Топик: ОСОБЕННОСТИ РАБОТЫ С АНТОНИМАММИ В ШКОЛЕ

This question type is heavily based on vocabulary. The better your vocabulary, the better you will do. But there are a few tricks you can try to use. For example, if a choice doesn’t have a clear opposite, it can’t be the correct answer. Such words as “hinterland” or “automobile” don’t have very clear opposites and would be incorrect if you were to see them as answer choices. In this case, answer choice (A) does not have a clear opposite and can be eliminated even if you don’t know what “cede” means.

Also, if it’s a tough question and the keyword is really hard, remember to stay away from choices that are too good to be true. The hard questions, which are the last few questions of each question type, often contain choices that are misleading or tricky. For instance, the word “cede” will remind many people of “succeed,” so they’ll pick (B). But the test maker will never reward students for making mistakes. (B) can’t be correct. By the same logic, you could probably eliminate (C) and (D) because “cede” will remind some people of “recede,” as in “receding tide.” That leaves you with choice (E) as the right answer. “Cede” actually means to yield or surrender, which is in fact the opposite of “retain.”

B Note : You will seldom, if ever, be able to eliminate all four wrong answers to an antonym question just by using these kinds of guessing strategies. They can help you eliminate a few choices and increase your guessing odds, but the best way to tackle antonyms is to know what kinds of words tend to show up on the GRE, make flashcards of them, and improve your vocabulary.

1. C

Cede is to give up one’s rights or possessions. The most opposite phrase in meaning is to get ahead of.

2. E

Something that is ACRID is sharp and biting to taste or smell. The word most opposite in meaning is sweet.

3. B

NOISOME can mean harmful or injurious. The best opposite t o this is therefore healthful.

A ANTONYMS QUIZ