Having a rich vocabulary helps not only in synonym-antonym type questions but also indirectly helps in reading comprehension and idiom questions.
I have seen study material wherein words are listed one by one in alphabetical order with their meanings and synonyms written right next to them. Students are expected to read the list again and again. THIS IS THE MOST UNNATURAL WAY TO LEARN NEW WORDS. Let me tell you why. Whatever your mother tongue, you probably never learnt new words the way you are learning English words. Did you have a long list of Hindi words which you read every day? No. Right! You learnt new words when you encountered them while reading stories, poems or while conversing with others and if somebody used a word you didn't know, you asked for the meaning of it. You learn new words easily when you come across them in their natural environment, habitat.
Here are a few suggestions to help you build a solid vocabulary:-
Here are a few suggestions to help you build a solid vocabulary:-
- Increase your engagement with the wordUnderline the new word when you first encounter it. Read its definition thrice from the dictionary. Listen to its pronunciation which may be different from what you had expected. www.howjsay.com is a website I use for listening to pronunciations.All these exercises will help your brain to form and to strengthen neural connections with the word.
- Go back to the dictionary UNTIL you don't need it.
It may very well happen that you happen to come across a word which you had read in the past but you are unable to extract its meaning from your memory. No problem. Go back to the dictionary and repeat Step 1 above. I'm pretty sure you would not need the dictionary the third or fourth time you encounter the same word. - Read, read and read!
As I outlined in the second paragraph, you need to find new words in their natural habitat, i.e., in their proper context. There's no substitute for reading. I suggest you read a newspaper daily. It'd be better if it is The Hindu. Reading it would not only improve your general awareness and knowledge of current events but would also make you come across an array of new words everyday. And you might as well read Indian Polity by M. Laxmikanth or India's Struggle for Independence by Bipin Chandra. That way you're bound to score more marks in Polity and History sections.
Sure, the methods I describe above take patience and it may take you months to build your vocabulary bit by bit but take it from me that the learning is permanent. Also, the speed with which you learn new words depends on your zeal and fire for learning.
I get so much joy from learning new words that I do it to this day. It becomes fun and something you look forward to in the day!
