Vocabulary
Synonyms, Antonyms, One-Word Substitution, Homophones
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Overview
Vocabulary forms the backbone of Language II in CG TET Paper I and Paper II. Questions on synonyms, antonyms, one-word substitutions and homophones appear both in the comprehension passages and as standalone items. Typically 4–6 questions directly test vocabulary knowledge.
Strong vocabulary helps you in two ways: it improves comprehension speed when reading unseen passages, and it earns quick marks on direct vocabulary questions. The good news is that CG TET vocabulary stays at the intermediate level—no obscure GRE-style words. Mastering 300–400 commonly tested words with their synonyms and antonyms is sufficient.
Focus on understanding word roots and patterns rather than rote memorisation. A student who knows that "bene-" means good can guess meanings of benevolent, beneficial and benediction without memorising each separately.
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Key Concepts
- **Synonyms** are words with the same or nearly the same meaning. Context matters—"big" and "large" are synonyms, but "big brother" cannot become "large brother."
- **Antonyms** are words with opposite meanings. They can be formed by prefixes (happy → unhappy), suffixes (careful → careless) or entirely different roots (love → hate).
- **One-word substitution** replaces a phrase or definition with a single word. Example: "A person who loves books" → Bibliophile. These test both vocabulary breadth and precise meaning.
- **Homophones** are words that sound identical but differ in spelling and meaning. Example: their/there/they're, principal/principle. These appear in error-spotting and fill-in-the-blank formats.
- **Word roots, prefixes and suffixes** are building blocks. Knowing "mis-" means wrong helps decode mistake, misfortune, misguide and misbehave.
- **Context clues** in passages often reveal meaning. Even if you do not know a word, surrounding sentences provide hints.
- **Degree of meaning** matters for synonyms. "Angry" and "furious" are synonyms but "furious" is stronger. Exams may test this nuance.
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Formulas / Key Facts
### Common Prefixes and Their Meanings | Prefix | Meaning | Examples | |--------|---------|----------| | un-, in-, im-, dis- | not / opposite | unhappy, incomplete, impossible, disagree | | re- | again | return, rebuild, review | | pre- | before | preview, prefix, predict | | mis- | wrong | mistake, mislead, misunderstand | | anti- | against | antisocial, antibiotic | | bene- | good | benefit, benevolent | | mal- | bad | malfunction, malnutrition |