Topic: Context clues
Deducing meaning of words through synonyms and antonyms
Target Learners:
Second Year HS students
This Learning Object is applicable for all year levels.
Introduction:
Knowing a variety of synonyms and antonyms can add color and variety to your working vocabulary. Thus, you will not get stuck with overused words or expressions. Instead of using the word laugh all the time you may say smile, giggle, chukle, and guffaw.
Objectives: Deduce meaning of words through synonyms and antonyms.
Review:Synonyms- are words that are similar in meaning.
Example: weep- cry
Antonyms- are words that are opposite in meaning.
Example- weep- laughs
Discussion:
One of the ways to get the meaning of difficult words in a context is by looking up for its synonyms and antonyms.
Sometimes, the word that can help us get the meaning of an unfamiliar term is a synonym variant or antonym variant of the specific term.
Example: The hubbub in the garden woke the baby up, so the mother told the children not to be noisy.
Synonym variant- children; synonym/meaning- noise
Example: Jordan has been noticed by his teachers for being reserved. His classmates are trying to find a way for him to develop friendliness.
Antonym variant – friendliness; meaning- unfriendly.
Synonym Variants are words are words that have the same idea but are different n part of speech.
Example: beautiful and beauty have the same idea, but beautiful is adjective while beauty s noun.
Antonym variants are words that are basically opposite in meaning, but are different in parts of speech.
Example: happy is an adjective sadness is a noun.
You must be careful when you use synonyms. Generally, synonyms do not have exactly the same meanings and most often they cannot be used interchangeably. Spacious is a synonym for big. You may say a big girl but not a spacious girl. Precise use of synonyms are requires knowledge of the shades of differences in meaning of these words.
Summary:
Knowledge about synonyms and antonyms can help you choose from a multitude of words. You will not fall into the pernicious habit of using the same words over and over again and gradually free your discourse from monotony. This will train you to be precise. In the same way that this knowledge is a great help in deducing the meaning of difficult words you may encounter in your readings.
Assessment:
Give the correct synonym of the underlined words in the following sentences.
- After a long pause, the investigation is now going to continue. They will pursue the proceedings.
- We gave her something to mitigate the pain she was feeling, but it was not able to lessen even for a few minutes.
- The dispute was not settled in the barangay so the argument was taken to court.
Give the correct antonym of the underlined words in the following sentences.
- Tom’s excuse is very plausible, but I really think you reason is impossible.
- There is so much bedlam in some communities that they can do nothing but pray for a leader that could bring order.
- His lugubrious appearance today doesn’t seem right for his usual happy character.
