Word of the Week
With its 120th word, Word of the Week has now come to an end. We hope you enjoyed this free feature and that it has given you an insight into the thinking and research behind the English Vocabulary Profile.
All 120 are still available to read in our archive, below. Each Word of the Week in the archive is followed by a link to the full entry for that word on the English Vocabulary Profile. To view the entries, you will need to subscribe to the EVP: to subscribe for free click here.
Word of the week: break
The word break is very frequent in English, and several senses of both the verb and the noun are listed in the EVP, as well as a number of phrasal verbs. Other Word family members known up to B2 level are the adjectives breakable and broken. For break, learners appear to know the core meanings of the verb SEPARATE and NOT WORK first, at A2 level, as well as the phrase break your arm/leg, etc. Learners broaden their knowledge of the verb by means of the various phrases known at B2, such as break a record, break the law, and break the ice. New analysis is showing that further figurative uses are added by C2 level, such as break the news,and break free. Learners first meet the noun at A2 with the meaning STOP as in a coffee/lunch break, and, as the learner example shows, this clearly comes up within the classroom context.To view the full entry for break on the English Vocabulary Profile, please click here.
Word of the week: idea
How many meanings does the word idea have? In the EVP, four senses are given up to B2 level, including the phrase have no idea at B1. The sense of SUGGESTION, as in That’s a good idea!, is known from A2 level, whereas the uncountable sense of THOUGHT, meaning an understanding or a picture in your mind, is more appropriate to B2 level and beyond. A further distinct sense AIM, as in The idea is to give local people a chance to voice their opinions., will be included in the C levels of the EVP, which are currently in preparation.To view the full entry for idea on the English Vocabulary Profile, please click here.
Word of the week: run
The verb run is used in a number of ways in English, and learners meet its core meaning of MOVE FAST at A1. Take a look at the many additional uses that come in at B1 and B2, including run a business and trains and buses running (late). There are also four phrasal verbs listed in the entry: run away, run into, run out and run over. With the exception of one sense of run out, these are all at B2. The noun comes in from B1 level in the sense of going for a run, and there is evidence for the phrase in the long run at B2.To view the full entry for run on the English Vocabulary Profile, please click here.
