Verbit tulevat vastaan monenlaisissa teksteissä riippumatta siitä, puhutaanko ympäristöstä, terveydestä, historiasta, teknologiasta vai yhteiskunnasta.

Verbi	Keskeinen merkitys
affect	vaikuttaa johonkin
influence	vaikuttaa
contribute to	vaikuttaa osaltaan, edistää
lead to	johtaa johonkin
result in	johtaa, aiheuttaa
result from	johtua jostakin
cause	aiheuttaa
trigger	laukaista
prompt	saada aikaan, kannustaa
enable	mahdollistaa
allow	sallia, mahdollistaa
prevent	estää
avoid	välttää
reduce	vähentää
increase	lisätä
decline	vähentyä
decrease	vähentyä/vähentää
rise	nousta
boost	lisätä, tehostaa
enhance	parantaa, tehostaa
improve	parantaa
undermine	heikentää
hamper	haitata
hinder	vaikeuttaa, estää
pose	aiheuttaa / muodostaa
tackle	puuttua ongelmaan
address	käsitellä, puuttua
overcome	voittaa, päästä yli
cope with	selviytyä
adapt to	sopeutua
maintain	ylläpitää
retain	säilyttää
preserve	säilyttää, suojella
replace	korvata
shift	muuttua / siirtää
vary	vaihdella
emerge	ilmaantua, nousta esiin
occur	tapahtua, esiintyä
remain	pysyä
account for	selittää / muodostaa osuus
indicate	osoittaa, viitata
suggest	viitata, antaa ymmärtää
reveal	paljastaa
demonstrate	osoittaa
highlight	korostaa, tuoda esiin
identify	tunnistaa
determine	määrittää, selvittää
assess	arvioida
estimate	arvioida määrällisesti
assume	olettaa
claim	väittää
argue	väittää/perustella
acknowledge	tunnustaa, myöntää
challenge	kyseenalaistaa
support	tukea
justify	perustella, oikeuttaa

Tämä sanasto on paljon tärkeämpi lista kuin esimerkiksi 60 eläin-, rikos- tai ympäristösanaa.

YO-koe rakastaa tätä semanttista kenttää, koska tekstinymmärtämisessä kysytään jatkuvasti:

Mikä aiheutti mitä? Mikä muuttui? Mikä vaikutti johonkin?

Opiskelijan pitäisi nähdä lähes automaattisesti yhteydet:

cause
→ lead to
→ result in
→ bring about
→ give rise to
→ trigger
→ prompt
→ contribute to

ja päinvastaiseen suuntaan:

be caused by
→ result from
→ stem from
→ arise from
→ be attributed to
→ be due to

Esimerkiksi:

The decline stemmed from falling demand.

Jos stem from on outo, koko asiayhteys saattaa jäädä ymmärtämättä, vaikka opiskelija tuntisi sanat decline, falling ja demand.

Juuri tällaiset sanat ovat YO-sanaston kultaa.

Näitä esiintyy valtavasti journalistisessa ja asiaproosassa:

Sana	Merkitys
impact	vaikutus
effect	vaikutus
consequence	seuraus
outcome	lopputulos
factor	tekijä
cause	syy
reason	syy
issue	kysymys, ongelma, asia
concern	huoli, ongelma
challenge	haaste
approach	lähestymistapa
measure	toimenpide
means	keino
method	menetelmä
evidence	näyttö, todisteet
finding	tutkimustulos
research	tutkimus
survey	kysely/tutkimus
study	tutkimus
data	aineisto, tiedot
trend	kehityssuunta
pattern	malli, säännönmukaisuus
shift	muutos
decline	lasku
increase	kasvu
rise	nousu
rate	määrä, aste, osuus
range	vaihteluväli / valikoima
extent	laajuus
degree	aste
share	osuus
proportion	osuus
majority	enemmistö
minority	vähemmistö
lack	puute
access	pääsy, mahdollisuus käyttää
availability	saatavuus
awareness	tietoisuus
attitude	asenne
perception	käsitys
behaviour	käyttäytyminen
benefit	hyöty
drawback	haittapuoli
threat	uhka
risk	riski

Issue on hyvä esimerkki sanasta, jonka abiturientin pitäisi tuntea paljon syvemmin kuin suomennoksena asia.

environmental issue
address an issue
a controversial issue
raise an issue
a major issue
take issue with something

Tämä ryhmä jää helposti tavallisissa sanastokursseissa vähemmälle huomiolle:

significant – merkittävä
substantial – huomattava
considerable – huomattava
major – merkittävä
minor – vähäinen
crucial – ratkaiseva
essential – olennainen
relevant – olennainen, asiaankuuluva
apparent – ilmeinen / näennäinen
evident – selvästi havaittava
likely – todennäköinen
unlikely – epätodennäköinen
potential – mahdollinen
widespread – laajalle levinnyt
prevalent – yleinen
common – yleinen
scarce – niukka
available – saatavilla
sufficient – riittävä
adequate – riittävä
inevitable – väistämätön
controversial – kiistanalainen
compelling – vakuuttava
valid – pätevä
reliable – luotettava

Ja taas näissä sanaperheet ovat tärkeitä:

significant → significance → significantly
available → availability
relevant → relevance
reliable → reliability
likely → likelihood

Rakenne- ja sanastotehtävä voi nimenomaan testata sitä, tunnistaako opiskelija sanaperheen oikean jäsenen.

Jos tehtäisiin “YO Vocabulary Survival Kit”, siihen kuuluisi ehdottomasti myös:

despite
although
whereas
while
unless
provided
regardless of
owing to
due to
rather than
instead of
in spite of
in terms of
with regard to
in response to
as opposed to
to some extent
by contrast
in turn
otherwise
nevertheless
nonetheless
thereby
hence
thus

Nämä eivät ole koristeita.

Ne kertovat tekstin logiikan.

Vertaa:

The treatment is expensive. Nevertheless, demand has increased.

Jos nevertheless jää ymmärtämättä, opiskelija saattaa ymmärtää molemmat lauseet mutta ymmärtää niiden suhteen väärin.

Ja juuri suhde voi olla monivalintakysymyksen kohde.

Tämä on ehkä koko asian olennaisin pedagoginen pointti.

Tekstissä:

The measure curbed consumption.

Kysymyksessä:

What caused consumption to decrease?

Opiskelijan on yhdistettävä:

curb → reduce → decrease → limit

Samoin:

show → indicate → demonstrate → reveal → suggest

important → significant → considerable → substantial → major

problem → issue → concern → challenge

help → aid → assist → facilitate → enable

stop → prevent → deter → inhibit → curb

change → alter → modify → transform → shift

increase → rise → grow → expand → surge

decrease → fall → decline → drop → diminish

Tätä voisi kutsua melkein YO-kokeen piilokieliopiksi.

Kysymys ja teksti sanovat usein saman asian eri sanoin.

Sanastoa kannattaa opettaa opiskelijalle parafraasiverkostoina, ei irrallisina synonyymeina. Sanat eivät ole aina täydellisiä synonyymeja, mutta YO-kokeessa ne voivat tehdä saman työn eri kohdissa tekstiä ja kysymystä.

Tässä lisää hyödyllisiä ketjuja:

Perusajatus	Synonyymi-/parafraasiketju
cause	cause → trigger → prompt → spark → bring about → lead to → result in
come from	result from → stem from → arise from → derive from → originate in → be due to
affect	affect → influence → shape → alter → have an impact on
make worse	worsen → aggravate → exacerbate → intensify → compound
make better	improve → enhance → boost → strengthen → promote
reduce	reduce → cut → curb → limit → lower → diminish → lessen
increase	increase → rise → grow → climb → expand → surge → soar
fall	fall → decline → drop → decrease → shrink → diminish
stop	stop → prevent → deter → inhibit → curb → block → hinder
help	help → aid → assist → support → facilitate → enable
make possible	enable → allow → permit → facilitate → make possible
make difficult	hinder → hamper → impede → obstruct → complicate
solve a problem	solve → tackle → address → deal with → overcome → resolve
avoid	avoid → prevent → escape → evade → steer clear of
protect	protect → preserve → safeguard → conserve → shield
keep	keep → maintain → retain → preserve → sustain
change	change → alter → modify → shift → transform → reshape
adapt	adapt → adjust → accommodate → respond to
replace	replace → substitute → displace → supersede
use	use → employ → apply → utilise
need	need → require → demand → call for → necessitate
include	include → contain → comprise → encompass → involve
consist of	consist of → comprise → be made up of → contain
show	show → indicate → demonstrate → reveal → suggest → point to
find	find → discover → detect → identify → uncover
examine	examine → investigate → analyse → explore → assess
judge	judge → assess → evaluate → appraise
estimate	estimate → approximate → calculate → gauge
prove	prove → demonstrate → establish → confirm → verify
support a claim	support → back up → substantiate → reinforce → confirm
say	say → state → report → note → observe → remark
claim	claim → argue → maintain → assert → contend
admit	admit → acknowledge → concede → recognise
deny	deny → reject → dispute → refute
question	question → challenge → dispute → cast doubt on
emphasise	emphasise → stress → highlight → underline → draw attention to
explain	explain → clarify → account for → illustrate → shed light on
mean	mean → signify → indicate → imply → suggest
think	think → believe → consider → assume → regard
expect	expect → anticipate → predict → foresee
seem	seem → appear → suggest → give the impression
important	important → significant → major → considerable → substantial → crucial → vital
small	small → minor → slight → modest → limited
large	large → considerable → substantial → extensive → significant
common	common → widespread → prevalent → frequent → typical
rare	rare → uncommon → scarce → infrequent → exceptional
clear	clear → evident → apparent → obvious → unmistakable
unclear	unclear → vague → ambiguous → uncertain → obscure
possible	possible → feasible → viable → attainable
likely	likely → probable → expected → liable to
unlikely	unlikely → improbable → doubtful
certain	certain → definite → inevitable → assured
uncertain	uncertain → unclear → doubtful → unpredictable
good	good → beneficial → favourable → advantageous → positive
bad	bad → harmful → damaging → adverse → detrimental
effective	effective → successful → efficient → productive
ineffective	ineffective → unsuccessful → inadequate → inefficient
problem	problem → issue → concern → challenge → difficulty
danger	danger → risk → threat → hazard
result	result → outcome → consequence → effect
reason	reason → cause → factor → explanation
method	method → approach → technique → procedure → means
idea	idea → concept → notion → view
opinion	opinion → view → belief → stance → position
difference	difference → distinction → contrast → disparity
similarity	similarity → resemblance → parallel
change (noun)	change → shift → transformation → development → transition
growth	growth → increase → rise → expansion
decline	decline → fall → decrease → reduction → downturn
amount	amount → quantity → volume → level
number	number → figure → total → count
part	part → proportion → share → fraction
most	most → the majority → the bulk → a large proportion
few	few → a minority → a small proportion → a limited number
trend	trend → tendency → pattern → development
effect	effect → impact → consequence → influence
advantage	advantage → benefit → merit → strength
disadvantage	disadvantage → drawback → weakness → limitation
goal	goal → aim → objective → purpose
attempt	attempt → effort → endeavour → initiative
rule	rule → regulation → requirement → provision
action	action → measure → step → initiative
way	way → means → method → approach
evidence	evidence → proof → support → indication
research result	result → finding → observation → evidence
belief	belief → assumption → perception → conviction
understand	understand → grasp → comprehend → recognise
become aware of	realise → recognise → become conscious of → notice
happen	happen → occur → take place → arise
appear	appear → emerge → arise → surface
continue	continue → persist → remain → endure
end	end → cease → stop → terminate → come to an end
begin	begin → start → commence → emerge
get	get → obtain → acquire → gain → secure
give	give → provide → supply → offer → grant
take away	remove → eliminate → withdraw → deprive
choose	choose → select → opt for → favour
refuse	refuse → reject → decline → turn down
accept	accept → approve → embrace → acknowledge
allow	allow → permit → enable → authorise
ban	ban → prohibit → forbid → outlaw
control	control → regulate → restrict → curb
encourage	encourage → promote → foster → stimulate
discourage	discourage → deter → dissuade → inhibit
create	create → produce → generate → establish
destroy	destroy → damage → devastate → eliminate
improve gradually	improve → develop → progress → evolve
spread	spread → expand → circulate → proliferate
become popular	gain popularity → catch on → become widespread → gain traction

Erityisen hyödyllisiä ovat myös vastinparit, koska monivalinnassa kysymyksen sana voi tulla aivan eri suunnasta kuin tekstin sana:

benefit ↔ drawback
increase ↔ decline
support ↔ challenge
permit ↔ prohibit
encourage ↔ deter
expand ↔ shrink
retain ↔ lose
strengthen ↔ undermine
common ↔ scarce
likely ↔ doubtful

Ja vielä yksi erittäin tärkeä asia: YO-kokeessa parafraasi ei aina ole sana → sana, vaan usein sana → kokonainen ilmaus:

prevent → stop something from happening
facilitate → make something easier
exacerbate → make a problem worse
alleviate → make something less severe
retain → continue to have
account for → explain why / make up a proportion of
pose → present or create a threat/problem
derive from → come from
constitute → form / make up
undertake → begin and carry out

Tämä on ehkä vielä tärkeämpi taito kuin tavalliset synonyymit. Opiskelijan pitäisi harjoitella ajatusta:

“Millä muulla tavalla tämä sama merkitys voitaisiin sanoa?”

Se on juuri sitä, mitä tekstinymmärtämiskoe jatkuvasti vaatii.

Näitä kannattaisi opetella kokonaisuuksina:

account for – selittää / muodostaa
adapt to – sopeutua
apply to – koskea
approve of – hyväksyä
attribute X to Y – lukea Y:n ansioksi/syyksi
benefit from – hyötyä
consist of – koostua
contribute to – vaikuttaa, edistää
cope with – selviytyä
deal with – käsitellä
depend on – riippua
derive from – olla peräisin
differ from – erota
engage in – osallistua, harjoittaa
lead to – johtaa
prevent X from doing – estää
rely on – luottaa
result from – johtua
result in – johtaa
stem from – juontua
suffer from – kärsiä
take advantage of – hyödyntää

Näissä väärä prepositio tekee muuten tunnetustakin verbistä vaikean.

OPPIMATERIAALEISSA ON HYVÄT LISTAT VERBI/ADJEKTIIVI/SUBSTANTIIVI + PREPOSITIO-KERTAUKSEEN! YKSITTÄISIÄ PREPOSITIOITA KYSYTÄÄN MYÖS JA LOGIIKALLA EI VOI ENKUSSA MENNÄ – PITÄÄ TIETÄÄ.

Erityisen tärkeitä pitkän englannin kokeessa:

address = puuttua/käsitellä
account = selitys; account for = selittää
subject = aihe / alainen / kohteena oleva
matter = asia / merkitä
issue = asia, kysymys, ongelma / julkaista
measure = mitta / toimenpide / mitata
figure = luku / hahmo / päätellä
claim = väite / väittää
range = valikoima, vaihteluväli / vaihdella
rate = määrä, osuus, tahti / arvioida
share = osuus / jakaa
shift = muutos / muuttua
conduct = suorittaa, toteuttaa
means = keino
concern = koskea / huoli
case = tapaus / tilanne
current = nykyinen / virtaus
eventually = lopulta
virtually = käytännössä, lähes
apparently = ilmeisesti
arguably = voidaan väittää että
roughly = suunnilleen
merely = vain, pelkästään
largely = suurelta osin

Näissä piilee paljon kolmen pisteen menetyksiä.

Esimerkiksi kevään 2026 kokeessa aihepiirit saattoivat ulottua mehiläisistä Afrikan vihreisiin investointeihin, maustekauppaan, hyvinvointiin, päivänvalon hyödyntämiseen ja argumentaatiovirheisiin. Siitä ei seuraa, että opiskelijan pitäisi ennen koetta opetella beekeeping + turmeric + geothermal + daylighting -sanastoa. Aihekohtainen sanasto on väistämättä osittain ennustamatonta.

Sen sijaan opiskelija kohtaa uudestaan ja uudestaan rakenteita kuten:

X has led to Y.
X accounts for a large proportion of Y.
The findings suggest that…
This raises concerns about…
The decline can be attributed to…
X is likely to increase.
X plays a significant role in Y.
The policy aims to address the problem.

Nämä voi ennustaa.

Tässä on pidempi, juuri YO-tekstien lukemiseen sopiva rakennepankki. Ajatus on sama: aihe vaihtuu, mutta asiatekstin rakenteet kierrättävät samoja malleja. Näitä ei tarvitse opetella ulkoa kokonaisina lauseina, vaan muotteina, joissa X ja Y vaihtuvat.

Tällaiset rakenteet ovat todella lähellä sitä, mitä voisi kutsua A-englannin YO-kokeen tekstinymmärtämisen kieliopiksi: kun opiskelija tunnistaa ne nopeasti, hänen ei tarvitse kääntää tekstiä sana sanalta. Hän näkee suoraan, mitä suhdetta lause ilmaisee.

Syy ja seuraus

X leads to Y.
X has led to Y.
X may lead to Y.
X can result in Y.
X has resulted in Y.
X results from Y.
X stems from Y.
X arises from Y.
X is caused by Y.
X can be traced back to Y.
X can be attributed to Y.
X is largely due to Y.
X contributes to Y.
X is a contributing factor in Y.
X plays a part in Y.
X gives rise to Y.
X triggers Y.
X prompts Y.
X brings about Y.
X has an impact on Y.
X has a significant effect on Y.
X affects the way Y…
X influences how Y…

Osuudet, määrät ja jakaumat

X accounts for a large proportion of Y.
X makes up a significant share of Y.
X represents approximately 30% of Y.
X constitutes the majority of Y.
X forms only a small part of Y.
X is responsible for much of Y.
X is among the main sources of Y.
The majority of X…
A minority of X…
A substantial proportion of X…
Only a small percentage of X…
Roughly half of X…
The figure has risen to X.
The figure has fallen from X to Y.
The number of X has increased steadily.
There has been a sharp decline in X.
X remains relatively stable.

Tutkimustulokset ja näyttö

The findings suggest that…
The results indicate that…
The evidence shows that…
The data reveal that…
The study found that…
Research suggests that…
Research has shown that…
Studies have demonstrated that…
The evidence points to…
The findings provide evidence for…
There is evidence to suggest that…
There is little evidence that…
There is no clear evidence that…
The available evidence remains inconclusive.
The results support the view that…
The findings challenge the assumption that…
The study highlights the importance of X.
The researchers identified X as a key factor.
The study examined the relationship between X and Y.
The study assessed the impact of X on Y.
The research focused on X.

Todennäköisyys ja ennusteet

X is likely to increase.
X is unlikely to disappear.
X is expected to rise.
X is predicted to decline.
X is projected to reach Y.
X may result in Y.
X could have serious consequences.
X is expected to remain stable.
There is a strong likelihood that…
There is little chance that…
It is possible that…
It seems likely that…
It remains unclear whether…
It is difficult to predict whether…
X may eventually lead to Y.
X is increasingly likely to…

Ongelmien käsittely

The policy aims to address the problem.
The government has introduced measures to tackle X.
The programme seeks to reduce X.
The initiative is intended to improve X.
The measures are designed to prevent X.
The reform is meant to deal with X.
The policy focuses on reducing X.
The authorities are attempting to curb X.
Efforts have been made to tackle X.
Further action is needed to address X.
One possible solution is to…
A key challenge is to…
The main obstacle is X.
X remains a major concern.
X poses a serious challenge.
X represents a threat to Y.
X can help alleviate Y.
X may help overcome Y.

Huoli, riski ja vaara

This raises concerns about X.
This has raised concerns over X.
There are growing concerns that…
X poses a risk to Y.
X increases the risk of Y.
X is associated with an increased risk of Y.
X may have harmful effects on Y.
X can have serious consequences for Y.
X presents a threat to Y.
X may undermine Y.
X could jeopardise Y.
There is concern that X may…
Critics have warned that…
Experts have expressed concern about X.

Merkitys ja tärkeys

X plays a significant role in Y.
X plays a crucial part in Y.
X is an important factor in Y.
X is essential for Y.
X is vital to Y.
X is central to Y.
X is particularly important in Y.
X has become increasingly important.
The importance of X has grown.
X is considered a key factor.
X is widely regarded as essential.
X remains one of the main challenges.

Vertailu ja ero

X differs from Y in several respects.
X is similar to Y in that…
Unlike X, Y…
In contrast to X, Y…
Whereas X increases, Y declines.
While X has improved, Y has worsened.
Compared with X, Y is more likely to…
X is considerably higher than Y.
X is roughly twice as high as Y.
There is a marked difference between X and Y.
The two groups differ significantly in terms of X.
X varies considerably from one region to another.
The pattern is similar across different countries.

Muutos ja kehitys

X has increased significantly.
X has risen steadily.
X has grown rapidly.
X has expanded considerably.
X has declined gradually.
X has fallen sharply.
X has remained relatively unchanged.
X has undergone significant changes.
There has been a shift towards X.
X has changed over time.
X is becoming increasingly common.
X has become more widespread.
X is declining in importance.
X has gradually replaced Y.
X has transformed the way Y…

Hyödyt ja haitat

X has several advantages.
One major benefit of X is…
X can provide significant benefits.
X may improve Y.
X can enhance Y.
X may contribute to better Y.
One drawback is that…
A major disadvantage of X is…
X may have unintended consequences.
X can create additional problems.
The benefits must be weighed against the risks.
The advantages may outweigh the disadvantages.
The long-term benefits remain uncertain.

Väitteet ja näkemykset

The author argues that…
The report claims that…
Critics argue that…
Supporters maintain that…
Some researchers believe that…
It has been suggested that…
There is a widespread belief that…
The assumption is that…
This view is supported by…
This claim is based on…
The evidence does not support the claim that…
The findings challenge this view.
The author acknowledges that…
The report points out that…
The article highlights the fact that…

Tavoitteet ja tarkoitus

The aim is to reduce X.
The purpose of X is to improve Y.
The policy is intended to encourage X.
The measure is designed to prevent Y.
The programme seeks to promote X.
The initiative aims to provide Y.
The scheme was introduced in order to…
The project was established to…
The main objective is to…
The long-term goal is to…

Rajoitukset ja puutteet

X is limited by Y.
One limitation of the study is…
The findings should be interpreted with caution.
The evidence is limited.
The sample was relatively small.
The results may not apply to all groups.
It is difficult to draw firm conclusions.
The data do not allow us to determine whether…
The study fails to take X into account.
The research does not fully explain Y.
More research is needed to determine…

Saatavuus, mahdollisuus ja pääsy

X provides access to Y.
X enables people to Y.
X allows users to Y.
X makes it possible to Y.
X facilitates Y.
X improves access to Y.
X is widely available.
Access to X remains limited.
X is not equally accessible to everyone.
The availability of X varies considerably.

Riippuvuus ja edellytys

X depends on Y.
X relies heavily on Y.
X is dependent on Y.
X requires Y.
X cannot occur without Y.
X is necessary for Y.
X is a prerequisite for Y.
X is essential if Y is to happen.
Whether X succeeds depends largely on Y.

Yhteys kahden asian välillä

There is a link between X and Y.
X is associated with Y.
X is closely related to Y.
X is linked to Y.
There appears to be a connection between X and Y.
The relationship between X and Y remains unclear.
X correlates with Y.
An increase in X is associated with a decline in Y.

Tässä on myös yksi erittäin käyttökelpoinen tapa opettaa näitä: opiskelija opettelee ensin runkorakenteen, ei kaikkia sanoja sen ympärillä.

Esimerkiksi:

X is associated with Y.
X contributes to Y.
X results in Y.
X is attributed to Y.

Silloin hän oppii samalla erottamaan neljä eri logiikkaa:

association = yhteys
contribution = osasyy
result = seuraus
attribution = selitys/syyksi lukeminen