Synonyms, Antonyms and Spelling
Synonyms, Antonyms and Spelling
This half of the English qualifying section is about words rather than rules, and it gives two or three questions. Nothing here needs analysis — either the word is known or it is not — so the return comes from steady reading of short lists rather than from any technique.
Common Synonyms
| Word | Meaning | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abundant | Plentiful | Brief | Short |
| Candid | Frank | Diligent | Hard-working |
| Eminent | Famous | Frugal | Thrifty |
| Genuine | Real | Hostile | Unfriendly |
| Lucid | Clear | Novice | Beginner |
| Obsolete | Out of date | Vivid | Bright, clear |
Learn synonyms with a short meaning, not with another hard word. Saying candid means frank helps only if frank is known; saying candid means openly honest is safer, because it explains rather than replaces.
Common Antonyms
| Word | Opposite | Word | Opposite |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ancient | Modern | Barren | Fertile |
| Compulsory | Optional | Deep | Shallow |
| Expand | Contract | Guilty | Innocent |
| Humble | Proud | Include | Exclude |
| Permanent | Temporary | Scarce | Plentiful |
| Victory | Defeat | Wise | Foolish |
Some antonyms are formed simply by adding a prefix — un (happy, unhappy), in (correct, incorrect), im (possible, impossible), dis (agree, disagree), mis (understand, misunderstand). This pattern answers several questions on its own.
✗ The opposite of 'scarce' is 'rare' | ✓ Rare means the same as scarce; the opposite is plentiful or abundant
Frequently Misspelt Words
| Wrong | Right | Wrong | Right |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acheive | Achieve | Comitte | Committee |
| Definately | Definitely | Embarass | Embarrass |
| Goverment | Government | Occassion | Occasion |
| Priviledge | Privilege | Recieve | Receive |
| Seperate | Separate | Neccessary | Necessary |
Two small habits prevent most spelling errors. First, i before e except after c — receive, believe, achieve. Second, remember the silent n in government and the a in separate, both of which disappear in speech and so get dropped in writing.
सिर्फ़ रटिए मत, अर्थ के साथ जोड़िए — शब्द को एक छोटे वाक्य में रखकर याद किजिए।
TRE pointer: This is a qualifying paper, so the words stay at school level and repeat across years. Learn the prefix pattern for antonyms — un, in, im, dis, mis — because it answers several questions at once. In spelling, government, separate, receive, necessary are the four that appear most often. Never leave a bubble empty — a blank costs −1/3 while option E costs nothing, so at worst mark E.
60-Second Recap
- Learn a synonym with a short explanation, not with another hard word.
- Prefixes un, in, im, dis and mis form many antonyms.
- Scarce and rare mean the same; the opposite is plentiful.
- Follow i before e except after c: receive, believe, achieve.
- Government keeps its n and separate keeps its a.
- Necessary, occasion and privilege are the other frequently misspelt words.
Frequently Asked Questions
How should synonyms be learnt for a qualifying paper?
With a short plain-language meaning rather than another difficult word. Saying candid means openly honest is more useful than saying candid means frank, because the second only helps if frank is already known. Short explanations stay in memory longer.
Is there a quick way to find antonyms?
Often yes, through prefixes. Un, in, im, dis and mis turn a word into its opposite, as in unhappy, incorrect, impossible, disagree and misunderstand. This pattern covers a good share of antonym questions in a basic paper without any memorising of pairs.
Which spellings are asked most often?
Government, separate, receive, necessary, occasion and privilege. In each case a sound is lost in speech and so the letter gets dropped in writing. Government keeps its n, separate keeps its a, and receive follows the i before e except after c rule.
Should I guess if I do not know the word?
If you can eliminate even one option, yes. A wrong answer costs one third of a mark and so does a completely blank bubble, while marking option E costs nothing. So the choice is between marking E and guessing, and guessing pays once at least one option has been ruled out.