Vocabulary: Synonyms, Antonyms, Word Forms, Idioms, Phrasal Verbs, One-Word Substitutes
Vocabulary items test precision and context. The exam may ask for a synonym or antonym, a changed word form, the meaning of an idiom or phrasal verb, or a one-word substitute for a definition.
Core rules
- Synonyms: match part of speech and register; test by substituting the option into the sentence.
- Antonyms: check the same sense, not just a negative prefix.
- Word forms: know noun, verb, adjective, and adverb families; watch spelling changes such as decide/decision.
- Idioms: fixed wording and fixed meaning; do not interpret literally.
- Phrasal verbs: the particle changes meaning; learn whether the verb is separable.
- One-word substitutes: match the exact definition, including number or person.
Worked example
The manager put off the meeting because the client was unwell. Question: What does 'put off' mean? Answer: postpone. Reasoning: the clause 'because the client was unwell' explains a delay; 'put off' can also mean extinguish, but that sense does not fit a meeting. For word form, 'The team's ___ (decide) was final' needs the noun 'decision' because the possessive 'team's' requires a noun. For a one-word substitute, 'a person who speaks many languages' is 'polyglot'.
Traps that cost marks
- Choosing a synonym from the wrong sense, such as 'bright' for light rather than intelligence.
- Taking an idiom literally.
- Confusing 'give up' with 'give in' or 'look after' with 'look for'.
- Using an adjective after an article where a noun is needed.
- Choosing an antonym that is merely a different word, not an opposite.