Vocabulary and Word Usage (Synonyms, Antonyms, Idioms, Phrasal Verbs, One-word Substitution)
Core rules
- Synonyms: choose the word that fits the sentence's register and collocation, not just a dictionary equivalent.
- Antonyms: watch prefixes and word class; the opposite of happy is unhappy, not happily.
- Idioms: the meaning is non-literal and fixed; break the ice means start a conversation, not damage ice.
- Phrasal verbs: the particle changes the meaning; give up means quit, give in means surrender, and give away means donate or reveal.
- One-word substitution: replace a phrase with a single exact word, as in "a place where books are kept" = library.
Worked example
Sentence: "At the meeting, the manager let the cat out of the bag about the merger." Question: What does the idiom mean? Reasoning: The literal image is impossible in an office meeting. "Let out" suggests release, and "the bag" holds something hidden. The idiom means to reveal a secret, usually by accident. Answer: "The manager revealed the secret about the merger." A literal answer such as "the manager allowed the cat to leave the bag" misses the idiomatic meaning entirely.
Traps
- Choosing a synonym that is grammatically wrong, such as advice for advise.
- Confusing affect and effect, or principal and principle.
- Mixing particles: look after means care for, while look for means search.
- Giving a two-word explanation when a one-word substitution is demanded.
- Treating a phrasal verb as the sum of its parts.