Why a synonym map

Most Reading questions paraphrase the passage. If you only hunt the exact keyword, you miss the line. A compact map turns one word into a family so your scan locks onto meaning, not surface form.

What your poster includes

1. Core families: increase, reduce, cause, result, contrast, compare, purpose.
2. Grammar twins: noun, verb, adjective forms.
3. Domain swaps: everyday vs academic words.
4. Number and scope tags: all, most, some, often, rarely.
5. Affixes: re, pre, over, under, un, mis, anti, post.
6. Function verbs: suggest, argue, claim, reveal, highlight.

Ready to print poster layout (A4 or A3)

• Top row: Task signals and quantifiers.
• Middle grid: 12 synonym families with 5 items each.
• Side strip: Prefix and suffix cues.
• Bottom row: Domain swap pairs and example sentence frames.

Tip: Keep fonts large, no paragraphs, only clusters and arrows.

High value families for IELTS

Increase
rise, grow, climb, surge, escalate
Reduce
drop, decline, cut, lower, diminish
Cause
lead to, bring about, drive, trigger, result in
Result
therefore, thus, consequently, as a result, hence
Contrast
however, whereas, while, on the other hand, in contrast
Compare
similar, comparable, alike, parallel, correspond
Purpose
for, to, in order to, so that, aim to
Opinion
argues, claims, suggests, maintains, asserts
Evidence
shows, demonstrates, indicates, reveals, reports
Location
adjacent to, next to, beside, near, alongside
Time
prior to, formerly, previously, since, thereafter
Quantity
a majority, numerous, several, a handful, a proportion of

Grammar twins and shape shift

• Noun increase → verb increased → adj increasing
• Noun benefit → verb benefits → adj beneficial
• Noun analysis → verb analyse → adj analytical

Rule: scan for the family, not just the form you saw in the question.

Domain swaps you should know

• cheap → low cost → affordable
• jobs → employment → workforce
• rule → regulation → policy
• food shortage → food insecurity
• city travel → urban transit
• water cleaning → water treatment

Prefix and suffix cues

• re do again: redo, reintroduce
• pre before: prewar, preschool
• over too much: overuse, overload
• under too little: underfund, underreport
• un not: unclear, unequal
• mis wrong: misread, misinterpret
• -less without: harmless, waterless
• -able can be: measurable, renewable

Exam move: if the question says not allowed, scan for illegal, banned, prohibited.

Build your map in 3 steps

1. Extract 30 hot keywords from recent practice: increase, evidence, policy, impact, trend, limit.
2. Expand each to 5 items using your memory first, then a dictionary if needed.
3. Example frame for each:
   • The study shows a steady rise in coastal erosion.
   • Policy aims to reduce air pollution in cities.

Mini passage drill

Passage
Line 1: The scheme aims to cut commuter traffic by promoting tram use.
Line 2: Surveys indicate a gradual rise in off peak riders.
Line 3: However, parking fees remained unchanged during the trial.

Questions

1. What is the purpose of the scheme
2. What trend did surveys show
3. What happened to parking fees

Use the map

• purpose → aim, to, in order to
• trend up → rise, increase, grow
• stayed the same → unchanged, stable

Keys

1. to cut commuter traffic
2. gradual rise in off peak riders
3. remained unchanged

Rapid elimination with the map

• If a heading says Reasons for decline, scan for drop, reduce, fall, fewer, lower.
• If a statement uses supports, check for agrees with, backs, endorses.
• If a diagram says after 2019, map to since 2019, subsequent to 2019, following 2019.

Common traps and fixes

• Word trap: exact keyword appears, but the paragraph gives contrast not cause.
  Fix: confirm function word family first.
• Half match: synonym fits, number or time does not.
  Fix: include scope tags on the poster.
• Form mismatch: verb in question, noun in text.
  Fix: map across forms, not just exact shape.

Error tags for review

• WF = word focus over meaning
• SC = scope or quantifier missing
• FM = form mismatch blind spot
• DS = domain swap missed
• AF = affix clue ignored

10 minute daily routine

• 2 min: add two new families or expand one to 7 items.
• 3 min: skim a short text and highlight only family words.
• 3 min: answer four scan questions using the map.
• 1 min: tag one error and write a fix rule.
• 1 min: read your poster aloud once.

Poster maintenance checklist

• Are families balanced across function, domain, and form
• Do I have quantifier lines: all, most, many, several
• Are prefix cues visible and short
• Did I add two example frames per family
• Is the font large and scannable at arm length

Final advice

Train your eyes to see families. Build the poster once, update daily, and use it while you skim and scan. Match meaning first, then copy the shortest correct phrase that fits the question. With a living synonym map, you read faster, miss fewer paraphrases, and protect easy marks.