Crosswords
Friday, January 9th, 2009
Crosswords are a great way of learning new English words. But some people are put off by them as they look too complicating right from the start. Choose an easy one to start with and follow these tips…
1. Go for the first letter of a word up and then down. If I can get one of the two words, then having the first letter of the other sometimes jogs my memory.
2. Paying attention to the theme of the crossword, if any, is helpful.
3. Go for the easier ones first, then more difficult.
4. Its not cheating to use Reference in fact it’s the best way to help you! Computer, crossword dictionary, thesaurus and atlas are the most handy.
5. Having someone help you. Sometimes the easiest words don’t come to mind so ask for someone’s help if you’re really stuck.
6. Going away and coming back to it later can sometimes clear the mind and help one focus better. It also helps you think of new words which you weren’t think before.
7. Enjoy what you are doing. It will help you focus better and make everything alot easier.
8. Place a checkmark next to the number of the hints you’ve gotten. It can help you focus more on the ones you haven’t gotten yet.
9. If it’s in a book or newspaper, sometimes the answers can be found in the publication that the crossword is in.
10. Sometimes the answers just come out of no where – be patient.
11. Try working on a particular section of the puzzle (upper left, right or lower left or right).
12. Think about the hint or hints with a different perspective
Source www.theieducation.com and try out these crosswords have fun!
Aniya, you are right. Crossword is a very good game to increase one’s vocabulary. I love cross word and every day i along with one of colleague would buy a newspaper and start right away solving the same. I have a pocket dictionary always ready along with the dictionary in my cell phone. Sometimes, i goggle some clues and try to solve them. Really, over the year it has enriched my vocabulary bank. It should be seen as a mere time pass activity. Rather, i must say try to write down the difficult or less known or unknown words and try to use them in writing or speaking to perpetuate the word in one’s mind. I have a pretty good memory as far as words are concerned and i always learn words from crosswords. The next day i never fail to check the answers.
Thanks Aniya.