Sets of words for making Venn Diagrams
Lesson Procedure
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Sets of words for General English
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About creating Venn diagramsIn this activity, students work in groups with sets of three related words. The purpose is not simply to check definitions, but to help students think more deeply about the properties of the items, the relationships between them, and the vocabulary needed to describe those relationships.
The Venn diagram gives students a visible structure for this thinking. Some properties may apply to all three items, some to two of them, and some to only one. The shared centre, introduced in step 4, may be a hyperonym, such as vehicle for bus, car, and taxi, or blood vessels for artery, vein, and capillary. Above all, this is a vocabulary lesson. Students are working with lexical relationships such as hyperonyms, hyponyms, and meronyms, as well as words for properties, parts, materials, shapes, locations, functions, uses, processes, and relationships. most important properties students need in order to compare items accurately. The staged support in steps 5 and 7 helps students move from initial discussion to more precise terminology. In many cases, students may know the basic meanings of the three target words, but not yet know the language needed to compare them accurately. Bilingual dictionaries, course materials, glossaries, or teacher-provided word banks can therefore play an important role. Simple demoIf students are unfamiliar with creating Venn diagrams, the teacher can demonstrate the process with a simple familiar set, such as: bus, car, taxi. Draw a Venn diagram on the board and elicit suggestions for similarities and differences.
For example, all three are vehicles and carry people. A bus and a taxi carry paying passengers. A car and a taxi are smaller than a bus. A bus follows a fixed route, while a car and a taxi can take flexible routes. When students compare items, they should focus on prototypical examples rather than unusual exceptions. The aim is to compare the core meaning of each word: a typical bus, a typical car, a typical taxi, and so on. Exceptions can be interesting, but they should not distract students from the main lexical and conceptual distinctions. 
RationaleThis activity helps students move beyond isolated word meanings. By comparing three related items, they explore how words sit inside conceptual systems: what larger category an item belongs to, what parts or properties it has, what it is used for, what it is similar to, and how it differs from neighbouring terms.
The activity is especially useful in EMI and university teaching because it shows that vocabulary learning is also conceptual learning. It also supports analytical thinking: students justify their choices, negotiate meanings with others, revise their first ideas, and use more precise terminology as the task develops. |
Sets of words in academic contexts1. muscle, tendon, ligament
body tissues involved in movement contracts; connects; supports movement; attached to bone connects muscle to bone; connects bone to bone; stabilises joints; elastic but not equally elastic 2. column, beam, arch load-bearing structures carries weight; spans space; vertical; horizontal; curved transfers load downwards; resists bending; creates openings; compressive strength matters 3. share, bond, fund investment products can be bought; can earn money; involves risk; can rise or fall in value ownership; loan to an organisation; pooled investment; dividends; interest; diversification 4. planet, moon, asteroid bodies in space orbits something; has mass; may be rocky; may be visible from Earth orbits a star; orbits a planet; cleared its orbit; irregular shape; may have an atmosphere 5. note, chord, scale musical building blocks has pitch; can be played or sung; used in melody; used in harmony one pitch; several notes together; ordered set of notes; key; interval; tonic 6. portrait, landscape, still life types of painting represents something visible; has a subject; uses composition; may be realistic person as subject; natural or urban scenery; arranged objects; symbolism; foreground/background 7. artery, vein, capillary blood vessels carry blood; part of circulation; connect to the heart; vary in size carries blood away from heart; carries blood back; exchange of gases/nutrients; thick or thin walls; valves 8. nut, bolt, screw fasteners joins materials; metal; threaded; removable needs a matching part; passes through holes; cuts into material; head shape; torque 9. lecture, seminar, workshop teaching formats involves a teacher; involves students; has a topic; happens in a room or online one-to-many; discussion-based; practical activity; expert-led; participant-led; interactive 10. beaker, flask, test tube laboratory glassware holds liquid; used in experiments; made of glass; can be heated wide mouth; narrow neck; small quantities; mixing; measuring; reaction vessel 11. lens, mirror, prism optical objects affects light; made from glass or similar material; used in instruments bends light; reflects light; splits light; focuses image; changes direction 12. mountain, valley, plain landforms part of landscape; formed by natural processes; large physical feature high ground; low area between slopes; flat land; erosion; tectonic uplift; river activity 13. script, scene, shot film-making units part of making a film; helps organise action; involves characters or images written text; continuous action in one place/time; single camera take; dialogue; editing 14. solar panel, wind turbine, battery renewable energy equipment connected with electricity; part of energy systems; reduces fossil-fuel use generates electricity from light; generates electricity from movement; stores electricity; intermittent supply 15. file, folder, drive digital storage items stores digital material; can be opened; can be moved; has a name individual item; container for items; physical or virtual storage location; path; capacity |
