Vocabulary and Word Usage
What is tested
Vocabulary questions check meaning in context, word formation, synonyms and antonyms, idioms, phrasal verbs, collocations and commonly confused words.
Core rules
- Use the sentence's grammar: a noun slot needs a noun form, so 'decide' becomes 'decision'.
- Prefixes change meaning (un-, in-, dis-, mis-); suffixes change word class (-ness, -ment, -ful, -less).
- Context beats dictionary gloss: 'arrest' can mean 'stop' or 'detain'.
- Learn phrasal verbs as units: 'put off' = postpone, 'put up with' = tolerate.
- For idioms, do not translate literally.
Worked example
Sentence: 'The committee's arbitrary rejection of the proposal surprised everyone.' Question: What does 'arbitrary' mean? Reasoning: 'Surprised everyone' signals that the decision was unexpected. The root 'arbitr-' relates to judgement or will; the suffix -ary makes an adjective. So 'arbitrary' means based on personal whim rather than reason or system. A synonym is 'capricious'; an antonym is 'reasoned'.
Traps
- Choosing a synonym that fits the dictionary but not the sentence's part of speech.
- Confusing 'affect' (verb) and 'effect' (noun).
- Splitting a phrasal verb and changing its meaning.
- Literal interpretation of idioms.
- Using a formal word in an informal context without need.