Exercises B1 : use Synonyms and antonyms in English (answers)

These exercises are based on your B1 lesson about synonyms and antonyms in English. Practice using similar and opposite words to express yourself more naturally in writing and speech.

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Exercice 1 — Synonyms in Context

Choose the word that is closest in meaning to the underlined word in each sentence.

1. She was very angry when she heard the news.
2. The task was quite difficult for the students.
3. He gave a brief explanation of the problem.
4. The children were very happy during the trip.

Correction

1. She was very furious when she heard the news.
2. The task was quite challenging for the students.
3. He gave a short explanation of the problem.
4. The children were very delighted during the trip.

Exercice 2 — Match the Antonyms

Match each word on the left with its antonym on the right, then write a complete sentence using the antonym.

1. generous ↔ ? (selfish / brave / quiet / ancient)
2. modern ↔ ? (ancient / loud / lazy / kind)
3. confident ↔ ? (insecure / cheerful / patient / honest)
4. expand ↔ ? (shrink / improve / accept / rise)

Correction

1. The opposite of generous is selfish — He was too selfish to share his lunch with his friend.
2. The opposite of modern is ancient — They visited an ancient temple during their holiday.
3. The opposite of confident is insecure — She felt insecure before giving her first presentation.
4. The opposite of expand is shrink — The company decided to shrink its team after the budget cuts.

Exercice 3 — Fill in the Gaps with the Right Word

Complete each sentence with the correct synonym or antonym as indicated in brackets. Write the full sentence.

1. The weather was ___ (antonym of warm) when we arrived in January.
2. She spoke in a ___ (synonym of quiet) voice so she wouldn't wake the baby.
3. It was ___ (antonym of safe) to swim near the rocks during the storm.
4. He felt ___ (synonym of tired) after working twelve hours without a break.

Correction

1. The weather was freezing when we arrived in January.
2. She spoke in a soft voice so she wouldn't wake the baby.
3. It was dangerous to swim near the rocks during the storm.
4. He felt exhausted after working twelve hours without a break.