Hello everyone.
Today I'm really looking forward to telling you all about
the Cambridge Synonym Challenge.
But first, let me begin with a story.
This is George.
George had basic vocabulary, the normal stuff.
And George found it really difficult to say exactly
what he wanted to say.
Oh, big.
That’s a big house.
Good.
That’s a
good painting.
Difficult.
This is really
difficult.
It's really difficult.
George was frustrated.
He wanted to express himself better,
but he couldn’t.
Until one day George discovered the Cambridge English Thesaurus.
And from that day on George could express
himself much better.
That is a huge house.
That is an awesome painting.
This is complicated.
And George and his vocabulary lived happily ever after.
So, I think we all know that using a thesaurus can help
expand a person's vocabulary.
However, did you know they can also help you in lots
of other ways too?
First, increased accuracy.
Good thesauruses, like the Cambridge
English Thesaurus, give you information
about context so that you can select the right
words for both informal contexts and formal contexts.
Improved exam performance.
In many international exams, quite often, the key to an
answer can be knowledge of a synonym or collocation.
While vocabulary range is also a key marking criteria in both
speaking and writing exams.
Learner autonomy.
The most successful language learners are those that know
how to teach themselves.
Using a thesaurus means that you can research new
vocabulary independently and decide for yourself which
words you want to learn.
And finally, confidence.
Having a wider vocabulary means that you are more
able to express yourself in different ways and in
different situations, allowing you to have more
confidence with your English.
So, you'll find these features in most good thesauruses.
However, if you want something extra special,
you should check out the Cambridge English Thesaurus.
It’s designed especially for English language learners,
and it’s particularly useful if you're studying for
the Cambridge exams or IELTS.
Not only can you use it for looking
up synonyms and antonyms, but you can go more in-depth
by reading one of hundreds of articles that explain the
differences between words and phrases in much more detail.
And to help you with context, you'll get thousands of
real-world examples of how they're used in both British
and American English, and in both formal
and informal language.
And what better way to start using the Cambridge English
Thesaurus than by doing the Cambridge Synonym Challenge
with your friends?
Antoine, Lizzie, Lucas, are you ready?
Yes, I am. I think so.
I am. Yes, I'm ready.
Ready, steady and go.
Please.
Slender.
Narrow. Would that work?
Slight.
Slim.
Elongated work or...
Tiny, slender,
narrow.
Tapered.
What else can I think of?
How long do I have?
Narrow.
When the 30 seconds are up, use the Cambridge English
Thesaurus to check your answers.
So, there we go.
The Cambridge Synonym Challenge.
The question is, though, can you beat my friends?
Can your friends beat my friends?
Challenge a friend, and then post your
results in the comments below.
And also, share your videos with us on
Instagram using the hashtag #CambridgeSynonymChallenge.
And don’t forget to tag Cambridge Dictionary
using @CambridgeWords.
So, enjoy the challenge.
And remember, if you're serious about improving your vocabulary,
how you use that vocabulary, your exam performance
and many other things, using the Cambridge English
Thesaurus will help you no end.
And before you know it, you'll be expressing
yourself as well as George here.
Enjoy improving your English.