English Vocabulary

How many words do you need to know in English? This is a very common question and it varies depending on your goal. Because TalkEnglish.com focuses on speaking, the vocabulary presented in this section will be the most commonly used words in speaking.

1. There are roughly 100,000 word-families in the English language.
2. A native English speaking person knows between 10,000 (uneducated) to 20,000 (educated) word families.
3. Professor Paul Nation found that a person needs to know 8,000-9,000 word families to enjoy reading a book.
4. Studying heritage language learners reveal that a person with a vocabulary size of 2,500 passive word-families and 2,000 active word-families can speak a language fluently.

Many people do not know what a heritage language learner is. Let's say a person from Mexico moves to the US at the age of 5. The person knows basic Spanish and is fluent for a 5 year old but eventually English will become dominant. This person whose first language is Spanish actually does not know many Spanish words and must study Spanish to retain it. Because they grew up for 5 years speaking Spanish, they are a different type of language learners. This type of person is considered a heritage language learner.

GOOD NEWS - If your goal is to speak English fluently, you are not required to study 10,000 words. 2,000 is enough to get you started.

Here is another list of things to consider before studying vocabulary

English Prepositions List

There are about 150 prepositions in English. Yet this is a very small number when you think of the thousands of other words (nouns, verbs etc). Prepositions are important words. We use individual prepositions more frequently than other individual words. In fact, the prepositions of, to and in are among the ten most frequent words in English. Here is a short list of 70 of the more common one-word prepositions. Many of these prepositions have more than one meaning. Please refer to a dictionary for precise meaning and usage.

Want the full list of 150 prepositions, with example sentences?

• aboard
• about
• above
• across
• after
• against
• along
• amid
• among
• anti
• around
• as
• at

• before
• behind
• below
• beneath
• beside
• besides
• between
• beyond
• but
• by

• concerning
• considering

• despite
• down
• during

• except
• excepting
• excluding

• following
• for
• from

• in
• inside
• into

• like

• minus

• near

• of
• off
• on
• onto
• opposite
• outside
• over

• past
• per
• plus

• regarding
• round

• save
• since

• than
• through
• to
• toward
• towards

• under
• underneath
• unlike
• until
• up
• upon

• versus
• via

• with
• within
• without

F-Cube Technology to promote Football at ground level launched

The Sports Authority of India (SAI) and TheFootballLink on 8 July 2014 jointly launched F-Cube, technology to promote football at the grass-root level. F-Cube technology was launched at the Weightlifting Auditorium of the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi.

About F-Cube and its benefits
F-Cube is interactive software that has various entertaining and educational games and can create standardized test that can help SAI to recognise talented children and will also develop an athlete’s mental and physical attributes.
• F-Cube is an attractive medium that can entice children of all age-groups and economic backgrounds
• F-Cube will also act as a video coaching platform that will be an aid in the Technical and Tactical development of a Footballer through various educational and game/practice apps

Under-17 FIFA World Cup 2017 will be hosted by India and thus All India Football Federation is taking steps to scout talent with SAI’s assistance

Sports Authority of India (SAI)
The Sports Authority of India (SAI) is an institute set up as a Society registered of Societies Act, 1860 on 25 January 1984. It is functional under Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Government of India. It was formed with an objective to promote sports and games in India.
• SAI Director General - Jiji Thomson

TheFootballLink Sport Private Limited
TheFootballLink Sport Private Limited established in June 2012, is a Delhi based social enterprise. The organisation is involved in exploring and advancing the Football ecosystem across India.

Sania Mirza ranked career-best fifth in WTA doubles rankings

Sania Mirza, the Indian tennis ace, along with her Zimbabwean doubles partner Cara Black on 7 July 2014 were ranked career-best fifth in the latest WTA Doubles rankings.

This feat was achieved by the duo after displaying some consistent results on their tour to just concluded Wimbledon championships. Their appearance in the second round fetched them crucial 130 ranking points which was enough to push them under top-5.

Sania, who became a professional tennis player in 2003, entered the top-five chart for the first time in her career.

On the other hand in the ATP rankings, Somdev Devvarman was dropped by 10 places to 135 due to his poor performance. In the doubles Leander Paes remained unchanged at number 13. Rohan Bopanna was dropped three places to sit on the edge of top-20.

FIFA suspended Nigeria’s team from International football competitions

FIFA on 9 July 2014 suspended Nigeria from all international football competitions with immediate effect. Nigeria was suspended on account of government interference in running Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
The Statement released by FIFA includes that during the period of suspension, the NFF may not be represented in any regional, continental or international competitions, including at club level, or in friendly matches.

The decision was taken after the Nigerian Government sacked the NFF executive committee and appointed a civil servant to manage NFF. FIFA had given Nigeria until 9 July 2014 to reinstate the sacked Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) executive committee.
Nigeria reached the second round of the World Cup 2014 in Brazil and this is the third time to reach second round of World Cup in their history (earlier in 1994 and 1998).

Government implements merit-cum-means based scholarship schemes for minorities

The Ministry of Minority Affairs is implementing pre-matric, post-matric and merit-cum-means based scholarship schemes for the educational upliftment of the minority communities.
Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme:
Under this scheme, students are encouraged to pursue technical and vocational courses in Industrial Training Institutes/ Industrial Training Centres by granting higher amount of scholarships.
Merit-cum-means based Scholarship Scheme:
Under this scheme, students are encouraged to pursue professional and technical courses. Students qualifying for admissions in elite listed institutes are reimbursed full course fee. Fellowship is granted to minority scholars to pursue higher and professional courses at M Phil and Ph D levels through the Maulana Azad National Fellowship.
Multi-Sectoral Development Programme (MsDP)
Essential infrastructure for education and skill development is developed in the identified minority concentration areas. Thus far 117 ITIs, 44 polytechnics, 645 hostels, 1092 school buildings, and 20656 additional class rooms have been sanctioned under MsDP.
‘Seekho aur Kamao’ Scheme:
Under this scheme, minority youth are imparted training for upgrading the skills of minority youths in various modern/ traditional vocations to enable them to get suitable employment.
The ministry has also started ‘Nalanda’, a project for development of faculty in minority managed institutions for higher education

New Rail Budget’s 8 common man-friendly steps

The maiden Rail Budget of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government proposes to initiate a number of passenger-friendly measures, aimed at facilitating the commuters in the long-run and improving the overall experience of travellers.
The budget has mentioned 8 main common man-friendly measures. Let’s have a look:
High Speed rail network and Bullet trains:

• Bullet trains will be introduced in the Mumbai-Ahmedabad sector.
• Diamond Quadrilateral network of high speed rail linking major metros and growth centres is being worked out.
• Increasing train speeds between several cities to 160-200 km/hour. Railways will spend Rs 100 crore for high speed trains between metros. The government needs Rs 9 lakh crore for funding  Diamond Quadrilateral.

Revamp of Ticket reservation system: 

• Next generation e-Ticketing system, capable of supporting 7200 tickets per minute as against 2000 tickets per minute and allow 1,20,000 simultaneous users at any point in time, will help in the revamp of railway reservation System.
• Ticket booking through mobile phones and through post Offices will be promoted. Steps will be taken to provide facility of purchasing platform tickets and unreserved tickets Online.
• Parking-cum-Platform Combo Tickets to facilitate the passengers and to save their time.
• Online booking facility of railway retiring room will be extended to all the stations during the course of the year.

Improve catering and food: 

• Introduce pre-cooked (Ready-to-eat) meals of reputed brands in a phased manner with a view to improve the quality, hygiene of on-board catering services and to provide variety.
• Quality Assurance Mechanism through Third Party Audit by NABCB certified agencies to ensure the quality and standard of catering services.
• A system of receiving feedback through IVRS mechanism, from the travelling passengers on the quality of food served. If the service does not meet the set standards, especially in hygiene and the taste, stern action would be taken against the vendors including cancellation of the contract.
• Food courts at major stations to offer the option of ordering regional food while onboard, through emails, SMS and smartphones, etc. The railways will soon to launch a pilot project between New Delhi-Amritsar and New Delhi-Jammu Tawi sections.

Global Standard Stations:

• Railway Ministry will develop 10 major stations in the country to global standards. It will provide Wi-Fi in A-1 and A category stations and in select trains.
• Large scale integrated computerization of Indian railway systems will be done. Stations will have digital reservation charts.
• Cleaning activities will be outsourced at 50 major stations. The allocated budget for cleaniness has been raised by 40%. The number of Bio-toilets will be increased on trains.  

58 new trains, 11 existing trains extended: 

• Five Jansadharan Trains, 5 Premium Trains, 6 AC express trains, 27 express trains, 8 passenger trains, 2 MEMU services and 5 DEMU will be introduced this year.
• Special trains to meet the holiday and festival rush would continue to operate.

Improving Safety: 

• Indian Railways need around Rs 40,000 crore  improving rail safety. Rs 1785 crore will be provided for road under bridges and over bridges.
• Ultra sonic devices to detect rail fractures and automatic closing of doors both in mainline & suburban coaches are being considered.
• 17,000 RPF constables will be available for trains.
• Ladies coaches will be escorted by women RPF. Special instructions are being issued in each class of travel for the safety of ladies travelling alone.
• Boundary walls will be constructed around stations through the PPP way.

Workstations on Wheels:

• With a view to provide better facilities to business travelers, Indian Railways will provide workstations in select trains on payment basis.
• To start with, railways will provide Mobile based Wakeup Call System for passengers, Mobile based Destination Arrival Alert, Station Navigation Information System, Extension of Computerized Parcel Management System.

Trains dedicated to Tourism:

• Promoting Eco-tourism and education tourism in North Eastern States.
• Special Pilgrim Circuits like Devi Circuit, Jyotirling Circuit, Jain Circuit, Christian Circuit, Muslim/Sufi Circuit, Sikh Circuit, Buddhist Circuit, Famous Temple Circuit have been identified
• . For these circuits specially packaged trains will be introduced.  Private participation in this sector will also be encouraged.