WARM-UP

• about & around vs. approximately • last vs. final(ly)

• almost vs. virtually • mainly vs. primarily
• basically vs. essentially • more than vs. in excess of, exceed
• exact(ly) vs. precise(ly) & accurate(ly) • obtain vs. acquire
• finally vs. eventually & ultimately • often vs. frequently
• importance vs. significance • only vs. sole(ly)
• important vs. significant & critical • purpose vs. end
• in more detail vs. in greater detail • (to) record vs. (to) document
• understanding vs. insight • result vs. outcome
• just vs. merely • size vs. magnitude
• try vs. attempt

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 VOCABULARY CHOICE SAMPLES
• about & around vs. approximately • last vs. final(ly)
• almost vs. virtually • mainly vs. primarily
• basically vs. essentially • more than vs. in excess of, exceed
• exact(ly) vs. precise(ly) & accurate(ly) • obtain vs. acquire
• finally vs. eventually & ultimately • often vs. frequently
• importance vs. significance • only vs. sole(ly)
• important vs. significant & critical • purpose vs. end
• in more detail vs. in greater detail • (to) record vs. (to) document
• understanding vs. insight • result vs. outcome
• just vs. merely • size vs. magnitude
• try vs. attempt

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 VOCABULARY CHOICES
Avoid overusing common words, e.g., be, have, get, do and thing
• This is still a controversial issue.
– This issue remains controversial.
• Making such a mass of food could be a problem of hygiene for
the restaurant, especially the process dealing with rubbish.
– Preparing such a large quantity of food and disposing waste
could pose some hygiene problems to the restaurant.
– pose a challenge | threat | risk | danger | obstacle
• TV programs can be a good source of communication among
people.
– TV programs would constitute a good source for generating
communication among people. → watch sample clips

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 VOCABULARY CHOICES
Avoid overusing common words, e.g., be, have, get, do and thing
• In countryside, people cannot get good food easily.
– People living in rural areas would not have ready access to
quality foods.
• Our study gives readers the various theories and arguments
about the survival of Africanisms by the American Negro.
– Our study informs readers of the various theories...
– You should spend more time in Vietnam before coming to
one conclusion
• in order to form an informed opinion

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 VOCABULARY CHOICES
Avoid overusing common words, e.g., be, have, get, do and thing
• Parents might think their children are truly geniuses, but often
this is not true. This thing may put a child in a difficult situation
when…
– This delusion | misconception may…
• Foreign travelers may have to pay a little higher than locals for
the same stuff.
– … for the same merchandise or service
• The election will be a tough situation for the mayor.
– … a tough proposition for the mayor.

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 VOCABULARY CHOICES
• Scientists contribute to the society much more than artists do.
– … contribute to the society substantially | considerably more
than artists do.
• Children here want to go to school.
– Local children…
• In conclusion, for all the reasons mentioned above, I would say
– for the aforementioned [F] | aforesaid [less F] reasons
• The worldwide success of these movies is due to three main
factors: thriller content, movie magic and talented actors.
– successes of these movies are ascribed to | are attributable
to three main factors: a thrilling plot, special effects and a
talented cast.

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 VOCABULARY CHOICES
• Difference between generations is an issue that we can see
every day.
– We can observe differences between generations on a daily
basis.
• He relied too much on others’ stories that he did not know
whether it was exact or not.
– stories whose accuracy could not be verified.
→ translation may help in these cases

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 VOCABULARY CHOICES
• Customers are attracted to a product’s gorgeous appearance.
– a product’s aesthetic appeal
• I say the evidence is not strong enough to protect your claim
– the evidence is not sufficiently legitimate to justify your claim
• Brinkley’s claim that Vietnamese have eaten too much meat
seems his pure imagination. As an example, Vietnamese
soldiers, during wartime, had simple meals of rice and
vegetable.
– seems his pure speculation [A] | conjecture [F]. As a
counterexample…

→ BIG WORDS help!

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