China to the United States, from Russia to Kenya, from Argentina to Canada, and to 100 more countries.

The United Nations officially designated the year 2008 as the International Year of the Potato so that the benefits of potatoes could be promoted world wide. Since a lot of potatoes can grow on very little land, it is an efficient crop. The United Nations predicts that the world’s population will increase by hundreds of millions in the next decades; therefore, efficiency in the use of land is necessary.

Nutritionally, too, potatoes are valuable. They are an excellent source of energy due to their high carbohydrate and protein content. They also have a lot of potassium and Vitamin C, the ingredient that kept sailors’ gums healthy on those long-ago ocean voyages.

Potatoes are now the world’s fourth largest crop, after rice, wheat, and maize. If the United Nations succeeds in its promotion of potatoes, they will become an even larger crop, and consequently, more easily provide food for more people.  

 

SO versus TOO

 

 These two sentences have almost the same meaning. The grammar pattern is different.

 

                  I am so tired that I can’t move. I am too tired to move.

 

Here are more examples.

 

                  This coffee is so hot that I can’t drink it. This coffee is too hot (for me) to drink.

 

The suitcase was so heavy that I couldn’t lift it.  The suitcase was too heavy

                                                                              (for me) to lift.

1.               That car is so expensive that I can’t buy it.

 

                  ___________________________________________

 

2.               It is so dark in here that I can’t see.

                  ___________________________________________

 

3.               This music is so loud that we can’t talk.               (“for  us”)

                  ___________________________________________

 

Change the following sentences to the “so” pattern.

1.               I was too excited to sleep.

                  ___________________________________________

 

2.               This movie is too boring to watch.

                  ___________________________________________

 

3.               His story was too strange for me to believe.

                  ___________________________________________









Less is more!

"Don’t overdo it; shorter, smaller, or subtler is better!" says Chris Stamatakis, my boss at Ecole Shakespeare.

 

 

To say less is more  means less is more effective. This expression can be used to say that it’s best to do something quickly, or that it’s better to use a small amount of something. In general it means “don’t overdo it.” The expression was first used by the English poet Robert Browning to describe the ease and simplicity of painter Andrea del Sarto’s work.

 



Chris says :

Select your words when explaining ideas. Choose words with impact and repeat same ones. Less is more. Allow them to learn thru giving them their own examples of what you've just said. They'll make mistakes and that will be more impressive on them.
If they're impressed, they remember.

 

 

 

Happy Teaching!



Communication Idioms

Here is a handy list of some of the most commonly used Communication Idioms:

1. Blow out of proportion
This means to overly exaggerate the importance of something.

2. Drop a line.
To write a short letter / email to someone.

3. Hear through the grapevine.
to hear news from someone who heard that news from someone else

4. Keep someone posted.
 to keep someone informed (of what is happening); to keep someone up to date

5. Get to the point.
arrive at an explanation of the purpose of something.

 



6. Spread like wildfire.

to spread rapidly

 

7. Touch Bases

to talk to someone in order to find out how they are or what they think about something

 



The Passive

"The Passive is used when it is not known or not important to know exactly who perfroms an action."

As opposed to...

The Active, which is used when the speaker knows who performed the action.

 

 

Form of the passive:

BE + PAST PARTICIPLE

 

Students read and discuss the following article about a European mummy, Oetzi, found in the 1990s in the thawing ice of the Alps.

 The article uses a lot of passive voice, primarily in the simple past and present perfect, although there are a few modal passives as well.

This article has been abridged from a much longer one, and the web link to the original is included below. (I took this exercise from the website associated with the grammar book I use.

Oetzi the Iceman

Oetzi the Iceman is the modern nickname of a well-preserved natural mummy of a man from about 3300 BC. The mummy was found in 1991 in a glacier of the Otztal Alps, near the border between Austria and Italy. Oetzi was named after the valley of his discovery. He rivals the Egyptian "Ginger" as the oldest known human mummy, and he has offered a unique view of the habits of Copper Age Europeans.

Oetzi was found by two German tourists on September 19, 1991. The body was at first thought to be a modern corpse, like several others which had recently been found in the area. It was roughly recovered by the Austrian authorities and taken to Innsbruck, where its true age was finally discovered. It is now being displayed at the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology in Bozen-Bolzano, Italy.

The body has been extensively examined, measured, x-rayed, and dated. Tissues and stomach contents were examined microscopically. Scientists believe that at the time of his death, Oetzi was a 30-to-45-year old man, approximately 160 cm (5'3") tall.

Analysis of pollen and dust grains on his clothing, and analysis of Oetzi’s teeth enamel show that his childhood was spent near the present village of Feldthurns, north of Bolzano. He later went to live in valleys about 50 km further north.

The Iceman had 57 tattoos. Some were located on or near acupuncture points that are used today to treat symptoms of digestive problems and osteoarthritis. Interestingly, scientists have found that Oetzi suffered from digestive problems and osteoarthritis. Some scientists believe that these tattoos indicate an early type of acupuncture.

Oetzi’s clothes include a cloak, vest, and shoes. They were quite sophisticated. The cloak was woven from grass, and the vest was made of leather.

The shoes were waterproof and wide. They seemed to be designed for walking across the snow; they were constructed of bearskin, deer hide, and tree bark. Soft grass was wrapped around the foot and also placed in the shoe. The grass functioned like warm socks. Recently, the shoes were reproduced by experts. They are of such excellent quality, that there are plans for them to be made commercially.

Other items found with the Iceman include a copper axe, flint knife, and a bow and quiver of arrows.

Additionally, Oetzi carried two species of mushrooms. One of these mushrooms is known to have antibacterial properties, and was likely used for medical purposes.

Researchers believe Oetzi may have been involved in a fight. Injuries from the fight may have killed him. A DNA analysis revealed traces of blood from four other people on his gear: one from his knife, two from the same arrowhead, and a fourth from his coat.

 A CAT scan revealed that an arrowhead was stuck in Oetzi’s shoulder when he died. The arrow shaft had been removed, but the arrowhead had been left inside his body. He also had bruises and cuts on his hands, wrists, and chest.

From such evidence, and an examination of his weapons, molecular biologist Thomas Loy from the University of Queensland believes that Oetzi and his companions were hunters who fought with a rival group. At some point, he may have carried (or been carried by) a companion. He may have been weakened by blood loss. As a result, Oetzi apparently put down his equipment neatly against a rock, lay down, and died.

His body was covered by thousands of years of ice and snow until his recent discovery. Pieces of his clothing, his hair, his skin, and his personal possessions were well-preserved because of the cold temperatures.

 

 

This article has been abridged and slightly simplified from an article appearing at http://www.crystalinks.com/oetzi.html.

 

1.   Initial grammar discovery: Provide comprehension questions that elicit a passive response.   

2.  Identifying the passive: Students read the article searching for uses of the passive. Remind students to look for forms of the Be verb, but remind them that not every Be verb is part of the passive!

 3.  Practice: Students discuss why the passive voice is used in various sentences.

 4.  More practice: Make a jigsaw by dividing the article into Part A and B. One student has the complete Part A with missing information in Part B, and the other student has the complete Part B with missing information in Part A. Students must ask and answer each other’s questions to complete the information.

5.  Still more practice: Students change the passive to active where logical.

6.  Just one more practice! After the article has been thoroughly read and discussed, the instructor puts key words on the board and the students recreate passive sentences about Oetzi without referring to the article.

 

       Example:  find -- Oetzi was found in 1991. 

                       Name -- Oetzi was named after a valley in the Alps.

 







Any / Some / None

I am sure most ESL Teachers have come across the confusion between

Any

And

Some

And

None

Teacher: What did you do last weekend?

Student: Anything! I was so bored I did anything.

 

So here are "some" handy tools / exercises I have found and passed around!

 

 

Use:

ANY and SOME are used for objects and people.

Use ANY for negative sentences: Marsha doesn't have any paper today. She forgot it at home.

Use SOME for affirmative sentences: Sara has some paper. She will lend some paper to Marsha.

***Use SOME / ANY for questions: Excuse me Sara, do you have any paper? / Excuse me Sara, do you have some paper? ***A general guideline about any / some in questions: If the speaker thinks the answer is probably NO, the speaker will probaby use ANY. If the speaker has no guess about the answer, the speaker will probably use ANY. If the speaker thinks the answer is probably YES, the speaker will probably use SOME.

What are SOME and ANY?

Some and any are determiners. We use these words before nouns in order to add meaning. The words some and any are used for countable and uncountable nouns.

 

1) Terry has ____ pennies in her pocket.
2) Tomas doesn't have ____ pennies in his pocket. His pocket is empty.

 

3) Angela doesn't like to eat ____ vegetables.
4) In fact, last night she didn't eat____ salad. Her mother was angry!
5) But Angela always likes to have ___ ice cream for dessert.
6) She'd be happy if she could eat ___ vegetable-flavored ice cream!
7) But we know there really isn't ___ vegetable-flavored ice cream!

 

8) He decided to have ____ pizza instead. He's not a nice brother!

 

I also love to pass along this joke. My students always love it and it's really handy!

 

This is a little story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody. There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody's job. Everybody thought that Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done

 

I took this joke from here but I am sure most of you have heard this somewhere or the other!

 



Hot Words

I named the following Vocabulary activity as "Hot Words", because all the words studied in the excercise are either misused, overused or should just not be used!
My students really enjoyed it and it was actually perfect for a 90 minute class because after each set of words, we'd discuss them and at the end of the exercise I had the students make their own sentences.

The Handout:

1. We repurposed the product to create synergies and expand its parameters. Now we need a new marketing plan with an iconic logo and theme.

_______________ : an image immediately recognizable.

_______________: the parts of a complex organism working together.

_______________: a neologism / invented word.

_______________: a term in math often misused to mean “boundaries”.

2. Pursuant to our teleconference yesterday, I expect you to interface with the relevant parties to complete the project.

_______________: individuals or groups coming together for discussion.

______________: following, or in accordance with.

_______________: pertinent.

 

3. Our uber publicist cannot seem to relate to the national media and so is creating a dichotomy between our client and the press. National media outreach does not appear to be the publicist’s forte.

_______________: it’s a bird! It’s a plan! No, it’s ____________man .

_______________: the chasm you find between Liberals and Conservatives.

*Did you know? Alibi is a legal term meaning “elsewhere.” This is the “plea of having been elsewhere at the time when any alleged act took place.” We use it informally to mean “excuse.”

4. Our sales department has a myriad of problems that are beginning to affect our profits. Please dialogue with the manager there and try to incentivize him and his staff to do a better sales job by paying closer attention to the affective side of persuasion.

____________: relating to the emotional side of a person.

_____________: a great number.

______________: a discussion between two people.

_____________: a made up word that means nothing.

 

*Did you know? You could be noisome without being noisy? The word has nothing to do with noise. It means “offensive”, “disgusting” and “harmful”. Noisome comes from “annoy”.

 

5. As per your instructions, I am making the office more user-friendly by putting less people in the reception area and creating more viable conditions.

______________: easy to use

______________: capable of growth

_____________: use this with weight or amount

 

6. A very unique thing occurred to me businesswise; the stock market collapsed and decimated my savings. My adviser said it was ephemeral, however.

____________: once meant killing every tenth of something

_____________: does not take a qualifier because it is the only one of what it is

_____________: passing, short lived

 

Teachers' Guide / Answers

Remember to explain to your students that the "chosen" words are not incorrect, just should be avoided being over used!

1.We repurposed the product to create synergies and expand its parameters. Now we need a new marketing plan with an iconic logo and theme.

iconic : an image immediately recognizable. It means very famous and well known but should be only used represent religious symbols. In this case, "an iconic" can just be removed from the sentence.

synergies: the parts of a complex organism working together. This word is correctly used however it's important to know that although very commonly used in the Business World, this word actualy originates from Biology. "the parts of a complex organism working together"

repurposed: a neologism / invented word. This means to give a new purpose or use. According to the Merrium Webster, this word was first used in 1984.

Parameters: a term in math often misused to mean “boundaries”. It's all about making sure you are pronunciating it correctly! Parameter is the more specific mathematical term whereas perimeter refers to "limits".

 

2. Pursuant to our teleconference yesterday, I expect you to interface with the relevant parties to complete the project.

Interface : individuals or groups coming together for discussion. This is a noun, in this sentence is used as a verb.

Pursuant : following, or in accordance with. This word is used / should be used in more legal terms or relating to law. 

 relevant : pertinent. Correctly used here, but sometimes overly used. Another synonym could be "appropriate"!

 

3. Our uber publicist cannot seem to relate to the national media and so is creating a dichotomy between our client and the press. National media outreach does not appear to be the publicist’s forte.

uber : it’s a bird! It’s a plan! No, it’s ___________man . This is a German word meaning "super". Mostly used in slang but widely emerging in the Business world now as well. Just be careful not to overuse it!

dichotomy: the chasm you find between Liberals and Conservatives. Although this is a synonym of "division", it just means a lot more. Almost like a "deeper division". Also is a syllable more than "division", so if you are using it in spoken English, think twice!

4. Our sales department has a myriad of problems that are beginning to affect our profits. Please dialogue with the manager there and try to incentivize him and his staff to do a better sales job by paying closer attention to the affective side of persuasion.

affective : relating to the emotional side of a person. Remind students here about the difference between "effective" and "affective".

myriad: a great number. Greek

dialogue : a discussion between two people. Dialogue is better used as a noun. To have a dialogue would be better than using it as a verb as in this case.

incentivize : a made up word that means nothing. this is a corporate jargon, very nicely explained in the Urban Dictionary. Check it out!

 

5. As per your instructions, I am making the office more user-friendly by putting less people in the reception area and creating more viable conditions.

user-friendly : easy to use It's better to use "accomodating" or "comfortable" here. "user-friendly" is better used with programs/equipment/computer related etc.

viable : capable of growth Viable means "able to survive". In this situation, "workable" would be a much better choice of word.

 less : use this with weight or amount Less is used with a non count noun. In this case, you need "fewer".

 

6. A very unique thing occurred to me businesswise; the stock market collapsed and decimated my savings. My adviser said it was ephemeral, however.

decimated : once meant killing every tenth of something

unique : does not take a qualifier because it is the only one of what it is Something which is "unique"is already one of a kind, adding "very" is really not necessary!

ephemeral : passing, short lived