Chapter 5 Sense Relations ——Synonymy
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Contents: polysemy, homonymy, synonymy
Objectives:
1.Analyze different sense relations among English words and their rhetoric features.
2.Cultivate the students’ ability to analyze and comprehend different texts and discourses with the information in this part.
Difficult points:two approaches to polysemy and two processes of development; types of homonyms, origins of homonyms, differentiation of homonyms from polysemants, rhetoric features of homonyms; definition, classification, sources and discrimination of synonyms.
Procedures:
Step I Brief review of the last lecture
Step II Presentation
1. Lead to the topic by giving students different groups of words and asking them to point out the relation among these words.
2. Explain the two approaches to polysemy and two processes of its development.
3. Study types and origins of homonymy and focus on the differentiation of homonyms from polysemants and the rhetoric features of homonyms.
4. After the introduction of synonyms, the teacher will supply the students with some groups of words and ask them to analyze them carefully and tell the difference between them. Then the types of synonyms will be studies in detail.
5. Ask the students to find some Chinese examples and try to have a comparison between Chinese and English.
Step III Answer students’ questions
Step IV Homework
Step V Assign homework
Exercises
Synonymy
1. Decide whether the following statements are true or false.
( ) 1) Synonyms must be similar in meaning and in part of speech.
( ) 2) Most synonyms belong to relative synonyms and absolute synonyms are nonexistent.
( ) 3) Foreign words provide a most important source of English synonyms.
( ) 4) Synonyms are identical in denotation but only different in style and affection.
( ) 5) Foreign words are generally more formal than native words and French words are less formal than Latin words.
( ) 6) If the words differ in range and intensity of meaning, the words are not identical in denotation.
( ) 7) The major difference between unlike-dissimilar, homely-domestic is stylistic and that between black-nigger, determined-pigheaded is affective.
( ) 8) Difference in usage refers to the problems of part of speech, collocation and grammar.
( ) 9) In the actual context, the words which are quit different in dictionary meaning can form synonyms.
( ) 10) To choose the right synonym in a group, we should find out the difference in conceptual meaning, in colouring and in usage.
2. Give a word of similar meaning beginning with the letter “f” to each of the following words:
a. woman f_______ f. goodbye f_______
b. scare f_______ g. banquet f_______
c. enemy f_______ h. dirt f_______
d. untrue f_______ i. story f_______
e. prestige f_______ j. strange f_______
3. Fill in the blanks by choosing an appropriate word among the choices given.
a. Tom was ______for the army because of his poor health.
A rejected B refused C declined
b. She______ their invitation to a dinner party.
A rejected B refused C declined
c. The doctor______ to give me permission to leave the hospital.
A rejected B refused C declined
d. John ______ my suggestions.
A rejected B refused C declined
4. In each of the following contexts, two words are given for the blank. In one case both words are interchangeable and in the other, only one can be used.
a. I’m afraid they will _____ (refuse, reject) our offer.
b. We _____ (reject, refuse) goods that do not meet the required standard.
a. Our _____(target, goal) is a profit of $ 50,000 for the coming year.
b. Montcrieff scored a fabulous ______(target, goal) in the second half.
a. His approach to his studies is rather ______(shallow, superficial).
b. The water is very ______ (shallow, superficial) — let’s paddle.
a. Could you ______ (fetch, bring) me my glasses? They are on the table.
b. Come to our party but don’t forget to ______ (fetch, bring) a bottle.
a. I’m going to be late — I’ll have to ______(hurry, rush).
b. The hostages decided to try to ______ (hurry, rush) the terrorists to make him drop his gun.
a. I______ (think, believe) he’ll here this evening.
b. I don’t _____ (think, believe) in Father Christmas.
a. From then on, the world ______(begin, start).
b. Since the plan is announced, let’s ______(begin, start) to do our share.
5. For each of the italicized words in the text we have suggested two synonyms. Choose the best one in each case and decide if the synonyms need to be qualified in any way.
A recent poll (1) revealed that many parents felt there was too much violence on TV. Interestingly enough, only eight percent felt that sex was more harmful (2) than violence.
What emerged most clearly from the
mass of figures was that parents exercise little control over their children’s’
viewing, even when it worries them. They put the onus
(3) on the programme makers which is both irresponsible and
unfair.… Even if children cannot be prevented from watching television, at
least there could be a warning before the programme starts if it includes scenes
likely to upset minors (4) . This already happens in
Personally I would like to attach a warning to all chose nasty (5) , smutty (6) comedy shows. However, when I suggested that to a number of TV programme producers I was accused of being biased (7) — such are the problems of setting oneself up as a censor.
(1) survey | investigation (2) damaging | noxious
(3) responsibility | blame (4) children | youngster
(5) unpleasant | vicious (6) dirty | filthy (7) prejudiced | subjective
key:
1. 1) T 2) F 3) T 4) F 5) T 6) T 7) T 8) T 9) T 10) T
2. woman—female scare—frighten/fright enemy—foe untrue—false/fake prestige—fame
goodbye—farewell banquet—feast dirt—filth story—fiction/fable strange—foreign
3. a. A b. C c. B d. A
4. a. refuse, reject b. reject
a. target, goal b. goal
a. shallow, superficial b. shallow
a. fetch, bring b. bring
a. hurry, rush b. rush
a. think, believe b. believe
a. began b. begin, start
5. (1) poll = survey
(2) harmful = damaging
(3) onus = responsibility. But onus is a much lower frequency item
(4) minors = children. There is a stylistic difference; minors is a legal term.
(5) nasty = unpleasant
(6) smutty = dirty. Filthy is slightly more extreme and pejorative.
(7) biased = prejudiced. Prejudiced has negative connotations.
