WORKSHEET 1 – DICTIONARY WORK
In all exercises write down which dictionary you used for finding the answer.
1. About how many words are there in English?
a) at least 100,000
b) at least 300,000
c) at least 600,000
2. Find a few synonyms of the word old-fashioned. Underline those with positive
connotation.
3. What are the different ways of pronunciation of the word clerk, squirrel? Which one
is used mainly in American English?
4. What is the difference between the words aperitif, hors d’oeuvre, starter and
appetizer?
5. What is the origin of these words? http://www.etymonline.com/
Madam
Alcohol
Ketchup
Window
Kilt
Monday
December
I
you
they
6.
What does RSVP mean?
7. What is the meaning of these prefixes and suffixes? What happens if you add them to
words? Can you supply examples?
bi-
sub-
half-
-ess
semi-
-hood
pre-
-ship
8.
How would you explain the following:
To be in the red
To take pot luck
To ride the storm
To blow a raspberry
9.
What is the meaning of these new words?
Foodie
Edutainment
Emoticon
couch surfing
tomb stoning
If you want to learn more of these, go to
http://www.macmillandictionary.com/buzzword/recent.html
10. What do these symbols in dictionaries mean?
[U] [C] [T] [I] V+ing V-LINK
PHR-V
IDM
DET
11. Which words collocate with:
honesty, friendship, utter (adj.), sheer
12. Look up in the Visual English Dictionary:

three parts of a violin

how to say zub vidličky in English

find some terminology for your favourite sport and make your colleagues guess which
sport you are referring to