Thursday, July 31, 2008

Commonly Overused Words (C-E)

As promised, here is the list of commonly overused words starting with C, D and E. And I trust that this will be of great help to you and your students in expressing yourselves clearly, correctly and precisely.
  • CAUSE origin, stimulus, inspiration, motive
  • CERTAIN unquestionable, incontrovertible, unmistakable, indubitable, assured, confident
  • CHANGE alter, transform, vary, replace, diversify
  • CHOOSE select, elect, nominate, prefer, identify
  • DESCENT respectable, adequate, fair, suitable
  • DEFINITELY unquestionably, clearly, precisely, positively, inescapably
  • EASY effortless, natural, comfortable, undemanding, pleasant, relaxed
  • EFFECTIVE powerful, successful
  • EMPHASIZE underscore, feature, accentuate
  • END limit, boundary, finish, conclusion, finale, resolution
  • ENERGY vitality, vigor, force, dynamism
  • ENJOY savor, relish, revel, benefit
  • ENTIRE complete, inclusive, unbroken, integral
  • EXCELLENT superior, remarkable, splendid, unsurpass, superb, magnificent
  • EXCITING thrilling, steering, rousing, dramatic

Source: Prentice Hall Writing and Grammar (Communication in Action) Platinum Level

2 comments:

Cassy said...

EXCELLENT! I will create a poster with these words for my 4th graders. Thanks! :)

Anonymous said...

Just one problem with this list. It shows "DESCENT" as in a climb down, where it should show "DECENT" if the alternative words are anything to go by. Maybe some teachers need to hangout nearer to the dictionary... check that poster Cassy!