Synonyms

Synonyms are words with meanings that are alike. Synonymous words are useful because they can help you express yourself more accurately; however, you have to be careful when using synonymous words because they may not always express what you really want to say. For example, 'angry' and 'furious' are synonyms, but 'furious' suggests a greater degree of anger than 'angry'.

Many writers, whether they are famous authors, journalists or poets, use synonyms regularly. They will most likely have a copy of a thesaurus close to hand when doing their writing. A thesaurus is a book rather like a dictionary. Instead of listing the meaning of words as a dictionary does, a thesaurus lists synonymous words. It's a very useful tool for writers.

To help you with some of the questions in this 11-plus English quiz, take a look at the four answers and if you see two or three that have similar meanings, these can probably be eliminated. As always, take your time and read each question carefully.