Activity 1 Using Shortcuts to Find the Right Meaning

Venture 2 Dictionary Activities

To do these activities, you will need to use a copy of the Oxford Wordpower Dictionary – the book or the CD-ROM.

Activity 1 • Using ‘shortcuts’ to find the right meaning

When a word has many different meanings, it can sometimes be difficult to find the one you are looking for in the dictionary. The Oxford Wordpower Dictionary has 'shortcuts' at many of the longer entries. Shortcuts give a short description of a meaning, or group of meanings. You can use them to help you find your way to the right definition more quickly.

Look up bar (noun) in the Oxford Wordpower Dictionary. Match the different meanings of bar with the shortcuts where they appear in the dictionary.

1 prison bars 2 a bar of gold 3 a few bars of a song 4 a sandwich bar 5 a bar to success a for drinks/food b on a window c soap/chocolate d that prevents you e in music

Venture 2 • Dictionary Activities © OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS • PHOTOCOPIABLE Activity 2 • Finding irregular verbs

With most English verbs, you make the past tense and the past participle by adding the ending -ed. However, many English verbs do not follow this rule. The Oxford Wordpower Dictionary shows the past tense (pt) and past participle (pp) forms of these irregular verbs at the beginning of the entry.

Write the missing form of the verb. Look up the words in bold in the Oxford Wordpower Dictionary and use the information in the main entry for the verb to help you.

1 The past tense is hurt. The past participle is ______. 2 The past tense is oversaw. The past participle is ______. 3 The past participle is sprung. The past tense is ______. 4 The past participle is worn. The past tense is ______.

Activity 3 • Finding opposites with prefixes

Some words have the opposite meaning if you add a prefix (like un- or in-) to them. The Oxford Wordpower Dictionary shows opposites in a section at the end of the entry, marked with the OPP symbol.

Write a prefix in the gap to make the opposite of the word in bold. Check your answers by looking up the word in the Oxford Wordpower Dictionary.

1 Police said the violence at the demonstration was totally ____ acceptable. 2 Isn't it rather ____ convenient having the fridge in the living room? 3 He agreed that it was an ____ perfect solution to the problem. 4 Your evidence is ____ relevant to the case.

Venture 2 • Dictionary Activities © OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS • PHOTOCOPIABLE Activity 4 • Finding phrasal verbs

The Oxford Wordpower Dictionary shows phrasal verbs in a section at the end of the entry for a verb, marked with the PHR V symbol.

Find look (verb) in the Oxford Wordpower Dictionary and go to the part of the entry where phrasal verbs are listed. Use the information there to help you choose the right word to complete the sentences.

1 The neighbour looked ____ our cats while we were on holiday. a after b into c through d up

2 I usually look ____ my emails when I arrive at work. a after b into c through d up

3 I always look ____ to the summer holidays. a forward b on c out d round

4 We spent all afternoon looking ____ the museum. a forward b on c out d round

The Oxford Wordpower Dictionary shows idioms in a section at the end of the entry for a word, marked with the IDM symbol.

Look up the words in bold in the Oxford Wordpower Dictionary and go to the part of the entry where idioms are listed. Use the information there to help you choose the right word to complete the sentences.

1 The nearest town is about 10 km away, as the crow ______. a flies b goes c travels d walks

2 Don't count your chickens before they're ______. a cooked b hatched c here d ready

3 I'll go to the post office on my way to the shops, so I can kill two birds with one ______. a attack b bullet c shot d stone

4 I have two bank accounts because I don't like to put all my ______in one basket. a birds b chickens c eggs d money