<p>Hi! I'm an international student and I've got a problem concerning my vocabulary in essays. It is not difficult for me to write an essay on almost every topic, but my word-using sucks. It's not that I don't know fancy words, I mean, when I read, I understand them. But when it comes to writing, all the words get out of my mind. Sometimes I can't even think of the simple ones!
Is there a way I can improve it in 3 weeks? (November SAT)
Thanks in advance!</p>
<p>Honestly, you don’t need super bombastic Latinate words to score high on an SAT essay. Anglo Saxon vocabulary works just fine, just argue your position well with maybe some intermediate-level words and you should have no problem getting a high score.</p>
<p>Dear prostozina,</p>
<p>While it’s the content that matters, I think you’ll find an apt menagerie of bombast, as well as plain useful college-level words on Vocabulary.com. The website is free, easy to use, and highly effective. It’s even fun. If you start playing now and keep at it, I assure you, you will be able to master an essayful of impressive words to wow the graders with by the time of your test.</p>
<p>Good luck, and may the cat spare your writer’s tongue,</p>
<ul>
<li>Nicholas</li>
</ul>
<p>Thank you, guys!
anyone else?</p>
<p>I don’t think it is ever a good idea to force big words into your essay. If you really do have a good vocabulary, the words will automatically pop up in your mind as you write. Your aim should be to use the most APPROPRIATE word, rather than the most impressive-sounding one. </p>
<p>I, personally, follow George Orwell’s advice on writing:</p>
<p>-Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.
-Never use a long word where a short one will do.
-If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
-Never use the passive where you can use the active.
-Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
-Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.</p>
<p>I don’t want to force big words into my essay, I never use a word if I don’t know its meaning. I just don’t think that a reader will be very impressed if there are simple words only. I should use some upper-level vocabulary sometimes. I don’t have a problem with that in my native language, I can’t get used to it in English. It’s like I forget all the words right before I start writing.</p>