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dictionaries and do make use of them successfully. That is why very little attention is given by EFL
teachers to teaching the procedure of rinding a word in a dictionary. It is worthwhile remembering that
the dictionary does not only name the word but also bears the information about what part of speech it is
and, depending on it, some more data about the word in question.
Here is one other poem, this time about a dictionary.
Dictionary
William Jay Smith
A Dictionary's where you can look things up
To see if they're really there:
To see if what you breathe is Air,
If what you sit on is a Chair,
If what you comb is curly Hair,
If what you drink from is a Cup.
A Dictionary's where you can look things up
To see if they're really there.
Let us try to see how much information the verb "to explain" as a dictionary entry contains (the
information comes from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary of Current English by A.S.Hornby).
explain vtl VP6A, 9, 8, 10, 14
2 VP6A, 15B
The symbols are deciphered in the dictionary as follows:
VP6A S + vt n/pr A dictionary tries to ~ the meanings of words.
VP8 S + vt inter.pr/adv + to-infinitive
He ~ed what to do.
VP9 Subject + vt that clause
He ~ed that he .had been delayed by the weather.
VP10 Subject + vt dependent clause/question
Please, ~ what this means.
VP14 Subject + vt DO prep noun (phrase/clause)
Please, ~ this problem to me.
Subject + vt prep + noun DO
I ~ed to him the impossibility of granting his request
As is seen from the presented material, a lot of terms and shortenings are used. They may seem
elementary for those who have a good command of the language, but they will probably cause beginners
and students of intermediate level a lot of trouble. Try to make this process easier for them, help the
students, explain what the terms and symbols mean and how to use them.
Another example.
experience n 1 U process of gaining knowledge or skill by doing and seeing things; knowledge or skill
so gained. We all learn by ~. Has he had much ~ in work of this sort? He has not enough ~ for the
position. A man of your ~ ought to do well. Only women with ~ of office work need apply for the
position. 2 event, activity, which has given one ~ (1); event that effects one in some way: an
unpleasant/ trying/unusual ~.
We understand from the explanations that "experience" in meaning 1 is used only in the singular and
can be associated with "much" and can't be used with the indefinite article. "Experience" in meaning 2
may be used in the singular and in the plural, with the indefinite article if required, with the adjective
"many."
One other example.