Make Your Point > Archived Issues > PANORAMIC

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"PANORAMIC" Meaning: A panorama is a very wide picture or view, or a scene that keeps rolling past you, or, figuratively, a very detailed presentation of a topic. So, something panoramic gives you a very broad view of something: either literally, like a broad view of the landscape, or figuratively, like a broad view of a topic.  Pronunciation: PAN uh RAM ick 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 “a panoramic work of historical fiction.” 2. After a linking verb, as in "The work of historical fiction was panoramic.”) Other forms: panorama, panoramically How to use it: To be literal, talk about panoramic views and vistas and scenes, panoramic images and photos, panoramic paintings and murals, panoramic walls and screens, etc. We'll focus on the figurative usage, though. Talk about a panoramic piece of literature (one that covers its topic with breadth,) a panoramic summary or explanation, a panoramic lecture or discussion about a topic, a panoramic understanding of a subject, a panoramic view of a problem or issue, a panoramic sweep across a topic, and so on. Professors often have a favorite article that they keep assigning at the start of each semester: the one that gives a panoramic overview of the whole subject to be studied, clarifies what's right and wrong with the directions the field is going in, fixes misconceptions, and frames the overarching questions that the field is trying to answer. Some job-seekers write their resumes as panoramic records of their entire lives as working adults. So before we start fixing the grammar and spelling and stuff, we work to impose order and selectivity on the whole thing. Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "panoramic" means when you can explain it without saying "broad" or "comprehensive." Think of a topic that's very complex, and fill in the blanks: "Solving the problem of _____ will require at the very least a panoramic understanding of _____." Example: "Solving the problem of homelessness will require at the very least a panoramic understanding of the social services that are already available." Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game and quote below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. Playing With Words: This month, we're playing with song lyrics that include words featured in issues of Make Your Point. I’ll give you a few lines from the song, with a blank where our word appears, along with its definition. See if you can come up with it! You can follow the link to see the right answer right away, or just wait until the following day’s issue. Have fun! Yesterday's lyrics: Artist: Prince Title: Dreamer Lyrics:    With more rewards and _____s than anyone before or after    21st century, oh what a shame, what a shame    Race, race still matters Definition: public honors Answer: accolades Try this one today: Artist: The Decembrists Title: The Legionnaire's Lament Lyrics:    If only summer rain would fall     On the houses and the boulevard     And the side walk _______    It's like a dream  Definition: little inexpensive objects Peek at the answer... A Point Well Made: Sir Thomas Browne: “There is no road or ready way to virtue.” 1. The opposite of PANORAMIC is A. TALL B. NARROW C. WHOLE 2. The story opens with a panoramic description of _____. A. Bovary's hilariously out-of-fashion hat B. two drawings the narrator had made as a child C. the Californian valley, stream, and mountain setting Answers are below. To be a sponsor and send your own message to readers of this list, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each day for free by Mrs. Liesl Johnson, M.Ed., a word lover, learning enthusiast, and private tutor of reading and writing in the verdant little town of Hilo, Hawaii. For writing tips, online learning, essay guidance, and more, please visit www.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. B 2. C Exploring the archives: In "panorama" and "panoramic," we see our familiar root "pan-," meaning "all." The roots of these words literally mean "all the sights." Interestingly, that "-orama" is the same one you see in "diorama" (those displays you made as a kid with shoe boxes for your school projects) and all kinds of made-up words for big spectacles, like "donutorama" and "band-o-rama." Getting back to "pan-," could you recall some of these other words? - Something involving all of humanity is pan_____. - A terrible disease spread all over an area is a pan_____. - A solution to all problems is a pan____.