Determine the meaning of words using antonyms in context

Key Notes:

1. Definition of Antonyms

• Antonyms are words that have opposite meanings. For example, hot and cold, happy and sad, big and small.

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2. Importance of Antonyms

• Knowing antonyms helps students understand the meaning of words and improves their ability to express themselves clearly.
• Antonyms can provide clues to the meanings of unknown words when encountered in a text.

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3. Identifying Antonyms in Context

• Context clues are hints that an author gives to help define a difficult or unusual word. The clue may appear within the same sentence or in a nearby sentence.
• Look for words like “but,” “however,” “although,” and “instead” which often signal that an antonym or contrast is being used.

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4. Using Antonyms to Infer Meaning

• If you come across an unfamiliar word, try to identify any antonyms provided in the text to infer its meaning.
• Example: The room was not only clean but also immaculate.
  • “Immaculate” means extremely clean, and since it is contrasted with “clean,” it helps to understand that “immaculate” is an intensified version of clean.

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5. Common Antonym Pairs

• Provide students with a list of common antonyms to practice with:
  • Fast – Slow
  • Light – Dark
  • Good – Bad
  • Old – New
  • Rich – Poor

Let’s practice!🖊️