IELTS Vocabulary: Understanding and Using ‘Periodical’
Learn the meaning, usage, and importance of the word ‘periodical’ for your IELTS exam. This video covers its function as both a noun and adjective, provides examples, and highlights common mistakes to avoid when using this academic term.
Expanding your vocabulary is crucial for achieving a higher band score in IELTS, and today we’re focusing on a word that often appears in academic contexts: periodical.
Word type: Periodical can function as both a noun and an adjective.
Meaning: As a noun, a periodical refers to a magazine or journal published at regular intervals, typically weekly, monthly, or quarterly.
As an adjective, periodical means occurring or appearing at regular intervals.
Word history: The word periodical comes from the Greek word periodos, meaning going around or circuit.
This root gives us a clue about its meaning related to recurring events or publications.
Antonyms: Some antonyms for periodical include irregular, sporadic, and random.
Synonyms: Synonyms for periodical include recurring, cyclical, and intermittent.
Examples use in sentences:
As a noun: The library subscribes to several scientific periodicals to keep up with the latest research.
As an adjective: The company conducts periodical reviews of its employees’ performance. Common errors in use:
A common mistake is confusing periodical with periodic. While they have similar meanings, periodic is more commonly used as an adjective, whereas periodical can be both a noun and an adjective.
To wrap up, remember that a periodical is a regularly published magazine or journal, and as an adjective, it describes something that happens at set intervals.
Practice using this word in your speaking and writing to demonstrate a more sophisticated vocabulary in your IELTS exam.
