Word formation: how to write one

The same task goes by several names: word building, form the word, use of english part 3, prefixes and suffixes exercise. They all describe the exercise below, and this page uses word formation throughout.

The stem

The base word, in capitals. Usually a verb, noun or adjective students already know.

The gap

Where the built word goes. The sentence must make the part of speech obvious.

The change

What the student has to do: a suffix, a prefix, both, and sometimes a spelling shift — able to ability.

Works well at B1–C1. Reach for it when:

• You want more vocabulary out of words the class already has.
• Your students understand words but produce only one form of each.
• You are preparing for B2 First or C1 Advanced.

Choose something else when:

• The stem word is new. Building a form of a word they do not know is two problems at once.
• The class is below B1, where suffix patterns are still ahead of them.

1. Step 1: 1

   Choose stems they already own

   Common, known words. The task is the transformation, not the vocabulary.

2. Step 2: 2

   Make the part of speech unmistakable

   An article or an adjective before the gap tells them a noun is needed. Without that signal, several forms fit.

3. Step 3: 3

   Mix the changes

   Some suffixes, some prefixes, at least one negative and one that changes the stem's spelling. A set of six -tion nouns is one item repeated.

4. Step 4: 4

   Include one plural or one negative

   The commonest near-misses are decision for decisions and possible for impossible. Test them deliberately.

5. Step 5: 5

   Accept the alternatives

   Some sentences take both the noun and the adjective. Decide before the class does.

• Not thisShe showed great ____ . (KIND)

  BetterShe showed great ____ to the new students. (KIND)

  Without the tail, both kindness and consideration-shaped answers seem right, and there is no signal for number.

• Not thisSix items, all -ment nouns

  BetterA mix of prefixes, suffixes and one spelling change

  A single pattern repeated six times is answered once and copied five times.

• Not thisAnswer: unhappy (HAPPY), and no mention of the plural

  BetterAnswer: unhappiness — signalled by the article and the adjective before the gap

  If nothing in the sentence demands a noun, an adjective answer is defensible.

Real items, not screenshots. Answers are checked in your browser and never sent to us, so you can share this page with a class exactly as it is.

Give the word family

Show all four forms and ask students to choose. Much easier, and a good first step at B1.

Build the family

Give one stem and ask for the noun, verb, adjective and adverb. A five-minute warm-up with no sentence writing.

Negative prefixes only

A whole set on un-, im-, in-, dis-, ir-. The patterns are learnable and the errors are systematic.

• Articles: a, an, theA1 · explanation and exercises
• Countable and uncountable nounsA2 · explanation and exercises
• Comparatives and superlativesA2 · explanation and exercises

Pick Two Activity is independent and not affiliated with Cambridge University Press & Assessment. These pages describe the level you are teaching towards; always check the official site for the current format.

• B1 PreliminaryB1 · practice ideas
• B2 FirstB2 · practice ideas
• C1 AdvancedC1 · practice ideas

• B2 First: Word formationReading & Use of English · 40 questions
• C1 Advanced: Word formationReading & Use of English · 40 questions
• C2 Proficiency: Word formationReading & Use of English · 40 questions

• Key word transformationsentence transformation
• Open clozegapped text
• Sort into groupscategorise
• Teaching B1B1 (intermediate)
• Teaching B2B2 (upper intermediate)
• All exercise types12 tasks, and when to use each