Good words to use in essays (1 Viewer)

[7minute]

What are some good words to use in essays/assessments that sound intellectual whilst being easily accessable. Post them and their meanings here

Teachers aren't stupid. Generally, sticking "good" words in essays and assessments here and there doesn't work. The teachers figure out that you're putting them in for the sake of it because they don't match up with the manner in which the rest of the work is written. In essays and assessments they are looking to see if you can a) understand a concept or idea and b) convey your understanding of said concept or idea. It'll sound (and read) much better if you just use your own words, which proves to the marker that you understand what you're writing about.

 

[nick1048]

To my knowledge its better to read books and gain vocab that way rather than spam urself with dictionary meanings for one essay. The point your trying to make becomes clouded by jargon and whilst it may look a little better, it will lose substance. Just practise your essays and read more books

 

[roadcone]

ascertain is one of my faves

 

[shannonm]

the floccinaucinihilipilification of this thread is rather imminent

 

[redruM]

quintessential. its great.

we had our whole eng ext class use that word at least once in our essays for our mid year.

 

[xeuyrawp]

It's like teaching people to walk when they don't know how to crawl. But that's not the clincher: they're being taught to walk with their hands.

god you're annoying.

 

[KFunk]

Just incase you think you are smart, youll find at least on a theoretical basis that the dual prefix of anti- and dis- in fact cancel each out leaving you with a rather mundane word.

Just because you're against the seperation of church and state doesn't necessarily mean that you support the establishment

 

[xeuyrawp]

Slide Rule also happens to be a Benefactor, so he's more likely to be listed to than you.

sorry, I didn't know criticism wasn't allowed.

 

[~ ReNcH ~]

Grab a dictionary and learn.

One of my pet hates is pretentious people who use words they don't know the meaning of, just to sound cool.

I suggest you start with dictionary.com's word of the day archives: http://dictionary.reference.com/wordoftheday/archive/

I like to use words I don't the know the definitions of in my essays...it makes me learn them in the first place, or else my essay wouldn't make any sense

 

[Slidey]

I like to use words I don't the know the definitions of in my essays...it makes me learn them in the first place, or else my essay wouldn't make any sense

Oh, no, I have nothing against people learning new words (and again I point you to Dictionary.com's word of the day feature - it is wonderful). However, when people just replace words in their essay with words from a thesaurus without actually checking/knowing what that word means - that bugs me... and teachers.

 

[~ ReNcH ~]

Oh, no, I have nothing against people learning new words (and again I point you to Dictionary.com's word of the day feature - it is wonderful). However, when people just replace words in their essay with words from a thesaurus without actually checking/knowing what that word means - that bugs me... and teachers.

Ah...but the guys who do that generally don't get away with it coz it looks so superficial e.g. "my bro is cool and down wit it, but his swearing is superfluous". Sounds kind of odd... - teachers can pick it up a mile away (as you mentioned)

 

[absolution*]

Steal other peoples work than regurgitate it. That way, theres no need for learning new words or thesaurus'. I love HSC English. Really.

 

[sladehk]

To get high marks in HSC English, my teacher said that you have to impress the marker with your grasp of English vocabulary. To do this just simply write strings of words that are made of really strange and complicated (the harder the better- its better if both you and the examiner don't know the words).

For example, if you were asked to write a sentence on a dog, and it was a 10 mark question:

1-2 mark answer: A four-legged animal
3-5 mark answer: A four legged carnivorous creature
4-7 mark answer: A four legged carnivorous creature that has been domesticated from wild wolves
8-9 mark answer: A four legged carnivorous creature that has been domesticated from wild wolves which has often been referred as "Man's best friend."

(To get the highest marks, you must utilize the most important and complex words man has ever known)
10 mark answer: Canis familiaris, fertal offspring, canine, female form = b*t*h, 1337K9, justf***ingoogleit...

 

[bluesky100]

irony. seriously, english teachers go nuts over that word.

Quite true.
I don't know whether or not HSC English includes 'issues work' as part of the course work, but ... I had a former English teacher tell the class where possible look for 'juxtaposition' as a persuasive technique when analysing things such as articles and use it as the examination markers will be blown away!

 

[Zoltan]

Hippopotomonstrosesquiptaliaphobia.

It's probably not the sort of thing you should use in an essay and I've forgotten what it means (possibly something about a fear of hippos), but it's the longest word in the English language so I thought I'd draw your attention to it.

 

[garry007]

need intellectual words? type your essay and then use either microsoft word thesaurus or another one to scavenge for synonyms

 

[~ ReNcH ~]

Hippopotomonstrosesquiptaliaphobia.

It's probably not the sort of thing you should use in an essay and I've forgotten what it means (possibly something about a fear of hippos), but it's the longest word in the English language so I thought I'd draw your attention to it.

Ironically, it's a fear of long words

 

[DaddyK]

if its something on MS Word; use: shift + F7

the thesaurus; my best friend

haha my cuz can do that backflip thing in ur sig. Sept he does it up tree's.

 

[matt#1]

What are some good words to use in essays/assessments that sound intellectual whilst being easily accessable. Post them and their meanings here

Forget using intellectual words in your essays to get good marks. A better strategy would be to staple a nice $100 note to the back bage of each of your HSC exams...it will guarantee you a band 6 everytime!

 

[company_sin]

http://www.california.com/~rathbone/lexicon.htm