Important Announcement
19 June, 2020 at 1:39 PM
Effective June 19, 2020, ELC is no longer offering year-round programs. This applies to both on-line and on-site programs. We are also no longer an IELTS test center. For 2021, we will continue to offer our Summer Junior Programs at UCLA, Boston University, and UCSB as well as our Adult Summer Campus Program at UCLA.
For more information or to book a summer course for 2021, please contact [email protected]
Important Announcement
19 June, 2020 at 1:39 PM
Effective June 19, 2020, ELC is no longer offering year-round programs. This applies to both on-line and on-site programs. We are also no longer an IELTS test center. For 2021, we will continue to offer our Summer Junior Programs at UCLA, Boston University, and UCSB as well as our Adult Summer Campus Program at UCLA.
For more information or to book a summer course for 2021, please contact [email protected]
Hey, you! Want to chitchat, confab, discuss, talk, or converse?
When was the last time you opened up a thesaurus? Students often reach for their dictionaries or translators when they see a word they don’t know, but the thesaurus is an important and often underused tool. What is a thesaurus? A thesaurus is a reference book that lists words in groups. The words are grouped by similarity of meaning — in other words, all the words in one group have similar definitions. The key word is that they are similar; they may not be exactly the same. There might be subtle differences in meaning, so keeping a dictionary nearby will be valuable [beneficial, helpful, important, useful, worthwhile].
A thesaurus is a wonderful tool for expanding your vocabulary! Try switching out one word for another — the grammar stays the same but your vocabulary grows.
Here are a number of fun synonyms (words that have exactly or almost exactly the same meaning) for everyday words you are already using:
Have a wonderful day! Have a(n) [excellent, fabulous, fantastic, phenomenal, marvelous, sensational] day!
I’m tired. I’m [beat, drained, fatigued, overworked, sleepy, tuckered out].
That was a terrible movie. That was a(n) [appalling, atrocious, disastrous, dreadful, horrible, unpleasant] movie.
I’d be happy to help. I’d be [glad, pleased, thrilled] to help.
Education makes you smart. Education makes you [agile, brainy, bright, crafty, quick, resourceful, sharp, shrewd, wise].
Pick up a thesaurus today and see what new words you might learn!