Grade 7 English PROFESSIONS โ WRITING:ANTONYMS AND SYNONYMS Notes
English โ WRITING: ANTONYMS AND SYNONYMS
Topic: PROFESSIONS (suitable for Kenyan learners, age 12)
What are synonyms?
Synonyms are words that have the same or nearly the same meaning. Use synonyms to avoid repeating the same word in writing.
What are antonyms?Antonyms are words with opposite meanings. Use antonyms to show contrast in ideas or descriptions.
๐ฉโ๐ซ
Teacher(teacher, tutor, educator)
๐จโโ๏ธ
Doctor(doctor, physician, medic)
๐ฉโ๐พ
Farmer(farmer, cultivator)
๐จโ๐ณ
Chef(chef, cook)
๐ฉโ๐ง
Mechanic(mechanic, technician)
๐ฎโโ๏ธ
Police officer(police officer, constable)
Useful synonyms (professions & descriptions)
- teacher โ tutor, educator
- doctor โ physician, medic
- shopkeeper โ vendor, trader
- mechanic โ technician
- chef โ cook
- nurse โ caregiver
- skilled โ expert, capable
- experienced โ practiced, seasoned
Useful antonyms (job descriptions)
- skilled โ unskilled
- experienced โ inexperienced
- qualified โ unqualified
- busy โ free
- honest โ dishonest
- employed โ unemployed
- full-time โ part-time
Tips for writing (simple)
- Use synonyms to avoid repeating the same word: instead of "the teacher" twice, write "the teacher" and "the tutor".
- Make sure the synonym fits the sentence. Some synonyms are more formal (e.g., physician) and some are informal (e.g., cop).
- Use antonyms to show contrast: "The mechanic is skilled, but the apprentice is inexperienced."
- Keep sentences short and clearโgood for grades and exams.
Examples
1. Mr. Omondi is a teacher who helps slow learners. (Synonym: Mr. Omondi is a tutor who helps slow learners.)
2. Dr. Wanjiru is an experienced doctor. (Antonym: She was inexperienced when she first started.)
3. The shopkeeper is honest but the trader was dishonest about prices. (Antonyms: honest โ dishonest)
4. The mechanic is skilled; the apprentice is unskilled. (Antonym pair used for contrast.)
Exercises
-
Replace the repeated words using synonyms.
Paragraph: "The teacher helped the student. The teacher explained the question again because the student was confused."
-
Match synonyms (write the matching letter).
A. doctor B. vendor C. technician D. cook1. chef 2. mechanic 3. shopkeeper 4. physician
-
Match antonyms (write the matching letter).
A. skilled B. experienced C. employed D. honest1. dishonest 2. unemployed 3. unskilled 4. inexperienced
-
Fill in the blanks with a suitable synonym from this list: (tutor, physician, vendor, technician)
a) The clinic called a __________ when the patient arrived.
b) The market __________ sold fresh mangoes.
c) My older brother is a computer __________.
d) I asked a __________ to explain the math problem. - Write two sentences (one sentence each) using antonyms to describe two different workers. Example: "The farmer is hardworking, but the thief is dishonest."
Answers
- Example answer: "The teacher helped the student. The tutor explained the question again because the pupil was confused."
-
Matches: 1 โ D (chef โ physician? Wait โ correction: 1. chef โ D? Actually list was A doctor B vendor C technician D cook; numbers 1. chef 2. mechanic 3. shopkeeper 4. physician)
Correct matches: 1 โ D (chef โ cook), 2 โ C (mechanic โ technician), 3 โ B (shopkeeper โ vendor), 4 โ A (physician โ doctor)
- Matches: 1 โ D (dishonest โ honest), 2 โ C (unemployed โ employed), 3 โ A (unskilled โ skilled), 4 โ B (inexperienced โ experienced)
- Sample answers: a) physician b) vendor c) technician d) tutor
- Example sentences: "The nurse is experienced, but the new helper is inexperienced." / "The shopkeeper is honest, but the person who cheated customers was dishonest."
Practice often: try writing one short paragraph each week about a person you know (a teacher, doctor, farmer). Use at least two synonyms and one antonym in your paragraph.