01 Synonyms, Antonyms, Hypernyms

Spoken English Intermediate
Module 2
Learner Training Time: 1 hr
By the end of this task you should be able to use a dictionary to improve
your vocabulary range.
Task 1: Read the review of the movie The Martian directed by Ridley Scott and
answer the following questions. If you haven’t watched the movie, read the
summary of the movie online before doing the task. (5 min)
The Martian is a humorous, smart and an action-packed adaptation which is a perfect film for
families with curious, science-loving teens. While the movie isn't
intense like Gravity, there are intriguing parts in store for those who
haven't read the book and don't know what happens. The Martian
proves remarkable as it focuses not just on Watney's survival, but
also on how the ground teams at NASA and at Jet Propulsion
Laboratory work nonstop to come up with solutions to bring him
home. The acting as a whole is terrific. In the end, of course, this is
Damon's show, and he doesn't disappoint; he's funny, smart, and
generally so charming that viewers will be with Watney every step of
the way. There are few movies that have it all: big-budget artistry,
wonderful performances, humour, and seriousness, but with The Martian, Ridley Scott has
managed to make his best film since Black Hawk Down.
©Adapted from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/the-martian#

Photo credits: https://www.flickr.com/photos/22711505@N05/22489529662
1. Does the movie sound like an interesting one?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
2. Has the writer has given a positive or a negative review?
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www.britishcouncil.org
www.britishcouncil.org.br
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Module 2
Task 2: (10 min)

Read the highlighted words in the text. Try and match them to their meanings
given in this quiz. Click the link below to take the quiz.
https://quizlet.com/216465351/match
Different but same!

In the English language, there are lots of different words with same or similar meanings just like the
ones you just came across in the quiz. They are called Synonyms. The Cambridge dictionary
defines synonym as ‘a word or phrase that has the same or nearly the same meaning as another
word or phrase in the same language’. Synonyms can be found easily with the help of a dictionary,
more specifically with a thesaurus. A thesaurus is a dictionary which lists all synonyms connected
to a word. You can find synonyms online using this link. Below is a screenshot of how the online
thesaurus looks.
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Task 3: Use the online thesaurus to find one synonym for each of the following
words from the text and write them in the space provided. (5 min)
1. Disappointing - …………………………………….
2. Smart - …………………………………….
3 Terrific - …………………………………….
4. Serious - …………………………………….
5. Curious - …………………………………….
There can be numerous synonyms for every word in the English language. Knowing the synonyms
of words helps improve your range of vocabulary.
Task 4: Now, for the same set of words, think of a word that means the
opposite. Fill out the following table. No. 1 is done as an example. (10 min)
S. Word Word that means the opposite

No.
(write only one word not a sentence)
1 Disappointing Pleasing
2 Smart
3 Terrific
4 Serious
5 Curious
Just like synonyms there are lots of words that mean the opposite. Those are called antonyms. You can
find antonyms in the same online thesaurus if you scroll down. A screenshot is shown below.
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Now go online and check if your answers for task 4 are correct.
A word can have many synonyms and antonyms. The important aspect though is that synonyms
and antonyms depend largely on the context in which a word appears. For example consider the
following sentences:1) “The movie was very disappointing.” 2) “It was a disappointing relationship”.
In both these sentences, the meaning of the word disappointing is different. In sentence 1, it means
unsatisfactory, and in sentence 2 it means saddening. So, make sure you don’t mix them up!
Task 5: (5 min)
Look at the words given in the box below. These are some synonyms and
antonyms that you’ve learnt so far. Some of them have a positive meaning;
some others have a negative meaning. Classify them accordingly in the table
below.
blunt smart terrific charming

artistic boring disappointing remarkable
smart trivial fascinating ordinary humorous
+ _
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If you want to give a positive review for a movie, would you use the words in the first column or the
second column?
When you want to say something good about a certain aspect in a movie, you can use a word with
the positive meaning and when you are not happy with some aspect in a movie, you can use a
word with a negative meaning. Remember, synonyms do not mean positive words and antonyms
do not mean negative words.
Task 6: (5 min)
There are four categories given. Below that, you’ll find is a list of words. Match
them to the correct category.
Theme Sequel Film-making Genre
1. Star Wars – The Phantom Menace, Star Wars - The Clone Wars, Star Wars – The Force
Awakens, Star Wars – The Last Jedi : _____________________________
2. Thriller, horror, adventure, romance : ______________________________
3. Directing, producing, acting, filming : _____________________________
4. Feminism, Politics, Art, Religion : _____________________________
Take a look at the categories again. They are called hypernyms. A hypernym is word with a broad
meaning constituting a category into which words with more specific meanings fall. For example,
‘colour’ is a hypernym of ‘red’. A hypernym helps us relate a word to its class. E.g., The Martian is a
science fiction film.
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Task 7: Can you think of more examples of hypernyms? (5 min)
1. ....................................... 2. ..................................
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Task 8: You’ve almost learnt 20 new words today. Use the words you’ve learnt
to write a movie review for any movie that you had watched recently. Use
synonyms, antonyms and hypernyms wherever possible. Write approximately
100 – 200 words and post it on edmodo. (15 min)
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Ways to learn more:

You’ve come to the end of today’s task. Here is a template for you to download and use, for future
reference. Enjoy!
Think of ways in which you can use this template at home to develop your vocabulary and
dictionary skills.
Here’s a sample for you:
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Module 2
In this lesson, we’ve used Quizlet to introduce new vocabulary. Do you think you can do it on your
own at home to learn and keep track of new vocabulary? Yes, you can!
We think it’s time for you to make your own activity on Quizlet! Choose any idea and make your
Quizlet.
This tool has a free version which you can use.
Create your study set by following the instructions in the link below.
https://quizlet.com/create-set
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Module 2
Once you’ve created your study set, post the link on edmodo and share with your friends. Get their
comments too.
References:
©http://www.thesaurus.com/
© http://dictionary.cambridge.org/
© https://www.commonsensemedia.org/
© www.flickr.com
WWW

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Spoken English Intermediate

©Adapted from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/the-martian#

1. Does the movie sound like an interesting one?

2. Has the writer has given a positive or a negative review?

Task 2: (10 min)

Different but same!

S. Word Word that means the opposite

blunt smart terrific charming

Theme Sequel Film-making Genre

Task 7: Can you think of more examples of hypernyms? (5 min)

Ways to learn more:

Here’s a sample for you:

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