Vocabulary and Usage
Vocabulary and Usage tests meaning in context, not isolated word lists. Questions may ask you to choose the word that fits a sentence, distinguish confusable pairs, complete a collocation, identify a phrasal verb, or select the right part of speech. The best answer must fit both meaning and grammar.
Core rules
- Learn words in chunks: “make a decision,” “take responsibility,” “pay attention,” “strong evidence.” A synonym with the wrong collocation is wrong.
- Check the part of speech first. A noun blank cannot take a verb, even if the meaning is close.
- Distinguish common confusables: “affect” is usually a verb, “effect” usually a noun; “economic” relates to the economy, “economical” means money-saving; “sensible” means reasonable, “sensitive” means easily affected.
- Use affixes to narrow meaning: “-less” means without, “-ful” means full of, “re-” means again, “over-” means too much.
- For phrasal verbs, learn the whole unit: “turn down” = reject; “turn up” = arrive; “put off” = postpone.
- In paraphrase questions, choose the option that preserves meaning and fits the surrounding grammar.
Worked example
“The new schedule will ___ everyone in the department.” A. effect B. affect C. afflict D. reflect Answer: B. “Affect” is the verb meaning to influence. “Effect” is normally a noun. “Afflict” suggests serious suffering and is too strong. “Reflect” does not take “everyone” as its object in this sense.
Traps that cost marks
- Translating a Japanese word directly into one English equivalent.
- Choosing a synonym that is too formal or too informal for the sentence.
- Missing a negative prefix such as “in-,” “un-,” or “dis-.”
- Ignoring whether the blank needs a noun, verb, adjective, or adverb.
- Picking a word that fits the topic but not the exact sentence.