SAT preparation, how to improve my vocabulary?
I mean what type of books should I read?
I’m trying to read some subjects in the encyclopedia but I don’t know if that is useful, any advices please?
14 Responses
redhotsillypeppe
29 Jan 2010
TheLizard
29 Jan 2010
Just read. The best way to build your vocabulary is to read… anything will do… but if you’re preparing for your SAT then I’d say you’re pretty much screwed. Have fun with the Encyclopedia.
AlphaOne_
29 Jan 2010
Hum. Try history and historical novel; politics and journalism. Those, IIRC, are among the regular things that come up. Also, biographies of prominent world figures.
chryssy
29 Jan 2010
My advice:
Stop listening or following the people who run our country..i.e. George W. Bush, Arnold Schwarzenegger whatever he is.
LastNerveLost
29 Jan 2010
what’s another word for "thesaurus"
start there!
dimples
29 Jan 2010
How much time do you have to prepare?
Get a good dictionary and set a goal to read and learn 10 new words a day (or more). Write them down in a notebook each day as you go through them. On each successive day, review the ones from the previous day. As you start to remember the words, check them so you don’t have to focus on them every day following. Review all words done each month whether they are checked or not. Good luck.
Lucas!
29 Jan 2010
I recommend the dictionary. A bit verbose, but a good read nonetheless.
dada
29 Jan 2010
A teacher of mine used to force us read dictionaries every morning in class just to improve our vocabularies. Maybe you can try doing this by reading a page or two in a dictionary. Try to remember the words and its meanings. And maybe used some of it once in a while. Maybe you can even used it as a night time kind of thing.
kishan
29 Jan 2010
i think to improve ur vocab…..u should read as many good novels as u can..bcoz it will really help u in the longer run.
MJQ
29 Jan 2010
Read quality magazines that specialise in world events, business, or science. Read articles at BBC’s web site–they tend to use a more elaborate vocabulary than most news web sites. Listen to BBC radio broadcasts. Worst thing you can do is copy the spelling and grammar of many of the people participating at Yahoo Answers.
feeshbulb
29 Jan 2010
well, of course reading novels is a great way to learn vocabulary over the course of a lifetime, but if you are studying for an upcoming test, the best thing to do is to study vocabulary from vocabulary books. these specialized books can be found in teacher’s supply stores, Borders and Barnes & Noble. Some are better than others, so page through them first to check them out. Also, any SAT test prep book has large sections on vocab and practice tests. I would dedcicate some time just for reading literature, which will help you become more aware of many words written in context, and some time just drilling the vocab words from the study guides.
Vinny
29 Jan 2010
Hi THERE,
Well- building a good vocab is a process and not something you can do overnight. I suggest that you start reading good newspapers- NOT TABLOIDS! Read their EDITORIAL sections.
Also read good magazines – like Time.
I would highly recommend is that you SUBSCRIBE to READER’S DIGEST. (http://www.rd.com/) It is the ONE magazine that has phenomenal English and carries in each issue a LANGUAGE section where you can test and enhance your vocab.
Also invest in a DIGITAL DICTIONARY (http://www.franklin.com/) and keep it and a notebook close by when you are reading, make it a point to read at least 1 hour a day and learn 5-10 new words with their meanings, spellings and pronunciation!
I hope it helps!
Cheer$
eliz
29 Jan 2010
here’s a general SAT tip that might help you, but the week before your test, take several of the full-length practice tests. i took one each day starting 7 days before the test. that way when the day comes, it will feel like second nature…don’t read MUCH more than usual…you don’t wanna stress youself out and fill your brain with mush. afterall, what are the odds that you will come across and remember the same words that show up on your SAT? spend your time familiarizing yourself with the format of the test. once you master that, you will see that all SAT questions are really the same and it’s not about memorizing crap, it’s about logic
sksogang
29 Jan 2010
Read a lot of classics, Atlantic Monthly magazine, The New Yorker, The Wall St. Journal and the Economist.
Read serious literature, like Nabakov. And non-fiction. The encyclopedia is a great idea.