WORD FORMATION – tips and tricks for written language exams
- First reading – understanding the text
First, read the entire text without filling in the blanks.
- Try to understand:
- What the text is about (theme),
- whether it is formal or informal,
- what the overall meaning of the sentences is.
- Goal: to fill in the words not in isolation, but according to their meaning.
- Second reading – working with sentences
Only now should you begin to solve the task. Proceed systematically:
- Always read the entire sentence to the end.
- Never fill in a word based on just one word next to the gap.
- Pay attention to the meaning of the whole sentence, not just the grammar.
- Identify the missing part of speech
Look at the word in brackets (the root of the word) and ask yourself:
What should I look for? What could it mean?
Is there an article (a/an/the) before the gap? Probably a noun
Is there a verb (be/is/was/are) before the gap? Possibly an adjective
Does the sentence end in -ly? Possibly an adverb
Is there a plural form? The ending -s/-es is needed
Is the sentence negative? Maybe a prefix is needed (un-, dis-, in-…)
See other possibilities for word formation in the
WORDFORMATION section of this website
- Work with the root of the word
Think about what change needs to be made:
- Noun: develop → development
- Adjective: danger → dangerous
- Adverb: quick → quickly
- Negative meaning: possible → impossible
- Person: teach → teacher
- Pay attention to the surroundings of the word
Look at the words before and after the space:
- prepositions (of, for, in…)
- phrases (take responsibility, make a decision…)
- tense of the sentence (past, present)
- Use scrap paper
- Write down the root of the word.
- Try several options (e.g., success, successful, successfully).
- Choose the one that fits the sentence both grammatically and semantically.
- Don’t spend too much time
- If you are unsure, skip the task. Do not waste your time if you do not know the answer. Go on.
- First, fill in everything you know.
- At the end, go back to the difficult parts
- Final check
At the end, read the entire text again:
- Does it sound natural?
- Is the singular/plural correct?
- Does the meaning make sense?
Remember:
It’s not just about vocabulary, but a combination of meaning + grammar + word formation. This task tests whether you understand how words work in a text.
Good luck.