Use of English - Word Formation
C1
Cambridge English C1 Exam
For questions 1-8, read the text below. Use the word given in capitals to form a word that fits in the gap. Use only one word in each gap. Click the gaps to type your answer.
Biology in the Real World
Biology is often taught as a set of facts to memorise, but its real (0) RELEVANCE is hard to miss once you start noticing living systems at work. In the lab, students quickly learn that careful (1) .......... (OBSERVE) matters: a tiny change in colour can signal a major shift in a reaction. They also discover that scientific progress depends on (2) .......... (REPEAT); if a result can’t be reproduced, it’s treated with suspicion. Beyond the classroom, the (3) .......... (DIVERSE) of life is visible everywhere, from bacteria in soil to birds adapting to city parks. Modern biology is increasingly (4) .......... (DISCIPLINE), drawing on chemistry, computing and statistics to interpret complex data. This is especially true in genetics, where (5) .......... (INHERIT) traits can be traced through families, sometimes revealing unexpected risks. Yet genes are not the whole story: environmental (6) .......... (EXPOSE) can switch certain genes on or off, affecting health over time. Because of this, public debates about vaccines and antibiotics require (7) .......... (LITERATE) as well as trust in experts. Without it, misinformation spreads (8) .......... (ALARM), undermining decisions that should be based on evidence.
About Use of English Word Formation — Cambridge English C1
This Cambridge English C1 Use of English Word Formation exercise gives you a text with 8 gaps. Use the word in capitals at the end of each line to form a new word that fits the gap.
You may need to add prefixes or suffixes, change a word into a noun, adjective, adverb or verb, make a negative, or adjust the spelling. It tests both your knowledge of word families and the grammar of the sentence.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many questions are in this C1 Word Formation exercise?
There are 8 gaps, each with a base word in capitals that you must change to fit.
What does Word Formation test?
Prefixes, suffixes and word families — turning a root word into the correct noun, adjective, adverb, verb or negative form.
How can I improve at Word Formation?
First decide which part of speech the gap needs, then form it — and always check for negatives (un-, in-, dis-) and plurals, which are easy to miss.
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What to do
For each gap you get one word in capitals which you have to change so the grammar and meaning fit in the sentence. Here you have to show how well you know word families and if you can change words by using prefixes and suffixes.
You need to read the whole text to get the writer’s opinion on the topic. That’s because sometimes a negative prefix will be required. There is usually at least one word requiring a negative prefix, so look out for these.
In the exam always write something. You never know, you might be lucky even if you are not sure of the answer!
Strategy
- Read the title and the whole text so that you understand what it is about.
- Look at each sentence in detail.
- Think about what kind of word you need and whether you need a negative prefix or a suffix.
- Read the sentence again to check whether you need a plural form.
- Check your spelling, as it must be correct.