Word Formation

A

1

t was very ________ of him to interrupt her. (polite) 

a) unpolite 

b) impolite 

c) dispolite 

d) nonpolite

b) impolite

2

It’s ________ to drive without a seatbelt. (legal) 

a) illegal 

b) unlegal 

c) dislegal 

d) alegal

a) illegal

3

I can’t stand people who are so ________ about others’ opinions. (tolerate) 

a) intolerant 

b) untolerant 

c) mistolerant 

d) detolerant

a) intolerant 

4

This kind of behaviour is completely ________ in a professional setting. (accept)

unacceptable

5

The team celebrated their ________ in the final. (victorious)

victory

B

1

The company’s rapid growth was completely ________. (expect) 

a) unexpected 

b) unexpectful 

c) inexpectable 

d) disexpected

a) unexpected

2

His excuse was so ________ that nobody believed him. (convince)

unconvincing 

3

The film’s ending was quite ________; no one saw it coming. (predict)

unpredictable

4

Although he tried to sound confident, there was a clear note of ________ in his voice. (certain)

uncertainty

5

I was ________ to hear that he’d been fired. (surprise)

surprised

C

1

The teacher asked us to write more ________ in our essays. (create)

creatively 

2

The movie was totally ________ — I left halfway through. (interest)

uninteresting

3

He’s an extremely ________ person; he never gives up. (determine)

determined

4

 His constant lateness is really ________. (annoy)

annoying

5

 The government needs to act ________ to prevent further damage. (decide)

Decisively

D

1

Many people believe money brings happiness, but that’s a common ________. (understand)

misunderstadning 

2

The new law will come into effect ________. (immediate)

immediately

3

She handled the situation very ________, without showing any anger. (calm)

calmly

4

The lecture was so ________ that several students fell asleep. (bore)

boring

5

She spoke so ________ that no one could follow her. (confuse)

confusingly

E

1

With the root polite, how many correct words can you make?

• Polite — the base adjective

• Politely — adverb form

• Politeness — noun form

• Impolite — opposite adjective

• Impolitely — adverb form

• Impoliteness — noun form

2

Using create, form 5 different related words.

• Creation – (noun) the act of creating something.

• Creative – (adjective) having the ability to make new things or think of new ideas.

• Creativity – (noun) the quality of being creative.

• Creator – (noun) a person who creates or brings something into existence.

• Recreate – (verb) to create again or produce anew.

3

Take appear — make positive and negative forms, all parts of speech.

Appear – (verb)

Appearance – (noun)

Apparent – (adjective)

Apparently – (adverb) 

Disappear – (verb)

Disappearance – (noun)

Unapparent – (adjective)

Unapparently – (adverb)

4

Build as many correct forms as you can from happy.

Happy – (adjective)
Happily – (adverb)
Happiness – (noun)

Unhappy – (adjective)
Unhappily – (adverb)
Unhappiness – (noun)

5

From comfort, make words for person, feeling, and opposite meaning.

comfort (noun)

comfortable (adjective)

uncomfortable (adjective)

comfortably (adverb)

uncomfortably (negative adverb)

comforter (noun)