1、1VOCABULARY LISTPreliminary English Test (PET)Updated January 2008PET Vocabulary ListUCLES 20082Introduction to the PET Vocabulary List The PET Vocabulary List gives teachers a guide to the vocabulary needed when preparingstudents for the PET examination.Background to the ListThe PET list was origin
2、ally developed by Cambridge ESOL in consultation with externalconsultants to guide item writers who produce materials for the PET examination. Itincludes vocabulary from the Council of Europes Threshold (1990) specification and othervocabulary which corpus evidence shows is high-frequency.The list c
3、overs vocabulary appropriate to this level of English and includes receptivevocabulary (words that the candidate is expected to understand but which is not the focusof a question), and productive vocabulary (words that the candidate needs to know toanswer a question). The list does not provide an ex
4、haustive list of all words which appear on the PET questionpapers and candidates should not confine their study of vocabulary to the list alone. How the List is UpdatedThe vocabulary of English changes over time, with words being added and other wordsfalling into disuse. In order to maintain its cur
5、rency, the PET list is updated on an annualbasis by the addition and removal of words, using a corpus-based approach. Suggestedadditions to the wordlist are collated and the frequency of these words is obtained byreference to established corpora (electronic databases). The corpora in question repres
6、entreceptive and productive language in general contexts. The main corpora used for thevalidation of the PET Vocabulary List are: the Cambridge Learner Corpus (CLC) which includes over 20 million words of writtenlearner English at six levels; the British National Corpus (BNC) which includes 100 mill
7、ion words of written andspoken native speaker data.Organisation of the List Word setsSome categories of words a learner at this level might be expected to know are notincluded in the alphabetical list but are listed separately. Words formed with commonaffixes, some compounds and words from some comm
8、on word sets, e.g. days of the weekare described below and in Appendix 1. Although some grammar words (pronouns,modals, etc.) are included, the Language Specification section of the PET Handbook(available under Downloads) should be consulted for a more complete listing. ExemplificationExample phrase
9、s and sentences showing how words might be used are given only wherewords with different meanings need to be constrained e.g. the use of case is limited tosuitcase: candidates are not expected to know other meanings, such as a legal case. 3 Prefixes and SuffixesA list of possible prefixes and suffix
10、es is provided in Appendix 2, and these may becombined with the vocabulary items in the list as appropriate. Words with an affix which isnot included in the appendix are listed separately in the alphabetical list. Compound WordsCompound words are not included in the list where both individual words
11、are present andthe meaning of the compound is literal and transparent, e.g. coursebook, schoolboy,shoemaker, underwater. A similar approach has been adopted with two-word andhyphenated compounds, for example, coffee bar, leisure centre, home-made, open-air. Multi-word Verbs Multi-word verbs are not
12、included in the list if they have a literal meaning and arecomposed of verbs and particles already in the list. Examples of literal multi-word verbsare come into, sit down, as in Why not come into the kitchen and sit down? If the meaningof the verb is not transparent, e.g. put through, get along, th
13、en the verb is listed and anexample of usage given. Topic ListsIn Appendix 3 words have been grouped together under common PET themes, such asHouse and Home, Sport, Food and Drink.Unsuitable TopicsCambridge ESOL examinations must not contain anything that might offend or upsetcandidates, potentially
14、 affect their performance or distract them during the examination. Anumber of sensitive topics are considered unsuitable for use in PET, for example, warand politics, and vocabulary relating to these is not included in the Vocabulary List. Personal Vocabulary The content of the PET list is general i
15、n nature and is unlikely to cover completely theproductive vocabulary that may be required by all candidates. Candidates should know thespecific lexis they will need to describe themselves and their lives, for example, work,hobbies, likes and dislikes. AbbreviationsAbbreviations used in the Vocabula
16、ry List are:abbrev abbreviation or acronymadjadvAm EngBr EngconjdetadjectiveadverbAmerican EnglishBritish Englishconjunctiondeterminerexclam exclamationintninterjectionnounphr v phrasal verbplprep prep phrpluralprepositionprepositional phrasepron singvpronounsingularverbSummary of Points to be noted
17、 The list does not include every word that may appear on a PET paper. The list covers receptive and productive vocabulary. It is updated every year.4ability (n)able (adj)A afford (v)afraid (adj)after (prep)afternoon (n)afterwards (adv)about (adv & prep) about 500 students (adv) The film is about a s
18、mall boy.(prep)above (prep)abroad (adv)absent (adj)accept (v)access (n) disabled access internet accessaccident (n)accommodation (n)accompany (v)according to (prep)account (n)accurate (adj)ache (n & v)achieve (v)across (prep)act (n & v) in the second act (of the play) (n) to act in a play (v) to act
19、 strangely (v)action (n)active (adj)activity (n)actor (n)actress (n)actual (adj)ad (advertisement) (n)add (v)addition (n) in additionadditional (adj)address (n)admire (v)admission (n) charges/cost/priceadmit (v)adult (adj & n)advanced (adj)advantage (n)adventure (n)advert (n)advertise (v)advertiseme
20、nt (n)advice (n)advise (v)aeroplane (n)again (adv)against (prep)age (n)aged (adj)agent (n)agency (n)ago (adv)agree (v)ahead (adv)aim (n & v)air (n)air-conditioning (n)airforce (n)airline (n)airmail (n)airport (n)alarm (n)alarm clock (n)album (n)alike (adv)alive (adj)all (adj, adv, det & pron)all rig
21、ht/alright (adv)allow (v)almost (adv)alone (adv)along (adv & prep)aloud (adv)alphabet (n)already (adv)also (adv)although (conj)altogether (adv)always (adv)a.m. (adv)amazed (adj)amazing (adj)ambassador (n)ambition (n)ambulance (n)among (amongst) (prep)amount (n)amusing (adj)ancient (adj)and (conj)ang
22、ry (adj)animal (n)ankle (n)anniversary (n)announce (v)announcement (n)5annoy (v)annual (adj)another (adj)answer (n & v)answerphone (n)antique (adj & n)anxious (adj)any (adj & pron)anybody (pron)anyhow (adv)anyone (pron)anything (pron)anyway (adv)anywhere (adv)apart from (prep)apartment (n)apologise
23、(v)apology (n)appear (v)appearance (n)apple (n)application (n)apply (v)appointment (n)approach (v)approve (v)architect (n)area (n)argue (v)arm (n)armchair (n)army (n)around (adv & prep)arrange (v)arrest (v)arrival (n)arrive (v)art (n)article (n)artist (n)as (adv & conj)as well (adv)as well as (prep)
24、ashamed (adj)ask (v)asleep (adj)aspirin (n)assistant (n)at (prep)at all (prep phr)at first (prep phr)at last (prep phr)at least (prep phr)at once (prep phr)at present (prep phr)at the same time (prep phr)athlete (n)athletics (n)atmosphere (n)attach (v)attack (n & v)attempt (v)attend (v)attention (n)
25、attitude (n)attract (v)attraction (n)attractive (adj)audience (n)aunt (n)automatically (adv)available (adj)average (adj & n)avoid (v)awake (adj)away (adv)awful (adj)Bbaby (n)back (adv, adj & n)background (n)backpack (n)backwards (prep)bad (adj)bag (n)baggage (n)bake (v)balance (n)balance (v)balcony
26、(n)bald (adj)ball (n)ballet (n)balloon (n)banana (n)band (n)bandage (n)bank (n)bank balance (n)banknote (n)bar (n)barbecue (n & v)bare (adj)base on (phr v)baseball (n)basement (n)basic (adj)basin (n)6basket (n)basketball (n)bat (n)bath (n & v)bathroom (n)battle (n)bay (n)be (v)beach (n)bean (n)bear
27、(n)beard (n)beat (v)beautiful (adj)because (conj)because of (prep)become (v)bed (n)bedroom (n)bee (n)beef (n)before (prep)begin (v)behave (v)behind (prep)believe (v)bell (n)belong (v)belongings (n)below (adv & prep)belt (n)bend (n & v)beneath (adv & prep)benefit (n & v)beside (prep)between (prep)bey
28、ond (prep)bicycle (n)big (adj)bike (n)bill (n) electricity billbin (n)biography (n)biology (n)bird (n)birth (n)birthday (n)biscuit (n)bit (n)bite (n & v)bitter (adj)black (adj)blackboard (n)blame (n & v)blank (adj) a blank piece of paperblanket (n)bleed (v)blind (adj & n)block (n) block of flatsblon
29、d(e) (adj & n)blood (n)blouse (n)blow (n & v)blue (adj)board (n & v)boarding pass (n)boat (n)body (n)boil (v)bold (adj)bomb (n & v)bone (n)book (n & v)booking office (n)bookshelf (n)bookshop (n)boot (n) leather boots the boot of the carborder (n)bored (adj)boring (adj)born (adj)borrow (v)boss (n)bot
30、h (adj & pron)bottle (n)bottom (n)bowl (n)box (n & v)boy (n)boyfriend (n)brain (n)brake (n & v)branch (n)brave (adj)bread (n)break (n & v)break down (phr v) The car has broken down.break in (phr v) Someone broke in and stole thecomputer. break up (phr v) When does school break up? The pop group has
31、broken up. breakfast (n)breath (n)7breathe (v)brick (n)bridge (n)brief (adj)bright (adj)brilliant (adj)bring (v)bring up (phr v) She was brought up in London.broad (adj)brochure (n)brother (n)brown (adj)brush (n & v)bucket (n)buffet (adj & n)bug (n) build (v)building (n)bulb (n) light bulbbull (n)bu
32、llet (n)bureau (n)burger (n)burglar (n)burglary (n)burn (n & v)bury (v)bus (n)business (n)bus station (n)bus stop (n)busy (adj)but (conj)butcher (n)butter (n)button (n)buy (v)by (prep)by accident (prep phr)by all means (prep phr)by hand (prep phr)by mistake (prep phr)by name (prep phr)Ccab (n)cabbag
33、e (n)cabin (n)cable (n)caf/cafe (n)cage (n)cake (n)calculator (n)calendar (n)call (n & v)call for (phr v) Ill call for you at 7.call in (phr v) She called in to see a friend.calm (adj)camel (n)camera (n)camp (n & v)campsite (n)can (n)canal (n)cancel (v)candidate (n)candle (n)canteen (n)cap (n)capita
34、l (adj) capital city capital lettercaptain (n)car (n)carry out (phr v)car park (n)card (n) birthday card credit card identity (ID) card playing cardcardboard (adj & n)care (n & v) take care of someone (n) to care (about/for)someone/something (v)career (n)carpet (n)carrot (n)carry (v)carry on (phr v)
35、 He carried on walking despite therain.cartoon (n)case (n) suitcasecash (n & v)cassette (n)cassette player/recorder (n)castle (n)cat (n)catch (v)cathedral (n)cauliflower (n)8cause (n & v)cave (n)CD (n)CD-Rom (n)ceiling (n)celebrate (v)celebration (n)celery (n)cellar (n)cent (n)centimetre (cm) (n)cen
36、tral (adj)central heating (n)centre (n)century (n)cereal (n)certain (adj)certificate (n)chain (n)chair (n & v)chalk (n)challenge (n & v)champion (n)chance (n)change (n & v)changing room (n)channel (n)chapter (n)character (n)charge (n & v)chat (n)cheap (adj)cheat (v)check (n & v)check in (phr v) They
37、 checked in to a hotel.check out (phr v) He checked out of the hotel atthe end of his stay.checkout (n)cheerful (adj)cheerio! (exclam)cheers! (exclam)cheese (n)chef (n)chemist (n)chemistry (n)cheque (n)chess (n)chest (n)chicken (n)chief (adj)child (n)childhood (n)chimney (n)chin (n)chips (n)chocolat
38、e (n)choice (n)choose (v)church (n)cinema (n)circle (n)circus (n)city (n)clap (v)class (n) language class first class, second classclassical (adj) classical musicclassroom (n)clean (adj & v)clear (adj & v)clever (adj)click (v)cliff (n)climate (n)climb (v)clinic (n)cloakroom (n)clock (n)close (adj, a
39、dv & v) cloth (n)clothes (n pl)cloud (n)club (n) to join a clubcoach (n)coal (n)coast (n)coat (n)cocoa (n)coconut (n)coffee (n)coin (n)cola (n)cold (adj & n)collar (n)colleague (n)collect (v)collection (n)college (n)colour (n & v)comb (n & v)come (v)come down (phr v) The house had come down e on (ph
40、r v) Come on or well miss the bus. 9comedy (n)comedian (n)comfort (n)comfortable (adj)comic (adj & n)command (v)commercial (adj)committee (n)common (adj) a common surname have something in commoncommunicate (v)communication (n)compact (adj)company (n)compare (v)comparison (n)competition (n)complain
41、(v)complaint (n)complete (v)complicated (adj)composition (n)computer (n)concentrate (v)concert (n)conclusion (n)condition (n) in good conditionconference (n)confident (adj)confirm (v)congratulations! (exclam)connect (v)connection (n)consider (v)consist (v)consul (n)consulate (n)contact (n & v)contai
42、n (v)contents (n)continent (n)continue (v)contract (n)control (n & v)convenient (adj)conversation (n)cook (n & v)cooker (n)cookie (n) (Am Eng) cool (adj & v)copy (n & v)corn (n)corner (n)correct (adj & v)correction (n)corridor (n)cost (n & v)costume (n)cottage (n)cotton (n)cough (n & v)count (v)coun
43、try (n)countryside (n)couple (n)courage (n)course (n) English course main course of course (exclam)court (n) law court tennis courtcousin (n)cover (n & v)cow (n)crash (n & v)crazy (adj)cream (adj & n)create (v)creative (adj)creature (n)credit (n) credit cardcrew (n)crime (n)criminal (n)cross (n & v)
44、crossing (n) pedestrian crossingcross out (phr v) Cross it out and write it again. crossroads (n)crowd (n)crowded (adj)crown (n)cruel (adj)cruise (v)cry (n & v)cucumber (n)cultural (adj)culture (n)cup (n)cupboard (n)cure (n & v)curious (adj)curly (adj)currency (n)current (adj)10curriculum (n)curricu
45、lum vitae/CV (n)curry (n)curtain (n)curve (n & v)cushion (n)custom (n)customs (n)customs officer (n)customer (n)cut (n & v)cut up (phr v) She cut up the cake into smallpieces.cute (adj) cycle (n & v)Ddad (n)daddy (n)daily (adj & adv)damage (n & v)damp (adj)dance (n & v)danger (n)dangerous (adj)dark
46、(adj & n)date (n & v) todays date (n) to date a letter (v)daughter (n)day (n)dead (adj)deaf (adj)deal (with) (v)dear (adj & exclam) too dear to buy (adj) Dear Sir (adj) Oh dear! (exclam)death (n)decide (v)decimal (adj & n)decision (n)declare (v)deck (n) the deck of a boatdecrease (n & v)deep (adj &
47、adv)defeat (n & v)defence (n)defend (v)definitely (adv)degree (n) 90 degrees a degree in mathsdelay (n & v)delighted (adj)deliver (v)delivery (n)demand (n & v)demonstration (n)dentist (n)depart (v)department (n)departure (n)depend (v) It depends on what you want todo.deposit (n) pay a depositdepress
48、ed (adj)depth (n) the depth of the waterdescribe (v)description (n)desert (n)deserve (v)design (n & v)desk (n)despite (prep)dessert (n)destination (n)destroy (v)detail (n)detective (n)develop (v)diagram (n)dial (v)diary (n)dictionary (n)die (v)diet (n & v)differ (v)difference (n)different (adj)difficult (adj)difficulty (n)dig (v)digital (adj)dining room (n)dinner (n)diploma (n)direct (adj & v)direction (n)director (n)directory (n) a telephone directorydirt (n)
