Vocabulary and Spelling
Vocabulary and Spelling
This domain checks the words you know and whether you can spell them accurately in context. Questions may ask for a synonym or antonym, the meaning of a word from context, the correct prefix or suffix, a word family member, or the correct spelling among similar options. Papua New Guinean English generally follows British spelling conventions, so learn forms such as colour, organise, and centre, while recognising common alternatives.
Core rules and concepts
- Use context clues: definition ("a drought, or long dry period"), contrast ("unlike his brother, who was generous"), and example ("citrus fruits such as oranges").
- Word families change the ending: beauty (noun), beautiful (adjective), beautifully (adverb), beautify (verb).
- Prefixes change meaning: un- (not), re- (again), pre- (before), mis- (wrongly). Suffixes often change word class: -ness, -ment, -tion make nouns; -ful, -less, -ous make adjectives.
- Spelling rules: drop final silent e before a vowel suffix (make → making); double the final consonant when a one-syllable word ends in consonant–vowel–consonant (run → running); i before e except after c (receive), with exceptions such as seize.
- Homophones need sentence-level checking: stationary (not moving) versus stationery (paper and pens); affect (verb) versus effect (noun).
Worked example
Choose the correct word: "The bus remained (stationary/stationery) for ten minutes." Reasoning: "remained" describes lack of movement, so the adjective "stationary" fits. "Stationery" is a noun meaning writing materials. Test by substituting the meaning: "the bus remained writing materials" is nonsense.
Traps that cost marks
- Choosing a synonym that fits the topic but not the sentence's exact shade of meaning.
- Doubling the wrong letter: "begining" instead of "beginning".
- Confusing advice (noun) and advise (verb), or practice (noun) and practise (verb) in British usage.
- Trusting sound alone, especially with homophones.