What does synopsis mean?
Word: Synopsis
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Synopsis means a short account of the main points of a book, film or play.
Synonyms: outline
How do you spell synopsis?
Syllables: sy - nop - sis
Tricky part: The short i sound in the first syllable is spelt with a y, and children who go by sound alone start the word with si.
Watch out for: sinopsis, cynopsis
Memory tip: Ask why you should read the whole novel when one page tells you the story: that why reminds you of the y.
Synopsis in a sentence
Example 1: Mrs D'Souza asked us to write a one-page synopsis of the novel.
Example 2: The programme at the dance show carried a short synopsis of the story.
Example 3: Before agreeing to publish the book, the editor read a synopsis of all twelve chapters.
Fun Fact
It reached English through Latin from a Greek word for a general view, and that is still the idea: one look at the whole story.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Insert the correct pair of letters to form a word:
syn_ps_s
a) o, y
b) o, i
c) u, i
d) e, i
Show answer
b) o, i. The middle vowel is the o of top, and the last vowel is a plain i.
Spell-o-Spell
Only one word in the list is spelt correctly. Choose its meaning.
1. epelogue 2. synopsis 3. prefase 4. appendics
a) a closing section added after a story ends
b) a brief overview of what a book or film covers
c) extra information placed at the back of a book
d) a short introduction at the front of a book
Show answer
b) a brief overview of what a book or film covers. Synopsis is the one printed right; the others should be preface, epilogue and appendix.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the letters in the sentence to form a meaningful word:
Our drama teacher handed out a pysonsis of the play so that the younger children could follow it.
a) synopsis
b) symposium
c) synthesis
d) synonyms
Show answer
a) synopsis. Three s's and no e, m or t in the jumble leave a single possible word.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word synopsis as used in the sentence:
The film club's poster gave a neat synopsis, so students knew what to expect.
a) trailer
b) review
c) summary
d) sequel
Show answer
c) summary. A summary gives the main points in a few words, just as this does.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Where would you most expect to find a synopsis of a novel?
a) in a list of the author's prizes
b) in the index at the very end
c) on the back cover of the book
d) on the page that lists copyright
Show answer
c) on the back cover of the book
2. Which of these is the best advice for writing a synopsis?
a) List all the difficult words with their meanings
b) Add new characters of your own to the plot
c) Keep to the main events and leave out small details
d) Copy out every conversation word for word
Show answer
c) Keep to the main events and leave out small details
