ESLnotes

How to read these guides

The synopses are fairly self-explanatory, but you should note the following:

  1. Underlined words are those referred to in the definitions. If no word is underlined, the definition refers to the entry as a whole.
  2. Bold faced words are excellent colloquial vocabulary that you are encouraged to adopt as part of your active speech, in order to help you sound more like a native English speaker.
  3. The symbol :: in an entry is used to divide the words of two different speakers.
  4. Obviously, all words and expressions are listed in the order that they occur in the movie. The vocabulary section of each film has plot references to let the reader know approximately where they are, but since the synopses are meant to be read before seeing the film, defined vocabulary is not noted with either the precise time it occurs in the movie nor the particular character who says the words.
  5. Please be aware that the explanations in these synopses focus on how words are used in the context of the film. While there is frequent mention of the varied ways in which a word or expression may be more generally used, there has not been a systematic attempt to give complete dictionary definitions of the words that are defined. For clarification and further discussion of any given word, you are encouraged to consult a good English dictionary.