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Word Formation (C2) – Test 1

C2 Proficiency VocabularyEnglish

This C2 vocabulary test covers advanced word formation: negative prefixes, noun and adjective suffixes, easily confused members of the same word family and fixed collocations. It is for proficient learners, CPE candidates and teachers who need a rigorous, printable practice test.

Questions
30
Time
35 min
PDF
4 pages
Answer key
Included
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Part 1: Forming the right word

Choose the correct form of the word in brackets to complete each sentence.

  1. The committee's decision was widely regarded as _____, given the complete lack of evidence. (JUSTIFY)

  2. Her _____ to compromise eventually cost her the support of her colleagues. (WILLING)

  3. The new findings have _____ much of what we thought we knew about early human migration. (VALID)

  4. The minister's remarks were deemed _____ and were swiftly withdrawn. (ADVISE)

  5. The two accounts of the incident are completely _____; one of them must be false. (RECONCILE)

  6. Despite repeated warnings, the company continued to _____ its accounts. (FALSE)

  7. The professor is known for her _____; she rarely gives anyone a straight answer. (EVADE)

  8. Many of the town's historic buildings have sadly fallen into _____. (REPAIR)

  9. The scheme proved _____ in practice, as nobody could afford to take part. (WORK)

  10. His _____ remarks about his colleagues' work did little to improve the atmosphere in the office. (DISPARAGE)

Part 2: Word formation in a text

Read the text. For each numbered gap, choose the correct form of the word in brackets.

The Quiet Revolution of Urban Rewilding

For decades, city planners treated green space as little more than decoration: neat lawns, (11) ___ clipped hedges and the occasional flowerbed. Today, a growing number of cities are embracing 'rewilding', allowing parks and roadside verges to return to a more natural state. To some residents, the results look (12) ___ untidy; to ecologists, they represent a long-overdue correction.

The case for rewilding rests largely on biodiversity. Mown grass offers almost no food or shelter, whereas long grass and wildflowers support an (13) ___ variety of insects, birds and small mammals. Researchers in several European cities have recorded a marked (14) ___ of pollinators within just two or three seasons.

Yet the approach is not without its critics. Some argue that its benefits have been (15) ___, pointing out that a few unmown verges can hardly compensate for the wholesale destruction of habitats elsewhere. Others raise concerns about (16) ___ behaviour, claiming that overgrown areas can feel unsafe after dark.

Supporters counter that such objections are largely a matter of perception. Clear signs explaining the purpose of a project, they say, can transform a patch of (17) ___ wilderness into something residents take pride in. Indeed, where local people have been involved from the outset, public (18) ___ has typically been high.

What is perhaps most striking is the (19) ___ of the change. It requires no expensive machinery, simply the decision to do less. In an age of ever-tightening budgets, that may prove the most (20) ___ argument of all.

  1. Gap 11 (IMMACULATE): neat lawns, _____ clipped hedges and the occasional flowerbed

  2. Gap 12 (DISTURB): the results look _____ untidy

  3. Gap 13 (ASTONISH): support an _____ variety of insects, birds and small mammals

  4. Gap 14 (RESURGE): recorded a marked _____ of pollinators

  5. Gap 15 (STATE): its benefits have been _____, pointing out that a few unmown verges can hardly compensate

  6. Gap 16 (SOCIAL): concerns about _____ behaviour

  7. Gap 17 (NEGLECT): a patch of _____ wilderness

  8. Gap 18 (APPROVE): public _____ has typically been high

  9. Gap 19 (SIMPLE): the _____ of the change

  10. Gap 20 (COMPEL): the most _____ argument of all

Part 3: Word families, meaning and accuracy

Choose the best option for each question.

  1. Which sentence is correct?

  2. Which sentence contains an error in word formation?

  3. 'The minister's reply was decidedly noncommittal.' This means that the minister:

  4. Which prefix completes the word? 'The figures had been _____calculated, which explained the unexpected shortfall.'

  5. There is a growing _____ that the policy has failed. (PERCEIVE)

  6. The documentary offers a _____ look at life on a remote island. (HEART / WARM)

  7. Their relationship had deteriorated to the point where it was beyond _____. (REDEEM)

  8. Which sentence uses the word in CAPITALS correctly?

  9. A person with a 'self-effacing manner' is someone who:

  10. The two languages are mutually _____; speakers of one can easily understand the other.

Preview

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About this test

This C2 vocabulary test covers advanced word formation: negative prefixes, noun and adjective suffixes, easily confused members of the same word family and fixed collocations. It is for proficient learners, CPE candidates and teachers who need a rigorous, printable practice test.

Topics covered

Word formationNegative prefixesNoun suffixesAdjective and adverb formsWord familiesCollocationsConfusable words

How to use this test

  1. Download the PDF and print it, or take the test online below.
  2. Answer every question without a dictionary or time pressure.
  3. Check your answers and note the topics you need to review.

Notes for teachers

Use Part 1 as a warm-up, Part 2 as exam-style practice in the format of the CPE Use of English word formation task, and Part 3 to check awareness of confusable forms. The test targets common advanced errors such as invented suffixes (disapprovement), the wrong negative prefix (inreconcilable) and confusion within word families (neglected vs negligent, historic vs historical). For follow-up, ask students to write their own sentences using the distractors that really exist, such as negligible, compulsive and perceptiveness.