Word: about (preposition/adverb)

Associations

The word "about" is used to indicate the subject of something or to describe a general direction or location.

• Example 1: "We talked about the movie." Here, "about" shows the subject of the conversation.
• Example 2: "He walked about the park." In this case, "about" indicates a general location where he walked.
• Example 3: "I'm thinking about going to the beach." Here, "about" shows the topic of his thoughts.

A well-known synonym for "about" is "regarding." The main difference is that "regarding" is more formal and often used in written contexts, while "about" is more casual and commonly used in everyday conversations.

Substitution

You can use other words or phrases instead of "about" depending on the context:

• Instead of "talked about," you could say "discussed."
• Instead of "walked about," you could say "strolled around."
• Instead of "thinking about," you might use "considering."

These substitutions can change the tone or formality of your sentence.

Deconstruction

The word "about" comes from Old English "abūtan," which means "on the outside of."

• "a-" is a prefix meaning "on" or "in."
• "bout" is related to the word "outside."

Understanding this helps you see that "about" can imply being near or surrounding a topic or place.

Inquiry

• Can you think of a situation where you used "about" in a conversation? What was the topic?
• How would you explain what "about" means to someone who doesn’t speak English?
• Can you think of a time when you might use a synonym like "regarding" instead of "about"? What was the situation?