The Ultimate English Course Bank: Categorized & Explained

Category 1: The Essentials

• Clarify: To make a statement or situation less confused - Could you please clarify the third point in the proposal?
• Objective: A goal or something aimed at - The primary objective of this meeting is to finalize the budget.
• Significant: Sufficiently great or important to be worthy of attention - There has been a significant increase in productivity this quarter.
• Collaborate: To work jointly on an activity or project - We need to collaborate with the design team to finish the prototype.
• Implement: To put a decision, plan, or agreement into effect - The new safety protocols will be implemented next Monday.
• Analyze: To examine something in detail to explain or interpret it - We must analyze the data before making a final decision.
• Constraint: A limitation or restriction - Time constraints prevented us from testing every feature.
• Brief: To instruct or inform someone about a task - Please brief the manager on the latest client feedback.
• Resolution: A firm decision to do or not do something - We are seeking a quick resolution to the customer's complaint.
• Persist: To continue firmly in an opinion or course of action - If the technical issues persist, contact the IT department.
• Evaluation: The making of a judgment about the amount, number, or value of something - The annual evaluation will take place in December.
• Modify: To make partial or minor changes to something - We may need to modify the contract based on your feedback.
• Efficient: Achieving maximum productivity with minimum wasted effort - Our new filing system is much more efficient than the old one.
• Determine: To cause something to occur in a particular way - Market trends will determine the success of our product launch.
• Relevant: Closely connected or appropriate to what is being done - Please only include relevant experience in your CV.
• Alternative: One of two or more available possibilities - We are looking for an alternative supplier to reduce costs.
• Facilitator: A person or thing that makes an action or process easy - The workshop leader acted as a facilitator for the discussion.
• Indicate: To point out or show - The red lights indicate that the system is currently offline.
• Vague: Of uncertain, indefinite, or unclear character - His instructions were too vague for us to take action.
• Component: A part or element of a larger whole - Communication is a vital component of successful teamwork.

Category 2: Advanced/Professional

• Leverage: To use something to maximum advantage - We can leverage our existing network to find new investors.
• Discrepancy: An illogical lack of compatibility between two or more facts - There is a discrepancy between the receipts and the bank statement.
• Prerequisite: A thing that is required as a prior condition for something else - Advanced Excel skills are a prerequisite for this role.
• Mitigate: To make something less severe, serious, or painful - We need a plan to mitigate the risks of the merger.
• Paradigm: A typical example or pattern of something - This technology represents a paradigm shift in how we process data.
• Cognizant: Having knowledge or being aware of - We are cognizant of the challenges facing the local retail market.
• Streamline: To make an organization or system more efficient and effective - The CEO wants to streamline the reporting process.
• Volatility: Liability to change rapidly and unpredictably - The current market volatility makes long-term planning difficult.
• Ambiguous: Open to more than one interpretation - The clause in the contract is too ambiguous and needs redrafting.
• Feasible: Possible to do easily or conveniently - Is it feasible to finish the project by the end of the month?
• Incentive: A thing that motivates or encourages someone to do something - The company offers a performance-based incentive for sales staff.
• Cohesive: Characterized by or forming a united whole - The team is working well together to create a cohesive marketing strategy.
• Benchmarks: Standards or points of reference against which things may be compared - We have set high benchmarks for quality control this year.
• Expedite: To make an action or process happen sooner or be accomplished more quickly - Please expedite the shipping process for this urgent order.
• Proactive: Creating or controlling a situation by causing something to happen - We need to be proactive rather than reactive to customer needs.
• Consolidate: To combine a number of things into a single more effective or coherent whole - The two departments will consolidate into one team next month.
• Diversification: The process of enlarging or varying a range of products or field of operation - Investment diversification is key to managing financial risk.
• Synergy: The interaction of two or more agents to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects - The synergy between the two companies led to a record-breaking year.
• Viable: Capable of working successfully - After the audit, we found that the plan was no longer financially viable.
• Substantial: Of considerable importance, size, or worth - The company made a substantial profit despite the economic downturn.

Category 3: Exam/Academic Specific

• Corroborate: To confirm or give support to a statement, theory, or finding - The witness was able to corroborate the defendant's story.
• Delineate: To describe or portray something precisely - The report clearly delineates the steps required for project completion.
• Hypothesize: To put forward a hypothesis - Researchers hypothesize that the climate change is affecting migration patterns.
• Infer: To deduce or conclude information from evidence and reasoning - From the data, we can infer that consumer habits are changing.
• Justify: To show or prove to be right or reasonable - You must justify your choice of research methodology in the introduction.
• Elucidate: To make something lucid or clear - The professor's lecture helped elucidate the complex theories in the textbook.
• Substantiate: To provide evidence to support or prove the truth of - There is no evidence to substantiate the claims made in the article.
• Synthesize: To combine various components into a connected whole - The essay requires you to synthesize information from three different sources.
• Divergent: Tending to be different or develop in different directions - The two studies reached divergent conclusions on the effect of the drug.
• Prevalent: Widespread in a particular area or at a particular time - The belief that success requires luck is prevalent among young adults.
• Juxtaposition: The fact of two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect - The juxtaposition of old and new architecture in Singapore is striking.
• Inherent: Existing in something as a permanent, essential, or characteristic attribute - There are inherent risks involved in any new business venture.
• Ambivalence: The state of having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas - There is a sense of ambivalence among the public regarding the new law.
• Assertion: A confident and forceful statement of fact or belief - The author’s assertion that technology ruins social skills is debatable.
• Comprehensive: Including or dealing with all or nearly all elements or aspects of something - The students were given a comprehensive list of study materials.
• Evaluate: To assess the nature, quality, or ability of someone or something - The panel will evaluate each candidate's performance during the interview.
• Advocate: A person who publicly supports or recommends a particular cause or policy - She is a strong advocate for environmental protection.
• Contrast: To compare in such a way as to emphasize differences - Contrast the economic policies of the two political parties.
• Implicit: Suggested though not directly expressed - There was an implicit agreement that the work would be finished by Friday.
• Explicit: Stated clearly and in detail, leaving no room for confusion - The manager gave explicit instructions on how to handle the client.

The Deep Dive: Weak vs Strong

How to Practice

• Monday - Selection: Pick 5 words from this list. Write them on a sticky note and place it on your laptop screen.
• Tuesday - Contextualization: Write three sentences for each word based on your current job or studies. Ensure the sentences are relevant to your life.
• Wednesday - Vocalization: Record yourself saying these sentences. Listen for clarity and proper pronunciation of the end consonants.
• Thursday - Integration: Use at least 2 of these words in an actual email or conversation. Force yourself to find a slot for them.
• Friday - Review: Test yourself on the definitions. If you can't explain the word to a child, you don't understand it yet.

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