perfect-definition-sentences !

Mohammed Asad Khan   Wednesday, July 17, 2002, 06:45 GMT
I should ask to you a couple of questions about "perfect-definition-sentences."

I personally think that they're not helpful for learners very much.
They work well. They work fine If you want to restrict your word items
around 50-75 items. Your mind will not be puzzled.

They suck your mind If you want to add no end of items. It'll be confusing for every learner to recall correct words If their supermemo collections keep saving similar definitions of different words. It makes people boring and having a painful experience.

*I'm very curious to know how you people used to judge the correct words on the basis of similar word meanings. It was just wasting of time and making no progress.

*I want to think that how you people made a remarkable progress in your English at your earlier ages with the help of working on it.

Thanks!
Tom   Wednesday, July 17, 2002, 11:12 GMT
You are probably referring to "definition-word" items.
Yes, of course they can lead to confusion, because sometimes you can match a synonym to the definition, rather than the word in the answer field.

I'm sure you know I've written about this here:
http://www.antimoon.com/how/usingsm-makeitems-sentence.htm

I'm not sure if I understand your questions, but I think you're asking how we used to cope with this problem. Well, the way is to be very careful when adding new items. You have to think "Do I have a similar definition in my collection?". If the answer is "yes", there are two options:

1) You can make one item with two answers, i.e. there is only one definition, but you have to say/think two words (or more than two). The problem here is that lists of words are difficult to remember. I had a number of items with 4 or more answers, and I would always have problems with them!

2) You can make each definition more specific. That way, when you see one of them, you only think of one word, and not the other one.
For example, instead of:

Q: = new information about a recent event
Q: {2}
A: news AmE [nu:z], BrE [nju:z]
A: tidings ['tai diNz]
(which is the way described in point 1)

you can do:

1.
Q: = new information about a recent event
A: news AmE [nu:z], BrE [nju:z]

2.
Q: = new information (old fashioned word)
A: tidings ['tai diNz]


Another example:

Q: = not hot; having relatively low temperature
Q: {3}
A: cold [kOuld]
A: cool [ku:l]
A: chilly ['tSi li(:)]

changed into

Q: = not hot; having relatively low temperature
A: cold [kOuld]

Q: = moderately cold
A: cool [ku:l]

Q: = cold enough to cause shivering
A: chilly ['tSi li(:)]

(of course all the items should have example sentences)