Illustrate the differences between synonyms by analyzing the following groups of synonyms. 1） rich and wealthy 2） ask, beg and request 3） allow and let
The differences between synonyms boil down to three areas: denotation, connotation andapplication.(1) Difference in denotation. Synonyms may differ in the range and intensity of meaning. Some synonyms may differ in degree of intensity. For group 1), a rich man and a wealthy lady are both rich but a wealthy lady is felt to possess more money and property than a rich man.(2) Difference in connotation. By connotation, we mean the stylistic and emotive colouring of words. Some words have the same denotation but differ in their stylistic appropriateness. For group 2), ask is stylistically neutral, beg is often used in conversation, and request is quite formal in style.(3) Difference in application. Many words are synonymous in meaning but different in usage in simple terms. They form different collocations and fit into different sentence patterns. For group 3), answer is a transitive verb and takes direct object while reply is an intransitive verb and needs a preposition to function transitively. Therefore we say answer the letter but reply to the letter. Nevertheless, we can say answer the door, while reply to the door is unacceptable.
