小试牛刀

Can you explain Synonymy in your own words?

参考答案：

Synonyms are words which have different forms but similar meanings. Synonyms are frequently used in speaking and writing as a cohesive device. In order to avoid repetition the writer/speaker needs to use a synonym to replace a word in the previous co-text when he/she wants to continue to address that idea. The synonyms are together function to create cohesion of the text. It can be divided into the following types:

1) Dialectal synonyms – lift/elevator, flat/apartment

2) Synonyms of different styles – gentleman/guy

3) Synonyms of different registers – salt/sodium chloride

4) Synonyms differing in affective meaning – attract/seduce

5) Synonyms differing in collocation – beautiful/handsome, able/capable