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Table of Contents
Introduction
Pretest
Level 1
Review Test for Level 1 Level 2
Review Test for Level 2 Level 3
Review Test for Level 3 Level 4
Review Test for Level 4 Level 5
Review Test for Level 5 Level 6
Review Test for Level 6 Level 7
Review Test for Level 7 Level 8
Review Test for Level 8 Level 9
Review Test for Level 9 Level 10
Review Test for Level 10 Posttest
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Introduction
Let me guess why you picked up this book. You want to become a better writer and speaker. You want to use the English language correctly and with confidence.
You`re looking for something that will help you learn more words and learn them swiftly— something that`s not just informative but also interesting and fun to read.
You don`t want word games. You want results.
Stop right here.
Verbal Advantage is precisely what you`re looking for: the most comprehensive, accessible, and effective vocabulary-building program available today.
Here`s what you can expect from Verbal Advantage:
By the time you finish reading this book you will have more than tripled your normal rate of learning vocabulary. And when you have mastered all the words in the program, your vocabulary level will be in the top 5 percent of all educated adults. You will also know how to avoid common errors of grammar, usage, and pronunciation, and you will possess the tools to continue building your verbal skills for the rest of your life.
Throughout the Verbal Advantage program I will be your personal guide on a tour of the English language, a tour that I guarantee will help you improve your word power dramatically and permanently. Along the way I will also coach you in how to use the language with greater clarity,1 precision, and style.
Let me tell you a bit about myself.
I am an author, journalist, and radio commentator who specializes in writing about the English language. Like most serious writers, I care deeply about words—where they came from, what they mean, how they are used and pronounced. In fact, I think it`s fair to say that I`m afflicted with a terminal passion for words.
Allow me to explain how I contracted this most pleasant malady.2
For as long as I can remember I have been in love with the beauty, rhythm, subtlety, and power of language, and from an early age I aspired3 to a career working with words. Like many writers, I acquired my affection for words from my parents. Although both my father and mother are retired professional musicians, they have always been avid4 readers with a fine ear for language as well as music.
When I was young they read me stories and poems at bedtime, and as I grew older they encouraged me to read widely on my own. I often had lengthy discussions with them about books and language, and whenever we had a question or a dispute about a word, the hefty unabridged dictionary in our living room was the final authority.
The consequence of this verbally intensive upbringing was that two parents who loved
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language but made music for a living wound up with a son who loves music but makes his living with words.
But that`s enough about me, because this book is not about me and my writing credentials. It`s about you, and how you can achieve the verbal advantage.
Verbal Advantage is about definitions, so let`s begin by defining the phrase “verbal advantage.” What exactly is a “verbal advantage”? Does it suggest what smart, successful people know about language? Does it refer to the words they use in conversation and writing?
Yes, in part. But in this book, “verbal advantage” encompasses something more than just what educated people already know about using the language. It also means what educated people ought to know about using the language—and how using it well can help them succeed.
In short, a “verbal advantage” is the ability to use words in a precise and powerful manner, to communicate clearly, correctly, and effectively in every situation, both on and off the job. In this book I intend to take your ability with words and turn it into mastery.
Numerous studies have shown that there is a correlation between career and financial success and an above-average vocabulary, and that the level of success people achieve is linked to the number of words they command. You may be on the right track, but are you as productive and successful as you know you can be? In the long run all your hard work and all the knowledge you gain from experience may not produce the results you expect if you lack the confidence that comes from an accompanying mastery of words.
As the syndicated columnist William Raspberry once put it, “Good English, well spoken and well written, will open more doors than a college degree…. Bad English will slam doors you don`t even know exist.”
Verbal Advantage will give you most of the linguistic tools you need to communicate more effectively and confidently, and I will show you how to use them with precision. If you like, consider Verbal Advantage an apprenticeship to a second career—one that can help you immeasurably and enhance your chances of success. When you finish reading this book, you`ll be on your own. But I think you`ll find yourself prepared to meet the challenge of achieving and maintaining a verbal advantage.
Improving your verbal skills is not an easy task, but it doesn`t have to be a chore. In fact, it can be one of the most rewarding activities you will ever undertake. Few things can equal the satisfaction that comes from using the right word at the appropriate moment or realizing that the way you have chosen to express something has moved or gratified or persuaded your audience.
Let`s begin, then, with a brief summary of what you stand to gain from reading this book.
You will learn about vocabulary building and why it is indispensable to your personal development. I will teach you the principles and techniques of building a large and exact vocabulary and introduce you to words that will add clarity to your writing and infuse your conversation with style. You will also discover how to put your powerful new vocabulary into action right away, and how to make the words you`ve learned serve you well for the rest of your life.
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