Vocabularity

Reading improves our vocabulary. That’s a known fact. Our English teachers back in middle school and high school might have even overemphasized that concept, and rightfully so! Reading is a powerful tool. Whether we do it to know more about something or we do it for school or it’s something we do just for fun, reading will give us what we need to know about those things.

When I was little, I cared a lot about spelling. I would read my sentences over and over to make sure I spelled everything correctly. I liked dictionaries and thesauruses (still do) and I would pick a big word and memorize in my head and then try to see if I remember it the next day. Apparently, these habits I carried into my adulthood. Only, now, I have google to make things even easier to look up!  And last summer, I read nothing but a grammar book (though it didn’t last too long). And to be completely honest, i’m not naturally inclined to reading. I’m really picky about books and my attention span sometimes isn’t the best. But words and languages have always been something I love learning about so Grammar books are always fun for me!

But lately, I haven’t opened a single book (except school-related/studying, but that’s different) and my main reason besides being busy is I unconsciously immersed myself in social media that my source of knowledge, instead of books, have been reduced to Instagram posts, memes, and YouTube videos. I went into a mini-panic mode when I realized how much I’ve been putting off my vocabulation! So now, I decided to take the right path and continue reading the grammar books that collected dust from years/months of disuse. I figured I feel a little more “accomplished” whenever I do this. I’m a firm believer that using my time wisely means actively engaging in things that benefit me and disengage from things that steal from me.

 

My name is Ray Ann. I grew up wanting to be a lot of things. Being a lot older now, I realize you never really grow out of those dreams.

I’m 23 years old, barely 5 ft. tall and often mistaken as a high school student. But you know what they say — good things come in small packages. Despite me being a little vertically challenged, I’m a huge basketball fan. I love fast cars and fast…food. I love the color pink and my friends’ sense of humor. I aspire to be the realistic half of my favorite female fiction characters: to be bold and fearless like Nikita, witty, intelligent and fashionable like Blair Waldorf and sweet and sassy like Cher Horowitz.

Being a blogger means a lot of things. We write about anything and everything, including our own lives. We can choose to be private or be an open book. But I hope to share only meaningful and helpful things to anyone who reads my blogs. Montgomery College will always be a big part of my life as it gave me an opportunity to find myself and discover the things I love and gave me all the more reason to be myself.

Let’s believe in each other. 

This Post Has 4 Comments

  1. This is the personal story I can absolutely relate to. I’ve been in love with grammar and spelling since early childhood. But lately, I’ve noticed how with this whole lot of grammar blunders in Facebook posts and Twitter messages, I totally forget how to write those words that I previously knew very well. That’s why now, every time I remember about my love for words, I try to sit down and spend some time developing my vocabularity. I use the advice I find on the Internet (like this one article here http://essaywriter.pro/2016/10/25/guide-expanding-vocabulary/) to make it more productive.

    I know I’m a grammar nazi, and I know that many people nowadays think that grammar and spelling are overrated, but I still love it when a person has a rich vocabulary and speaks and writes correctly.

    Reply

    1. Janice – glad to know a young person is a stickler for grammar and spelling these days. I am appalled that so many times now I find typos in the Washington Post,
      online Foxs News, etc. I assume there is more work and less employees, perhaps adding to the errors. However, I am not always sure this is the case. I see a decline
      in people’s ability to write and to spell. Maybe schools need to return to some basics or spend more time on the basics.

      Reply

    2. It’s nice to know i’m not the only one who makes time for some vocabulary learning and actually has fun! I’ve always been drawn to people with rich vocabulary and have a way with words even though I, myself, don’t use “big” words quite often enough. My love for words is what led me to want to blog and write and it’s a great way to practice what i’m learning from those books. Thanks for reading!

      Reply

  2. Ray Ann, I have noticed this terrible downward spiral in correct grammar and spelling. I am often taken aback when I get an email from overseas, and they have impeccable grammar, spelling and sentence structure……and English is NOT their first language. What do you think has happened in the US? You brought up a good point about social media. I guess when we are all using lol and emojis, this can take its toll, but social media is used worldwide so it does not explain it all. What really makes me craziest is people do not know how to use ‘your/you’re’, its/it’s’ and ‘their/there’ for example. Run on sentences and not knowing where commas and periods go, etc. is another common problem. This was drummed into us in school. Is it still covered?

    Reply

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