Word Formation — Cambridge Exam Guide (B2 / C1 / C2)

Why practise Word Formation

Use Yanghaowa practice and reports to turn Word Formation mistakes into a clear next-step study plan.

What to do

• Read the whole sentence and decide the grammar function first.
• Check collocations, word form, spelling, and sentence logic.
• Review mistakes by grammar point after practice.

Common mistakes

• Do not choose only by Chinese meaning or a familiar word.
• Do not leave the answer blank without trying a reasonable option.

Steps

1. Read the context.
2. Identify the tested grammar or vocabulary point.
3. Check the answer in the full sentence.

What To Do

You are given a root word in capitals and must change it to fit the sentence. The key is deciding whether the gap needs a noun, verb, adjective, adverb, negative form, or plural.

• Look at the words before and after the gap to decide the part of speech.
• Then check the meaning to see whether a negative prefix such as un-, in-, im-, or dis- is needed.
• Finally check spelling, especially doubled letters, dropping e, and y to i changes.

Exam Method

Spend a few seconds deciding the word class before writing. Do not add a suffix immediately; many questions test negatives or plurals.

• A noun often follows an article, adjective, or possessive.
• An adverb often modifies a verb, adjective, or whole sentence.
• If the meaning is opposite, consider a negative prefix first.

Common Score-Losing Traps

Common mistakes are choosing the right word class with the wrong meaning, or the right meaning with incorrect spelling.

• Do not always choose the most common suffix, such as success to successful.
• Do not ignore singular and plural forms; abstract and countable nouns behave differently.
• Do not mix spelling conventions within the same answer set.

Final Checklist

Before submitting, read the sentence with your answer and check word class, positive/negative meaning, and spelling.

• Is the word class correct?
• Does the sentence need a negative meaning?
• Are the suffix and spelling change accurate?

How To Review After Practice

Review mistakes by word family, grouping nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs from the same root.

• Build a word-family table instead of memorising one wrong word.
• Mark common endings such as -tion, -ment, -ity, -ous, -ive, and -ly.
• Make a separate list of negative prefixes.