Get to the root of the words

There are different ways you can grow your vocabulary when preparing for the English exam of TSPSC. One is to read a lot every day and improve your word power. You can also follow these tips from Anthic Joseph of Oxford Spoken English classes if you don’t want to experience information overload.

Don’t cram
When doing synonyms and antonyms, don’t try to cram. Rather than memorising, try to understand the meaning of the word by reading its usage. Start with editorial sections of the paper where writers often use some difficult sounding words to drive home their point. Try to form sentences using such words; it helps you remember them better. You can also read novels and magazines to learn new words and their synonyms.

Visual method
Idioms and phrases can be confusing for even native speakers of English. They are complex and difficult to use in a sentence. Begin by understanding the context of an idiom or phrase. Most idioms are situational. Try to build a story or visual to remember them. You can also dig deeper and see how these idioms and phrases originated.
Follow the same approach when checking one word substitutions. Figure out the root word and identify the prefix and suffix. In order to master one word substitutes, familiarise yourself with the linguistic of the words.

Elimination
When doing one-word substitution, eliminate the options by selecting the answer you think is the most closest to the word. For eg, if one is asked about the word for ‘fear of air’ and the options given are acrophobia, aerophobia, altiphobia and bathphobia; there is going to be some confusion between aerophobia and altiphobia. Both words allude to air or high places. But the correct answer is aerophobia.

Mock test
One you are prepared, try solving mock test papers which will give you clarity on how much you have absorbed during your preparations. It’s a good way to identify meanings of words that could be confusing sometimes. For eg, the words — egoist and egotist have different meanings, but sound similar.
Websites like Smartkeeda have quick tests where you can test your new knowledge in a fun way. They also give explanations after you select your answer so you also learn more new words.

Short break
After reading many words, take a break, and do something else. Then return to the test paper and solve it. You will find that you tend to retain the words you learnt better this way.
— Kota Saumya