Forgotten password
Please enter the email address that you use to login to TeenInk.com, and we'll email you instructions to reset your password.
- Poetry All Poetry Free Verse Song Lyrics Sonnet Haiku Limerick Ballad
- Fiction All Fiction Action-Adventure Fan Fiction Historical Fiction Realistic Fiction Romance Sci-fi/Fantasy Scripts & Plays Thriller/Mystery All Novels Action-Adventure Fan Fiction Historical Fiction Realistic Fiction Romance Sci-fi/Fantasy Thriller/Mystery Other
- Nonfiction All Nonfiction Bullying Books Academic Author Interviews Celebrity interviews College Articles College Essays Educator of the Year Heroes Interviews Memoir Personal Experience Sports Travel & Culture All Opinions Bullying Current Events / Politics Discrimination Drugs / Alcohol / Smoking Entertainment / Celebrities Environment Love / Relationships Movies / Music / TV Pop Culture / Trends School / College Social Issues / Civics Spirituality / Religion Sports / Hobbies All Hot Topics Bullying Community Service Environment Health Letters to the Editor Pride & Prejudice What Matters
- Reviews All Reviews Hot New Books Book Reviews Music Reviews Movie Reviews TV Show Reviews Video Game Reviews Summer Program Reviews College Reviews
- Art/Photo Art Photo Videos
- Summer Guide Program Links Program Reviews
- College Guide College Links College Reviews College Essays College Articles
Summer Guide
- College Guide
- Song Lyrics
All Fiction
- Action-Adventure
- Fan Fiction
- Historical Fiction
- Realistic Fiction
- Sci-fi/Fantasy
- Scripts & Plays
- Thriller/Mystery
All Nonfiction
- Author Interviews
- Celebrity interviews
- College Articles
- College Essays
- Educator of the Year
- Personal Experience
- Travel & Culture
All Opinions
- Current Events / Politics
- Discrimination
- Drugs / Alcohol / Smoking
- Entertainment / Celebrities
- Environment
- Love / Relationships
- Movies / Music / TV
- Pop Culture / Trends
- School / College
- Social Issues / Civics
- Spirituality / Religion
- Sports / Hobbies
All Hot Topics
- Community Service
- Letters to the Editor
- Pride & Prejudice
- What Matters
All Reviews
- Hot New Books
- Book Reviews
- Music Reviews
- Movie Reviews
- TV Show Reviews
- Video Game Reviews
Summer Program Reviews
- College Reviews
- Writers Workshop
- Regular Forums
- Program Links
- Program Reviews
- College Links
What is your favorite word, and why?
What is your favorite word, and why? It was a word that we loved as children, a word that fluctuates between good and bad in our adolescent years, and a word that we will love some day, once again. It’s astounding how one short word that is often said without thought can be part of us throughout our entire lives, and this is why “pretend” is one of my favorite words. This simple, six-letter word brings back childhood memories of my closest cousins and me. We used this word as a noun quite often. It was one of our favorite and also one of the only games that we took part in. Every time that we visited each other, we played Pretend. Pretending that we were rescuing animals off of our blue bunk bed ship. Pretending that he was Tarzan and I was Jane. Pretending that the pool Polaris was an angry, monstrous shark. When asked what we had done all day, our reply would start off as, “We played Pretend a lot! We pretended that…” and then we would proceed to tell the poor, innocent questioner of all our adventures of that day. Although “pretend” is often limited to a word used solely by imaginative children, it doesn’t leave our vocabulary as we grow into our teenage years. We prefer to use it in different contexts. Instead of “playing pretend”, we now pretend that we like her shirt. We pretend that we don’t care. We pretend that everything is fine, and we pretend that we really do know what we’re talking about (because teenagers know everything). Pretending becomes a verb. It becomes a way to hide things, a way to fit in. A way to be somebody who we’re not. Even when I’m grown and have a family of my own this word will still be with me. I’ll turn it back into a noun and I’ll, once again, play Pretend with my own creative children. We’ll pretend that we are Cowboys and Indians. We’ll pretend that we’re lost in the jungle. They’ll probably pretend that it’s not bedtime…but, maybe, I’ll pretend, just as my mother did, that I simply lost track of time. As my future family grows, this word will grow with them. I will have the privilege of watching as they carry this word throughout their awkward years and then through to their own families. Then they’ll realize, just as I do now, that pretending is a way of life. It is a cycle. It has neither beginning nor ending but is a continual, rolling wheel. This cycle does not stop its many revolutions until we reach a stand still. Until the day that we pretend to sleep – forever.
Similar Articles
Join the discussion.
This article has 4 comments.
Favorite Quote: "Tragedy is when I cut my finger, comedy is when you fall into a sewer hole and die."
- Subscribe to Teen Ink magazine
- Submit to Teen Ink
- Find A College
- Find a Summer Program
Share this on
Send to a friend.
Thank you for sharing this page with a friend!
Tell my friends
Choose what to email.
Which of your works would you like to tell your friends about? (These links will automatically appear in your email.)
Send your email
Delete my account, we hate to see you go please note as per our terms and conditions, you agreed that all materials submitted become the property of teen ink. going forward, your work will remain on teenink.com submitted “by anonymous.”, delete this, change anonymous status, send us site feedback.
If you have a suggestion about this website or are experiencing a problem with it, or if you need to report abuse on the site, please let us know. We try to make TeenInk.com the best site it can be, and we take your feedback very seriously. Please note that while we value your input, we cannot respond to every message. Also, if you have a comment about a particular piece of work on this website, please go to the page where that work is displayed and post a comment on it. Thank you!
Pardon Our Dust
Teen Ink is currently undergoing repairs to our image server. In addition to being unable to display images, we cannot currently accept image submissions. All other parts of the website are functioning normally. Please check back to submit your art and photography and to enjoy work from teen artists around the world!
Calculate for all schools
Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, choosing your favorite word and why - essay prompt help.
I got an essay prompt asking me to talk about my favorite word and why it's my favorite. I'm kind of stuck on this one. How do I combine my love for the word with meaningful examples that reflect my personality and interests? Any tips?
It's essential to approach this essay prompt creatively, allowing your passion for the chosen word to shine through while showcasing your personality and interests. Here are some tips to help you craft a compelling essay:
1. Choose a unique word: Select a word that holds personal significance and is not an obvious or common choice. By doing this, you'll engage the reader and showcase your thought process.
2. Reflect on your connection: Consider why this word resonates with you. What memories or experiences are associated with it? How does it relate to your interests, values, or goals? Dive deep into your thoughts to create a strong emotional connection.
3. Use anecdotes: Incorporate anecdotes that show the importance of the word in your life. For example, if your word is "resilience," you could discuss a time when you faced a significant challenge and how you bounced back from it. These stories will help illustrate why the word holds meaning for you.
4. Link to your character: Explain how the word represents an aspect of your personality, beliefs, or passions. For instance, perhaps your favorite word is "curiosity," and this trait has driven your choice to pursue a challenging academic path or explore new hobbies.
5. Connect to your future: Explain how your love for the word relates to your future goals and aspirations. If your chosen word is "empathy," discuss how you hope to use this quality in your college experience and beyond, such as pursuing a career in social work or volunteering in your community.
6. Show, don't tell: Instead of stating outright that you love the word, demonstrate your affinity through your writing style, tone, and examples. Use vivid language and descriptions to make your essay engaging and memorable.
7. Edit and revise: Review your essay several times to ensure it effectively conveys your message and passion for the word. Ensure the structure flows smoothly, the grammar and punctuation are accurate, and your language is clear and concise.
Remember, the goal of this essay prompt is to showcase your creative thinking, self-awareness, and depth of character. By choosing a meaningful word and connecting it to your life through compelling anecdotes and insights, you have the potential to leave a lasting impression on the admissions committee.
About CollegeVine’s Expert FAQ
CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.
- Share full article
Advertisement
Supported by
Student Opinion
What’s Your Favorite Word?
By Jeremy Engle
- May 21, 2019
Do you love words?
Not just speaking them. Or the pleasure of listening to or reading them. But the actual words themselves?
Do you delight in certain words? Think others are ugly? Do you believe that words have the power to thrill, wound, move — even to heal?
In “ The Sacred Spell of Words ,” N. Scott Momaday, an author, poet and playwright, writes:
Words are powerful. As a writer, my experience tells me that nothing is more powerful. Language, after all, is made of words. Words are conceptual symbols; they have denotative and connotative properties. The word “power” denotes force, physical strength, resistance. But it connotes something more subtle: persuasion, suggestion, inspiration, security. Consider the words of Mark Antony in Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar”: Cry “Havoc!” and let slip the dogs of war; That this foul deed shall smell above the earth With carrion men, groaning for burial. We might be hard pressed to find words more charged with power to incite, to inflame, to affect violence and destruction. But there are, of course, other expressions of power in words. They can be especially personal. They can touch our sensibilities in different and individual ways, perhaps because they have different associations for us. The word “Holocaust” frightens me because survivors of the Nazi death camps have told me of their suffering. Notwithstanding, the word is intrinsically powerful and disturbing. The word “child” delights me; the word “love” confounds me; the word “God” mystifies me. I have lived my life under the spell of words; they have empowered my mind. Words are sacred. I believe they are more sacred to children than they are to most of us. When I was first able to make my way in language, my Native American father, a member of the Kiowa tribe, told me stories from the Kiowa oral tradition. They transported me. They fascinated and thrilled me. They nourished my imagination. They nourished my soul. Indeed, nothing has meant more to me in fashioning my view of the world. I came to understand that story is the engine of language, and that words are the marrow of language. Several years ago I was on a stage with the Kenyan paleoanthropologist Richard Leakey in Chicago. We were speaking on the subject of origins, specifically the origin of humans. Mr. Leakey argued that we became human when we became bipedal, and his argument was convincing. But I begged to differ: Surely we became human when we acquired language, a point of view I continue to hold.
Students, read the entire article, then tell us:
— What power do words hold for you? What has shaped your connection to words, whether you are drawn to them or not?
— Do you feel you are able to articulate your thoughts and feelings effectively or eloquently in words? How do you best communicate to others?
— Do you find Mr. Momaday‘s argument, that words are power, to be persuasive? When have you experienced the power of words? Do you agree with the writer that “language is what separates our species from all others?”
— Mr. Momaday ends the article with a Navajo formula to make an enemy peaceful:
Put your feet down with pollen. Put your hands down with pollen. Put your head down with pollen. Then your feet are pollen; Your hands are pollen; Your body is pollen; Your mind is pollen; Your voice is pollen. The trail is beautiful. Be still.
Why do you think he chose this Navajo formula to illustrate the power of words? If you had to convince someone else about the power of words, what line, phrase or quote would you choose and why? Feel free to use a song, poem, speech or story for your illustration.
— Finally, give us your personal take on words:
• What’s your favorite word?
• What word do you think is the funniest?
• What’s the ugliest?
• What word makes you feel smart?
• What word do you find intimidating?
• What word do you find to be the most beautiful?
Further Resources:
What Is Your Choice for Word of the Year?
Students 13 and older are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.
IMAGES
VIDEO