To view the full entry for back on the English Vocabulary Profile, please click here.
Word of the Week
With its 120th word, Word of the Week has now come to an end. We hope you enjoyed this free feature and that it has given you an insight into the thinking and research behind the English Vocabulary Profile.
All 120 are still available to read in our archive, below. Each Word of the Week in the archive is followed by a link to the full entry for that word on the English Vocabulary Profile. To view the entries, you will need to subscribe to the EVP: to subscribe for free click here.
Word of the week: force
The word force is a noun and a verb. Two meanings of the noun – POWER and GROUP – and one meaning of the verb – GIVE NO CHOICE – are known at B2 level, with evidence of further meanings and three phrases using the noun being acquired at C2. These are a force to be reckoned with, join forces and in/into force. This last phrase, as in a law coming into force, is undoubtedly at a higher level here than it would be for learners of Business or Legal English. The English Vocabulary Profile describes general English competence at the levels A1-B2, with an added focus on academic English at C1 and C2. Our resource seeks to describe typical learner knowledge around the world and to offer useful guidance on CEFR level, but it is up to users to interact with this data and form their own expert judgments, based on local circumstances and specific needs.To view the full entry for force on the English Vocabulary Profile, please click here.
Word of the week: back
The entry for the word back covers its use as an adverb, an adjective, a noun and a verb. The first part of speech to be known is the adverb, in its A1 meaning of RETURNING, while two meanings of the noun are placed at A2 level: BODY and NOT FRONT, as in the back of an envelope. The related adjective meaning AT BACK is also at A2. Back is also used as a verb, which features in several phrasal verbs, though learners don’t appear to encounter these until B2 level and beyond. The entry includes a number of C2 level phrases featuring the noun, such as behind sb’s back and turn your back on sb/sth.Word of the week: pay
The word pay is a verb and a noun. The noun is listed at B1 level but the verb is known from A1 in the sense of BUY. Several phrases are listed in the entry, including pay attention (to sth) at B1 and pay tribute to sb/sth at C2. There are also three phrasal verbs listed, including pay back sb/sth or pay sb/sth back at B1. In the research we have done so far, phrasal verbs containing the adverb back appear to be more readily understood, perhaps because the meaning is generally transparent. Using the advanced search facility, it is possible to find all the phrasal verbs with back – key in the word, select phrasal verbs in the Category menu and click on the red button Search. In the six-level resource, there are currently 29 matches for the use of back as an adverb in phrasal verbs, with five at A2 level: bring back sth or bring sth back, call back (sb) or call (sb) back, come back, get back and give back. Of course, the word back is also a verb, and combines with other particles to form phrasal verbs, such as back off and back up (sth). Next week’s Word of the Week will feature the full entry for back.To view the full entry for pay on the English Vocabulary Profile, please click here.
