Make Your Point > Archived Issues > AFFABLE

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explore the archives: Hey, affable folks--thanks for being you. If you're affable, you like to chat with people, and you're so easygoing and good-natured that people find it easy to talk with you. You're a special blend of friendly, jovial, and gregarious. (Could you define those two?) make your point with... "AFFABLE" Affable people are so warm and friendly that it's easy to walk up to them and talk to them. In other words, to be affable is to be kind, pleasant, sociable, and approachable. Pronunciation: AFF uh bull Part of speech: Adjective. (Adjectives are describing words, like "large" or "late." They can be used in two ways: 1. Right before a noun, as in "an affable smile" or "an affable person." 2. After a linking verb, as in "His smile was affable" or "He was affable.") Other forms: affably, affability How to use it: Talk about affable people and their affable natures, attitudes, personalities, faces, expressions, smiles, voices, laughs, handshakes, etc. We can be affable to others: "He's affable to everyone." You can say or do things in an affable way, style, or manner: "In her affable way, she asked about his family." If you talk about affable meetings, discussions, interviews, conversations, and so on, you mean that they have a friendly, open, warm-hearted tone. examples: He's as affable in person as he is cutthroat on paper. With a gentle tone or an affable smile, you can get away with saying almost anything. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "affable" means when you can explain it without saying "approachable" or "good-natured." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "(Someone) is an affable (type of person), always (doing something warm or friendly)." Example: "Ken is an affable neighbor, always stopping to chat." before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. Our game this month is "What's the Difference?" I’ll give you two terms. Without using Google or a dictionary, explain how they’re different. Go beyond saying, "well, I know the difference, but I can’t explain it," or "show me an example and I'll tell you which it is." In your explanations, try to focus on features, not comparisons. For example, what's the difference between climate and weather? A good explanation focuses on features: "climate is what’s going on in the atmosphere over long periods of time, and weather is what’s going on in the atmosphere at a particular place and time." A weaker explanation focuses on comparisons: "climate is more concerning than weather." The game will get harder as the month goes on: we’ll start with objects—natural first, then man-made—then switch to concepts. Let’s do this! From yesterday: What's the difference between editing and revising? Answer: Editing usually involves fixing mistakes, while revising involves making deeper, broader improvements that require rewriting. Try this today: What's the difference between being asocial and antisocial? review today's word: 1. One opposite of AFFABLE is A. RIGID B. IGNORANT C. STANDOFFISH 2. Based on the Latin affabilis, meaning "able to be (easily) _____," our word "affable" quite appropriately describes people who are easy to _____. A. persuaded .. win over B. soothed .. calm down C. spoken to .. converse with Answers are below. a final word: To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com Disclaimer: Word meanings presented here are expressed in plain language and are limited to common, useful applications only. Readers interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words are encouraged to check a dictionary. Likewise, word meanings, usage, and pronunciations are limited to American English; these elements may vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. C 2. C