Improve_Your_Written_English

Identifying letters

Letters after the word identify the part of speech:

n. = noun a. = adjective adv. = adverb v. = verb

The verb is often followed by ‘t’ or ‘i’:

◆ ‘v.t.’ stands forverb transitive. A transitive verb takes an
object.

He wrote a letter. (The object of the verb ‘wrote’ is the

noun, ‘letter’.)

◆ ‘v.i.’ stands forverb intransitive. This means that the verb
does not take an object.

She writes beautifully. (There is no object.)

Many verbs can be used both transitivelyandintransitively –
as in the above examples. In this case the verb will be
followed by v.i & t.

Exploring derivations

The dictionary will often give the derivation of a word.
English is a rich language that owes much to other
languages. Some words like ‘rendezvous’ are obviously
French and have been kept in their original forms. Others
like ‘galley’ have been adapted from several languages.

If you have time, browse through a dictionary looking at the
derivation of some of our words. It can be a fascinating and
rewarding experience.

64 / PART ONE: THE BASICS