Question

Find the synonym of the underlined word.
The general told the soldiers to commence firing as soon as they saw the enemy.
(a)Stop
(b)Cease
(c)Begin
(d)Evoke
(e)Span

Answer 1

Hint:Commence means to start something. It is a verb. Synonyms are words that have the same meanings but different spellings.

Complete answer:
From the hint given to us, we know the meaning of commence and the fact that it is a verb. Verbs are a part of speech that consists of words that indicate an action. We also know that synonyms are basically the words that mean the same. Hence, the correct synonym for commence will mean to start something. It must be a verb too. Let us analyze the given options in order to find the correct synonym.
Stop means to pause something. It is a verb. However, we observe that it does not mean the same as commence. Instead, it is the opposite of commence. Hence, option A is not the correct answer.
Cease means to stop or pause something. It is a verb. However, we observe that it does not mean the same as commence. Instead, it is the opposite of commence. Hence, option B is not the correct answer.
Begin means to start something. It is a verb. We observe that it means the same as commence. Hence, option C is possibly the correct answer.
Evoke means to recall or to produce something. It is a verb. However, we observe that it does not mean the same as commence. Hence, option D is not the correct answer.
Span is the duration of time during which something lasts. It is a noun. However, we observe that it does not mean the same as commence. It also does not belong to the same part of speech. Hence, option E is not the correct answer.
Thus, we can conclude that option C is the correct answer.

Note:
A correct synonym must belong to the same part of speech too. It is also to be noted that commence is mostly used when something is expected to happen, whereas, begin is usually used mostly in a present context.