1. Outside/Inside: SIMPLE ANTONYMS

(a) The kids played outside.

(b) The kids played inside.

There is no middle ground for these antonyms. The kids can’t play half outside, or kind of inside. It is one or the other. They are either outside or inside.

2. Expensive/Cheap: GRADABLE ANTONYMS

(a) The concert tickets were expensive.

(b) The concert tickets were cheap.

These are words that can be put on a scale. They are not binary in that neither of these sentences have to be true. The tickets could’ve either been expensive, cheap, or reasonably priced making neither sentence true. The tickets could’ve also been extremely cheap or kind of expensive. There is a lot of gray area making these gradable antonyms.

3. Lower/Raise: REVERSES

(a) Jane lowered the volume on the radio.

(b) Mark raised the volume on the radio.

These are reverse pairs because they indicate opposite directions of motion. The force is being applied on the same scale of volume in either direction. Whether it is being raised or lowered.

4. Student/Teacher : CONVERSES

(a) Prof. Pentangelo is the teacher of Kristin.

(b) Kristin is the student of Prof. Pentangelo.

These sentences mutually entail each other and are a paraphrase of one another. If it is true that Prof. Pentangelo is Kristin’s teacher, then obviously Kristin must be their student.

5. Rose/Orchid: TAXONOMIC SISTERS

(a) Rose is a kind of flower.

(b) Orchid is a kind of flower.

Rose and Orchid are 2 hyponyms that belong to the same hyperonym of flower. This makes them taxonomic sisters because they are 2 things that lie under the same category.

Simple Antonyms

Innocent/guilty

The man is deemed innocent

The man is deemed guilty 

When these words are used in sentences, the sentences turn to be contradictory (one sentence must be true and the other must be false). There is also no middle ground, meaning the referent has to be either one or the other, it can’t be both, and it can’t be neither. Therefore, innocent/guilty are simple antonyms.

Gradable Antonyms

Friendly/unfriendly

Sam is friendly 

Sam is unfriendly 

Typically belong to the same semantic domain but name opposite ends of the scale. These sentences are contrary, meaning they both can’t be true but both may be false or one may be true and the other is false. Sam can either be friendly or unfriendly, or neither. This reflects that friendly/unfriendly are gradable antonyms.

Reverse Pairs

Forward/backward

Go forward 2 spaces

Go backward 2 spaces

These are words that denote motion or change direction. In these sentences “forward” and ‘backward” demonstrate that they are in fact reverse pairs.

Converse Pairs

Teacher/student

James is my teacher

I am James’ student

Converse pairs represent an asymmetric relation between two entities. They have relation but their arguments are reversed.

Taxonomic Sisters

Flamingo/Peacock

Flamingo and peacock are taxonomic sisters.  They are hyponyms (“when two words stand in a generic-specific relationship we refer to the more specific term as the hyponym and the more generic term as the hypernym) of birds. When we say “An X is a kind of Y” there is a taxonomic relationship between X and Y. Therefore, flamingo and peacock are taxonomic sisters.

1.Simple Antonyms : A) occupied B) vacant

A) The bathroom is occupied.

B)  The bathroom is vacant.

These two sentences are contradictory. There is no middle ground, meaning both sentences can’t be true and it can’t be that neither sentence is true. It must be one or the other. This proves that the two words: “occupied” and “vacant” are simple antonyms.

 

2.Gradable Antonyms: A) Rich B)Poor

A) I am rich.

B) I am poor.

These sentences are contrary meaning  both sentences can’t be true but one can be true and one can be false or both can be false. A person cant be both rich and poor but they can be either rich or poor or can be neither rich nor poor. These two words “are opposite ends of a single scale and therefore belong to the same syntactic domain,” meaning that they are in fact gradable antonyms.

 

3. Reverse pairs: A) up B) down

A)Go up the stairs to get to my apartment.

B)Go down the stairs to get to my apartment.

These two words “up” and “down” “denote motion in opposite dirrections” illustrating that they are reverse pairs.

 

4. Converse Pairs: A) Husband B) Wife

A)Mike is Kates Husband.

B)Kate is Mikes wife.

A is the husband of B, B is the Wife of A

A and B are converse pairs because they “express the same basic relation, with the positions of the two arguments reversed.”

5. Taxonomic sisters: A) Scorpions B) Spiders

Scorpions and spiders are taxonomic sisters because they are both hyponyms of arachnids.  The pair of words are incompatible, A scorpion can not be a spider; and a spider cannot be a scorpion.

1a entails 1b

1a. I sold my TV because it was old.

1b. My old TV was sold.

Trigger: “sold”

2a presupposes 2b 

2a. My boyfriend loves the dinner I cooked tonight.

2b. I cooked dinner tonight.

Trigger: “cooked”

3a presupposes 3b

3a. My cousin just bought her first car.

3b. My cousin never had a car.

Trigger: “first car”

1a entails 1b

1a.  I missed the bus.
1b. I didn’t get on the bus.

2a presupposes 2b

2a. I’m looking for my missing dog.

2b. I have a dog.

The presupposition trigger is “my”.

3a presupposes 3b

3a. Maria knows that Vanessa stole her pink headphones.

3b. Vanessa stole Maria’s pink headphones.

The presupposition trigger is “knows”.

• 1a entails 1b

1a. I was absent for class.

1b. I was not in class.

• 2a presupposes 2b

2a. Kevin’s dog is super adorable!

2b. Kevin has a dog.

Trigger: Kevin’s (possessive -‘s after the name)

• 3a presupposes 3b

3a. She realized she missed the bus. 

3b. She missed the bus.

Trigger: realized