Tag: VOCABULARY

Let’s talk about money

teacherjulieta2 Comments

Money has different names depending on the context. Below there is a list with synonyms, slang and idiomatic expressions to talk about money.

Other words for money are:

alimony: money given to one spouse by the other for support after a legal separation or divorce

bill: a piece of paper money

bribe: money or favor given or promised in order to influence the judgment or conduct of a person in a position of trust

cash: ready money

check: a written order directing a bank to pay money as instructed

debt: money that needs to be paid in return for something received

dowry: money, goods or properties that a man or woman brings to her wife or husband in marriage

donation: money or gifts given to charity or public institutions

fee: money paid for a service

fine: a sum of money imposed as punishment for an offense

fund: a sum of money or other resources whose principal or interest is set apart for a specific objective

loan: money lent at interest

ransom: money demanded for the release of someone or something from captivity

salary: fixed amount of money paid to someone for regularly their work or services

tax: money imposed by authority on persons or property for public purposes

tip: a sum of money given for a service performed. It’s a synonym of gratuity

wage: money that is paid for labor or services usually according to contract and on an hourly, daily, or piecework basis

Money slang:

money slang

bucks: dollars

dough: money in general

chip in: to contribute, to pay for a part of something

cough up: pay or spend an amount of money that you would prefer not to

loaded: wealthy, having a lot of money

it’s on me: the person speaking will pay the whole amount

splurge: spend money freely with no remorse usually on things that you do not need

Canadian Slang:

loonie: one-dollar coin

toonie: two-dollar coin

Expressions with money:

Money talks

A penny saved is a penny earned: it is as useful to save money that you already have as it is to earn more

Money doesn’t grow on trees: it requires effort to earn money and it is limited so you must be careful how you spend it

Money makes the world go round: money is extremely important so many ordinary events could not happen without it

Money talks: money gives power and influence to those who possess it

Want to practice pronunciation? Download the vocabulary worksheet with audio

DOWNLOAD PRONUNCIATION PRACTICE

Speaking Practice

How to learn new words easily using word families

teacherjulieta6 Comments

If you want to improve your English it is critical that you have a rich vocabulary. Among other skills, the ability to identify word meanings is extremely important if you want to speak fluently.

Here I am going to share five tips that will help you remember new words and their meanings easily.

Tip # 1

Identify the part of speech of the words you learn. Along with the writing or pronunciation patterns, learning the part of speech can help you remember words and create sentences more easily. The part of speech indicates how the word functions in meaning as well as grammatically within the sentence. Nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs are examples of parts of speech.

Tip # 2

Organize your vocabulary by word families. A word family is a group of words that have a common pattern. Words that belong to the same family have the same combination of letters or a particular sound.  They are an excellent tool to learn and remember words.

Tip # 3

Look for other words that belong to the same family. Most online dictionaries display a list with nearby words or other entries for the word. Look for those entries to find out other words that belong to the same family.

(source: McMillan Essential Dictionaries Magazine, Issue 14, December 2003)

Tip # 4

Write down in your notebook all the words that belong to the same word family. Graphic word organizers are the best. You can draw a table in your notebook or download a super cool word organizer that I have created specially for my students.

Download word organizer

Example of word families + parts of speech

Part of the speech  families  
nounactionbeautydecisionsuccesstolerance
verbactbeautifydecidesucceedtolerate
adjectiveactivebeautifuldecisivesuccessfultolerant
adverbactivelybeautifullydecisivelysuccessfullytolerably

Tip # 5

Write your own examples using each of the words that you add to your notebook or word organizer. It is crucial that you understand the meaning and how to use each word that you learn.

It seems like a lot of work. However, in the long run it will pay off; specially if you are planning to take the IELTS, TOEFL, CELPIP or any Cambridge test.

Challenge

Let’s practice. Complete the sentences below using the correct word from the table above.

  1. “_____________ is in the eye of the beholder” ~Shakespeare (hint: noun)
  2. Although Maria has been looking for a new job _________, she hasn’t ___________ yet.  (hint: adverb, verb)
  3. John is a very ___________ person. He exercises every day. (hint: adjective)
  4. What’s you final _____________? Are you going to buy the detached house in the suburbs or the condo downtown? (hint: noun)
  5. I’m not going to _______________ such disrespectful behavior! (hint: verb)