The document discusses various aspects of word choice and meaning, including dictionaries, thesauruses, word roots and parts of speech. It also covers idioms, phrasal verbs, slang, regionalisms, jargon, figurative language, and cliches. The purpose is to explain how to understand words and choose them effectively.

1. Martin gonzalez
Andrés Rivas
English composition

2. INTRODUCTION
• What word choice means:

3. THE DICTIONARY AND THE
THESAURUS
 dictionary
 an unabridged:
 An adbridged:

4. THE THESAURUS
• A thesaurus lists synonyms for each entry. Many
thesauruses list antonyms as well.

5. WHAT’S IN A DICTIONARY ENTRY?

6. WHAT’S IN A DICTIONARY ENTRY?
• The entry word
• Pronunciation
• Parts of speech labels
• Inflected forms
• The derivation
• Definitions
• Synonyms and antonyms
• Usage labels
• Usage notes

7. WORDS AND THEIR MEANINGS
• ROOTS, PREFIXES, AND SUFFIXES: Roots, prefixes
and suffixes provide substancial clues to a word’s
meaning. A root is a base word, or part of a word, from
which other words are formed: mile in the word
mileage.
A prefix is a group of letters attached to the
beggining of a root that changes its meaning: un- in
unfinished.
A suffix is a group of letters attached to the end of a
root: -age in mileage.

8. WORDS AND THEIR MEANINGS
 Denotations and connotations: the denotation
of a word is its direct, literal meaning. Fragance,
odor, and smell denote the same thing: a
perception detected by your olfatory sense. But the
associations the words bring to mind differ. “You
have a ´distinct fragance” is quite different
from“You have a distinct odor”. Fragance suggests a
pleasant smell; odor suggets an unpleasant one.
The associated or indirect meaning of a word is its
connotation.

10. IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS
 Why do we ride in a car but on a bus? Why do we take a
picture but make a recording? These speech patterns are
called idioms. Sometimes idiomatic patterns do not follow
rules of logic or grammar, so it’s easy tu misuse one you are
not familiar with.
A preposition such as at, by, for, out, or to shows a
relationship between a noun or a pronoun and other words
in the sentence. The only guide to the correct use of
prepositions with nouns and verbs and in standard
expressions about time and space is to learn the
conventional idioms.

11. WORD ORDER WITH PHRASAL
VERBS
 A phrasal verb consists of a verb plus a particle– a
word such as on, up, by or through. Both the verb and
the particle are needed to convey the full meaning of
the phrasal verb: put on, give up, get by, muddle
through.

12. WORD ORDER WITH PHRASAL
VERBS
 Intrasitive phrasal verbs: These phrasal verbs do not
take a direct object..
The particle for such a phrasal verb should always
come directly after the verb.
EX: The stray dog came back the next day.

13. WORD ORDER WITH PHRASAL VERBS
 Transitive phrasal verbs: these phrasal verbs can take a
direct object.
 EX: WHEN I LOOK INTO YOUR EYES, I CAN SEE HOW
MUCH YOU LOVE ME . CORRECT
 WHEN I LOOK YOUR EYES INTO, I CAN SEE HOW
MUCH YOU LOVE ME. INCORRECT

14. SLANGS, REGIONALISMS, AND
COLLOQUIALISMS
 Slangs: very informal language that is usually spoken
rather than written, used especially by particular
groups of people.
 Slang is the use of informal words and expressions
that are not considered standard in the
speaker's language or dialect but are considered more
acceptable when used socially.

15. SLANGS, REGIONALISMS, AND
COLLOQUIALISMS
 Regionalisms are expressions in one part of the
country, but not common elsewhere. The name for a
carbonated beverage for example varies from pop to
soda to soda drink to seltzer.
 Colloquialisms are expression common to spoken
language but seldom used in formal writing.

16. JARGONS
 Jargon is terminology which is especially defined
in relationship to a specific activity, profession,
group, or event.
Examples: RAM, bit, byte, CPU, and hexadecimal ar
e jargon terms related to computing.

17. Figurative Language
 figurative language is a distinction in traditional
systems for analyzing language.

18. CLICHÉS
 A cliché is an expression, idea, or element of an
artistic work which has been overused to the point of
losing its original meaning or effect, especially when at
some earlier time it was considered meaningful or
novel.
 EX: I've taken everything but nothing seems to do
me any good.
 Live and learn.