PDF handout of the 32 Powerpoints - Mark Fullmer

6/5/2012Developmental ReadingThe word “synonym” comes from theGreek sγη (meaning same) and οηοmα(meaning name), which means wordpairs that are similar in meaning.Example:quickspeedybriefhastyfastshorttemporaryefficientzippymomentaryAt first, you might think that synonyms aresimply words that mean the same thing.Instead, researchers say that no synonyms haveexactly the same meaning. They may differ inhow formal they are or what situation they areused in.Some synonyms are used for differentsituations. We would say, “The van wastravelling fast,” but it would wrong tosay “The movie was fast.” Instead, wewould say, “The movie was brief.”briefquickspeedyhastyfastshortefficientzippymomentarytemporaryCorrect: The trip was quick.Incorrect: Life is quick.Correct: Life is only temporary.Incorrect: Sem break is only temporary.Correct: Sem break was too short.briefquickspeedyhastyfastshortefficientzippymomentarytemporaryAnother example: “feline” and “cat” literallymean the exact same thing. However, “feline”is more scientific and formal, while cat is morecasual. A scientist writing a thesis would usethe word “feline” but a normal person having aconversation about animals would say “cat”.1