Dictionaries Can Tell You How to Use Words

I frequently encounter situations in which students pick the right word, but use it improperly in their sentence. If you are even the slightest bit unsure about how to use a word, look it up. This common-sense advice is hard to follow sometimes, because many dictionaries only give you the meaning of a word. Fortunately, there is the Oxford American Dictionary (ISBN 0380510529), which offers examples of how to use words. It also points out when two words are easily confused and explains which word is appropriate in what kind of context. EFL students at an intermediate level or higher should use the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (ISBN 0194001164) for the same reason. This dictionary contains even more extensive usage examples.

See also Beware the Thesaurus on this blog and Dictionary on my Mac blog.

See also my books page.