Vocabulary Development: Antonyms & Adjuncts – SS1 English Lesson Note (Third Term)

Antonyms are words that are opposite in meaning, and adjuncts are words or phrases that add information about an action.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. explain what an antonym is and give examples;
2. form antonyms by adding a prefix or by changing a suffix;
3. explain what an adjunct (adverbial) is;
4. name the five types of adjunct and give an example of each;
5. identify the adjuncts in given sentences.

What is an antonym?

An antonym is a word whose meaning is opposite to the meaning of another word, such as good and bad.

• Contrast: an antonym shows a relationship of contrast, so if it is “wrong”, it is not “right”.
• Direct opposite: antonyms do not resemble each other in meaning.
• Care in choice: a word is rarely an exact equivalent of another, so be sure of the meaning before you pick an opposite.

What are the kinds of antonym?

Antonyms can be grouped into four kinds: words of direct opposite meaning, words of nearly opposite meaning, antonyms formed with a prefix and antonyms formed by changing a suffix.

What are words of direct opposite meaning?

These are pairs in which one word clearly means the reverse of the other.

What are words of nearly opposite meaning?

These are pairs in which the second word is close to the reverse of the first, but not an exact opposite.

How are antonyms formed by adding a prefix?

A prefix is a group of letters added to the front of a word to form its opposite.

• im-: usually used before words beginning with b, m or p, as in impossible and impolite.
• il-: used before words beginning with l, as in illegal and illiterate.
• ir-: used before words beginning with r, as in irregular and irresponsible.

How are antonyms formed by changing the suffix?

A suffix is a group of letters added to the end of a word, and replacing -ful with -less usually gives the opposite.

What is an adjunct (adverbial)?

An adjunct (adverbial) is a word or group of words added to a sentence to tell us when, where, why, how often or how an action is or was performed.

• Function: adjuncts modify verbs and give more information about a thing or an action.
• Make-up: they are adverbs or phrases that add meaning to the verb or to parts of a sentence.

Examples:

• She went home yesterday.
• He ran away in a panic.

In these sentences, “yesterday” and “in a panic” are adjuncts.

What forms can an adjunct take?

An adjunct can be a single adverb or a group of words, because adjuncts are not limited to the class of adverbs.

1. Noun phrase: indicates time, as in the previous week, last year, two hours ago.
2. Adverb or adverb phrase: indicates manner, as in so suddenly, quickly, very slowly.
3. Prepositional phrase: shows time and place, as in in the backyard, after the party, by the special grace of God.

What are the types of adjunct?

There are five types of adjunct: time, place, reason, purpose and manner.

What is an adjunct of time?

An adjunct of time is a word or group of words that tells us when an action is or was performed.

• They met last year.
• I will be there by two o’clock.

What is an adjunct of place?

An adjunct of place is a word or group of words that tells us where an action is or was performed.

• It was found on the table.
• I met him at university.

What is an adjunct of reason?

An adjunct of reason is a word or group of words that tells us why an action is or was performed, giving its cause.

• The students were making noise since they had nothing to do.
• The girls were beaten by the principals because of stealing.

What is an adjunct of purpose?

An adjunct of purpose is a word or group of words that tells us why an action is or was performed, giving the aim behind it.

• She wore her best so that she would emerge as Miss World.
• He came here to meet with the coach.

What is an adjunct of manner?

An adjunct of manner is a word or group of words that tells us how an action is or was performed.

• The man quickly went away.
• He caught the ball as if he were a goalkeeper.

How do reason and purpose differ?

Reason explains what caused an action, while purpose explains what the action was meant to achieve.

How do you identify an adjunct in a sentence?

Find the verb, then ask when, where, why or how, and the answer is the adjunct.

1. Read the sentence and pick out the verb.
2. Ask “When?”, “Where?”, “Why?” or “How?” after the verb.
3. Write down the word or group of words that answers the question.
4. Name the type of adjunct from the question you asked.

Evaluation

1. What is an antonym?
2. Give the opposite of each word: good, tall, rich, reward.
3. Form an antonym of each word by adding a prefix: possible, legal, discipline.
4. Form an antonym of each word by changing the suffix: useful, careful, hopeful.
5. What is an adjunct? Name the five types of adjunct.

Assignment

Study the following sentences, write out and name the adjuncts contained in each:

1. He was at home.
2. Uche preached as though he were a vicar.
3. You must see the principal when you come back.
4. Ada wore the dress so that she would be recognised.