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Vocabulary Builder Study Notes

Word Forms

📖Definition

Word Forms questions ask you to choose the correct form of a word family: noun, verb, adjective or adverb.

Knowledge Required

Know common endings: nouns often end in -tion, -ment, -ness or -ity; adverbs often end in -ly; adjectives may end in -ful, -less, -ous, -ive or -able.

How To Answer

Find the job of the missing word in the sentence.
Ask whether the sentence needs a thing, an action, a describing word or a word describing an action.
Choose the form that fits the grammar and meaning.

✏️Example

Choose the correct form of FORTUNE to complete the sentence. ___, nobody was hurt. Fortunately

Solution

The word at the start comments on the whole sentence, so an adverb is needed. Fortunately means luckily, so it fits.

💡Multiple Choice Tip

The root word may be familiar, but the wrong form will make the sentence sound ungrammatical. Test the whole sentence, not the word alone.

💡Tips/hints

Look for clues before the gap: a or the often signal a noun, very often signals an adjective or adverb, and to often signals a verb.
Check spelling changes when endings are added, such as happy to happiness or decide to decision.