Word Formation | Cambridge English B2 / C1 / C2 task guide
Review Word Formation task tips, common mistakes, and practice steps for Cambridge English B2 / C1 / C2, then move into practice, mock exams, and reports.
Word Formation is a Cambridge English B2 / C1 / C2 task. Use this guide to understand what the task checks before moving into practice or a mock exam. Use Yanghaowa practice and reports to turn Word Formation mistakes into a clear next-step study plan.
What to do
- Read the whole sentence and decide the grammar function first.
- Check collocations, word form, spelling, and sentence logic.
- Review mistakes by grammar point after practice.
What to avoid
- Do not choose only by Chinese meaning or a familiar word.
- Do not leave the answer blank without trying a reasonable option.
What To Do
You are given a root word in capitals and must change it to fit the sentence. The key is deciding whether the gap needs a noun, verb, adjective, adverb, negative form, or plural.
- Look at the words before and after the gap to decide the part of speech.
- Then check the meaning to see whether a negative prefix such as un-, in-, im-, or dis- is needed.
- Finally check spelling, especially doubled letters, dropping e, and y to i changes.
Exam Method
Spend a few seconds deciding the word class before writing. Do not add a suffix immediately; many questions test negatives or plurals.
- A noun often follows an article, adjective, or possessive.
- An adverb often modifies a verb, adjective, or whole sentence.
- If the meaning is opposite, consider a negative prefix first.
Common Score-Losing Traps
Common mistakes are choosing the right word class with the wrong meaning, or the right meaning with incorrect spelling.
- Do not always choose the most common suffix, such as success to successful.
- Do not ignore singular and plural forms; abstract and countable nouns behave differently.
- Do not mix spelling conventions within the same answer set.
Final Checklist
Before submitting, read the sentence with your answer and check word class, positive/negative meaning, and spelling.
- Is the word class correct?
- Does the sentence need a negative meaning?
- Are the suffix and spelling change accurate?
How To Review After Practice
Review mistakes by word family, grouping nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs from the same root.
- Build a word-family table instead of memorising one wrong word.
- Mark common endings such as -tion, -ment, -ity, -ous, -ive, and -ly.
- Make a separate list of negative prefixes.
Continue this task guide in CEQ
The CEQ task page continues the same guide. Practice and mock-exam access depend on what CEQ currently shows.