I have been teaching exam preparation exclusively, working mostly with higher levels, for almost eight years now. Over this time, I have worked with a 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒏𝒖𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒇 outstanding students, many of whom have achieved remarkable results in various exams. 𝑨 𝒔𝒊𝒈𝒏𝒊𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒇 what we cover is, of course, related to vocabulary, with its 𝒂𝒃𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 of collocations and idioms. Yet, hardly a month goes by without me correcting the word 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐚 in one of my students' essays.
Don’t get me wrong. Plethora, like 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔 other words in English, certainly exists and is used. After all, there are no inherently bad words in English—only contexts where they are used inappropriately. The problem is that plethora does not mean many. Most students come across this word in extensive lists of so-called advanced vocabulary, which YouTube is full of. Some of these lists are even adopted by teachers who, in their attempt to introduce their students to sophisticated words, sacrifice natural usage in favour of pompous complexity. Run from those teachers. Run for your life.
Exam or no exam, English is a means of communication. The primary goal of language learning should be to acquire practical and natural skills that students can use in real-life contexts. Keep in mind that sophistication is never a requirement in any examination. What exams assess is the accurate use of less common lexis, ensuring that candidates can discuss abstract topics and convey precise meanings. 𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐚 is a wonderful word—but only when describing 𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒎𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒏𝒆𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝒐𝒓 𝒆𝒙𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒗𝒆. The closest synonym to plethora is certainly not many—it’s excess.
From Vladimir Pavlovich
