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 #2 (permalink) Fri Apr 21, 2006 4:40 am Who uses the word 'hiatus'? |
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The average well-educated person would know the word hiatus, and might use it. It's used quite often, but I wouldn't say everybody uses it or that it's one of the most common English words.
When you ask whether people would know some word or other, you're asking a tricky question. I use a vocabulary book with ESL students, and it contains words that I think are basic to ordinary functioning in the United States. If you had asked me about these words when I was 16, I would have had the same opinion about them. However, some of my students come to class complaining that "nobody" at their job knows most of the words, including the boss. I'm sure they're telling the truth, but I don't see how Americans can get through life not knowing most of the words in an intermediate vocabulary book. |
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Jamie (K)
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 24 Feb 2006
Posts: 6552
Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA
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| #3 (permalink) Fri Apr 21, 2006 10:35 am About words |
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| Jamie (K) wrote: |
| I don't see how Americans can get through life not knowing most of the words in an intermediate vocabulary book. |
They can and they do, as does the rest of the world, don’t you think? Let’s face it, unless you are an avid reader (and it also depends on what you read) or a professional of language – or regularly visit a forum like this one :wink: , for instance, you normally only become familiar with language related to everyday situations.
On the other hand, if you do know lots of big sounding or fancy words, you almost never have the opportunity to use them in conversation. Day in day out, I think we end up using more or less the same words, i.e. a very limited vocabulary, at least when speaking.
I would love to be able to use words like ‘hiatus’ (now that Andreana has made me 'aware' of it), but I would sound pompous, even if the person I’m talking to knows the word, I’m sure.
| Jamie (K) wrote: |
| However, some of my students come to class complaining that "nobody" at their job knows most of the words, including the boss. |
This is what people often blurt out when they are nettled by the words you use, either because they don’t know the words themselves or because they think you want to sound intellectual! |
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Conchita
Language Coach
Joined: 26 Dec 2005
Posts: 2826
Location: Madrid, Spain
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| #4 (permalink) Sat Apr 22, 2006 6:25 am About words |
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| Conchita wrote: |
| Let’s face it, unless you are an avid reader (and it also depends on what you read) or a professional of language – or regularly visit a forum like this one :wink: , for instance, you normally only become familiar with language related to everyday situations. |
The problem is that the words I'm teaching are not $5 words, but words that are useful in everday situations. Words like "exempt", "awe", "retrieve" and "undermine" are used by ordinary people in the workplace every day. You can't do your taxes -- even with our 1040 EZ form -- unless you know the word "exemption".
| Conchita wrote: |
| I would love to be able to use words like ‘hiatus’ (now that Andreana has made me 'aware' of it), but I would sound pompous, even if the person I’m talking to knows the word, I’m sure. |
"Hiatus" is not a pompous-sounding word. People wouldn't react negatively.
| Conchita wrote: |
| Jamie (K) wrote: |
| However, some of my students come to class complaining that "nobody" at their job knows most of the words, including the boss. |
This is what people often blurt out when they are nettled by the words you use, either because they don’t know the words themselves or because they think you want to sound intellectual! |
I'm telling you that these words I'm teaching them are not intellectual. They're normal words you're supposed to know by the time you finish high school. The textbooks are geared for the SAT or TOEFL. |
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Jamie (K)
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 24 Feb 2006
Posts: 6552
Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA
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| #5 (permalink) Sat Nov 24, 2007 0:23 am How do I use the word "hiatus" in context? |
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Recently, I used the word hiatus in context and was corrected and am now confused on its usage. For instance, I said I was "in hiatus from my career" and I was corrected to say "on hiatus". Please help on which is the correct usage and please provide an explanation as to why.
Thanks!! |
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Gcandles
New Member
Joined: 22 Nov 2007
Posts: 1
Location: West Texas
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| #6 (permalink) Sat Nov 24, 2007 3:42 am Who uses the word 'hiatus'? |
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| Both sound okay to me. Doing a Yahoo search, I found only 98,000 incidents of the exact phrase "in hiatus", but 4.6 million for "on hiatus", so "on hiatus" is obviously the most popular. There's usually no reason why one preposition or another is used with some word, and sometimes there's variation in usage from person to person and from region to region. |
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Jamie (K)
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 24 Feb 2006
Posts: 6552
Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA
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| meaning of the phrase "make a show of something" | Expression: "First time I heard death rattle." |
