VOCABULARY: BE THE MASTER OF YOUR DOMAIN!

Last month we said that one of the most interesting ways to learn vocabulary is by DOMAIN– a group of different words that are associated with the same concept.  The words last month were all in the WALK domain.  This month, we have a few examples of the big SPEAK domain.  See how many of these verbs you already know:

1. YELL:  To speak or shout very loudly because you are angry or you are trying to speak to     someone at a distance. His father yelled at him because he broke the window.

2. WHISPER:  Speak very softly because you don’t want other people to hear you. “Close the door quietly,” Mark whispered, “so we don’t wake the baby.”

  1. WHINE:  This is the high-pitched, sing-song and very annoying way that children talk when they are complaining about something.  Sometimes adults do it too, and then it’s even more annoying.  “Why do I always have to watch my baby brother?”  the little girl whined.
  2. SOB: Talk and cry at the same time. After the car accident, Julia sobbed out her story to the police officer.
  3. SCREAM: To shout, but in a very high voice, usually because you are very frightened. When I saw the mouse run across the room, I screamed for help.
  4. BABBLE:  To talk nonsense. Small children babble before they learn to speak properly.  Sometimes adults babble if they are confused or very excited. I know you’re upset, but you need to stop babbling, calm down, and tell me exactly what happened!
  5. GRUMBLEComplain, usually in a low voice. Some people grumble about the weather here in June – it’s usually very cloudy.
  6. YAK: To talk a lot, too much, and about things that are of little importance.  My children spend hours yakking on the telephone.