ENGLISH · LESSON 04 OF 20
Choose precise vocabulary without exaggeration
What this lesson helps you do
Use appropriate word combinations and match the strength of a claim to the available evidence.
Before this lesson
This lesson builds on:
The explanation
Useful vocabulary is more than a list of advanced synonyms. Learn a word with its meaning, grammatical role and common partners: conduct a study, collect data, reach a conclusion. A familiar precise phrase is often more effective than an unusual word chosen to sound academic. A synonym can change meaning, register or the pattern of words around it.
Word families help the same idea fit different sentence positions: analyse is a verb, analysis is a noun, and analytical is an adjective. “The team analysed the readings” and “The analysis revealed a difference” organise the message differently. These examples use British spelling; American analyze is also standard. Follow the chosen house style consistently.
Certainty words change a claim. May suggests possibility; tends to describes a recurring pattern with possible exceptions. Shows is stronger than suggests in many contexts, while proves is usually too strong for a small observational example. Qualifying a claim should make its limits precise, not make every sentence vague.
Language pattern
- Pattern
- The evidence suggests [limited claim] under [stated conditions].
- What it does
- State what the evidence supports and the boundary around it.
- Limits
- Do not weaken a directly observed fact without reason. “Twenty students attended” can be stated directly when the count is known.
A first worked example
Replace an inflated claim
Situation. An invented survey asks 18 volunteers whether a quiet room helped them study; 12 say yes.
In this small volunteer survey, 12 of 18 respondents said that the quiet room helped them study. The responses suggest that some students valued the space; they do not establish an improvement in grades.
Why it works
- The first sentence reports the count and what was actually asked.
- The second gives a limited interpretation.
- Volunteer feedback is not a controlled measurement of attainment.
What it shows: Precise language separates reported experience from a demonstrated effect.
A second worked example
Choose a suitable word family
Situation. Draft: “We did an analyse of the results and made a conclusion.”
We analysed the results and reached a conclusion.
Why it works
- Analysed is the main verb for the first action.
- Reached a conclusion is a natural word combination.
- “We conducted an analysis” is also grammatical, but longer.
What it shows: Choose the form that gives the sentence a clear structure.
Common mistakes
Draft (not correct): The tiny study proves that the method works for everyone.
Revision: The study provides limited evidence about the participants observed.
The revision removes an unsupported universal claim.
Draft (not correct): The data do an improvement.
Revision: The results show an improvement in the measured outcome.
The verb and noun now form a meaningful combination; the outcome still needs to be identified.
Keep in mind
- Learn vocabulary in meaningful combinations.
- Choose grammatical form before choosing a synonym.
- Match certainty to evidence.
Foundation lesson; not an official syllabus, accredited CEFR placement, or score prediction.
Next: Build a paragraph that develops one idea. Connect a clear point, supporting detail and an explanation without relying on a chain of linking words.
Original Bayt Al-Fuad teaching text and invented examples; not publisher lesson text. Aligned with: University Success level differentiation · English Composition — Joel Gonzaga. Sources and credits.