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similar words

ozy@uni-edit.net

October 2009

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Australia

• University of Sydney (37th)• University of New South Wales (45th)• Monash University (47th)• University of Melbourne (38th)• University of Queensland (43rd)• Australia National University (16th)• Debating world champions (1st)• Diversity of Englishes – US, UK etc.• Delicious beef and cute koalas

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Approach

• Explanations

• Techniques not facts

• Examples

• Have a try

• Partner work

• Participate with me

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Funny

A sign at a Bangkok dry cleaners:

• “Drop your trousers here for best results.”

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Example

• Know

• Comprehend

• Understand

• Realize

• Recognize

• Appreciate

• Digest

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I **** you.

• I know you.

• I comprehend you.

• I understand you.

• I realize you.

• I recognize you.

• I appreciate you.

• I digest you.

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What does each word mean?

• They all mean “to understand”

• This question is insufficient

• Need to ask “What feeling or image ( 含意connotation) do I want the readers to have?”

• What connotation 含意 does each word give?

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Connotations 含意　 Emotiona

l

Empathy(share

feeling)

Process of

observing

Process of

Analysis

Stored facts

Accepting

a fact or truth

Realize Strong Weak Weak Strong Weak Strong

Appreciate Strong Strong Weak Weak Strong

Understand Weak Strong Weak Weak Weak Strong

Recognize Weak Weak Strong Weak Weak Weak

Comprehend

Weak Weak Strong Weak Strong

Digest Weak Strong Weak Strong

Know Weak Weak Strong Weak

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Examples

• I know a lot about chemistry.– Stored facts

• I cannot comprehend this text as the English is too difficult.– Process of analysis, accepting as truth

• You don’t understand me at all!– Empathy (shared feelings), emotional

• After you screamed at me, only then did I realize how important this is for you.– Process of analysis, accepting as truth, emotional

• Please take five minutes to digest this new idea.– Process of analysis and accepting as truth.

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Compare Know with Understand

• I know a lot about chemistry.

• I understand a lot about chemistry.– I know a lot about chemistry (and I like it!)

• I don’t know you.– Stored facts

• I don’t understand you.– Emotional, empathy

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Applications

• It was designed to test our hypothesis to see whether the diverging-sequential color schemes can really be helpful for users in understanding the 4D model.

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Applications

• Users then find comprehending the 4D models, which may contain a large number of elements, especially difficult.

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Applications

• Through this procedure, we expect to produce color schemes specifically applicable to 4D models. These color schemes will not only help users recognize the 3D objects easily, but also increase their understanding of the construction schedule.

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Exercise

• Write a sentence that uses one of the words very accurately. Discuss it with your partner.

Realize Appreciate Understand Recognize Comprehend Digest Know

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Another Example

• Study

• Investigate

• Research

• Examine

• Discuss

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Exercise: 含意 　 Formal

processExplore inward

Explore outward

Solve a problem

Produce results

Gain knowled

ge

Study

Investigate

Research

Examine

Discuss

Strong, weak or blank?

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Connotations 含意　 Formal

processExplore inward

Explore outward

Solve a problem

Produce results

Gain knowled

ge

Study Weak Weak Weak Strong

Investigate Strong Strong Strong

Research Strong Strong Strong Weak

Examine Weak Strong Strong

Discuss Strong Strong

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Which words fit?The derived equations are usually oversimplified. They may not be

used to simulate the behaviors of an imperfect instrument in a virtual environment. Therefore, we would like to further study the causes of the errors and develop a mathematical error model which can systematically present the influences of each part of the instrument imperfection and allow programmers to implement the model in a virtual environment.

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Decide, design, determine, distinguish

• Decide• My professor decided to go to Australia.

• Design• We designed the research method for this project.

• Determine• Can you determine the correct answer?

• Distinguish• Can you distinguish the color rose from the color pink?

• What are the different connotations?

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Exercise

　 Authority Creative AnalysisCompariso

n

Decide Strong Weak

Design Strong Weak

Determine Weak Strong Weak

Distinguish Strong Strong

• Strong, weak or blank?

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Exercise

• Decide• My professor decided to go to Australia.

• Design• We designed the research method for this project.

• Determine• Can you determine the correct answer?

• Distinguish• Can you distinguish the color rose from the color pink?

• Write a sentence for one of these words.

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Show, indicate, etc.

• show • Indicate• illustrate• demonstrate• point out• argue• present

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Show, indicate, etc.

　 visualprinciple

sdetails symbolic persuade

Connection, logic

show Strong Weak Weak weak

Indicate Weak weak Strong Weak Strong

illustrate Strong Strong Strong

demonstrate

Weak Strong Strong

point out Weak Strong

argue Strong Strong

present Strong Strong

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Exercise

1. Figure 3 _______ the relationships between each object of the model.

2. This case study _______ the feasibility of the model.

3. These results _______ the model can predict good results.

：

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1. Smith and Jones (2003) _______ that finite element theory is useful in such situations, however Anton (2007) _______ that the theory has limited applications due to the cost of computing power.

2. Table 2 _______ the experimental data.3. Here we use a running example to _______ the

details of the algorithm.

：

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More exercisesshow ,Indicate, illustrate, demonstrate, point out,

argue, present

1. From the schematic _________ in Figure 7(c), we can derive Es as Equation 4.

2. These explanations usually _________ single instrumental imperfection at one time and __________ how it influents overall survey results.

3. Figure 4 _________ the scenario in which a tripod is not perfectly centered.

4. Figure 5 __________ the leveling problem in the tripod.

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Very good example

　Solves

the problem

No surpri

se

Makes sense

Closer to target

helpfulClose to target

good Weak Weak Weak Weak Weak Weak

accurate Strong

desired Strong Strong

expected Strong

acceptable Strong Strong

reasonable Strong

improved Strong

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How to learn connotations

• Rely less on standard dictionaries

• Read critically and analyze word choice

• Ask native-speakers

• Try swapping words

• Write sentences using similar words as practice

：

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Useful Resources• Dictionary of Confusable Words (Hardcover)• by Adrian Room (Author)

• The Artful Nuance: A Refined Guide to Imperfectly Understood Words in the English Language (Paperback)

• by Rod L. Evans • (Author)

• Merriam Webster's Dictionary of Synonyms: A Dictionary of Discriminated Synonyms With Antonyms and Analogous and Contrasted Words (Hardcover)

• by Merriam-Webster (Editor)

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Q&A

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Useful Resources• Dictionary of Confusable Words (Hardcover)• by Adrian Room (Author)

• The Artful Nuance: A Refined Guide to Imperfectly Understood Words in the English Language (Paperback)

• by Rod L. Evans • (Author)

• Merriam Webster's Dictionary of Synonyms: A Dictionary of Discriminated Synonyms With Antonyms and Analogous and Contrasted Words (Hardcover)

• by Merriam-Webster (Editor)

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Q&A

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