If you look at the current trends we have, you’re definitely going to see words like the “World Cup”, “Brazil”, “USA”, “Goals”, “Portugal” and the “round of 16”. Although these are what the Internet and the media pick up, what about the words between them? There are a number of words in English that are used in almost every conversation, write-up, article and status update. If you’re an avid Scrabble player, you might not actually be thinking of these words, since you’re too busy thinking of high scoring, long words and other strategies– and you might not actually know how and why they are used in the first place. This is excusable, given that Scrabble is one of the most strategically advanced board game there is.
“The” – a determinant
Taking the top spot is the three letter word, “THE”. In writing and conversation, it is used to denote one or more people or things that has been already mentioned or assumed to be common knowledge. Aside from which, it is used to point to a following, defining or qualifying clause or phrase. In Scrabble it’s a great way to get rid of the H, and overall, I dishes out a base score of six points.
“Of” – a preposition
This preposition is used to express the relationship between a part and a whole, for example: “the nail of his finger”. Aside from which, it is also used as a way to indicate an association between two entities, like in this phrase: “the husband of my first love”. In Scrabble, this word only gives a base score of 5, but it comes in handy during situations when it seems that you’re unable to put points on the board.
“And” – a conjunction
This conjunction is one of the most commonly used words in English and so far, you’ve read 11 of them in this entry. It is used as a way to connect words of the same part of the speech, clauses or sentences that are to be taken and jointly, like this: “the sweet strawberry and orange juice”. Aside from which it is used to introduce a comment or an interjection – AND it is pretty simple to do so – in a sentence. In Scrabble this word would be far from your thoughts if you’re looking at your rack, given that it only manages to give you a measly base score of four points.
“To” – a preposition or an infinitive
This word has a couple of uses, first as a conjunction, and second, as an infinitive. As a preposition, it is primarily used to express motion to the direction of a particular location, like “turning to the left of the curve”. It is also used to identify the person, animal or thing affected, like “she told me that your tone sounded insulting to her”. As an infinitive, it is used without a verb following if the missing verb is clearly understood, like “she told him to eat up and finish his meal but he shouted and told her that he didn’t want to”. In Scrabble, it only gives two points. Overall, these words may not score much, but you should definitely remember them if you wish to make the most out of your rack in the latter stages of the game, especially if there are no more to be drawn. Remember, the most common words are capable of doing great things! Bear in mind that these words can also be used in Words with Friends!