Word formation in English for First and Advanced
In Use of English Part 3 you turn a root word into the form the sentence needs. Pick a root, see its family, and learn how to choose the right form.
Book a trial classExplore the word families
Word family: able
- Noun
- ability
- Verb
- enable
- Adjective
- able
- Adverb
- ably
- Person
- No common form
- Negative
- unable, inability
Which form fits the gap?
After an article or a possessive, you need a noun.
the achievement of the team
It fits: ability
How to choose the form
- 1
Look at the words around the gap
An article or a possessive before it points to a noun. A noun after it points to an adjective.
- 2
Decide the part of speech
Noun, verb, adjective or adverb. This gives you the ending.
- 3
Ask if the meaning is negative
If the sentence says the opposite of the root, add a prefix. Some gaps need a suffix and a prefix.
- 4
Check the number
After a, one, this or a singular verb, use the singular. Look for a plural noun after many, several or one of the.
- 5
Check the spelling
Some roots change: decide, decision. Some drop an e: create, creative. Adjectives in -ic take -ally for the adverb.
Common suffixes
| Makes a | Suffix | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | -tion, -sion | decide, decision; create, creation |
| Noun | -ment | achieve, achievement |
| Noun | -ness | polite, politeness |
| Noun | -ity | possible, possibility |
| Noun | -ance, -ence | rely, reliance; differ, difference |
| Noun | -ship | friend, friendship |
| Person noun | -er, -or, -ist, -ant | employ, employer; act, actor; politics, politician |
| Adjective | -ful, -less | care, careful, careless |
| Adjective | -able, -ible | accept, acceptable |
| Adjective | -ive | create, creative |
| Adjective | -ous | danger, dangerous |
| Adjective | -al, -ic | environment, environmental; economy, economic |
| Adjective | -y | health, healthy |
| Adverb | -ly | careful, carefully; economic, economically |
| Verb | -en, -ise, -ify | strong, strengthen; analyse; beauty, beautify |
Prefixes for the negative
| Prefix | When | Example |
|---|---|---|
| un- | Very common with adjectives and adverbs | likely, unlikely; successful, unsuccessful |
| in- | Some adjectives and nouns | decisive, indecisive; formal, informal |
| im- | Before b, m and p | possible, impossible; polite, impolite |
| il- | Before l | legal, illegal |
| ir- | Before r | regular, irregular; responsible, irresponsible |
| dis- | Verbs, nouns and adjectives | agree, disagree; honest, dishonest |
| mis- | Wrongly | understand, misunderstand; behave, misbehave |
There is no perfect rule for which prefix goes with which word. Learn them as pairs, and check the list above when you are not sure.
Practice: word formation
Use the word in capitals to form a word that fits the gap.
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Use the word in capitals to form a word that fits the gap.
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Use the word in capitals to form a word that fits the gap. British and American spellings are accepted.
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Questions
- What is word formation in Cambridge exams?
- It is a part of Use of English in B2 First (Part 3) and C1 Advanced (Part 3). You get a sentence or a text with gaps and a root word in capitals, and you change it to fit the gap.
- How do I know which part of speech I need?
- Look at the words before and after the gap. After an article you need a noun, before a noun an adjective, after a verb an adverb, and after to a verb.
- When do I need a negative prefix?
- When the meaning of the sentence is the opposite of the root. Read the whole sentence, not only the gap, and check whether the idea is positive or negative.
- Can one root give two different answers?
- Yes. Care gives careful and careless, and the sentence decides. Some gaps also accept a singular or plural form, so check the words around the gap.
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