Vocabulary and Word Use
Vocabulary and Word Use tests precision, not just recognition. You must choose the word or phrase that fits the sentence's meaning, grammar, and register. Question types include context clues, synonyms and antonyms, collocations, word forms, phrasal verbs, and easily confused pairs.
Core rules
- Use the sentence's logic cues: contrast (but, although), cause (because, therefore), definition (that is, or), and example (such as).
- Check grammar fit: a noun slot needs a noun form; after 'to' for purpose, use a base verb, not a gerund.
- Learn collocations as chunks: 'conduct research,' 'draw a conclusion,' 'meet a deadline,' 'heavy rain.'
- Distinguish near-synonyms by connotation and strength: 'request' versus 'demand'; 'childish' versus 'childlike.'
- For phrasal verbs, learn whether they are separable and how the particle changes meaning: 'look up' (search) versus 'look into' (investigate).
Worked example
Sentence: 'The new policy had a positive ___ on attendance.' Options: affect, effect, effective, effectively. Reasoning: The slot follows 'positive' and precedes 'on,' so it needs a noun. 'Affect' is usually a verb; 'effective' is an adjective; 'effectively' is an adverb. 'Effect' is the noun meaning result. Answer: effect.
Traps
- Choosing a synonym with the wrong grammatical form.
- Ignoring register: 'kids' in a formal report.
- False friends from your first language.
- Confusing look-alike words: 'economic' (related to the economy) versus 'economical' (money-saving).
- Assuming a phrasal verb's meaning from its main verb alone.