Remote Work Report: Word Class and Confusable Pairs
A candidate is editing a 200-word report for a business English module titled "Remote Work After the Pilot." The report must use precise word forms and avoid confusable pairs. The candidate has written: (1) "The economy impact of remote work is uneven." (2) "Managers must be considerable of time zones." (3) "The team's product rose 12% after a six-month trial." (4) "A sustain policy requires clear metrics." (5) "The rely of the system depends on backups." The module tutor has circled each item and written "word class" or "collocation" but no corrections. The candidate has 15 minutes and a dictionary that lists economy, economic, economical; consider, considerable, considerate; product, productivity; sustain, sustainable, sustained; rely, reliable, reliability.
1. Correct items (1)–(3) and explain the word-class or collocation reason for each.
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(1) "Economy" is a noun; the noun needs an adjective before "impact." Use "economic impact" because the meaning is "relating to the economy." "Economical" means "money-saving" and would change the meaning. (2) "Considerable" means "large in amount"; "considerate" means "thoughtful of others." The collocation with "of time zones" requires "considerate": "Managers must be considerate of time zones." (3) "Product" is a countable noun for a thing; the sentence reports a percentage rise in output per unit of input, so use the uncountable "productivity": "The team's productivity rose 12% after a six-month trial."
2. Correct items (4)–(5), then explain how the suffix or word class changes the meaning.
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(4) "Sustain" is a verb. Before the noun "policy," use an adjective. "Sustainable" means able to be maintained over time; "sustained" means continued over a period. A policy intended to last should be "a sustainable policy." (5) "Rely" is a verb; the subject position needs a noun. "Reliability" is the noun meaning dependability: "The reliability of the system depends on backups." "Reliable" is the adjective and would need a different frame, such as "a reliable system." The suffix -ability forms the abstract noun from reliable.
3. In a new sentence, "The most ______ option is to keep the current software," choose between economic and economical. Justify your choice.
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Choose "economical." The frame "the most ___ option" evaluates a choice for cost-effectiveness, and "economical" means money-saving or avoiding waste. "Economic" means relating to the economy as a system, so "the most economic option" would sound as if the option belongs to the field of economics rather than saving money. The comparative "most" also fits an evaluative adjective like "economical." The sentence should read: "The most economical option is to keep the current software."