Mastering ‘Alongside’: Boost Your IELTS Vocabulary
Learn the meaning, usage, and common mistakes of the word ‘alongside’. This video covers its function as a preposition and adverb, provides synonyms and antonyms, and offers practical examples to help you use it correctly in your IELTS exam.
Imagine you’re walking down a busy street, and suddenly you notice your friend walking alongside you.
This everyday scenario perfectly illustrates our word for today: alongside. Let’s explore this useful word to boost your IELTS vocabulary.
Word type: Alongside functions as both a preposition and an adverb in English.
Meaning: As a preposition, alongside means next to or side by side with someone or something.
As an adverb, it means by the side or close by.
Word history: The word alongside comes from combining three separate words: all, long, and side.
It first appeared in the early nineteenth century, originally used in nautical contexts to describe ships positioned next to each other.
Antonyms: Some antonyms for alongside include apart from, away from, and separate from.
Synonyms: Common synonyms for alongside include beside, next to, adjacent to, and by the side of.
Examples use in sentences: Let’s look at some examples to see how alongside is used in context. The new office building was constructed alongside the river, offering beautiful views to employees.
During the charity run, parents jogged alongside their children to offer encouragement. The small startup worked alongside larger companies to develop innovative solutions.
Firefighters worked alongside volunteers to contain the forest fire. Common errors in use: One common mistake is confusing alongside with besides.
Remember, alongside refers to physical or figurative proximity, while besides means in addition to or apart from.
For example, it’s incorrect to say I like many fruits alongside apples. Instead, you should say I like many fruits besides apples.
Another error is using alongside with verbs that already imply proximity, such as accompany. It’s redundant to say She accompanied me alongside.
Simply say She accompanied me or She walked alongside me. To wrap up, alongside is a versatile word that can help you express ideas of proximity and cooperation in your IELTS speaking and writing tasks.
Practice using it in your own sentences, and soon you’ll find yourself using it alongside other advanced vocabulary with confidence.
