Vocabulary and Word Formation
This domain tests whether you can build and choose words correctly: prefixes and suffixes, word families, synonyms and antonyms, idioms, phrasal verbs, one-word substitutes and contextual meaning. Most items are productive - you must supply the right form, not just recognise it.
Core rules
- Prefixes change meaning; suffixes change word class. credible → incredible (meaning); govern → government (class).
- Assimilation of in-: im- before p, b, m (impossible, immobile); il- before l (illegal); ir- before r (irregular).
- Spelling changes when suffixes are added: double the final consonant after a short stressed vowel (begin → beginning); drop silent e before a vowel suffix (make → making); consonant + y becomes i (happy → happiness); but keep the e before a consonant suffix (hope → hopeful).
- Context decides meaning. Book a ticket versus book a room versus read a book.
- Idioms and phrasal verbs must be learnt as whole units: put up with (tolerate), break down (stop working), a bolt from the blue (total surprise).
Worked example
The committee praised her ______ (efficient) in handling the complaints. Reasoning: the possessive her requires a noun; the adjective efficient becomes a noun with the suffix -cy, giving efficiency. The spelling changes from -ent to -ency. Answer: efficiency.
Traps that cost marks
- Supplying the right meaning but the wrong word class (efficient instead of efficiency).
- Forgetting spelling shifts: happy → happiness, true → truth, advise (verb) versus advice (noun).
- Choosing in- where im-, il- or ir- is required.
- Confusing practice (noun) with practise (verb), and lose with loose.
- Matching an idiom word by word instead of understanding it as a unit.