Functional English Unit 4 – Concepts of Vocabulary Building

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, processes, strategies and tense concepts from Unit 4 of BCOM205 Functional English.

Vocabulary

The collection of familiar words a person knows and uses in everyday communication.

Basic Vocabulary

Simple, early-acquired words (often single-meaning nouns, verbs, adjectives) learned in childhood.

High-frequency Vocabulary

Commonly used, multiple-meaning words that appear regularly in daily speech and reading (e.g., “the”).

Low-frequency Vocabulary

Topic-specific words used mainly within a specialised subject area (e.g., meteorology terms for weather).

Prefix

A letter or group of letters added to the beginning of a root word to change its meaning (e.g., un-happy).

Suffix

A letter or group of letters added to the end of a root word to alter its meaning or grammatical function (e.g., happy-ness).

Root Word

The core part of a word that carries its basic meaning, to which prefixes or suffixes can be added.

Compounding

Word-formation process that joins two or more whole words to create a new term (e.g., notebook, superhero).

Blending

Fusion of parts of two words to form one with combined meaning (e.g., brunch = breakfast + lunch).

Conversion

Changing a word’s grammatical category without altering its form (e.g., email (noun) → to email (verb)).

Word Family

A group of words derived from the same root that share related meanings (create, creation, creative).

Word Formation

Processes (prefixes, suffixes, compounding, blending, conversion, etc.) through which new words are created or existing ones are modified.

Synonym

A word with the same or nearly the same meaning as another word (e.g., significant ←→ important).

Antonym

A word with an opposite meaning to another word (e.g., expensive ↔ inexpensive).

Homonym

A general term for words that sound alike or are spelled alike but have different meanings.

Homophone

A type of homonym: words that sound the same but differ in spelling and meaning (bare / bear).

Homograph

A type of homonym: words spelled the same but with different meanings and sometimes pronunciations (tear (rip) / tear (cry)).

Precision in Word Use

The ability to select exactly the right word for a context, conveying subtle shades of meaning accurately.

Reading Widely

Vocabulary-building strategy: engaging with varied texts to encounter new words in context.

Word Lists and Flashcards

Active study tools for recording, reviewing and memorising new vocabulary.

Contextual Learning

Understanding word meanings through the sentences and paragraphs in which they appear.

Thematic Learning

Organising vocabulary study around topics (e.g., technology, emotions) to aid retention.

Word Games and Puzzles

Playful activities (Scrabble, crosswords) that reinforce word meanings and spelling.

Active Use

Practising new vocabulary in speaking and writing to embed it in long-term memory.

Tense

A verb form that shows the time of an action or state (past, present, future).

Simple Present Tense

Describes habitual actions, general truths or present states (e.g., She plays chess).

Simple Past Tense

Expresses completed actions or states in the past (e.g., They visited Delhi).

Simple Future Tense

Indicates actions or states that will occur in the future (e.g., We will travel tomorrow).

Present Continuous Tense

Shows actions happening now or around the present time (e.g., I am reading).

Past Continuous Tense

Describes actions that were in progress at a specific past moment (e.g., She was cooking when I called).

Future Continuous Tense

Indicates actions that will be in progress at a certain future time (e.g., This time tomorrow we will be flying).

Present Perfect Tense

Links past actions to the present or shows experiences (e.g., I have finished my homework).

Past Perfect Tense

Shows an action completed before another past action (e.g., They had left when we arrived).

Future Perfect Tense

Expresses an action that will be completed before a specified future time (e.g., By June I will have graduated).

Present Perfect Continuous

Emphasises duration of an action that began in the past and continues now (e.g., She has been studying for two hours).

Past Perfect Continuous

Indicates duration of an action ongoing before another past event (e.g., He had been driving for hours before the rest).

Future Perfect Continuous

Shows duration of an action continuing up to a future point (e.g., By May, I will have been working here for ten years).

Common Error: Present Perfect vs. Simple Past

Mistake of using present perfect with finished past time (Incorrect: I have visited Paris last summer → Correct: I visited Paris last summer).

Common Error: Misusing Present Continuous

Using present continuous for permanent states (Incorrect: I am having a car → Correct: I have a car).

Common Error: Past Continuous vs. Simple Past

Failing to show an ongoing past action before an interruption (Incorrect: I played tennis when she called → Correct: I was playing tennis when she called).

Common Error: Sequence of Tenses

Mixing verb times improperly in complex sentences (Incorrect: She said she will come → Correct: She said she would come).

Common Error: Present Perfect Continuous Misuse

Using ‘have been + -ing’ with stative verbs (Incorrect: I have been knowing him for five years → Correct: I have known him for five years).