Summary
Highlights
Liz introduces the lesson on using synonyms safely for IELTS writing, highlighting that while paraphrasing is crucial, incorrect synonym usage can lead to errors and reduced scores. The video will examine three examples to demonstrate the care needed when paraphrasing.
The first example focuses on the verb 'consume'. While 'use' might seem like a direct synonym, its applicability depends on the noun it collocates with. 'Fuel consumed' can be paraphrased as 'fuel used'. However, 'meat consumed' cannot be 'meat used'; instead, 'meat eaten' is the correct paraphrase, demonstrating the importance of collocations.
The video then explores 'people' and 'humans'. In discussions about the environment and ecosystems, 'human activities' is appropriate as it differentiates humans from other living organisms. However, in the context of urban transportation, saying 'humans should make an effort to use more public transport' is incorrect, as there's no need to distinguish from animals. In such cases, repeating 'people' is acceptable, and examiners assess successful paraphrasing, not the paraphrasing of every single word.
The final example discusses 'teenagers', 'adolescents', and 'youth'. While 'adolescent crime' is acceptable, 'youth crime' is not grammatically correct in the same structure. To use 'youth', the sentence structure needs to be changed, for example, 'the number of youths committing crime has grown'. This highlights how grammar impacts synonym choice.
The lesson concludes by reiterating that mastering synonyms involves understanding not just their meaning but also their collocations, grammatical contexts, and when to use them effectively. It advises using English-English dictionaries that provide example sentences to learn correct usage, rather than relying on translation dictionaries that only convey meaning.