How to Enrich Your English Language Vocabulary

Following are the steps to enrich your english language vocabulary,

1. Love words. You have to really want to learn new vocabulary if you're going to succeed.

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2. 
   
   Look up words you don't know whenever you encounter them. After encountering and looking up a word several times, you should eventually be able to remember its definition.
3. 
   
   Use a Thesaurus. A thesaurus is a great resource which enables you to know the more advanced equivalent of basic english words.
4. 
   
   There are many computer programs and websites that have ways of giving you a short "Word of the Day" list with new words every day. Try going to www.dictionary.com. Scroll down and click on "Get the Word of the Day e-mail". If you enter all of the required information, you will get a new e-mail every day with a word, its definition, and an example usage sentence.
5. 
   
   Get a personalized Google homepage and click on "Add Content". Search for "word of the day" in the search box, and pick some of the content choices that you'd like to have on your homepage. The author recommends Merriam-Webster (www.m-w.com), Dictionary.com, and Wordsmith.org. When you log on to your homepage, there will be a list of new words every day.
6. 
   
   Read. Read all genres of books. When you come across a word you don't know, read the sentences around the word and try to figure out what it means from the context. Check your guess with a dictionary. This doesn't mean you should start reading medical textbooks or other books with lots of new words on every page. Set aside time each day to sit down with your book. Enjoy yourself!
7. 
   
   Play word games with friends. Try Boggle, Scrabble, or Catch-Phrase. There are so many great games out there to teach you new words. If a friend comes up with a word that you don't know, ask them what it means.
8. 
   
   Use the words you learn when you're talking to people or writing letters or e-mail. Using your new vocabulary is not only fun, but a great way to remember all these new words. Try to use at least three new words a day when communicating with anyone.
9. 
   
   Learn roots, prefixes, and suffixes. Many words in the English language come from Latin or Greek words. When you combine these Latin or Greek words, you get new words in English. For example: astro ("astron" meaning "star") + logy (logos meaning "speech") = astrology (meaning "telling of the stars"). Buy an etymological dictionary (meaning "a dictionary of word origins").
10. 
    
    If you learn any romance language (eg: French, Spanish, Italian), or Latin or Ancient Greek, these will help you immensely with improving your vocabulary, especially the two ancient languages here because so many complicated English words are derived from words that are simple and commonly used in them.
11. 
    
    Find a friend who speaks English. It's good to practice using your new words. With a web connection, your conversation partner does not need to live near you. You can email, chat, and even phone each other using your computers. A friend who understands that you are learning can help you practice, use new words in your conversations, and offer you advice. Since talking to a friend is fun, it won't feel like work! If your friend wants to learn your language, too, it will be easier for both of you to understand each other's mistakes.
12. 
    
    Listen to the radio, watch television, or find a podcast that you like in English, and practice understanding the language when spoken, too.

How to Use "A" and "An" Correctly

It can be a little confusing to figure out where "A" and "An" are used. Here is the proper way to use them.

Note: A and An rules may differ in different countries. These rules are based in America and may or may not apply elsewhere

Steps

 Use the following rules when using 'A' or 'An'.

1.          Use "A" before all words that begin with consonants.

• a pet
• a door
• a green onion
• a cat

 2.         With one exception: Use an before unsounded h.

• an honorable peace
• an honest error

3.         Use "An" before all words that begin with vowels:

• an apple
• an elbow
• an Indian

4.        With four exceptions: When u makes the same sound as the y in you, or o makes the same sound as w in won, then a is used. Also, when eu makes the same sound as y, or when e by itself makes the same sound as y, then likewise use a.

• a union
• a united front
• a unicorn
• a used napkin
• a U.S. ship
• a one-legged man
• a European trip
• a ewe lamb

How to Use Question Marks Correctly

Although the question mark is one of the easiest punctuation symbols to use in writing, it's easy to misuse it. In part, this may be due to to trying to make it work harder when it doesn't need to be used, or it just might be because it's not well understood that not all question type statements need a question mark. After reading this article though, you'll be much the wiser on knowing how to use a question mark correctly. But you knew that, didn't you?
 

Steps

1.         Note the point of using a question mark. The primary purpose of a question mark is to indicate that the sentence is a question. It's also useful for demonstrating surprise, skepticism, uncertainty, and the unknown.

2.         Use the question mark as an indicator of interrogation. At its most basic, if you're asking a direct question awaiting an answer, you need a question mark:

• How is your sore throat?
• Are the roses wilting?
• When will you be home?
• What is the name of the company you work for?
• Where were you on the night of February 14, 2007?
• Who were you with?
• What were you doing?
• How are question marks supposed to be used?
• Why do people think that rhetorical questions don't end with a question mark?
• Use the question mark for incomplete questions too, such as: "Huh? Really? No joke?

3.         Use question marks for rhetorical questions. Although it is sometimes assumed that rhetorical questions don't require a question mark, they do. In the sentence, "Isn't that ironic?, for example, an exclamation mark could be used instead, to emphasize the speaker's surprise. Here are some examples of rhetorical questions requiring the interrogation point:

• Are you kidding me?
• How should I know?
• What's the use?
• Who cares?

4.         Know how to insert question marks into a sentence. The question mark can be used within a sentence (not just at the end of it) if wished, although you might prefer to use commas and leave the question mark for the end of the sentence – it's your choice, as both ways are correct. For example, take the situation of someone leaving their house in a hurry before a disaster and wondering what they might have time to take with them. The sentence could be written both of the following ways, noting that the second way provides a lot more emphasis:

• Would I have time to take my car, my horse, my photo album, my laptop, my favorite clothes and jewelry?
• Would I have time to take my car? my horse? my photo album? my laptop? my favorite clothes and jewelry? Note that you do not need capital letters as it remains one sentence. In this sentence, the question marks are known as "interrupters" and either emphasize each of the separate question fragments, or show the close-linked nature of them

5.         Use a question mark to show doubt or uncertainty. If there is something stated in a sentence that is unknown, it is appropriate to highlight this fact using a question mark. This is useful for writing up meeting notes, birth and death dates where they are unknown or unverifiable, making editor's notes, etc. Use parentheses, use sparingly, and only use in the right context, such as about a point of fact. Here are some examples:

• Fred was a feisty sailor (? - 1686). Note that this type of question mark is not an end point, hence the need for a period if you say: Fred was born in 1625 (?).
• His ancestor (Fred Barnstar?) was a feisty sailor who died in 1686.
• Mr Barnstar said he'd pay the council (?) dollars to remove the offending graffiti from his garage door, even though he thought it was already covered by his taxes.
• Editor's note: "The cat was able to regurgitate a (?) onto the floor."

6.        Use question marks in titles where the phrase is only completed by the question mark. For example: "How to Watch Do You Want to Be a Millionaire?

7.        Introduce a question into a longer sentence. Sometimes it's appropriate to introduce a question within a long sentence. Simply use a comma and start the question fragment with a capital letter:

• The question was, What was I to do with a rotten apple?
• I asked, "What am I supposed to do with a rotten apple?" This is the best construction for the introduction of a quote.
• Where the introduction is a complete sentence, it's better to use a colon instead – The question I asked my teacher was this: How should I use a rotten apple?

8.           Avoid misuse of question marks. There are occasions where the use of the question mark might seem appropriate but isn't correct. A question mark is not used when asking someone to do something, or to make requests. In the book "Punctuation Pointers", Maxwell Nurnberg states: "We do not use the question mark when we are merely making a request or when we expect no answer." Here are some examples where it's essential to avoid misusing a question mark:

• Where the question asked is indirect, namely it implies a question instead of expressing it, or describes a question without actually asking it directly, there is no need for a question mark. For example:
  • We may expect word from you shortly.
  • He asked me why I was no longer skydiving.
  • She asked if she could leave her gift at the door.
• Where it is a courtesy question, general practice tends to drop the question mark. Note, however, that these kinds of sentences (namely, requests in the form of a question) occur much more frequently in speech than in writing. Question marks, of course, don't apply to speech, except when it's transcribed. For example:
  • Would you please send us a duplicate copy of that invoice.
  • Will you please read the transcript back to me.
  • May we have the pleasure of hearing from you soon.
  • Can I please look at that book.
• Avoid using more than one question mark unless you're texting or actively seeking to drive your reader up the proverbial wall. While writing "Don't you like popular people?????" seems emphatic, it's incorrect for all but the most informal of writing.

How to Use Apostrophes

The rules for apostrophes vary with the type of word. Here's how to use apostrophes so that your writing is clear and short.

Steps

Using Possessive Apostrophes

1.         Use an apostrophe to indicate ownership by a proper noun. An apostrophe with an "s" after a proper noun telegraphs that person, place or organization owns whatever noun follows his or her name. For example, "Mary's lemons". We know the lemons belong to Mary because of the " 's. Other examples include "China's foreign policy" and "the orchestra's conductor.

• When someone's name ends with an "s," it is acceptable to use an apostrophe without an "s" to show ownership. For example, "Isis' temple." If you don't like how the s-less apostrophe looks, rework the order to be something like "the temple of Isis."
• Be careful about applying ownership to certain proper nouns. While "Sunday's football game" is acceptable in conversation, it's not technically correct grammar - because Sunday isn't a person or an organization, it's incapable of ownership. Instead, substitute "the football game on Sunday."

2.        Don't use an apostrophe to indicate ownership when using "it". "China's foreign policy" is correct, but say your reader already knows you're talking about China, and you start referring to the country as "it." If you were to reference something China owned in this way, you'd say "its foreign policy." The reason for this is to avoid confusion between "its" used for possession and "it's" used as a contraction of "it is." If you're not sure whether to use an apostrophe or not, try saying the sentence with "it is" or "it has." If it doesn't make sense (the way that "it is foreign policy" cannot substitute for "China's foreign policy"), then drop the apostrophe.

3.        Use apostrophes to indicate ownership by a plural noun. One common trip-up on apostrophe usage for a plural group occurs when people want to discuss what a family owns. For instance, say the Smart family lives across the street from you and owns a boat. The boat is "the Smarts' boat," not "the Smart's boat." Because you are talking about all of the members of the Smart family, you would start with "Smarts." Because all the Smarts (presumably) own the boat, you add the apostrophe after the "s."

• If the family's last name ends in "s," make it plural before adding an apostrophe. For instance, if you wanted to discuss the Williams family, they would become "the Williamses" in a plural sense. If you wanted to reference their dog, you'd say "the Williamses' dog." If the last name seems awkward to say that way, sidestep the issue by saying "the Williams family" and "the Williams family's dog."
• If you're listing who owns an object, know where to put the apostrophe. For instance, if both John and Mary own a cat, you would write "John and Mary's cat" - not "John's and Mary's cat." "John and Mary" is a cohesive noun phrase, and therefore only needs one apostrophe.

Avoiding Apostrophes for Plurals

1.       In general, don't use an apostrophe to indicate a plural. The wrong use of an apostrophe to form the plural is called the greengrocer's apostrophe, since grocers are often the worst (or at least the most visible) offenders. If you have more than one apple, then write apples, not apple's. An occasional exception to this use is in the case of making a single letter plural. Therefore, Why are there so many i's in the word "indivisibility"? is correct, depending on who you ask. This is simply for clarity reasons, so the reader does not mistake it for the word "is." However, in modern usage, the preference is to avoid inserting an apostrophe and instead surround the single letter in quotation marks before pluralizing it: Why are there so many "I"s in the word "indivisibility"?

2.         Know how to use apostrophes for acronyms and years. Say you use an acronym for a noun, like CD. To make CD plural, use "CDs," not CD's." The same logic goes for years - instead of writing "Spandex was popular in the 1980's," use "1980s." The only time an apostrophe should be used in a year is if it's standing in for omitted numbers. For instance, if you wanted to shorten the year 2005, you could write '05. In this case, the apostrophe is essentially acting like it does in a contraction and serving as shorthand.

Using Apostrophes in Contractions

 1.        Use apostrophes in contractions. Sometimes, especially in informal writing, apostrophes are used to indicate one or more missing letters. For example, the word "don't" is short for "do not"; other examples include "isn't," "wouldn't," and "can't." Contractions can also be made with the verbs "is," "has," and "have." For example, we can write "She's going to school" instead of "She is going to school"; or "He's lost the game" instead of "He has lost the game."

2.        Be aware of the its/it's trap. Use an apostrophe with the word "it" only when you want to indicate a contraction for "it is" or "it has." It is a pronoun, and pronouns have their own possessive form that does not use an apostrophe. For example, "That noise? It's just the dog eating its bone." This may seem confusing, but it follows the same pattern as other possessive pronouns: his, hers, its, yours, ours, theirs.

How to Use English Punctuation Correctly

Would you like to write a great paper for one of your classes? Maybe you need to submit a polished, impeccable proposal to your boss. If so, it will help to know proper usage of punctuation.

1.         Full Stop
End your sentences with a period (full stop), question mark, or exclamation point (exclamation mark or shout mark).

• Use the period (full stop) to denote a full stop at the end of a statement. The period ( . ) is one of the most commonly used punctuation marks.
  • The accessibility of the computer has increased tremendously over the past several years.
• The question mark ( ? ), used at the end of a sentence, suggests an interrogatory remark or inquiry.
  • What has humanity done about the growing concern of global warming?
• The exclamation point (exclamation mark, shout mark)( ! ) suggests excitement or emphasis in a sentence.
  • I can't believe how difficult the exam was!

2.       Use the semicolon and colon properly.

• The semicolon ( ; ) has a few uses.
  • Use a semicolon to separate two related but independent clauses. Note that, if the two clauses are very wordy or complex, it is better to use a period (full stop) instead.
    • People continue to worry about the future; our failure to conserve resources has put the world at risk.
  • Use a semicolon to separate a complex series of items, especially those that contain commas.
    • I went to the show with Jake, my close friend; his friend, Jane; and her best friend, Jenna.
• The colon ( : ) has multiple uses.
  • Use the colon to introduce a list. Be careful not to use a colon when denoting a regular series. Usually, the word following suggests the use of a colon. Use only after a full sentence which ends in a noun.
    • The professor has given me three options: to retake the exam, to accept the extra credit assignment, or to fail the class.
    • INCORRECT - The Easter basket contained: Easter eggs, chocolate rabbits, and other candy.

3.      Understand the differences between a hyphen and a dash.

• The hyphen ( - ) was once a common punctuation mark on typewriters, when a long word might have been split between two lines. The hyphen is still used in a number of other areas:
  • Use a hyphen when adding a prefix to some words. The purpose of this hyphen is to make the word easier to read. If you were to leave the hyphen out of a word like re-examine, it would be reexamine, which would be harder to read. Understand that some words do not require a hyphen to separate the prefix from the word, such as restate, pretest, and undo. Let a dictionary be your guide for when to use the hyphen after a prefix.
    When you use a hyphen, the two words have to rely on each other. Example: re-arrange.
    • Cara is his ex-girlfriend.
  • Use hyphens when creating compound words from separate words.
    • The up-to-date newspaper reporters were quick to jump on the latest scandal.
  • Use a hyphen when writing numbers out as words. Separate the two words of any number under one hundred with a hyphen.
    • There are fifty-two playing cards in a deck. ("The amount is one hundred and eighty" is a common error in the US and Canada, where the "and" is usually omitted. Elsewhere in the English-speaking world, however, the "and" is usually included.)
      • Be careful with spelling out numbers above one hundred — if the number is used as an adjective, it is completely hyphenated, since all compound adjectives are hyphenated (This is the one-hundredth episode.). Otherwise, a hyphen should only occur if a number greater than 100 occurs within the larger number, e.g., He lived to be one hundred twenty-one.
• The dash ( -- or — ) should be used when making a brief interruption within a statement, a sudden change of thought, an additional comment, or a dramatic qualification. It can also be used to add a parenthetical statement, such as for further clarification, but should still be relevant to the sentence. Otherwise, use parentheses. Keep in mind that the rest of the sentence should still flow naturally. Try to remove the statement within the dash from the sentence; if the sentence appears disjointed or does not make sense, then you may need to revise. There should be spaces before and after the dash in British English.
  • An introductory clause is a brief phrase that comes — yes, you guessed it — at the beginning of a sentence.
  • This is the end of our sentence — or so we thought.

4.        Use the double quotation mark and single quotation mark/apostrophe for different purposes. 

• The double quotation ( " ) encloses a direct quotation, whether made by a person or taken from a piece of literature.
  • "I can't wait to see him perform!" John exclaimed.
  • According to the article, the value of the dollar in developing nations is "strongly influenced by its aesthetic value, rather than its face value."
• The single quotation mark or apostrophe ( ' ) has a variety of uses.
  • Use the apostrophe together with the letter s to indicate possession. Be aware of the difference in using an apostrophe with singular or plural nouns. A singular noun will use 's, whereas the plural version of that singular noun will use s'. Also, be mindful of nouns that are always considered to be plural, such as children and people — here, you should use 's.
    Be aware of pronouns that are already possessive and do not require apostrophes, such as hers and its (it's is used only for the contractions of it is and it has). Their is possessive without apostrophe or s, except as a predicate adjective, where it becomes theirs.
    • The hamster's water tube needs to be refilled.
      • A singular noun with possession.
    • In the pet store, the hamsters' bedding needed to be changed.
      • A pluralized singular noun with possession.
    • These children's test scores are the highest in the nation.
      • A plural noun with possession.
    • Friends of hers explained it's her idea, not theirs, to refill the hamster's water tube and change its bedding.
      • Possessive pronouns (hers, theirs, its), contraction of it is, and a singular noun with possession.
  • Use the apostrophe to combine two words to make a contraction. For example, cannot becomes can't, you are becomes you're, and they have becomes they've.
    Be sure to use correctly possessive pronoun your and contraction you're — it is one of the most common mistakes to confuse them!
  • Use the single quotation mark within a regular quotation to indicate a quotation within a quotation.
    • Ali said, "Anna told me, 'I wasn't sure if you wanted to come!'"
  • Note that an apostrophe is not used with s to make a plural noun from a singular. This is a very common mistake and should be avoided.
    • CORRECT - apple → apples
    • INCORRECT - apple → apple's

5.       Indicate a break or pause within a sentence with the comma ( , ).

This is another commonly used punctuation mark. There are several instances where you might use a comma.

• Use the comma when denoting an appositive, or a break within a sentence that supplements and adds information to the subject.
  • Bill Gates, CEO of Microsoft, is the developer of the operating system known as Windows.
• Use the comma when denoting a series. This is a set of three or more "list" items within a sentence. Many writers omit the last comma as "and" is also a connective ("The basket contained apples, bananas and oranges.").
  • The fruit basket contained apples, bananas, and oranges.
  • The computer store was filled with video games, computer hardware and other electronic paraphernalia.
• Use a comma if your subject has two or more adjectives describing it. This is somewhat similar to a series, except that it is incorrect to place a comma after the final adjective.
  • CORRECT - The powerful, resonating sound caught our attention.
  • INCORRECT - The powerful, resonating, sound caught our attention.
• Use a comma when referring to a city and state. It is also necessary to use a comma to separate the city and state from the rest of the sentence.
  • I am originally from Ventnor, NJ.
  • Los Angeles, CA, is one of the largest cities in the United States.
• Use a comma to separate an introductory phrase (which is usually one or more prepositional phrases) from the rest of the sentence. An introductory phrase briefly introduces the sentence, but is not part of the sentence's subject or predicate, and it therefore should be separated from the main clause by a comma.
  • After the show, John and I went out to dinner.
  • On the back of my couch, my cat's claws have slowly been carving a large hole.
• Use the comma to separate two independent clauses. Having two independent clauses in a sentence simply means that you can split the sentence into two. If your sentence contains two independent clauses that are separated by a conjunction (such as and, as, but, for, nor, so, or yet), place a comma before the conjunction.
  • Ryan went to the beach yesterday, but he forgot his sunscreen.
  • Water bills usually rise during the summer, as people are thirstier during hot and humid days.
• Use a comma when making a direct address. When calling one's attention by name, separate the person's name and the rest of the statement with a comma. Note that this kind of comma is used rarely in writing, because this is something that we do normally while speaking.
  • Amber, could you come here for a moment?
• Use a comma to separate direct quotations. A comma should come after the last word before a quotation that is being introduced. It is not necessary to use a comma in an indirect quote. A comma is usually not necessary if you are not quoting an entire statement.
  • While I was at his house, John asked me if I wanted anything to eat.
    • An indirect quotation that does not require a comma.
  • While I was at his house, John asked, "Do you want anything to eat?"
    • A direct quotation.
  • According to the client, the lawyer was "lazy and incompetent."
    • A partial direct quotation that does not require a comma.

6.        Understand the difference between parentheses, brackets, and braces.

• Use parentheses ( ( ) ) to clarify, to place an afterthought, or to add a personal comment. Be sure to include the period after the closing parenthesis, except in the case that the entire sentence is within parentheses.
  • Steve Case (AOL's former CEO) resigned from the Time-Warner board of directors in 2005.
    • Used for clarification. Here, commas can replace the parentheses.
  • You will need a flashlight for the camping trip (don't forget the batteries!).
    • An afterthought. Note that the period (full stop) follows the last parentheses — not before the first. Also note that replacing the parentheses with a comma may not be entirely suitable here, and is better off with a period or a semicolon.
  • Most grammarians believe that parentheses and commas are always interchangeable (I disagree).
    • A personal comment.
• Use brackets ( [ ] ) to signify an editor's note in a regular piece of writing. You can also use brackets to clarify or to revise a direct quote so that it appeals to your own writing. Brackets are often used to encompass the word "sic" (Latin for thus), suggesting that the previous word or phrase was written "as is", with the error intended to be displayed.
  • "[The blast] was absolutely devastating," said Susan Smith, a local bystander at the scene of the incident.
    • "It was absolutely devastating!" – the actual quote by Susan Smith.
• Braces ( { } ) are most widely used in denoting a numeric set in mathematics. Though generally uncommon, braces can also be used in regular writing to indicate a set of equal, independent choices.
  • { 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 }
  • Choose your favorite utensil { fork, knife, spoon } and bring it to me.

7.      Know how to use the slash ( / ).

• Use the slash to separate and and or, when appropriate. The phrase and/or suggests that a series of options are not mutually exclusive.
  • To register, you will need your driver's license and/or your birth certificate.
• The slash is used when quoting lyrics and poetry to denote a line break. Be sure to add spaces between your slashes here.
  • Row, row, row your boat / Gently down the stream. / Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, / Life is but a dream.
• The slash can replace the word and to join two nouns. By replacing and with a slash, you suggest that there is equal importance to both characteristics. Use these replacements in moderation to place greater emphasis where and may not do so — as well as not to confuse the reader. You can also do the same for or, as in his/her. However, you should not use the slash to separate independent clauses, as shown below.
  • CORRECT
    "The student and part-time employee has very little free time." →
    "The student/part-time employee has very little free time."
  • INCORRECT
    "Do you want to go to the grocery store, or would you prefer to go to the mall?" →
    "Do you want to go to the grocery store / would you prefer to go to the mall?"

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