What can your dictionary do then?

With a partner look at the following student questions, queries and worries and see which of
these can be answered by using a Learner Dictionary. Tick the ones that can.

1. What does ‘aubergine’ mean?

2. Is aubergine a noun or a verb?
3. How do you pronounce aubergine?
4. What do Americans call aubergine?
5. Is it countable or uncountable?
6. Where’s the main stress in aubergine?
7. The dictionary says that it is an oval, purple vegetable with a white inside. I still don’t get it.
Can you draw one for me?
8. Teacher, teacher! I have another question. What words collocate with fashion?
9. My afternoon teacher says that I need to broaden my vocabulary. She says I always use
the same basic vocabulary. Can you tell me some words I can use other than ‘fast’ or
‘beautiful’.
10.I want to know more natural, spoken English phrases. For example, when I meet up with
my English friends, are there other ways of saying ‘How are you?’
11.I have to write an e-mail to my father’s English friend in London. But, I don’t know how to
start the e-mail.
12.There are many words in English, and when I find new words, I don’t know which ones are
important. Help me!
13.Which one is right - I packed in my job or I packed my job in?
14.My host mother said I was a real pain in the neck. I looked in my dictionary but my neck
doesn’t hurt, and now I’m confused. Should I go to the doctor just in case?
15.What do you call a person from Azerbaijan?
16.What’s the noun of urgency?
17.What’s the past participle of ‘stick’?
18.I got a text message from my English friend yesterday. At the end it said ‘LOL’. What does
this mean?
19.Which one is correct - ‘interested in’ or ‘interested on’?
20.How do I say ‘2.386’?
21.How long is six inches. I come from a country that uses the more sensible, logical metric
system. Stupid Brits!
22.I need some, help with? my punctuation!?.’
23.What do all these prefixes and suffixes mean?
24.My host mother said I had a muffin top. What does she mean?
25.What’s the difference between ‘Yours sincerely’ and ‘Yours faithfully’?
26.What are the differences between British and American English?
27.When do I use the verb ‘rise’ and when do I use ‘raise’?
28.How can I use ‘effect’ in a sentence?
29.My IELTS teacher said that I use too many informal words? How can I find out if a word is
formal or informal?
30. Where’s Swindon?
31.I’m very interested in renewable energy and would like to know more about this topic and
related vocabulary.
32.If there’s so much information in these dictionaries, do I need you teacher?