Oral Exercise.—Each group should be taken up in turn and discussed by the class after the meanings of unfamiliar words have been looked up in the dictionary. The force of each word as a synonym of the others in its group should be brought out by illustrative sentences. The differences in meaning should be talked about until they are thoroughly understood. Fernald’s Synonyms, Antonyms, and Prepositions, and Smith’s Synonyms Discriminated, are good books of reference if any doubtful question arises.
Written Exercise.—Study an assigned number of groups, and pick out the word which seems to have the most general meaning, the word which, more than any other, includes the remaining members of the group. Thus, in the series Actual, authentic, genuine, real, the last is the most general term. Real applies to a larger number of things than any of its synonyms.
Written Exercise.—Study an assigned number of groups, and say what idea the members of each have in common, and, if possible, what additional idea each member has. Thus, Adept, adroit, deft, dexterous, handy, skilful, each have the idea skilful. Adept means skilful in some art or occupation. Adroit means skilful with the hand, or with the mind,—i.e. tactful. Deft, dexterous usually mean skilful with the hand; deft refers to movements of the fingers, dexterous to quick motions, as of the hand. Handy means skilful at manual exercises.
Oral Exercise.—One member of each group should be pronounced, and the student asked to give from memory the other members.
Oral or Written Exercise.—Only one part of speech is represented in each group. The student should be asked to give corresponding parts of speech. Thus, the adjective series Actual, authentic, genuine, real, yields the adverbs actually, authentically, genuinely, really, and the nouns actuality, authenticity, genuineness, reality.
Groups of Synonyms[44]
Abandon, cast off, desert, forswear, quit, renounce, withdraw from.
Abate, decrease, diminish, mitigate, moderate.
Abhor, abominate, detest, dislike, loathe.
Abiding, enduring, lasting, permanent, perpetual.