Use of English - Word Formation
C2
Cambridge English C2 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.
Broken Blueprints
The architectural legacy of failed utopias is too often dismissed as a collection of (0) MISLEADING (LEAD) ruins, as though abandoned housing blocks and half-empty civic plazas had nothing to teach us. In fact, such places reward close attention, because their apparent (1) .......... (COHERE) often conceals a rigorous social vision. What later generations condemn as aesthetic (2) .......... (FIT) may once have been presented as evidence of moral seriousness. Yet the real problem was seldom sheer idealism; rather, it was the (3) .......... (READ) of planners to treat human behaviour as fully predictable. Residents were expected to adapt with remarkable speed, and any sign of dissent was interpreted as (4) .......... (MATURE) or selfishness. Over time, this produced environments whose formal grandeur could not compensate for their social (5) .......... (ADEQUATE). Even so, it would be historically (6) .......... (HONEST) to regard these schemes as worthless. Their failures remain instructive precisely because they expose the dangers of political (7) .......... (FALL) and administrative overconfidence. If we study them carefully, we may become less vulnerable to the (8) .......... (THINK) belief that a flawless society can be designed from above.
About Use of English Word Formation — Cambridge English C2
This Cambridge English C2 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 C2 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.