Find synonyms in context
Key Notes :
What are Synonyms?
Synonyms are words that have similar meanings. Using synonyms can make your writing more interesting and help you avoid repeating the same words over and over. Think of them as word cousins! 🤝
For example:
- Happy and joyful
- Sad and gloomy
- Big and large
| Why is ‘Context’ Important? |
The context of a sentence gives you clues about the meaning of a word. This is super important when finding synonyms! Some words might seem like synonyms at first, but they only work in certain situations. Understanding the context helps you choose the best synonym. 🕵️
Imagine you have these words: , , , .
All of these words mean basically the same thing, but the sentence in which they are used might need only one of these words!
‘I was happy to receive the gift.’
‘I was delighted to receive the gift.’
‘I was content to receive the gift.’
‘I was jovial to receive the gift.’
Each of these words gives a slightly different meaning to the sentence.
In this instance, the word ‘jovial’ does not make sense in the sentence.
- Read the Sentence Carefully: Understand the meaning of the entire sentence.
- Identify the Word: Pinpoint the word you want to find a synonym for.
- Think of Similar Words: Brainstorm words that have a similar meaning.
- Test the Synonyms: Replace the original word with each synonym and see if the sentence still makes sense and has a similar meaning.
| Examples |
Sentence: The old house stood on the hill.
- Possible Synonyms for ‘old’: ancient, aged, antique
- Which one fits best?
Best Synonym: The ancient house stood on the hill. (Aged also works, but ancient gives a stronger sense of time.)
Sentence: The student was intelligent.
*Possible Synonyms for ‘intelligent’: smart, clever, bright, brilliant.
*Which one fits best?
Best Synonym: The student was smart / clever / bright / brilliant.
| Time for Practice! |
Instructions: Read each sentence and circle the word that is a synonym for the underlined word.
- The puppy was very small.
a) large
b) tiny
c) huge - The food was delicious.
a) awful
b) tasty
c) bad - The girl was very happy.
a) sad
b) joyful
c) angry - The man was very brave.
a) cowardly
b) afraid
c) courageous
Bonus: Can you think of another synonym for each underlined word?
| Summary |
In these notes, we’ve learned that synonyms are words with similar meanings. The context of a sentence is crucial when choosing the right synonym. By reading carefully, identifying keywords, brainstorming, and testing, you can become a synonym superstar! Keep practicing, and you’ll be a word whiz in no time! ⭐
Let’s practice!
