B2 word formation exercises (FCE Use of English Part 3)
In FCE word formation you change the form of a word in capitals so that it fits a gap in the text. Use of English Part 3 has eight gaps worth one mark each, and the stem word always has to change: a prefix, a suffix, a plural or an internal change such as strong to strength.
- Questions
- 8 (Q17–24)
- Marks
- 1 each
- Time to spend
- ≈ 8 min
- Counts towards
- Use of English
What FCE Use of English Part 3 tests
Part 3 is a short text with eight gaps (questions 17–24) and an example (0). Each gap has its own word in capital letters, the stem: on paper it is printed at the end of the line with the gap, and on screen it appears to the right of the text. You must change the stem so that it fits the gap in meaning and grammar. The answer is never the word exactly as printed.
The changes you need to make fall into a few groups:
- suffixes that change the part of speech: develop → development, danger → dangerous, wide → widen, careful → carefully;
- prefixes, especially negative ones: un-, in-, im-, il-, ir-, dis-, mis-;
- two changes at once: expect → unexpectedly, logic → illogical;
- internal changes: strong → strength, long → length, choose → choice;
- grammatical endings: plural nouns, or a verb in the right form.
How it is marked: one mark per gap, 8 marks in total, counted towards your Use of English score with Parts 2 and 4. Spelling must be correct, and the plural or negative must be there if the sentence needs it: possibility where the text needs possibilities scores nothing.
A full FCE word formation exercise
Use the word given in capitals at the end of each line to form a word that fits the gap in the same line. There is an example at the beginning (0).
Bees on the roof
Over the last ten years, beekeeping has enjoyed a (0) remarkable revival in cities. REMARK
Hotels, offices and even museums now keep hives on their roofs, and urban hives are often more (17) than those in the countryside. PRODUCE
This may sound (18), but parks and gardens offer bees a wide variety of flowers all year round, LOGIC
and city gardeners use (19) few chemical sprays. COMPARE
Beginners often worry about the (20) of being stung, POSSIBLE
but experienced keepers say that bees are rarely (21) unless their hive is disturbed. AGGRESSION
Before buying a hive, however, it is (22) to take a course. ADVISE
Colonies need regular checks, and a whole hive can die (23) if a disease goes unnoticed. EXPECT
Rooftop hives also raise questions of (24): keepers need a secure way up and a rail to stop them falling. SAFE
Show the answer and explanation
17 productive. More … than needs an adjective. Verb → adjective with -ive.
18 illogical. Sound is followed by an adjective, and but tells you the idea is surprising, so it must be negative. Two changes: -al and il-.
19 comparatively. An adverb is needed before few. Note the spelling: comparatively, not comparitively.
20 possibility. After the and before of you need a noun. Adjective → noun with -ity; the -ible becomes -ibil-.
21 aggressive. After are rarely you need an adjective describing the bees. Noun → adjective.
22 advisable. It is ___ to needs an adjective meaning "a good idea". Note the dropped e.
23 unexpectedly. An adverb describing how the hive dies, and the meaning is negative (surprisingly, without warning). Three additions: un-, -ed, -ly.
24 safety. Questions of needs a noun. Adjective → noun with -ty; not safeness.
Two more B2 word formation exercises
Each text has eight gaps, numbered 17–24 as in the exam. Decide the part of speech first, then whether the meaning is negative.
Practice set 2: The walking bus
Use the word given in capitals at the end of each line to form a word that fits the gap in the same line. There is an example at the beginning (0).
The walking bus
Five years ago, the town of Brindley started a 'walking bus', and it has been far more (0) successful than its organisers hoped. SUCCESS
Every morning, groups of children walk to school together, led by parent (17) in bright yellow jackets. HELP
The scheme was set up to reduce traffic (18) outside the school gates, CONGEST
but its most (19) benefit has been in the classroom: EXPECT
teachers report that pupils arrive calmer, and their (20) during morning lessons has improved. CONCENTRATE
Walking twenty minutes each way also adds to children's daily physical (21), ACTIVE
and, (22), many of them now ask to walk at weekends too, which their parents never imagined. SURPRISE
Not every family takes part, of course. For parents who start work early, the fixed timetable is simply (23), CONVENIENT
and the scheme depends entirely on the (24) of adult volunteers. AVAILABLE
Show the answers and explanations
17 helpers. A noun for people after parent, and plural because groups are led by more than one adult. Verb → noun with -er, then -s.
18 congestion. Traffic congestion is a noun–noun collocation. Verb → noun with -ion.
19 unexpected. An adjective before benefit. The scheme was set up for traffic, but this benefit is in the classroom, so it was not planned: the meaning is negative. Two changes: un- and -ed.
20 concentration. Their needs a noun. Note the spelling: concentration, with the final e dropped.
21 activity. Physical activity is the fixed phrase. Adjective → noun with -ity; activeness is not used.
22 surprisingly. A sentence adverb between commas, commenting on the whole clause; their parents never imagined shows it was a surprise, so unsurprisingly does not fit. Surprising is an adjective and cannot stand alone here.
23 inconvenient. Not every family takes part and start work early show the timetable causes a problem, so the adjective must be negative. The prefix is in-, not un-.
24 availability. The … of needs a noun. -able becomes -ability.
Practice set 3: Mending old clocks
Use the word given in capitals at the end of each line to form a word that fits the gap in the same line. There is an example at the beginning (0).
Mending old clocks
Ruth Okafor's interest in clocks began quite (0) accidentally, when she found a broken one in her grandmother's attic. ACCIDENT
She had no (17) training, but she was determined to make it work again. PROFESSION
Using books from her local library, she took the clock apart (18), making notes of where each tiny piece belonged, CARE
and after several weeks of (19) it began to tick again. FRUSTRATE
Since then, Ruth has repaired more than a hundred clocks for friends and neighbours. A few are of (20) value, CONSIDER
but most matter to their owners for (21) reasons: they remind them of someone they loved. SENTIMENT
Some arrive in a state that looks completely (22), with rusty parts and missing springs. HOPE
Ruth says the work requires great (23), because one lost screw can cost her a whole afternoon. PATIENT
For Ruth, the (24) of hearing a silent clock start to tick again never fades. EXCITE
Show the answers and explanations
17 professional. An adjective before training. Noun → adjective with -al.
18 carefully. An adverb describing how she took the clock apart; making notes shows care, so carelessly does not fit.
19 frustration. Weeks of needs a noun. Verb → noun: frustrate → frustration.
20 considerable. Of considerable value means "quite valuable". Considerate means kind to other people.
21 sentimental. An adjective before reasons; sentimental value and sentimental reasons are about feelings and memories.
22 hopeless. Looks + adjective, and the rusty parts make the meaning negative. Noun → adjective with -less.
23 patience. Great + noun. Adjective → noun: -ent becomes -ence. Do not confuse it with patients (people in hospital).
24 excitement. The … of needs a noun. Verb → noun with -ment.
How to do FCE word formation, step by step
- 01
Read the whole text quickly for meaning. Whether a word needs to be negative often depends on the sentence before or after.
- 02
Look at the words around the gap and decide the part of speech: the or a before it usually means a noun; very, more or a linking verb such as seem means an adjective; a gap describing a verb needs an adverb.
- 03
Ask whether the meaning is positive or negative. Words such as but, unfortunately or although nearby are strong signals that a prefix like un- or dis- is needed.
- 04
For nouns, decide singular or plural (look at the verb and any determiner). For verbs, check tense and subject.
- 05
Write the word and check the spelling: dropped e (advisable), doubled consonants (forgettable), y to i (happiness) and internal changes (strength).
Word formation mistakes B2 candidates make
Right family, wrong part of speech. Writing success or successfully where the sentence needs successful. Always decide the part of speech before you think of the word.
Forgetting the second change. Candidates add the suffix but miss the negative prefix, or form the right noun but forget the plural -s.
Spelling slips. Responsability, arguement, begining and independant all score zero. These words come up often, so learn them.
Inventing words. Safeness, advicable and unpossible are not words. If your answer looks strange, try another suffix you know exists.
Common suffixes and prefixes for word formation B2
| To make… | Endings and prefixes | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Nouns (things, ideas) | -ment, -ness, -ity, -tion/-sion, -ance/-ence, -ship, -dom, -th | agreement, awareness, ability, decision, appearance, friendship, freedom, strength |
| Nouns (people) | -er, -or, -ist, -ian, -ant | employer, visitor, scientist, librarian, assistant |
| Adjectives | -ful, -less, -able/-ible, -ive, -ous, -al, -ic, -y | helpful, pointless, reliable, creative, dangerous, traditional, scientific, noisy |
| Verbs | -en, -ise, en-, re- | widen, modernise, encourage, rebuild |
| Adverbs | -ly (and -ally after -ic) | quickly, basically, dramatically |
| Opposites | un-, in-, im- (before p, m), il- (before l), ir- (before r), dis-, mis- | unlikely, incapable, impatient, illegal, irregular, dishonest, misunderstand |
Quick word formation drill
Six sentences of the kind that appear in word formation exercises at B2. Form a word from the capitals, then check the answers underneath.
- The concert was a complete ______ after all the publicity. (DISAPPOINT)
- She talked ______ about her year in Canada. (ENTHUSIASM)
- The council plans to ______ the road before the new houses are built. (WIDE)
- It is ______ to park here between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. (LEGAL)
- The ______ of the bridge is just over two kilometres. (LONG)
- Most of what he said was completely ______ to the question. (RELEVANCE)
Answers: 1 disappointment · 2 enthusiastically · 3 widen · 4 illegal · 5 length · 6 irrelevant.
Practise Part 3 in full FCE Reading and Use of English tests
Each FCE Reading and Use of English test on this site has its own Part 3, timed with the whole paper and marked as soon as you submit, with an explanation for every answer.
FCE word formation: questions
How many marks is FCE Use of English Part 3 worth?
Eight: one mark for each gap. They count towards your Use of English score, which has 28 marks in total across Parts 2, 3 and 4.
Does spelling count in FCE word formation?
Yes. The word must be spelled correctly to score, so learn the spelling of common word formation answers, not just their meaning.
Do I always have to change the word in capitals?
Yes. The word as printed is never the answer. You may need a suffix, a prefix, a plural, an internal change or several of these together.
What is the best way to practise word formation exercises at B2?
Keep a word-family notebook: for each new word, write its noun, verb, adjective, adverb and opposite. Then practise with full texts, because the context is what tells you the part of speech and whether the meaning is negative.
Sources
- B2 First Handbook for Teachers (Cambridge University Press & Assessment), pages 7–8, 12
- B2 First exam format (cambridgeenglish.org)
- B2 First preparation materials: Cambridge's own sample tests
CambridgeMock is independent and not affiliated with Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Facts on this page are checked against the official documents above; the practice items and advice are our own.
Ready for B2 First? Find out today
Take a free FCE mock test and get an estimated Cambridge English Scale score, with your marks part by part.