552. Auto-antonyms

 Auto-antonyms or Antagonyms or Contronyms

any words have several definitions, like bill.  But in some cases those definitions are conflicting.  With bill, for example, in one instance it refers to a debt and in another an asset.  These are called auto-antonyms.  (They are also called “contronyms,” “antagonyms,” “self-antonyms,” “self-contradicting words,” and “janus words.”) 

Following are two lists.  The first list presents the more interesting auto-antonyms in literal context.  The second list has every other antagonym found on pages across the Internet.

act (sincere deed vs. pretend behavior) — The miser’s act of charity was no act this time.

anxious (anticipate eagerly vs. await with dread) — Jill was anxious to get married while Jack was anxious about getting married.

apparent (obvious vs. not clear) — It was apparent to all, Joe was the apparent loser.

assume (actually have vs. hope to have) — At the reading of the will, Zak assumed the role of an assumed heir.

avocation (hobby vs. ones regular job) — Upon retirement, Biff’s avocation became his avocation.

awful (awe-inspiring vs. extremely unpleasant) — For Mona, an awful sunset did not fix an awful day.

bill (something to pay vs. something to pay with) — Bill decided to pay his erotologist’s bill with a hundred dollar bill.

bolt (jump away vs. secure) — That horse will bolt from the stable unless you bolt him to the stable.

bound (moving vs. unable to move) — Efram was bound for prison where he was bound to a post.

buckle(close up vs. fall apart) — When Biff buckled his pants too tight, he groaned and buckled to the floor.

bull (a solemn edict vs. nonsense) — The boss issued a bull that was full of bull.

can (preserve vs. get rid of) — Marge liked to can fruit nearly as much as she liked to can incompetent employees.

citation (commendation vs. court summons) — Policeman Purdy receive a citation for issuing the most citations.

cleave (stick together vs. divide) — Seeing that the cheese balls cleaved together, Orville cleaved them with a knife.

clip (cut apart vs. put together) — Bonnie would clip the coupons from the newspaper faster than Clyde could clip them together.

cool (positive vs. negative) — Mark’s cool website received a cool reception.

custom (ordinary vs. special) — It was custom in these parts to have your boots custom made.

dust (spread dust on vs. wipe away dust) — First Clive dusted for fingerprints, then dusted the dust.

enthrall (delight vs. subjugate) — As master of the plantation, Mason was not enthralled about enthralling anymore.

fast (moving rapidly vs. unable to move) — When hungry, Marvin was fast to the table where he sat fast in his chair.

fixed (restore to function vs. make non-functional) — Rene fixed the puppy problem by getting the dog fixed.

fit (in good shape vs. convulsive behavior) — Rhoda Dendron was thought to be fit until she had a fit.

founder (to sink vs. one who establishes) — Funny Foods was bound to founder after the founder died of malnutrition.

goods (bad things vs. good things) — The cops had the goods on Moe when they caught him with the goods.

grade (level vs. inclined) — They only grade roads that have a steep grade.

hysterical (being funny vs. overwhelmed with fear) — When the turkey burst into flames, it was hysterical how you got hysterical.

incorporate (establish vs. disappear in union) — Unable to get incorporated, the village of Yo was incorporated into the town of Ko.

last (just ending vs. enduring) — Harry’s last drink should last him the whole night.

left (gone away vs. remaining) — After the others left the phone booth, only Basil was left.

license (permission vs. unbounded freedom) — Marsha didn’t need a license to employ poetic license.

livid (red with anger vs. pale, gray-blue) — When Dopey turned livid with anger, Sneezy turned livid with fear.

mad (in love with vs. very angry) — I’m mad about you even when I’m mad at you.

mean (average vs. superior) — Mason is a man of mean talents who plays a mean game of handball.

off (turn off vs. turn on) — Marly had the alarm clock rigged to go off only when the lights were off.

overlook (to inspect vs. to neglect) — The window overlooks a garden which is pleasant if you overlook the dead plants.

oversight (thing watched vs. thing ignored) — Ellen’s oversight of dinner resulted in an oversight when it came to utensils.

patronize (favor with attention vs. showing insincere attention) — If you patronize my restaurant, please be so kind as to not patronize me.

peruse (read quickly vs. to read carefully) — First peruse the contract, then really peruse it.

practice (attempt to become skillful vs. skillful job) — After much practice with the scalpel, Dr. Bones set up his own practice.

presently (now vs. later) — Presently Santa is stuck in the chimney, but he will be here presently.

refrain (not do vs. do again, as in a song) — With rap music, please refrain from the refrain.

rent (to let vs. to to lease) — Micky would like to rent his house to a man who prefers to rent than own.

rock (an immovable thing vs. a tilting movement) — Jason stood like a rock until Millie’s punch made him rock back.

sanctioned (approved vs. disappoved) — Merle was sanctioned for cussing during a sanctioned tennis match.

screen (display vs. conceal from view) — The censors decided to screen the film “Hardly Coming” behind a screen.

seed (remove seeds vs. plant seed) — Pa said, “Let me seed the squash this time and you go seed the fields.”

store (keep vs. place to sell) — What antiques I can’t store, I sell at the antique store.

struck out (hit vs. miss) — After Casey struck out, he struck out at the umpire.

tempered (softened vs. hardened) — Delilah tempered Samson’s tempered strength by means of a shortcut.

terrific (wonderful vs. horrible) — Except for his broken arm, Myron felt terrific after his terrific accident.

think (believe a truth vs. be uncertain about a fact) — Gail thinks you are an idiot, I think.

time (long duration vs. an instance) — Only time will tell if Myrna will ever get to work on time.

transparent (invisible vs. obvious) — It was transparent to all that she knew her blouse was transparent.

trim (prune vs. decorate) — After we trim the tree to fit in the living room, we will trim it with trivia.

tripped (stepped lightly vs. stumbled) — Saul tripped lightly down the sidewalk until he tripped on a crack.

unpeeled (with rind removed vs. still with rind) — You get an unpeeled apple by peeling an unpeeled apple.

weathered (worn away vs. beared up well) — Whether the weathered wreck weathered the wind worried Weatherby.

wind up (beginning vs. ending) — If you wind up the toy too much it will wind up broken.

The following list includes all the other auto-antonyms found on Internet sites.

Some may be questionable.

aboard (alongside vs. inside)

adumbrate (clarify vs. cast a shadow over)

against (in the direction of and in contact with vs. in an opposite direction)

alight (settle onto vs. dismount from)

anabasis (a military advance vs. a military retreat)

anon (soon vs. later)

apology (admission of fault vs. formal defense)

argue (try to prove by argument vs. argue against)

aught (all vs. nothing)

biannual (twice a year vs. once every two years

bimonthly (twice a month vs. once every two months

biweekly (twice a week vs. once every two weeks

certain (definite vs. not specific, as in "he had a certain feeling")

charter (grant for pay vs. use for pay

chuffed (pleased vs. annoyed)

cipher (zero vs. any number)

cognomen (first name vs. last name)

comprise (to contain; include vs. be composed of; consist of)

consult (ask for advice vs. give advice)

contingent (unpredictable vs. dependent on a known condition)

copemate (partner vs. antagonist)

cork (take out a cork vs. insert a cork into a bottle)

counterfeit (a legitimate copy {archaic} vs. a copy meant to deceive)

critical (opposed to {critical of} vs. essential to)

crop (plant or grow vs. cut or harvest)

cull ( select vs. reject)

cut (get in (as in line or queue vs. get out (as in a school class)

deceptively (more than it looks vs. less than it looks)

dike (wall vs. ditch)

discursive (proceeding coherently from topic to topic vs. moving aimlessly from topic to topic)

dollop (a large amount vs. a small amount)

down (hill {archaic} vs. valley)

dress (put covering on {usually clothes} vs. take covering {usually skin} off)

dyke (wall vs. ditch)

effectively: (doing the equivalent of the real thing vs. doing the real thing and doing it well)

enjoin (direct vs. forbid)

fearful (causing fear vs. being afraid)

filter (allow to pass through vs. prevent from passing through)

fine (just meets minimum standards vs. considerably better than average)

finish (kill vs. make perfect)

fireman (firefighter vs. fire-stoker on a train or ship)

flesh (add substance; flesh out vs. take away; clean a hide of flesh)

flog (criticize harshly vs. promote aggressively)

garnish (add something to, as food vs. take away from, as wages)

give out (produce vs. cease functioning)

handicap (advantage {in sport} vs. disadvantage; disability)

help (assist vs. preven, as in "I can't help it if...")

hold up (support; cope vs. hinder; delay)

homely (ugly in U.S. vs. pleasant in U.K.)

impregnable (impossible to enter vs. able to be impregnated)

inoculate (protect against vs. infect with)

joint (combine vs. separate, as meat)

lease (lend; rent out vs. borrow; hire)

let (hinder {archaic} vs. allow}

liege (sovereign lord, loyal subject

literally (actually vs. figuratively)

mark (write vs. read, as in "mark my words")

model (archetype; example vs. copy; replica)

moot (debatable; arguable vs. academic; irrelevant)

mortar (glue together vs. blow apart)

nervy (showing calm courage vs. exitable)

out (visible, as in "the stars are out" vs. invisible, as in "the lights are out")

peer (an equal; fellow (e.g. classmate) vs. a nobleman; person of higher rank)

pitch (erect and fix firmly in place vs. throw away)

pitted (with the pit in vs. with the pit removed)

policy (required activity without exception vs. an optional course of action)

populate: (decimate the population {archaic} vs. increase the population)

prescribe: (lay down a rule vs. become unenforceable)

priceless (have a very high value vs. having no marked value)

protest (object vs. affirm)

put (lay vs. throw, as a shot put)

puzzle (pose a problem vs. solve a problem)

qualified (competent, as an applicant vs. less than competent, as a qualified reply)

quantum (very small, as in physics vs. very large, a in "quantum leap")

quiddity (essence vs. trifling point)

ravel (tangle; complicate vs. disentangle; separate)

recover (hide away; cover again vs. bring out)

reel (wind onto vs. let out from)

release (let go vs. hold on, as lease the property again)

replace (take away, as worn carpet vs. put back, as the papers in a file)

repress (hold back vs. put forth (press again)

reprove (rebuke vs. support, as a scientific theory)

reservation (a firm commitment to be somewhere vs. a hesitation about something)

reside (stay put vs. change teams)

resign (quit a contract vs. sign the contract again)

restive (refusing to move, as a restive horse vs. restless; moving around)

restore (bring something back to view vs. putting something back in storage)

riot (violent disorder vs. revelry)

rival (an opponent vs. a companion or associate {archaic})

root (remove completely vs. become firmly established)

sanguine (describing someone worked up into a bloody rage vs. someone calm about something)

scan (examine closely vs. look over hastily

secrete (extrude vs. hide)

set (fix in place vs. flow; move on)

shank (latter part of a period of time vs. early part of a period of time)

shop (search with the intent to buy vs. search with the intent to sell)

sick (unpleasant vs. wonderful {slang})

siren (seductive sound vs. harsh sound)

skinned (with the skin on vs. with the skin removed)

snap (break into pieces vs. fasten together)

splice (join together vs. cut in two)

stain (color vs. discolor)

stem (start or originate vs. stop or restrain)

stipulate (request explicitly vs. agree to)

table (propose in U.K. vs. set aside in U.S.)

temper (soften; mollify, as justice vs. strengthen, as a metal)

tilt (incline toward vs. charge against

topped (put something on top vs. take the top off, as in trees

tube (insert a tube in vs. enclose in a tube)

unbending (rigid vs. relaxing

unqualified (not qualified vs. very qualified)

variety (one type vs. many types)

vegetative (full of life vs. dull, apathetic, passive)

vernacular (nonstandard speech vs. standard speech)

vital (lively vs. deadly)

water (pour water out vs. take on water)

wear (endure through use vs. decay through use)

with (alongside vs. against)

wraith (ghost of a dead person vs. apparition of a living person)

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551. ADJECTIVE

ADJECTIVE

An adjective is a word that describes, identifies, modifies, or quantifies something (a noun or a pronoun). In the phrase, "the black cat" the word black is an adjective because it describes the cat. In English, an adjective usually comes before the noun it pertains to (for example, a red apple or a cute cat.).
Adjectives can be classified into many categories. In English, adjectives are generally used in the order: quantity-->opinion-->size-->age-->shape-->color-->origin-->material-->purpose. Some of these categories are (roughly in the order in which adjectives are used in English):

• quantity - few, no, one, two, three, four, little, several, many, all, some, every, each, ...
• opinion - good, better, best, bad, worse, worst, wonderful, splendid, mediocre, awful, fantastic, pretty, ugly, clean, dirty, wasteful, difficult, comfortable, uncomfortable, valuable, worthy, worthless, useful, useless, important, evil, angelic, rare, scarce, poor, rich, lovely, disgusting, amazing, surprising, loathsome, unusual, usual, pointless, pertinent, ...
• personality/emotion - happy, sad, excited, scared, frightened, outgoing, funny, sad, zany, grumpy, cheerful, jolly, carefree, quick-witted, blissful, lonely, elated, ...
• sound - loud, soft, silent, vociferous, screaming, shouting, thunderous, blaring, quiet, noisy, talkative, rowdy, deafening, faint, muffled, mute, speechless, whispered, hushed, ...
• taste - sweet, sour, acidic, bitter, salty, tasty, delicious, savory, delectable, yummy, bland, tasteless, palatable, yummy, luscious, appetizing, tasteless, spicy, watery, ...
• touch - hard, soft, silky, velvety, bumpy, smooth, grainy, coarse, pitted, irregular, scaly, polished, glossy, lumpy, wiry, scratchy, rough, glassy, ...
• size, weight - heavy, light, big, small, little, tiny, tall, short, fat, thin, slender, willowy, lean, svelte, scrawny, skeletal, underweight, lanky, wide, enormous, huge, vast, great, gigantic, monstrous, mountainous, jumbo, wee, dense, weighty, slim, trim, hulking, hefty, giant, plump, tubby, obese, portly, ...
• smell - perfumed, acrid, putrid, burnt, smelly, reeking, noxious, pungent, aromatic, fragrant, scented, musty, sweet-smelling,...
• speed - quick, fast, slow, speeding, rushing, bustling, rapid, snappy, whirlwind, swift, hasty, prompt, brief, ...
• temperature - hot, cold, freezing, icy, frigid, sweltering, wintry, frosty, frozen, nippy, chilly, sizzling, scalding, burning, feverish, fiery, steaming, ...
• age - young, old, baby, babyish, teenage, ancient, antique, old-fashioned, youthful, elderly, mature, adolescent, infantile, bygone, recent, modern, ...
• distance - short, long, far, distant, nearby, close, faraway, outlying, remote, far-flung, neighboring, handy, ...
• shape - round, circular, square, triangular, oval, sleek, blobby, flat, rotund, globular, spherical, wavy, straight, cylindrical, oblong, elliptical, zigzag, squiggly, crooked, winding, serpentine, warped, distorted, ...
• miscellaneous qualities- full, empty, wet, dry, open, closed , ornate, ...
• brightness - light, dark, bright, shadowy, drab, radiant, shining, pale, dull, glowing, shimmering, luminous, gleaming, ...
• color - pink, red, orange, yellowish, dark-green, blue, purple, black, white, gray, brown, tanned, pastel, metallic, silver, colorless, transparent, translucent, ...
• time - early, late, morning, night, evening, everlasting, initial, first, last, overdue, belated, long-term, delayed, punctual, ...
• origin/location - lunar, northern, oceanic, polar, equatorial, Floridian, American, Spanish, Canadian, Mexican, French, Irish, English, Australian, ...
• material - glass, wooden, cloth, concrete, fabric, cotton, plastic, leather, ceramic, china, metal, steel, silicon, ...
• purpose - folding, swinging, work, racing, cooking, sleeping, dance, rolling, walking, ...

550. Active learning

Active learning

Transfer of knowledge is forever beneficial to generations to come.

Active learning is an umbrella term that refers to several models of instruction that focus the responsibility of learning on learners.
        “active learning" developed out of the work of an earlier group of theorists -- those promoting discovery learning.
        Practice after initial learning, is of vital importance in one's education/career, and is important for cognitive development, but is practice required during learning?
        It has been suggested that students who actively engage with the material are more likely to recall information.

Active learning exercises

The experts suggested

1.        learners work in pairs,

2.      discuss materials while role-playing,

3.       debate,

4.      engage in case study,

5.      take part in cooperative learning, or

6.      produce short written exercises, etc.

The argument is when should active learning exercises be used during instruction.
While it makes some sense to use these techniques as a "follow up" exercise or as application of known principles, it may not make sense to use them to introduce material.
Proponents argue that these exercises may be used to create a context of material, but this context may be confusing to those with no prior knowledge.
The degree of instructor guidance students need while being "active" may vary according to the task and its place in a teaching unit.
Examples of "active learning" activities include:

·A class discussion may be held in person or in an online environment. This environment allows for instructor guidance.

·A think-pair-share activity is when learners take a minute to ponder the previous lesson, later to discuss it with one or more of their peers, finally to share it with the class as part of a formal discussion. It is during this formal discussion that the instructor should clarify misconceptions. However students need a background in the subject matter to converse in a meaningful way. Therefore a "think pair share" exercise is useful in situations where learners can identify and relate what they know to others

·A short written exercise that is often used is the "one minute paper." This is a good way to review materials.

While practice is useful to reinforce learning, problem solving is not always suggested.
Solving problems can even have negative influence on learning, instead he suggests that learners should study worked-examples, because this is a more efficient method of schema acquisition.
So instructors are cautioned to give learners some basic or initial instruction first, perhaps to be followed up with an activity based upon the above methods.

Active learning method: Learning by teaching (LdL)

An efficient instructional strategy that mixes guidance with active learning is "Learning by teaching"
This strategy allows students to teach the new content to each other.
Of course they must be accurately guided by instructors.
This methodology was introduced during the early 1980s, especially in Germany, and is now well established in all levels of the German educational system.
 "Learning by teaching" is integration of behaviorism and Cognitivism and offers a coherent framework for theory and practice.

Active learning and Policy

Policy may be satisfied by demonstrating the instructional effectiveness of instruction.
Rubrics (education) are a good way to evaluate "active learning" based instruction.
These instructional tools can be used to describe the various different qualities of any activity. In addition, if given to the student, they can provide additional guidance

Research supporting active learning

Bonwell and Eison (1991) state that active learning strategies are comparable to lectures for achieving content mastery, but superior to lectures for developing thinking and writing skills.

Controversy and Criticism

For learning to be meaningful, experience is important, but should learning occur while behaviorally active? Some educational literature from the past few decades suggests otherwise.
Certainly practicing procedural skills is a necessity for learning to be automated. But while these activities may be motivating for learners, these unguided situations can in fact leave learners less competent than when they began the activity.
In some groups, instructional elements were left out (objectives, information, examples, practice with feedback, review).
The "practice with feedback" is the active learning component of the study.
 The researchers found that in all cases, students who had practice with feedback had better performance and more positive attitudes than those students who did not have opportunities for practice.

Studying examples as an alternative to active learning strategies

Self-guided instruction is possible, but it is often arduous, clumsy, and less than efficient
Experts suggest learners should first study worked-examples because this is a more efficient method of initial instruction.
Evidence for learning by studying worked-examples has been found to be useful in many domains [e.g. music, chess, athletics concept mapping geometry physics, mathematics, or programming

Learning in Sudbury model democratic schools

Sudbury model democratic schools criticize today's schools, the concept of learning disabilities, special education, and response to intervention, taking the position that every child has a different learning style and pace and that each child is unique, not only capable of learning but also capable of succeeding.
They adduce there are many reasons why children may have difficulty learning, especially when the learning is imposed and the subject is something the child, or the young, or even the adult is not interested in, as is frequently done in today's school system.
Sudbury model democratic schools assert that there are many ways to study and learn. They argue that learning is a process people do, not a process that is done to people; They affirm this is true of everyone and it is basic. The experience of Sudbury model democratic schools, they adduce, shows there are many ways to learn without the intervention of a teacher being imperative.

        They maintain that in the case of reading for instance in the Sudbury model democratic schools some children learn from being read to, memorizing the stories and then ultimately reading them.

1.        Others learn from cereal boxes,

2.      others from games instructions,

3.       others from street signs.

4.      Some teach themselves letter sounds,

5.      others syllables,

6.      others whole words.

        Sudbury model democratic schools adduce that in their schools no one child has ever been forced, pushed, urged, cajoled, or bribed into learning how to read or write, and they affirm they have had no dyslexia.
        They also assert that none of their graduates are real or functional illiterates and claim no one who meets their older students could ever guess the age at which they first learned to read or write.
        They also claim that in a similar form students learn all the subjects, techniques and skills in these schools. The staff are minor actors, the "teacher" is an adviser and helps just when asked.
        Describing current instructional methods as homogenization and lockstep standardization, alternative approaches are proposed, an alternative approach in which they affirm children, by enjoying personal freedom thus encouraged to exercise personal responsibility for their actions, learn at their own pace and style rather than following a compulsory and chronologically-based curriculum.

A healthy upbringing gives free reign [sic] to children from the very beginnings of their lives to recognize and express their basic needs. The earlier this begins, and the longer it is allowed to develop without intervention, the more likely it is that such children will go through life with a firmly established set of inner-directed guidelines that enable them to distinguish clearly between needs that are real for them, and needs that are artificially introduced by others. Indeed, the worst excesses of our consumer economy can be traced directly to the inability of people to make this distinction, which is a result of being raised according to the principles of Industrial Era Thinking.

        Proponents of unschooling have also claimed that children raised in this method do not suffer from learning disabilities, thus not requiring the prevention of academic failure through intervention.