Photo: Jennifer Sears

Below are online resources to help you build your vocabulary as you prepare for the CATW. Note: A few of the sites my require you to provide your email address. If you are not comfortable with that, choose another! None of them require payment

1. One of my favorite sites is from the New York Times. This source offers tests, tips, and techniques based on articles in the New York Times, which is a great source for students in Developmental English courses because many of the essays are drawn from Times pieces or their educational equivalents in other media. Many instructors at NYCCT suggest students preparing to take the CATW become regular readers of the Times, and this might get you started:
   http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/05/08/12-ways-to-learn-vocabulary-with-the-new-york-times-2/  Remember, you have a free subscription to the Times online as a student at City Tech, but you have to activate it. Here is information how to do this:http://library.citytech.cuny.edu/content/new-york-times-digital-online-access

2. http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/the-english-we-speak  This fun site from the British Broadcasting System (BBC) offers a regularly updated tutorial on popular phrases in the English language, particularly those that appear on the BBC. Note: You should practice these phrases in your writing in class before you use them on t he CATW! A few may be Briticisms (how’s that for a vocabulary word?) that don’t work as effectively in American English.

3. http://www.vocabulary.com/  This site helps you building vocabulary with an interactive vocabulary quizzes: (Note: You have to give your email address to continue with the tests they give on this site.)

4. http://www.snappywords.com/ This funky, interactive site allows you to type in a word and find synonyms, much like a Thesaurus (but funner).

5. http://www.buzzle.com/articles/list-of-descriptive-adjectives.html – adjectives-describing-appearance  From Buzzfeed comes a list of descriptive adjectives in different categories such as appearance, shape, touch, and duration:

6. http://www.writesite.cuny.edu/grammar/general/spelling/index.html  The CUNY “Write Site” also has lists of words and spelling tips.