Hello.
Welcome back to engVid.
Today we are looking at building your vocabulary; really important for people at the beginning
of their learning journey in English, and for native speakers, too, who are just wishing
to develop a richer vocabulary.
I know that I can always improve my vocab, so hopefully you pick up some tips today.
We're looking, in today's lesson, at persuasive words.
So, maybe these words would be useful to you if you're trying to persuade someone about
how good a project is, maybe you want to persuade someone to sponsor you or to support a business
venture - something like this.
Now, this first section of words, it's like dangling a carrot; we're saying: "This thing
is so amazing, so you should come along and get involved with this as well."
Okay, first of all: A "bargain".
Everybody loves a bargain.
What's a "bargain"?
Well, say I go down to the market...
Now, in London, there're some fantastic markets; we've got Tooting Market, Camden, and some
other ones in East London.
A bargain.
If I get a bargain in the market, say I'm buying some flowers, I expect to pay 10 pounds
- a bargain would seemly get them at five pounds.
Columbia Road Market is the good flower market in London.
Okay?
So, a "bargain", I get something for less money than I expect.
Okay?
It's a good price.
"Best".
So, we're...
We're saying that something is fantastic.
If it's the best, you know, nothing is equal to it; it is the number one.
If I am or if I'm "confident" about something, then I know it.
I am confident that Columbia Road Market is the best flower market in London.
100%, I know this.
"Confident" - no doubt.
"Convenient".
This means if something is easy, if it fits into your day.
It's convenient for me to pick up some food on the way to work, because it's just...
It's on that road, and I just go into the shop.
Okay?
"Convenient".
And from this word, we have a "convenience store".
A convenience store is just a shop where you can get lots of different things for your
everyday needs.
"Ecstatic".
This is a word with a bit more sense of history in terms of the English language.
We get the word "ecstasy".
So, "ecstasy" means very happy.
If I'm ecstatic, then I am over the moon.
Okay?
"I'm ecstatic about this product."
"Effective".
Can you see the shorter word in that longer word?
Okay?
If I cover up those three words, there, we have the word "effect".
Okay?
If something is effective, it has an effect; it does what it's meant to do.
"Freedom".
Okay?
So, we like to buy things that give us good feelings.
If we are saying that skydiving gives a sense of freedom, then more people will want to
do it.
Okay?
I feel free, I have no worries; I have a sense of freedom.
"Guaranteed".
Okay?
So, a "guarantee" is a promise.
"Guaranteed" means this is promised by the company that you will get this.
"Improvement".
Again, we can see a shorter word.
"To improve" means to get better, so an improvement is something that is done to make something
better.
"Magnificent".
Okay?
So, again, there's another shorter word: "magnify".
Do you know what a magnifying glass is?
It makes something bigger; a bit like Sherlock Holmes.
Okay?
He has a magnifying glass to look at his clues.
"Magnificent" is greater.
Okay?
A sense of everything being fantastic and wonderful.
"Miracle".
A miracle.
A "miracle" is...
What?
Obviously it's a noun.
We associate it with biblical stories.
"Miracle" is something out of the ordinary; something unbelievable happens.
Okay?
It's a miracle.
Okay?
But we can use it to describe things now; they don't have to be...
We can...
We can exaggerate.
Okay?
"Profitable".
So, let's divide this word into two; we've got "profit" and "able".
"Able" obviously means can; "profit" - when you make money.
"Profitable" - it can make money.
A business that makes money.
"Proven".
So, we prove things with evidence.
If something is proven, then there is evidence to show that it works.
Let's think of some dog food, it might say: "Proven to help your dog's teeth."
That means that if we go and look at some dogs who have used this particular type of
dog food, we see that they have really good teeth.
Sorry about that example.
"Remarkable".
Okay.
Again, the suffix "able" meaning can; "remark" - a remark is something you say.
So, "remarkable", okay?
Say: "This dog food is remarkable", it means: "Oo, wow.
Yes, I can really say things...
Good things about this dog food.
It's...
It's very tasty for the dogs.
They seem to really enjoy it."
"Sensational".
This is a word that my Dad slightly overuses.
This is why I'm giving you all of these words, because you want to pick lots of different
words to use.
If you get stuck on saying the same word again and again and again, it's very boring.
Okay?
So really try and get the most from today's lesson.
"Sensational".
So, a "sensation" is a feeling.
Okay?
You can see the word "sense", there, so a feeling.
It really makes you feel quite alive, quite...
It's...
It's amazing.
Okay?
Quite similar to "magnificent".
It causes a big feeling.
Okay?
Sensational news is a news story that grabs your attention.
"Startling".
Startling news.
Again, it's an idea of surprise.
If I startle someone, I kind of shake them up and go: "Ah, wake up."
Okay?
"Superior".
"Superior" means better than.
You may spot the Latin root of the word: "super", meaning sort of better; superior; better than.
"Worthwhile".
Okay?
So if something is worthwhile, it's...
It's worth you spending some time doing; it's worth you going and getting this dog food.
Okay.
Now let's look at some verbs.
Now we're kind of really trying to encourage someone to buy the dog food.
"Beseech".
This is a formal word; it's quite old-fashioned.
It would probably be more of use in a formal letter to someone; it's not really a word
that we would use in conversational English.
"I beseech you to try this fantastic dog food" would be an odd sentence, but it means: I
want you to do this.
"Delighted".
So, this isn't actually a verb: "delighted"; I'm just going to point that out to you.
It's to take delight in something.
I would be delighted.
"I would be delighted" means I would be very happy.
Okay.
"To emphasize", "to emphasize".
That means I make the point very clear; I say it again and again until you understand
that this dog food is numero uno.
"Entreat".
"Entreat", quite similar to "beseech".
It means sort of to invite you to do something.
"I entreat you to open that can and give it a sniff.
I entreat you."
"Expect" means: "I think you will do this.
I expect you to do this.
I'm counting on you to do this."
"Implore" means kind of a sense of begging you to do something.
"I implore you to try this product."
"Recommend" - this is my advice; I suggest that; I think you should.
Okay?
"Urge", this has more of a sense of urgency.
Okay?
So, an urge - we need to do this quickly; it has to happen.
"I urge...
I really want you to do it."
Okay?
And then a couple of adverbs to throw into the mix.
I would be "extremely" proud if...
I "definitely" think it's a good idea if...
These just add a little bit of extra emphasis.
Okay?
I'm going to flip the board around, and you're going to see on the other side an example,
and I want you to see if you can spot these words, here.
Are you ready?
I'll read this out to you from top to bottom, and then we'll go through and try to spot
the words we've included.
"Dear Parent", so it's a letter.
"I would like to recommend to you the magnificent baby group, Jazzabyebabies."
That's the name of the company.
"They put on sensational jazz concerts for young parents and their babies.
Their events definitely deliver an enjoyable experience.
So I would urge you to try it out for your little one(s)."
Okay. fifteen seconds - spot five words.
Okay, good.
I haven't got a watch on today, but let's say that's fifteen.
Right.
So, first of all, we got a suggestion, there: "recommend"; I think you should do this.
Okay?
"Magnificent", saying that something is fantastic and wonderful.
Okay?
Can you spot my Dad's word?
There we are: "sensational".
Okay?
Meaning catching people's attention; news-worthy.
"...jazz concerts for young parents and their babies.
Their events are definitely", so we got an adverb to put emphasis, there.
"...deliver an enjoyable experience.
So I would urge you".
How many have you got?
One, two, three, four.
Who can spot the fifth?
Have we got a fifth word in there?
"Deliver", I think that was in there.
We'll have to check that.
"Enjoyable", you've got another little adjective to emphasize the positive experience that
it has been.
So you're going to have a go at the quiz now, aren't you?
I beseech you, I urge you, I recommend, I advise you.
I think it will be a fantastically, marvellously, enriching experience for you to do so.
Wouldn't it?
See you on the next one.
Bye.
Okay, you are going to have a go, aren't you?
I implore you to, I beseech you to try the quiz now because it's going to be fantastic,
and wonderful, and marvellous, and spontaneously combustion...
Ah!
[Laughs].