Longman Language Activator (Dictionary) [Hardcover]

Addison Wesley Longman (Author)

Book Description

Series: Dictionary | Publication Date: June 1993

Using definitions from the 2000 word Longman Defining Vocabulary, this activator offers many example sentences showing how words are used, taking many of them from authentic texts and conversations. It aims not to be confusing by offering key words that students should already know, and presents them with a choice of words and phrases on menus, similar to those on a computer screen. The dictionary also explains the use of various grammatical patterns and how to use them in context. For example run for the bus/train, run away/off, under the key word "run", and various examples show the many ways that words can be used.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 1696 pages
• Publisher: Longman Group United Kingdom (June 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0582040922
• ISBN-13: 978-0582040922
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.5 x 2.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #705,498 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A revolutionary thing we've waiting for so long!, May 4, 2000

By 

Vera Shvets - See all my reviews

This review is from: Longman Language Activator (Dictionary) (Hardcover)

Now that it exists the list of your reference books will never be complete without it!

Does your English-English dictionary always satisfy you especially when you are working on your own creative writing or just formulating your ideas?
Alas! However good an English-English dictionary may be it can only show you that the way you've chosen to put something into words is acceptable, or (at its most) it provides you with one or two synonyms.
So being a non-native speaker of English, you never get rid of the feeling that there is at least one better way of expressing your thought, the way that would make it sound really English. And now here it is!

Productive - this is what Activator all about!
Formulate your idea in one simple word and find dozens of different ways to express it with whatever shades of meaning you desire.
It guides you to Proficiency. Gives you confidence and what's more - real satisfaction!

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a must have for the advanced learner, August 1, 2001

By 

Chris Elvin (Kanagawa, Japan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Longman Language Activator (Dictionary) (Hardcover)

The Longman Language Activator is a new kind of dictionary - it is a dictionary that enables language students to selectively encode what they want to state in English to a degree of linguistic accuracy that had hitherto been impossible using conventional dictionaries. Basically speaking, the Longman Language Activator is a dictionary of ideas. These ideas are the1052 key words that have been distilled from a spoken corpus of 10 million words and a written corpus of 30 million words. From these key words, the student is presented with options to help guide her in homing in on the most semantically relevant word for a particular context or situation. All the options are common, and are shown in order of frequency. The great strength of this dictionary is that it gives clear guidance on how words are normally used, and in which context they are appropriate, whether it be spoken or written, formal or informal, child or adult, or American or British. I particularly liked the dozen or so illustrations that demonstrate how proper use of the dictionary can train the learner to select words and phrases that a native-speaker would use, and perhaps I would have liked to see more of them. The Longman Language Activator is an excellent reference guide for teachers, and simply a must have for any advanced learner hoping to turn passive knowledge into active use.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential when you want to write, October 15, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Longman Language Activator (Dictionary) (Hardcover)

Longman Language Activator is fantastic. Other dictionaries are useful when you're reading a book and don't know the meaning of a word. But when you want to write, they're useless.
With Language Activator you can find the right word for what you want to say. For instance, you want to say "X is guilty" but you're looking for a better way to put it into words. So you open your dictionary and find an entry for "guilty". You are presented with a lot of words and expressions to choose from. Guilty, responsible, culpable, the culprit, incriminate and so on. There's an explanation to help you choose the best word to express your ideas. Now you can confidently write "X is the culprit" or "X is responsible for...", whatever suits your ideas well. I use it all the time. My book is falling to pieces.