Word formation (Q6)
Q6 of the English paper gives a paragraph with seven blanks and a root word for each; you write the correct noun, verb, adjective or adverb in any five, for 5 marks. The same skill appears as word-form MCQs in Section A. This unit shows how to read the position of a blank to find the part of speech it needs, the suffixes and prefixes that build each form, the spelling changes, and a master table of word families, with every FBISE Q6 so far solved.
Learning outcomes (5)
- Identify and correctly use patterns of word changes that indicate different meanings or parts of speech (e.g., analyze, analysis, analytical; advocate, advocacy).
- Use context (the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph, or a word's position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning and form of a word.
- Decide which part of speech a blank needs from the words around it.
- Form nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs with suffixes, and change meaning with prefixes.
- Spell derived words correctly (silent e, doubled consonants, y to i and irregular stems).
Q6 in the paper and how to attack itOften examined
Q6 of Section C is word formation. You get a paragraph of about 100 words with seven blanks. After each blank there is a root word in brackets, for example (dedicate). You must write the form of that word that fits the sentence: a noun, a verb, an adjective or an adverb. You attempt any five blanks, and each correct blank earns 1 mark, so Q6 is worth 5 marks.
The FBISE framework says the question tests whether you can identify and correctly use patterns of word changes that indicate different meanings or parts of speech, and it gives the examples analyze, analysis, analyst, analytical and advocate, advocacy. The same skill also appears in Section A as one or two MCQs such as Her ______ helped her achieve success or Which word is the noun form of advocate?
| Paper | Root words in Q6 (in order) | Answers |
|---|---|---|
| Model paper | dedicate, focus, discipline, achieve, commit, show, determine | dedication, focus, disciplined, achieving, commitment, showing, determination |
| 2026 Set A | dedicate, focus, discipline, achieve, commit, show, devote | dedication, focus, disciplined, achieving, commitment, showing, devotion |
| 2026 Set B | profession, clear, prioritize, create, improve, decide, press | professional, clearly, priority, creative, improvement, decisiveness, pressing |
| 2026 Set D | curious, caution, prepare, rely, discover, happy, handle | curiosity, cautiously, preparation, reliable, discovering, happiness, handling |
The six-step method
- Read the whole paragraph once without writing anything. The topic tells you the meaning (for example, praise or criticism), and meaning decides between words like disciplined and disciplinary.
- Look at the words on both sides of the blank. What comes before (a, the, his, very, to, can, for, is) and what comes after (a noun, a verb, a preposition, a full stop) tells you the part of speech. The table in the next section lists every clue.
- Name the part of speech you need: noun (thing or person), verb, adjective or adverb. If it is a noun, ask whether it is a thing or a person, and singular or plural.
- Build the form from the root with the right suffix or prefix (see the suffix sections and the master table).
- Check the grammar around it: tense and subject-verb agreement for a verb (strengthened, improves), a or an before the word, singular or plural after many, several, these.
- Check the spelling (drop the e, double the consonant, change y to i) and read the full sentence again with your word in it. It must sound like correct English.
- Before the blank is the preposition for. After a preposition we need a noun or a gerund.
- After the blank is every challenge, which is an object. A noun cannot take an object directly (we would need his handling of every challenge). A gerund can take an object.
- So the form is the gerund: handle + ing, dropping the silent e.
- Read it back: His team admired him for handling every challenge. It is correct.
How to write the answer
Write the blank number and your word, one per line, for example 1. dedication. You do not need to copy the whole paragraph. Write clearly: if the examiner cannot read a letter, the word is marked as misspelt.
The four forms: noun, verb, adjective, adverb
Most roots in Q6 belong to a word family: a group of words built on the same root, one for each job in a sentence. From analyze we get the verb analyze, the nouns analysis (a thing) and analyst (a person), the adjective analytical and the adverb analytically. Q6 checks that you can pick the family member that does the job the blank needs.
- Noun
- A word that names a person, place, thing or idea. It can be the subject or object of a verb, or come after a preposition. Abstract nouns name ideas and qualities (dedication, happiness, curiosity). Agent nouns name the person who does something (analyst, explorer, achiever).
- Verb
- A word for an action or a state (improve, rely, strengthen). It changes for tense (improves, improved) and must agree with its subject.
- Adjective
- A word that describes a noun or pronoun (a creative workshop; she is confident). It stands before a noun or after a linking verb such as be, seem, become.
- Adverb
- A word that describes a verb, an adjective, another adverb or a whole sentence. It tells how, when, where, how often or how much (spoke clearly; extremely careful; Fortunately, ...). Most are made by adding -ly to an adjective.
- Gerund
- The -ing form of a verb used as a noun (Achieving success requires hard work). It can take an object, like a verb, and it can follow a preposition, like a noun.
- Participial adjective
- An -ing or -ed form used as an adjective (a pressing problem; a determined girl).
| Job in the sentence | Form | Example with the root analyze |
|---|---|---|
| Action (after to, a modal, or a subject) | verb | Scientists analyze the samples in the laboratory. |
| Name of the thing or idea | noun (thing) | Her careful analysis of the problem impressed the manager. |
| Name of the person | noun (person) | The analyst explained the data to the board. |
| Describes a noun | adjective | She has an analytical mind. |
| Describes a verb or adjective | adverb | He thinks analytically about every problem. |
| Action used as a name (after a preposition or as subject) | gerund | She is good at analyzing data. |
Which part of speech does the blank needOften examined
The words around a blank decide its part of speech. You do not need to know the meaning of every word in the paragraph: you need to look one or two words to the left and to the right. Learn these clues; they cover every blank FBISE has set.
Clues for a noun
| Clue (position of the blank) | Example | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| After a, an, the, his, her, my, their, its, this, that, some, no, every or a possessive 's, with nothing else before the next verb, preposition or full stop | The athlete's ______ (dedicate) to training was evident. | dedication |
| After an adjective (the adjective already describes; the blank must be the thing described) | He believed that constant ______ (improve) was the key. | improvement |
| As the subject before a verb | ______ (honest) is the best policy. | Honesty |
| As the object after a verb such as show, bring, gain, need, lack | The lost city would bring him great ______ (happy). | happiness |
| After a preposition (of, for, by, in, with, about, without, to as a preposition) when no object follows | He was praised for his ______ (decide). | decisiveness |
| Before of | The ______ (discover) of oil changed the village. | discovery |
| After many, several, few, these, those, two (plural noun) | The school made several ______ (improve) this year. | improvements |
| After much, little, less, a great deal of (uncountable noun) | She showed little ______ (patient) with the noisy class. | patience |
| Joined by and / or to another noun (parallel structure) | success required hard work and ______ (commit) | commitment |
Clues for an adjective
| Clue (position of the blank) | Example | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| Between a / an / the / his / 's and a noun | He organized a ______ (create) workshop. | creative |
| After very, so, too, quite, rather, extremely, more, most, less, as when a noun or nothing follows (not a verb) | The test was very ______ (difficulty). | difficult |
| After a linking verb: be (is, am, are, was, were, been), seem, become, look, feel, appear, remain, sound, taste, grow, get, turn, stay, keep | She became ______ (confidence) after the first match. | confident |
| After make / find / keep + object (the adjective describes the object) | The good news made everyone ______ (happiness). | happy |
| Before a noun after another adjective | a long and ______ (danger) journey | dangerous |
Clues for an adverb
| Clue (position of the blank) | Example | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| Describes an action verb: tells how, when, where, how often | He spoke ______ (clear) about the company's goals. | clearly |
| Before an adjective or a past participle used as an adjective | The hall was ______ (beautiful) decorated. | beautifully |
| Before another adverb | She finished ______ (surprising) quickly. | surprisingly |
| At the start of a sentence, followed by a comma, commenting on the whole sentence | ______ (fortunate), nobody was hurt in the accident. | Fortunately |
| After a complete clause (subject + verb + object), at the end | He handled the problem ______ (calm). | calmly |
| Between the helping verb and the main verb | The flood has ______ (serious) damaged the crops. | seriously |
Clues for a verb
| Clue (position of the blank) | Example | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| After to (the infinitive marker) with an object or nothing after | The city plans to ______ (wide) the main road. | widen |
| After a modal: can, could, will, would, shall, should, may, might, must | We must ______ (prior) our tasks. | prioritize |
| After a subject where the sentence has no other main verb (change for tense and agreement) | Regular exercise ______ (strong) the heart. | strengthens |
| After has / have / had (past participle) | The team has ______ (improvement) its fitness. | improved |
| After is / are / was / were + by (passive, past participle) | The bridge was ______ (destruction) by the flood. | destroyed |
| After is / are / was / were in a continuous tense (present participle) | Farmers are ______ (modern) their methods. | modernizing |
| After do / does / did, or let / make / help + object | The coach helped us ______ (improvement) our batting. | improve |
Clues for a gerund (-ing form used as a noun)
| Clue (position of the blank) | Example | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| After a preposition and followed by an object (a noun phrase) | His team admired him for ______ (handle) every challenge. | handling |
| As the subject and followed by an object | ______ (achieve) success requires hard work. | Achieving |
| After verbs that take the -ing form: enjoy, avoid, finish, keep, mind, consider, suggest, practise, stop, admit, deny, risk | She enjoys ______ (explore) old buildings. | exploring |
| After to when to is a preposition: look forward to, be committed to, be used to, object to, the key to, devoted to, contribute to, when it comes to | She is committed to ______ (improve) her results. | improving |
Suffixes that make nounsOften examined
A suffix is a group of letters added to the end of a root to make a new word, usually of a different part of speech. The root keeps its basic meaning; the suffix changes its job. For example -ment turns the verb improve into the noun improvement.
| Suffix | Added to | Meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| -tion, -ation, -ition | verbs | the act or result of | dedicate: dedication; prepare: preparation; compete: competition; organize: organization; inform: information |
| -sion | verbs ending in -d, -de, -se, -t, -mit | the act or result of | decide: decision; divide: division; expand: expansion; admit: admission; permit: permission; persuade: persuasion |
| -ment | verbs | the act, result or state of | improve: improvement; commit: commitment; achieve: achievement; develop: development; govern: government; argue: argument |
| -ness | adjectives | the quality or state of being | happy: happiness; kind: kindness; aware: awareness; decisive: decisiveness; polite: politeness; weak: weakness |
| -ity, -ty | adjectives | the quality of being | curious: curiosity; creative: creativity; generous: generosity; responsible: responsibility; reliable: reliability; loyal: loyalty |
| -ance, -ence | verbs and -ant/-ent adjectives | the action or quality | rely: reliance; perform: performance; appear: appearance; differ: difference; confident: confidence; independent: independence |
| -ancy, -ency | -ant/-ent adjectives | the state of being | vacant: vacancy; urgent: urgency; efficient: efficiency; emergent: emergency |
| -ship | nouns | the state, skill or position of | friend: friendship; leader: leadership; owner: ownership; member: membership |
| -hood | nouns | the time or state of being | child: childhood; neighbour: neighbourhood; brother: brotherhood; likely: likelihood |
| -dom | adjectives and nouns | the state or area of | free: freedom; wise: wisdom; bore: boredom; king: kingdom |
| -al | verbs | the act of | arrive: arrival; approve: approval; survive: survival; refuse: refusal; propose: proposal |
| -ure | verbs | the act or result of | fail: failure; press: pressure; please: pleasure; expose: exposure; depart: departure |
| -age | verbs and nouns | the act, result or amount of | short: shortage; use: usage; marry: marriage; pack: package; break: breakage |
| -acy | nouns and adjectives | the state or practice of | advocate: advocacy; accurate: accuracy; private: privacy; democrat: democracy; literate: literacy |
| -ism | adjectives and nouns | a belief, practice or quality | hero: heroism; optimist: optimism; professional: professionalism; critic: criticism |
| -th | adjectives and verbs | the quality or result | strong: strength; long: length; wide: width; deep: depth; true: truth; grow: growth |
| -sis (from Greek) | verbs in -yze | the process of | analyze: analysis; emphasize: emphasis; diagnose: diagnosis |
| Suffix | Meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| -er | a person who does | achieve: achiever; lead: leader; teach: teacher; manage: manager; discover: discoverer; explore: explorer |
| -or | a person who does (mostly after -ate, -ct, -it verbs) | create: creator; invent: inventor; direct: director; visit: visitor; educate: educator |
| -ist | a person skilled in or who believes in | science: scientist; analyze: analyst; art: artist; environment: environmentalist; optimism: optimist |
| -ian | a person expert in | music: musician; history: historian; politics: politician; library: librarian |
| -ant, -ent | a person who does | assist: assistant; apply: applicant; participate: participant; reside: resident; oppose: opponent |
| -ee | a person who receives the action | employ: employee; train: trainee; examine: examinee; devote: devotee |
| -ary | a person connected with | benefit: beneficiary; vision: visionary; revolution: revolutionary |
Suffixes that make adjectivesOften examined
| Suffix | Meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| -ful | full of, having | care: careful; hope: hopeful; peace: peaceful; beauty: beautiful; success: successful; help: helpful |
| -less | without | care: careless; hope: hopeless; tire: tireless; help: helpless; price: priceless (very valuable) |
| -ous, -ious, -eous | having the quality of | danger: dangerous; curiosity: curious; caution: cautious; courage: courageous; ambition: ambitious; fame: famous |
| -ive, -ative, -itive | tending to, having the power to | create: creative; decide: decisive; effect: effective; attract: attractive; compete: competitive; inform: informative |
| -able, -ible | can be, worth being | rely: reliable; achieve: achievable; enjoy: enjoyable; respect: respectable; sense: sensible; access: accessible |
| -al, -ial | relating to | profession: professional; nation: national; environment: environmental; finance: financial; industry: industrial |
| -ic, -ical | relating to, having the nature of | science: scientific; energy: energetic; history: historic, historical; analysis: analytical; economy: economic |
| -ent, -ant | having the quality of (often from verbs) | differ: different; depend: dependent; persist: persistent; hesitate: hesitant; ignore: ignorant; rely: reliant |
| -y | full of, like | health: healthy; risk: risky; anger: angry; show: showy; speed: speedy; sleep: sleepy |
| -ish | rather, like (often negative) | child: childish; self: selfish; fool: foolish; red: reddish; style: stylish |
| -ly (on a noun) | like, having the quality of | friend: friendly; love: lovely; coward: cowardly; time: timely; cost: costly |
| -ary, -ory | relating to | custom: customary; prepare: preparatory; imagine: imaginary; explain: explanatory; satisfy: satisfactory |
| -some | causing, tending to | trouble: troublesome; awe: awesome; bother: bothersome |
| -ed (past participle) | having been affected; feeling | determine: determined; discipline: disciplined; focus: focused; commit: committed; dedicate: dedicated |
| -ing (present participle) | causing the feeling; active | press: pressing; challenge: challenging; interest: interesting; inspire: inspiring; amaze: amazing |
Suffixes that make verbs and adverbsOften examined
Verbs
| Suffix | Meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| -ize (British also -ise) | to make, to become, to put into | priority: prioritize; modern: modernize; real: realize; critic: criticize; memory: memorize; apology: apologize; symbol: symbolize |
| -en | to make or become (added to adjectives and some nouns) | strong: strengthen; wide: widen; short: shorten; deep: deepen; sharp: sharpen; length: lengthen; threat: threaten |
| -ify, -fy | to make, to cause to be | clear: clarify; simple: simplify; pure: purify; beauty: beautify; just: justify; terror: terrify; glory: glorify |
| -ate | to make, to cause, to act | active: activate; motive: motivate; captive: captivate; origin: originate; valid: validate; hyphen: hyphenate |
| en-, em- (prefix) | to put into, to make | courage: encourage; danger: endanger; able: enable; power: empower; rich: enrich; large: enlarge |
| be- (prefix) | to make, to treat as | friend: befriend; little: belittle |
Adverbs
Most adverbs are the adjective + -ly: clear: clearly; cautious: cautiously; professional: professionally; decisive: decisively. The spelling rules below still apply.
| Adjective ends in | Rule | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| -y after a consonant | change y to i, add -ly | happy: happily; easy: easily; busy: busily; angry: angrily; necessary: necessarily |
| -le after a consonant | drop the e, add -y | gentle: gently; simple: simply; possible: possibly; reliable: reliably; comfortable: comfortably |
| -ic | add -ally | basic: basically; scientific: scientifically; enthusiastic: enthusiastically (one exception: public: publicly) |
| -ll | add only -y | full: fully; dull: dully |
| -ue | drop the e, add -ly | true: truly; due: duly |
| -l (one l) | add -ly: the l doubles naturally | careful: carefully; final: finally; usual: usually; real: really; professional: professionally |
| -e (other) | keep the e | polite: politely; complete: completely; sincere: sincerely; immediate: immediately (exception: whole: wholly) |
| Special case | Explanation | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| good / well | The adverb of good is well. | She is a good speaker. She speaks well. |
| Same form as adjective | These words are both adjective and adverb; do not add -ly. | fast, hard, early, late, daily, weekly, straight, high, low, far, long |
| -ly with a different meaning | Adding -ly changes the meaning completely. | hard (with effort) / hardly (almost not); late / lately (recently); high / highly (very much); near / nearly (almost); short / shortly (soon) |
| Adjectives that end in -ly | These are adjectives, not adverbs. They have no -ly adverb; use in a ... way. | friendly, lovely, lonely, lively, costly, cowardly, silly, ugly, elderly, likely |
Prefixes
A prefix is added to the beginning of a word. It changes the meaning, usually not the part of speech: happy and unhappy are both adjectives. In Q6 a prefix is needed when the sentence clearly means the opposite (The plan was ______ (success), so it was dropped needs unsuccessful).
| Prefix | Meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| un- | not, the opposite of | unhappy, unable, unfair, unknown, unemployed, unusual, unlock, undo |
| in- | not | incorrect, incomplete, independent, inactive, invisible, inexpensive |
| im- | not (before b, m, p) | impossible, impatient, impolite, immature, imbalance, immoral |
| il- | not (before l) | illegal, illogical, illiterate, illegible |
| ir- | not (before r) | irregular, irresponsible, irrelevant, irresistible, irrational |
| dis- | not, the opposite of, apart | dishonest, disagree, disappear, dislike, disobey, disadvantage, discomfort |
| mis- | wrongly, badly | misunderstand, misuse, mislead, misspell, misbehave, misfortune |
| non- | not (neutral, often with nouns) | non-violent, non-stop, nonsense, non-smoker |
| re- | again, back | rewrite, rebuild, reconsider, return, recover, rearrange |
| pre- | before | prepare, preview, prehistoric, prepaid, precaution, predict |
| post- | after | postwar, postgraduate, postpone |
| over- | too much, above | overload, overestimate, overcrowded, overweight, overcome |
| under- | too little, below | underpaid, underestimate, underdeveloped, underground, undergo |
| en-, em- | to make, to put into (makes a verb) | enable, encourage, endanger, enrich, empower, embrace |
| co-, com-, con- | together, with | cooperate, coexist, companion, connect |
| inter- | between | international, interact, interview |
| anti- | against | antibiotic, antisocial, antivirus |
| sub- | under, below | subway, submarine, subtitle |
| trans- | across | transport, transform, transfer |
Spelling changes when you add a suffixOften examined
A correct form spelt wrongly can lose the mark. Most spelling changes follow a few rules. A vowel is a, e, i, o, u; every other letter is a consonant. A vowel suffix starts with a vowel (-ing, -ed, -able, -ous, -ity, -ation, -er); a consonant suffix starts with a consonant (-ment, -ness, -ful, -less, -ly).
Rule 1: silent e
| Situation | Rule | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Vowel suffix | Drop the silent e | handle: handling; dedicate: dedication; create: creative; prepare: preparation; decide: deciding; achieve: achievable; imagine: imagination |
| Consonant suffix | Keep the e | improve: improvement; achieve: achievement; hope: hopeful; care: careful; complete: completely; excite: excitement |
| -ce or -ge before -able or -ous | Keep the e (to keep the soft sound) | notice: noticeable; manage: manageable; courage: courageous; advantage: advantageous; change: changeable |
| -ee, -oe, -ye | Keep the e before -ing | agree: agreeing; see: seeing; canoe: canoeing; dye: dyeing |
| Exceptions to keep-e | Drop e before a consonant suffix | argue: argument; true: truly; due: duly; whole: wholly; judge: judgment (also judgement) |
Rule 2: doubling the final consonant
| Situation | Rule | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| One syllable, ends consonant-vowel-consonant, vowel suffix | Double the last consonant | stop: stopped; plan: planning; run: runner; big: bigger; sad: saddest |
| Two or more syllables, stress on the last syllable, ends consonant-vowel-consonant | Double the last consonant | commit: committed, committing, committee; begin: beginning, beginner; occur: occurred, occurrence; prefer: preferred; admit: admitted; forget: forgetting; regret: regretted |
| Stress not on the last syllable | Do not double | focus: focused, focusing (British English also allows focussed); benefit: benefited; visit: visited; happen: happened; offer: offered; target: targeted |
| Stress moves off the last syllable in the new word | Do not double | prefer: preference; refer: reference; confer: conference |
| Consonant suffix | Do not double | commit: commitment; equip: equipment; ship: shipment |
| Ends in w, x or y | Never double | show: showing; fix: fixed; play: player |
| British -l | British English doubles a final l after one vowel even without stress | travel: travelled, traveller; cancel: cancelled; model: modelling (American English: traveled, canceled) |
Rule 3: y to i
| Situation | Rule | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Consonant + y, any suffix except -ing | Change y to i | happy: happiness, happily; rely: reliable, reliance; busy: business; beauty: beautiful; carry: carried; necessary: necessarily; easy: easier |
| Consonant + y, suffix -ing (or -ish) | Keep the y | rely: relying; study: studying; carry: carrying; baby: babyish |
| Vowel + y | Keep the y | enjoy: enjoyment, enjoyable; employ: employer; play: playful; destroy: destroyed; obey: obeying |
| Exceptions | day: daily; pay: paid; say: said; lay: laid; shy: shyness, shyly; dry: dryness |
Rule 4: other regular changes
| Change | Examples |
|---|---|
| -ic + ly becomes -ically | basic: basically; dramatic: dramatically; analytic: analytically |
| -le + ly becomes -ly | gentle: gently; able: ably; reliable: reliably |
| -our words drop u before -ous, -ary, -ize | humour: humorous; glamour: glamorous; vigour: vigorous; honour: honorary (but honourable keeps u); labour: laborious |
| explain, exclaim, maintain, sustain lose the i | explain: explanation; exclaim: exclamation; maintain: maintenance; sustain: sustenance |
| -nounce verbs lose o in the noun | pronounce: pronunciation; announce: announcement (keeps o); denounce: denunciation |
| -ceive verbs become -ception | receive: reception; deceive: deception; perceive: perception |
| -scribe verbs become -scription | describe: description; prescribe: prescription; subscribe: subscription |
| -ate verbs: drop e, add -ion | dedicate: dedication; motivate: motivation; create: creation; educate: education |
| -ize verbs: drop e, add -ation | organize: organization; prioritize: prioritization; civilize: civilization |
| -ify verbs: -ification | clarify: clarification; identify: identification; qualify: qualification |
| -ous adjectives: noun in -osity or -iety | curious: curiosity; generous: generosity; anxious: anxiety; various: variety |
| -ent/-ant adjectives: noun in -ence/-ance | confident: confidence; patient: patience; important: importance; reluctant: reluctance |
| -ble adjectives: noun in -bility | able: ability; responsible: responsibility; possible: possibility; flexible: flexibility |
| -d, -de verbs: noun in -sion | decide: decision; divide: division; persuade: persuasion; explode: explosion; extend: extension |
| -mit verbs: noun in -mission | admit: admission; permit: permission; omit: omission; transmit: transmission |
Rule 5: families with a changed stem
Some families change the root itself. These cannot be worked out from a rule, so learn them.
| Root | Changed form |
|---|---|
| strong, long, wide, deep, broad, high | strength, length, width, depth, breadth, height |
| true, warm, grow, die, young | truth, warmth, growth, death, youth |
| proud, poor, hot, just, wise | pride, poverty, heat, justice, wisdom |
| clear, curious, generous, humble, prior | clarity (also clearness), curiosity, generosity, humility, priority |
| succeed, speak, choose, lose, prove | success, speech, choice, loss, proof |
| advise (verb), practise (verb, BrE), license (verb, BrE) | advice (noun), practice (noun), licence (noun) |
| describe, receive, repeat, compete | description, reception, repetition, competition, competitive |
| press, fail, please, depart | pressure, failure, pleasure, departure |
| hate, hunger, anger, glory | hatred, hungry, angry, glorious |
| argue, fly, float, deceive | argument, flight, flotation, deceit |
Tricky forms: -ing and -ed, gerunds, same-form wordsOften examined
-ing and -ed adjectives
Many verbs give two adjectives. The -ing form describes the thing that causes a feeling or is active. The -ed form describes the person who has the feeling or has received the action.
| -ing (causes it) | -ed (feels it or has received it) |
|---|---|
| The lecture was boring. | The students were bored. |
| The result was disappointing. | Her parents were disappointed. |
| An inspiring speech | An inspired player |
| A tiring journey | A tired traveller |
| Pressing situations (urgent ones that demand action) | A pressured student (one who feels pressure) |
| An interesting book | An interested reader |
| A determining factor (one that decides) | A determined girl (who will not give up) |
Noun or gerund
| Pattern | Correct | Wrong |
|---|---|---|
| the + noun + of + object | the discovery of the lost city | the discovering the lost city |
| gerund + object | discovering the lost city | discovery the lost city |
| preposition + gerund + object | admired him for handling every challenge | for handle every challenge |
| possessive + noun (no object) | praised him for his decisiveness | for his deciding |
| subject gerund + object | Achieving success requires hard work. | Achievement success requires hard work. |
Words that do not change
Some roots are already the right form for more than one job. When the slot needs the part of speech the root already has, the answer is the root itself.
| Word | As a verb | As a noun |
|---|---|---|
| focus | Try to focus on your weak topics. | Her focus during the competition was clear. |
| discipline | Parents discipline their children. | Discipline is the key to success. |
| caution | The teacher cautioned us about cheating. | Handle the chemicals with caution. |
| show | Show me your work. | The cricket show was on TV. |
| advocate | She advocates girls' education. | He is an advocate (a lawyer or supporter). |
| respect, change, support, damage, increase, delay, visit, need, hope | They respect their elders. | They show respect to their elders. |
Singular, plural and a / an
- After a / an the noun is singular and countable: a decision, an improvement.
- After many, several, few, these, two the noun is plural: several improvements, many achievements.
- Abstract nouns such as happiness, curiosity, advice, information, progress, equipment, knowledge are uncountable: no -s and no a. Write great happiness, not great happinesses.
- A or an before the blank tells you the answer's first sound: an ______ (aware) campaign must start with a vowel sound, so awareness fits.
A noun used as an adjective
English often puts one noun before another to describe it: a cricket match, an awareness campaign, pressure situations. So a blank before a noun is usually an adjective, but a noun is correct when that is the normal phrase. If an adjective exists and sounds natural (a creative workshop), prefer it.
Adjective pairs that are easy to confuse
Some roots give two adjectives with different meanings. Q6 and the MCQs use these to catch students who choose by sound. Learn the meaning of each.
| Pair | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| disciplined / disciplinary | self-controlled / about punishment | a disciplined athlete; disciplinary action against the cheater |
| economic / economical | about the economy / saving money | economic growth; an economical car |
| historic / historical | famous, important in history / about history | a historic win; a historical novel |
| industrial / industrious | about industry / hard-working | an industrial area; an industrious student |
| respectful / respectable / respective | showing respect / deserving respect / belonging to each one | respectful to teachers; a respectable family; went to their respective homes |
| sensible / sensitive | wise, practical / easily affected, careful of feelings | a sensible decision; sensitive skin |
| considerate / considerable | kind to others / large in amount | a considerate neighbour; considerable damage |
| continual / continuous | happening again and again / without a break | continual interruptions; continuous rain for three days |
| imaginary / imaginative | not real / full of new ideas | an imaginary friend; an imaginative writer |
| successful / successive | achieving success / one after another | a successful business; three successive wins |
| comparable / comparative | similar enough to compare / measured by comparing | comparable prices; a comparative study |
| decisive / decided | able to decide quickly / clear, definite | a decisive leader; a decided improvement |
| reliable / reliant | can be trusted / depending on | reliable equipment; reliant on imports |
| dependent / dependable | needing support / can be trusted | dependent on aid; a dependable friend |
| childish / childlike | silly (negative) / innocent (positive) | childish behaviour; childlike wonder |
| valuable / invaluable / valueless | worth a lot / extremely useful / worth nothing | a valuable ring; invaluable advice; a valueless coin |
| effective / efficient | producing the result / working without waste | an effective medicine; an efficient worker |
| cautious / cautionary | careful / giving a warning | a cautious driver; a cautionary tale |
| prepared / preparatory | ready / done to get ready | well prepared for the exam; a preparatory class |
| pressing / pressured | urgent / feeling pressure | pressing problems; pressured students |
The roots FBISE has usedOften examined
These are the roots from the model paper and the 2026 papers (Q6 and word-form MCQs). Learn every form of each: FBISE repeats roots across sets and years (the model paper and Set A share six of seven).
| Root | Verb | Noun (thing or idea) | Noun (person) | Adjective | Adverb | Asked in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| dedicate | dedicate | dedication | - | dedicated | - (say "with dedication") | Set A and model Q6 (1): dedication |
| focus | focus | focus | - | focused | - (say "with focus") | Set A and model Q6 (2): focus |
| discipline | discipline | discipline | disciplinarian | disciplined, disciplinary | - | Set A and model Q6 (3): disciplined |
| achieve | achieve | achievement | achiever | achievable | - | Set A and model Q6 (4): achieving |
| commit | commit | commitment | - | committed | - | Set A and model Q6 (5): commitment |
| show | show | show, showing | - | showy | showily | Set A and model Q6 (6): showing |
| determine | determine | determination | - | determined | determinedly | Model Q6 (7), Set A MCQ 16: determination |
| devote | devote | devotion | devotee | devoted | devotedly | Set A Q6 (7): devotion |
| profession | profess | profession, professionalism | professional | professional | professionally | Set B Q6 (1): professional |
| clear | clear, clarify | clarity, clearance | - | clear | clearly | Set B Q6 (2): clearly |
| prioritize | prioritize (prioritise) | priority, prioritization | - | prior | - | Set B Q6 (3): priority |
| create | create | creation, creativity | creator | creative | creatively | Set B Q6 (4): creative |
| improve | improve | improvement | - | improved | - | Set B Q6 (5): improvement |
| decide | decide | decision, decisiveness | - | decisive, decided | decisively | Set B Q6 (6): decisiveness |
| press | press, pressurize | pressure, press | - | pressing, pressured | - | Set B Q6 (7): pressing |
| curious | - | curiosity | - | curious | curiously | Set D Q6 (1): curiosity |
| caution | caution | caution | - | cautious, cautionary | cautiously | Set D Q6 (2): cautiously |
| prepare | prepare | preparation | - | prepared, preparatory | - | Set D Q6 (3): preparation |
| rely | rely | reliance, reliability | - | reliable, reliant | reliably | Set D Q6 (4): reliable |
| discover | discover | discovery | discoverer | - | - | Set D Q6 (5): discovering |
| happy | - | happiness | - | happy | happily | Set D Q6 (6): happiness |
| handle | handle | handling | handler | - | - | Set D Q6 (7): handling |
| analyze | analyze (analyse) | analysis | analyst | analytical, analytic | analytically | Set B MCQ 11: analysis |
| advocate | advocate | advocacy | advocate | - | - | Set D MCQ 12: advocacy |
Master table of word familiesOften examined
This table gives the verb, noun (thing and person), adjective and adverb of 408 common roots from HSSC reading passages, textbooks and past papers, in alphabetical order. A dash (-) means there is no common form: the Q6 blank will not need it, or you need a phrase instead. British spellings are used, as in the textbook; the American -ize and -yze spellings used by FBISE are also correct.
| Root | Verb | Noun (thing or idea) | Noun (person) | Adjective | Adverb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| accept | accept | acceptance | - | acceptable | acceptably |
| accident | - | accident | - | accidental | accidentally |
| accurate | - | accuracy | - | accurate | accurately |
| accuse | accuse | accusation | accuser, the accused | accusing | accusingly |
| act | act | action, activity | actor | active | actively |
| adapt | adapt | adaptation | - | adaptable | - |
| add | add | addition | - | additional | additionally |
| admire | admire | admiration | admirer | admirable | admirably |
| admit | admit | admission | - | admissible | admittedly |
| advantage | - | advantage | - | advantageous | advantageously |
| adventure | - | adventure | adventurer | adventurous | adventurously |
| adverse | - | adversity | - | adverse | adversely |
| advertise | advertise | advertisement | advertiser | - | - |
| advise | advise | advice | adviser | advisable, advisory | - |
| aggression | - | aggression | aggressor | aggressive | aggressively |
| agree | agree | agreement | - | agreeable | agreeably |
| amaze | amaze | amazement | - | amazing, amazed | amazingly |
| ambition | - | ambition | - | ambitious | ambitiously |
| anger | anger | anger | - | angry | angrily |
| announce | announce | announcement | announcer | - | - |
| anxiety | - | anxiety | - | anxious | anxiously |
| apologize | apologize (apologise) | apology | - | apologetic | apologetically |
| appear | appear | appearance | - | apparent | apparently |
| apply | apply | application | applicant | applicable | - |
| appreciate | appreciate | appreciation | - | appreciative | appreciatively |
| approve | approve | approval | - | approving | approvingly |
| argue | argue | argument | - | argumentative | arguably |
| arrange | arrange | arrangement | - | - | - |
| arrive | arrive | arrival | - | - | - |
| art | - | art | artist | artistic | artistically |
| assist | assist | assistance | assistant | - | - |
| attend | attend | attendance, attention | attendant | attentive | attentively |
| attract | attract | attraction | - | attractive | attractively |
| authority | authorize | authority, authorization | - | authoritative | authoritatively |
| available | - | availability | - | available | - |
| avoid | avoid | avoidance | - | avoidable | - |
| aware | - | awareness | - | aware | - |
| beauty | beautify | beauty | - | beautiful | beautifully |
| begin | begin | beginning | beginner | - | - |
| believe | believe | belief | believer | believable | - |
| benefit | benefit | benefit | beneficiary | beneficial | beneficially |
| bore | bore | boredom | - | boring, bored | boringly |
| brave | brave | bravery | - | brave | bravely |
| breath | breathe | breath | - | breathless | breathlessly |
| bright | brighten | brightness | - | bright | brightly |
| broad | broaden | breadth | - | broad | broadly |
| build | build | building | builder | - | - |
| calm | calm | calmness | - | calm | calmly |
| care | care | care | carer, caretaker | careful, careless | carefully, carelessly |
| celebrate | celebrate | celebration | - | celebrated, celebratory | - |
| certain | - | certainty | - | certain | certainly |
| challenge | challenge | challenge | challenger | challenging | - |
| character | characterize | character, characteristic | - | characteristic | characteristically |
| cheer | cheer | cheer | - | cheerful | cheerfully |
| child | - | childhood | child | childish, childlike | childishly |
| choose | choose | choice | - | - | - |
| civilize | civilize | civilization | - | civilized | - |
| clean | clean | cleanliness | cleaner | clean | cleanly |
| collect | collect | collection | collector | collective | collectively |
| comfort | comfort | comfort | - | comfortable | comfortably |
| communicate | communicate | communication | communicator | communicative | - |
| compare | compare | comparison | - | comparative, comparable | comparatively |
| compete | compete | competition | competitor | competitive | competitively |
| complain | complain | complaint | - | - | - |
| complete | complete | completion | - | complete | completely |
| complicate | complicate | complication | - | complicated | - |
| concentrate | concentrate | concentration | - | concentrated | - |
| confide | confide | confidence | - | confident, confidential | confidently, confidentially |
| confuse | confuse | confusion | - | confusing, confused | confusingly |
| connect | connect | connection | - | connected | - |
| conscious | - | consciousness | - | conscious | consciously |
| consider | consider | consideration | - | considerate, considerable | considerately, considerably |
| construct | construct | construction | - | constructive | constructively |
| consume | consume | consumption | consumer | - | - |
| continue | continue | continuation, continuity | - | continuous, continual | continuously, continually |
| contribute | contribute | contribution | contributor | - | - |
| convenience | - | convenience | - | convenient | conveniently |
| convince | convince | conviction | - | convincing | convincingly |
| cooperate | cooperate | cooperation | - | cooperative | cooperatively |
| correct | correct | correction | - | correct | correctly |
| courage | encourage | courage, encouragement | - | courageous, encouraging | courageously |
| coward | - | cowardice | coward | cowardly | - (say "in a cowardly way") |
| crime | - | crime | criminal | criminal | criminally |
| critic | criticize | criticism | critic | critical | critically |
| cruel | - | cruelty | - | cruel | cruelly |
| culture | - | culture | - | cultural | culturally |
| custom | customize | custom | customer | customary | customarily |
| Root | Verb | Noun (thing or idea) | Noun (person) | Adjective | Adverb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| danger | endanger | danger | - | dangerous | dangerously |
| deceive | deceive | deceit, deception | deceiver | deceptive, deceitful | deceptively |
| decorate | decorate | decoration | decorator | decorative | decoratively |
| deep | deepen | depth | - | deep | deeply |
| defend | defend | defence | defender | defensive, defenceless | defensively |
| define | define | definition | - | definite | definitely |
| delight | delight | delight | - | delightful, delighted | delightfully |
| demand | demand | demand | - | demanding | - |
| democracy | democratize | democracy | democrat | democratic | democratically |
| demonstrate | demonstrate | demonstration | demonstrator | demonstrative | - |
| dense | - | density | - | dense | densely |
| depend | depend | dependence | dependant | dependent, dependable | dependably |
| describe | describe | description | - | descriptive | descriptively |
| deserve | deserve | - | - | deserving | deservedly |
| destroy | destroy | destruction | destroyer | destructive | destructively |
| develop | develop | development | developer | developed, developing | - |
| diagnose | diagnose | diagnosis | - | diagnostic | - |
| differ | differ | difference | - | different | differently |
| difficult | - | difficulty | - | difficult | - (say "with difficulty") |
| diligence | - | diligence | - | diligent | diligently |
| direct | direct | direction | director | direct | directly |
| disappoint | disappoint | disappointment | - | disappointing, disappointed | disappointingly |
| disaster | - | disaster | - | disastrous | disastrously |
| discuss | discuss | discussion | - | - | - |
| distance | distance | distance | - | distant | distantly |
| divide | divide | division | - | divisible, divisive | - |
| doubt | doubt | doubt | - | doubtful | doubtfully, doubtless |
| drama | dramatize | drama | dramatist | dramatic | dramatically |
| ease | ease | ease | - | easy | easily |
| economy | economize | economy, economics | economist | economic, economical | economically |
| educate | educate | education | educator | educational | educationally |
| effect | effect | effect | - | effective | effectively |
| efficient | - | efficiency | - | efficient | efficiently |
| elect | elect | election | elector | electoral | - |
| emerge | emerge | emergence, emergency | - | emerging, emergent | - |
| emotion | - | emotion | - | emotional | emotionally |
| emphasize | emphasize (emphasise) | emphasis | - | emphatic | emphatically |
| employ | employ | employment | employer, employee | employable | - |
| energy | energize | energy | - | energetic | energetically |
| enjoy | enjoy | enjoyment | - | enjoyable | enjoyably |
| entertain | entertain | entertainment | entertainer | entertaining | - |
| enthusiasm | enthuse | enthusiasm | enthusiast | enthusiastic | enthusiastically |
| environment | - | environment | environmentalist | environmental | environmentally |
| equal | equalize | equality | - | equal | equally |
| essence | - | essence | - | essential | essentially |
| evident | - | evidence | - | evident | evidently |
| examine | examine | examination | examiner, examinee | - | - |
| excel | excel | excellence | - | excellent | excellently |
| excess | exceed | excess | - | excessive | excessively |
| excite | excite | excitement | - | exciting, excited | excitedly |
| exist | exist | existence | - | existing, existent | - |
| expand | expand | expansion | - | expansive | - |
| expect | expect | expectation | - | expectant | expectantly |
| experiment | experiment | experiment | experimenter | experimental | experimentally |
| explain | explain | explanation | - | explanatory | - |
| explode | explode | explosion, explosive | - | explosive | explosively |
| explore | explore | exploration | explorer | exploratory | - |
| express | express | expression | - | expressive | expressively |
| extend | extend | extension, extent | - | extensive | extensively |
| faith | - | faith | - | faithful | faithfully |
| fame | - | fame | - | famous | famously |
| familiar | familiarize | familiarity | - | familiar | - |
| fashion | fashion | fashion | - | fashionable | fashionably |
| fear | fear | fear | - | fearful, fearless | fearfully, fearlessly |
| finance | finance | finance | financier | financial | financially |
| flexible | flex | flexibility | - | flexible | flexibly |
| forget | forget | forgetfulness | - | forgetful | forgetfully |
| forgive | forgive | forgiveness | - | forgiving, forgivable | - |
| fortune | - | fortune | - | fortunate | fortunately |
| free | free | freedom | - | free | freely |
| friend | befriend | friendship | friend | friendly | - (say "in a friendly way") |
| fulfil | fulfil | fulfilment | - | fulfilling | - |
| fury | infuriate | fury | - | furious | furiously |
| generous | - | generosity | - | generous | generously |
| glory | glorify | glory | - | glorious | gloriously |
| govern | govern | government | governor | governmental | - |
| grace | grace | grace | - | graceful, gracious | gracefully, graciously |
| grateful | - | gratitude | - | grateful | gratefully |
| grow | grow | growth | grower | growing | - |
| guide | guide | guidance | guide | - | - |
| harm | harm | harm | - | harmful, harmless | harmfully |
| hate | hate | hatred | - | hateful | hatefully |
| health | - | health | - | healthy | healthily |
| help | help | help | helper | helpful, helpless | helpfully, helplessly |
| hero | - | heroism | hero | heroic | heroically |
| hesitate | hesitate | hesitation | - | hesitant | hesitantly |
| high | heighten | height | - | high | highly |
| history | - | history | historian | historic, historical | historically |
| honest | - | honesty | - | honest | honestly |
| hope | hope | hope | - | hopeful, hopeless | hopefully, hopelessly |
| horror | horrify | horror | - | horrible, horrific | horribly |
| humble | humble | humility | - | humble | humbly |
| humour | - | humour | humorist | humorous | humorously |
| hunger | - | hunger | - | hungry | hungrily |
| Root | Verb | Noun (thing or idea) | Noun (person) | Adjective | Adverb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| identify | identify | identity, identification | - | identifiable | - |
| ignore | ignore | ignorance | - | ignorant | ignorantly |
| illustrate | illustrate | illustration | illustrator | illustrative | - |
| imagine | imagine | imagination | - | imaginative, imaginary | imaginatively |
| imitate | imitate | imitation | imitator | imitative | - |
| immense | - | immensity | - | immense | immensely |
| important | - | importance | - | important | importantly |
| impress | impress | impression | - | impressive | impressively |
| increase | increase | increase | - | increasing | increasingly |
| independent | - | independence | - | independent | independently |
| industry | industrialize | industry | industrialist | industrial, industrious | industrially, industriously |
| influence | influence | influence | - | influential | - |
| inform | inform | information | informant | informative | - |
| inhabit | inhabit | habitation | inhabitant | inhabited | - |
| injure | injure | injury | - | injured | - |
| innovate | innovate | innovation | innovator | innovative | innovatively |
| inspire | inspire | inspiration | - | inspiring, inspirational | - |
| instruct | instruct | instruction | instructor | instructive | - |
| intelligent | - | intelligence | - | intelligent | intelligently |
| intend | intend | intention | - | intentional | intentionally |
| interest | interest | interest | - | interesting, interested | interestingly |
| introduce | introduce | introduction | - | introductory | - |
| invent | invent | invention | inventor | inventive | inventively |
| invest | invest | investment | investor | - | - |
| invite | invite | invitation | - | inviting | invitingly |
| involve | involve | involvement | - | involved | - |
| joy | - | joy | - | joyful, joyous | joyfully |
| judge | judge | judgement | judge | judicial, judicious | judiciously |
| just | justify | justice, justification | - | just, justifiable | justly |
| kind | - | kindness | - | kind | kindly |
| know | know | knowledge | - | knowledgeable | knowingly |
| labour | labour | labour | labourer | laborious | laboriously |
| law | - | law | lawyer | lawful | lawfully |
| lead | lead | leadership, lead | leader | leading | - |
| learn | learn | learning | learner | learned | - |
| legal | legalize | legality | - | legal | legally |
| length | lengthen | length | - | long, lengthy | - |
| liberate | liberate | liberty, liberation | liberator | liberal | liberally |
| limit | limit | limit, limitation | - | limited, limitless | - |
| live | live | life, livelihood | - | alive, living, lively | - |
| logic | - | logic | logician | logical | logically |
| lose | lose | loss | loser | lost | - |
| loyal | - | loyalty | - | loyal | loyally |
| luxury | - | luxury | - | luxurious | luxuriously |
| maintain | maintain | maintenance | - | - | - |
| manage | manage | management | manager | manageable, managerial | - |
| marry | marry | marriage | - | married, marital | - |
| mature | mature | maturity | - | mature | maturely |
| measure | measure | measurement | - | measurable | measurably |
| memory | memorize | memory | - | memorable | memorably |
| mercy | - | mercy | - | merciful, merciless | mercifully, mercilessly |
| migrate | migrate | migration | migrant | migratory | - |
| mind | mind | mind | - | mindful | mindfully |
| miracle | - | miracle | - | miraculous | miraculously |
| modern | modernize | modernization, modernity | - | modern | - |
| moral | moralize | morality | moralist | moral | morally |
| motivate | motivate | motivation | motivator | motivated, motivational | - |
| mystery | mystify | mystery | - | mysterious | mysteriously |
| narrate | narrate | narration, narrative | narrator | narrative | - |
| nation | nationalize | nation, nationality | national | national | nationally |
| nature | - | nature | naturalist | natural | naturally |
| necessary | necessitate | necessity | - | necessary | necessarily |
| neglect | neglect | neglect, negligence | - | negligent, neglectful | negligently |
| negotiate | negotiate | negotiation | negotiator | negotiable | - |
| nerve | - | nerve, nervousness | - | nervous | nervously |
| notice | notice | notice | - | noticeable | noticeably |
| obey | obey | obedience | - | obedient | obediently |
| oblige | oblige | obligation | - | obligatory, obliging | - |
| observe | observe | observation | observer | observant | - |
| occasion | - | occasion | - | occasional | occasionally |
| occupy | occupy | occupation | occupant | occupational | - |
| occur | occur | occurrence | - | - | - |
| offend | offend | offence | offender | offensive | offensively |
| operate | operate | operation | operator | operational | - |
| oppose | oppose | opposition | opponent | opposite, opposed | - |
| optimism | - | optimism | optimist | optimistic | optimistically |
| organize | organize (organise) | organization | organizer | organizational | - |
| origin | originate | origin, originality | originator | original | originally |
| own | own | ownership | owner | own | - |
| pain | pain | pain | - | painful, painless | painfully |
| participate | participate | participation | participant | participatory | - |
| passion | - | passion | - | passionate | passionately |
| patience | - | patience | - | patient | patiently |
| peace | pacify | peace | - | peaceful | peacefully |
| perfect | perfect | perfection | perfectionist | perfect | perfectly |
| perform | perform | performance | performer | - | - |
| permit | permit | permission | - | permissible | - |
| persist | persist | persistence | - | persistent | persistently |
| person | personify, personalize | person, personality | - | personal | personally |
| persuade | persuade | persuasion | - | persuasive | persuasively |
| philosophy | philosophize | philosophy | philosopher | philosophical | philosophically |
| pity | pity | pity | - | pitiful, pitiless | pitifully |
| please | please | pleasure | - | pleasant, pleased, pleasing | pleasantly |
| poet | - | poetry, poem | poet | poetic | poetically |
| poison | poison | poison | poisoner | poisonous | - |
| polite | - | politeness | - | polite | politely |
| politics | politicize | politics | politician | political | politically |
| pollute | pollute | pollution | polluter | polluted | - |
| poor | impoverish | poverty | - | poor | poorly |
| popular | popularize | popularity | - | popular | popularly |
| possess | possess | possession | possessor | possessive | possessively |
| possible | - | possibility | - | possible | possibly |
| power | empower | power, empowerment | - | powerful, powerless | powerfully |
| practice | practise (BrE verb) | practice | practitioner | practical | practically |
| pragmatic | - | pragmatism | pragmatist | pragmatic | pragmatically |
| precise | - | precision | - | precise | precisely |
| predict | predict | prediction | - | predictable | predictably |
| prefer | prefer | preference | - | preferable | preferably |
| presence | present | presence | - | present | presently |
| prevent | prevent | prevention | - | preventive | - |
| probable | - | probability | - | probable | probably |
| produce | produce | production, product | producer | productive | productively |
| progress | progress | progress | - | progressive | progressively |
| promote | promote | promotion | promoter | promotional | - |
| propose | propose | proposal | - | - | - |
| prosper | prosper | prosperity | - | prosperous | prosperously |
| protect | protect | protection | protector | protective | protectively |
| proud | - | pride | - | proud | proudly |
| prove | prove | proof | - | proven | - |
| provide | provide | provision | provider | - | - |
| publish | publish | publication | publisher | - | - |
| punctual | - | punctuality | - | punctual | punctually |
| punish | punish | punishment | - | punishable | - |
| pure | purify | purity | - | pure | purely |
| Root | Verb | Noun (thing or idea) | Noun (person) | Adjective | Adverb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| qualify | qualify | qualification | - | qualified | - |
| quick | quicken | quickness | - | quick | quickly |
| rare | - | rarity | - | rare | rarely |
| ready | ready | readiness | - | ready | readily |
| real | realize | reality, realization | realist | real, realistic | really, realistically |
| reason | reason | reason | - | reasonable | reasonably |
| recognize | recognize (recognise) | recognition | - | recognizable | recognizably |
| recommend | recommend | recommendation | - | - | - |
| recover | recover | recovery | - | recoverable | - |
| reduce | reduce | reduction | - | - | - |
| reflect | reflect | reflection | - | reflective | reflectively |
| reform | reform | reform, reformation | reformer | reformed | - |
| refuse | refuse | refusal | - | - | - |
| regular | regulate | regularity, regulation | regulator | regular | regularly |
| relate | relate | relation, relationship | relative | relative, related | relatively |
| relieve | relieve | relief | - | relieved | - |
| religion | - | religion | - | religious | religiously |
| remark | remark | remark | - | remarkable | remarkably |
| repeat | repeat | repetition | - | repetitive, repeated | repeatedly |
| represent | represent | representation | representative | representative | - |
| reside | reside | residence | resident | residential | - |
| resist | resist | resistance | - | resistant | - |
| resolve | resolve | resolution | - | resolute | resolutely |
| respect | respect | respect | - | respectful, respectable, respective | respectfully, respectively |
| respond | respond | response | respondent | responsive | - |
| responsible | - | responsibility | - | responsible | responsibly |
| rest | rest | rest | - | restful, restless | restlessly |
| reveal | reveal | revelation | - | revealing | - |
| revise | revise | revision | - | - | - |
| revolution | revolutionize | revolution | revolutionary | revolutionary | - |
| risk | risk | risk | - | risky | - |
| rude | - | rudeness | - | rude | rudely |
| sad | sadden | sadness | - | sad | sadly |
| safe | safeguard | safety | - | safe | safely |
| satisfy | satisfy | satisfaction | - | satisfactory, satisfied, satisfying | satisfactorily |
| science | - | science | scientist | scientific | scientifically |
| secret | - | secret, secrecy | - | secret, secretive | secretly |
| secure | secure | security | - | secure | securely |
| select | select | selection | selector | selective | selectively |
| sense | sense | sense, sensitivity | - | sensible, sensitive | sensibly, sensitively |
| serious | - | seriousness | - | serious | seriously |
| serve | serve | service | servant | - | - |
| severe | - | severity | - | severe | severely |
| short | shorten | shortage, shortness | - | short | shortly |
| signify | signify | significance | - | significant | significantly |
| silent | silence | silence | - | silent | silently |
| simple | simplify | simplicity | - | simple | simply |
| sincere | - | sincerity | - | sincere | sincerely |
| skill | - | skill | - | skilful, skilled | skilfully |
| sleep | sleep | sleep | sleeper | sleepy, asleep | sleepily |
| society | socialize | society | - | social, sociable | socially |
| solve | solve | solution | - | solvable | - |
| speak | speak | speech | speaker | spoken | - |
| special | specialize | speciality, specialization | specialist | special | specially |
| speed | speed | speed | - | speedy | speedily |
| strategy | strategize | strategy | strategist | strategic | strategically |
| strong | strengthen | strength | - | strong | strongly |
| study | study | study | student | studious | studiously |
| succeed | succeed | success, succession | successor | successful, successive | successfully |
| suffer | suffer | suffering | sufferer | - | - |
| sufficient | suffice | sufficiency | - | sufficient | sufficiently |
| suggest | suggest | suggestion | - | suggestive | - |
| support | support | support | supporter | supportive | - |
| surprise | surprise | surprise | - | surprising, surprised | surprisingly |
| survive | survive | survival | survivor | - | - |
| sustain | sustain | sustainability | - | sustainable | sustainably |
| sympathy | sympathize | sympathy | - | sympathetic | sympathetically |
| talent | - | talent | - | talented | - |
| technology | - | technology | technologist | technological | technologically |
| terror | terrify, terrorize | terror | terrorist | terrible, terrifying | terribly |
| think | think | thought | thinker | thoughtful, thoughtless | thoughtfully, thoughtlessly |
| threat | threaten | threat | - | threatening | threateningly |
| tire | tire | tiredness | - | tired, tiring, tireless | tirelessly |
| tolerate | tolerate | tolerance | - | tolerant, tolerable | tolerantly |
| tradition | - | tradition | - | traditional | traditionally |
| train | train | training | trainer, trainee | trained | - |
| transform | transform | transformation | - | - | - |
| true | - | truth | - | true, truthful | truly, truthfully |
| trust | trust | trust | trustee | trustworthy, trusting | - |
| understand | understand | understanding | - | understandable, understanding | understandably |
| unite | unite | unity, union | - | united | - |
| urban | urbanize | urbanization | - | urban | - |
| urgent | - | urgency | - | urgent | urgently |
| use | use | use, usage | user | useful, useless | usefully |
| vacate | vacate | vacancy | - | vacant | vacantly |
| value | value | value | - | valuable, invaluable, valueless | - |
| vary | vary | variety, variation | - | various, variable | variously |
| victory | - | victory | victor | victorious | victoriously |
| violent | - | violence | - | violent | violently |
| vision | visualize | vision | visionary | visible, visual | visibly, visually |
| visit | visit | visit | visitor | - | - |
| vital | - | vitality | - | vital | vitally |
| waste | waste | waste | - | wasteful | wastefully |
| weak | weaken | weakness | - | weak | weakly |
| welcome | welcome | welcome | - | welcome | - |
| wide | widen | width | - | wide | widely |
| wise | - | wisdom | - | wise | wisely |
| wonder | wonder | wonder | - | wonderful | wonderfully |
| work | work | work | worker | working, workable | - |
| worth | - | worth | - | worthy, worthwhile, worthless | - |
| write | write | writing | writer | written | - |
| young | - | youth | youngster, youth | young, youthful | - |
| zeal | - | zeal | zealot | zealous | zealously |
Key terms
- Word formation
- Making new words from a root by adding prefixes or suffixes, or by changing the stem (decide, decision, decisive, decisively).
- Root
- The base word from which other words in a family are made. In Q6 it is the word given in brackets.
- Word family
- All the words built on one root: its verb, nouns, adjectives and adverbs.
- Affix
- A prefix or a suffix.
- Suffix
- Letters added to the end of a root, usually changing its part of speech (-tion, -ment, -ful, -ly).
- Prefix
- Letters added to the beginning of a root, usually changing its meaning (un-, dis-, re-).
- Part of speech
- The job a word does in a sentence: noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction or interjection.
- Noun
- A word that names a person, place, thing or idea.
- Abstract noun
- A noun for an idea, feeling or quality that cannot be touched (dedication, happiness, curiosity).
- Agent noun
- A noun for the person who does an action, usually with -er, -or, -ist, -ant (achiever, creator, analyst, participant).
- Verb
- A word for an action or state; it changes for tense and agrees with its subject.
- Adjective
- A word that describes a noun or pronoun; it stands before a noun or after a linking verb.
- Adverb
- A word that describes a verb, adjective, other adverb or a whole sentence; most end in -ly.
- Gerund
- The -ing form of a verb used as a noun; it can take an object (handling every challenge).
- Participial adjective
- An -ing or -ed verb form used as an adjective (a pressing problem, a determined athlete).
- Determiner
- A word before a noun that shows which or how many: a, an, the, this, his, her, some, every, and the possessive 's.
- Linking verb
- A verb that joins the subject to a word describing it (be, seem, become, look, feel, appear, remain); it is followed by an adjective, not an adverb.
- Modal verb
- A helping verb such as can, could, will, would, shall, should, may, might, must; it is followed by the base form of a verb.
- Infinitive
- To + the base form of a verb (to improve).
- Base form
- The plain form of a verb with no ending (improve, rely, decide).
- Countable and uncountable nouns
- Countable nouns have plurals and take a/an (an improvement, two improvements); uncountable nouns do not (happiness, advice, equipment).
- Vowel and consonant suffix
- A vowel suffix begins with a, e, i, o or u (-ing, -able); a consonant suffix begins with any other letter (-ment, -ful, -ly). The difference decides spelling changes.
Practice MCQs
Section A style word-form questions. Decide the part of speech from the position of the blank first, then choose the form.
- Asucceed
- Bsuccessful
- CsuccessAnswer
- Dsuccessfully
After the possessive Ali's and before the preposition in, the blank is the subject of surprised, so a noun is needed: success.
- Avalue
- BvaluableAnswer
- Cvaluably
- Dvaluation
The blank stands between some and the noun advice, so it must describe the noun: the adjective valuable.
- Aattentive
- Battention
- CattentivelyAnswer
- Dattend
The blank describes how they listened (a verb), so an adverb is needed: attentively.
- Awide
- Bwidth
- CwidenAnswer
- Dwidely
After the modal will we need the base form of a verb. The verb made from wide with the suffix -en is widen.
- Aanxiety
- BanxiousAnswer
- Canxiously
- Danxiousness
Became is a linking verb, and a linking verb is followed by an adjective that describes the subject: anxious.
- Alearn
- Blearnt
- ClearningAnswer
- Dlearner
After the preposition in, with the object new languages after the blank, a gerund is needed: learning.
- Agenerously
- BgenerosityAnswer
- Cgenerate
- Dgenerative
Adjectives ending in -ous often make nouns in -osity: generous gives generosity. Generously is the adverb; generate is an unrelated verb.
- A-er
- B-eeAnswer
- C-ment
- D-able
The suffix -ee names the person who receives the action: the employee is given a job; the employer gives it.
- Aunlegal
- Binlegal
- CillegalAnswer
- Ddislegal
Before a root that begins with l, the negative prefix in- becomes il-: illegal.
- Ahappyness
- BhappinessAnswer
- Chappines
- Dhapiness
A consonant + y changes y to i before a suffix: happy + ness = happiness.
- Abegining
- BbeginningAnswer
- Cbeginnig
- Dbeggining
Begin ends consonant-vowel-consonant with the stress on the last syllable, so the n doubles before -ing: beginning.
- Aprogressive
- BprogressAnswer
- Cprogressively
- Dprogressed
After the adjective great, as the object of made, a noun is needed: progress (the noun has the same form as the verb).
- Aamaze
- Bamazing
- CamazedAnswer
- Damazement
The children felt the amazement, so the -ed form is used: amazed. The -ing form describes the thing that causes the feeling.
- Aamaze
- BamazingAnswer
- Camazed
- Damazedly
The tricks caused the feeling, so the -ing adjective is used: amazing.
- Adetermined
- Bdetermine
- CdeterminationAnswer
- Ddeterminedly
After the preposition of and the adjective great, with nothing after the blank, a noun is needed: determination.
- Aconsider
- BconsiderableAnswer
- Cconsiderate
- Dconsiderably
An adjective is needed before the noun damage. Considerable means large in amount; considerate means kind to others and does not fit the meaning.
- Abeautify
- Bbeauty
- CbeautifulAnswer
- Dbeautifully
The suffix -ful makes adjectives: beautiful. Beautify is a verb, beauty a noun and beautifully an adverb.
- Aadverb
- BadjectiveAnswer
- Cnoun
- Dverb
Friendly ends in -ly but it is an adjective (noun + -ly), here after the linking verb is. It has no adverb form.
- Atireless
- BtirelesslyAnswer
- Ctiredness
- Dtire
The blank describes how they worked, so an adverb is needed: tirelessly.
- Aemphasis
- Bemphatic
- CemphasizeAnswer
- Demphatically
After the modal must, the base form of a verb is needed: emphasize. Emphasis is the noun.
- Akind
- Bkindly
- CkindnessAnswer
- Dkinder
After the possessive His and before the preposition to, the blank is the subject of made, so a noun is needed: kindness.
- Ashort
- Bshortage
- CshortenAnswer
- Dshortly
After had to the base form of a verb is needed. The suffix -en makes the verb shorten from the adjective short.
- Aun-
- Bdis-
- Cir-Answer
- Din-
Before a root beginning with r, the negative prefix is ir-: irresponsible.
- Amis-Answer
- Bre-
- Cpre-
- Dover-
Mis- means wrongly or badly, as in misunderstand and misuse. Re- means again, pre- before and over- too much.
- Awrite before
- Bwrite againAnswer
- Cwrite wrongly
- Dwrite too much
The prefix re- means again, so rewrite means write again.
- Aimprove
- Bimproved
- Cimprovement
- DimprovementsAnswer
After several a plural countable noun is needed: improvements.
- Abasicly
- BbasicallyAnswer
- Cbasicaly
- Dbasic
Adjectives ending in -ic take -ally to form the adverb: basically.
- Aexplaination
- BexplanationAnswer
- Cexplainment
- Dexplanasion
Explain loses the i in its noun: explanation.
- Apronounciation
- BpronunciationAnswer
- Cpronounciasion
- Dpronunsiation
Pronounce loses the o in its noun: pronunciation.
- Acouragous
- BcourageousAnswer
- Ccouragious
- Dcourageus
The e after g is kept before -ous to keep the soft g sound: courageous.
- Afluent
- Bfluency
- CfluentlyAnswer
- Dfluence
The blank describes how he speaks, so an adverb is needed: fluently.
- Aconstruct
- Bconstructive
- CconstructionAnswer
- Dconstructively
After The and before of, the blank is the subject of took, so a noun is needed: construction.
- Atalent
- BtalentedAnswer
- Ctalently
- Dtalents
Between a and the noun batsman, an adjective is needed: talented. Talently is not a word.
- Ascientific
- BscientistAnswer
- Cscientifically
- Dsciences
The suffix -ist names a person skilled in something: scientist.
- Asuspect
- Bsuspicion
- CsuspiciousAnswer
- Dsuspiciously
After the linking verb were, an adjective is needed: suspicious (of). Suspicion is a noun.
- Ahopeful
- BmodernizeAnswer
- Ckindness
- Dquickly
The suffix -ize makes verbs: modernize means to make modern. The others are an adjective, a noun and an adverb.
- Avalue
- BvaluableAnswer
- Cvaluably
- Dvaluation
Between a and the noun resource, an adjective is needed: valuable.
- Aindependent
- BindependenceAnswer
- Cindependently
- Ddepend
After the possessive Pakistan's, the blank is the subject of was won, so a noun is needed: independence.
- AShe is very carefully.
- BShe drives careful.
- CShe is a careful driver.Answer
- DShe drives carefulness.
Careful is an adjective and correctly describes the noun driver. After is we need an adjective (not carefully), and after drives we need an adverb (not careful).
- Aestablishment
- BestablishAnswer
- Cestablished
- Destablishing
To here is the infinitive marker, followed by the base verb: establish.
- Aquickly
- BlovelyAnswer
- Chappily
- Dslowly
Lovely is an adjective made from the noun love + -ly. The others are adjectives + -ly, so they are adverbs.
- Aoccurence
- BoccurrenceAnswer
- Cocurrence
- Doccurrance
Occur has its stress on the last syllable, so the r doubles: occurrence, with -ence.
- Adevote
- Bdevoted
- CdevotionAnswer
- Ddevotedly
After the possessive Her and before to, the blank is the subject of earned: the noun devotion.
- Aagain
- BnotAnswer
- Cbefore
- Dtoo much
Im- is the form of in- (meaning not) used before b, m, p: impatient means not patient.
- Abored
- BboringAnswer
- Cboredom
- Dbore
The lecture caused the feeling, so the -ing adjective is used: boring. The students were bored.
Q6-style paragraphs
Five full Q6 tasks in the FBISE format. Attempt all seven blanks for practice; in the exam you need any five.
Our college cricket team showed great ______ 1 (determine) in the final against a strong side from Lahore. The captain spoke ______ 2 (confident) to the players before the match. His ______ 3 (lead) was the main reason for the team's success. The bowlers bowled with ______ 4 (accurate), and the fielders were ______ 5 (remark) alert. The team's ______ 6 (perform) delighted the whole college. The principal praised the players for ______ 7 (represent) the college with such dignity.
Completed paragraph
Our college cricket team showed great determination in the final against a strong side from Lahore. The captain spoke confidently to the players before the match. His leadership was the main reason for the team's success. The bowlers bowled with accuracy, and the fielders were remarkably alert. The team's performance delighted the whole college. The principal praised the players for representing the college with such dignity.
Why each answer is right
| Blank | Root | Form needed | Answer | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | determine | noun | determination | After the adjective great, as the object of showed: a noun. Verb + -ation, dropping the e. |
| 2 | confident | adverb | confidently | Describes how the captain spoke (a verb): adjective + -ly. |
| 3 | lead | noun (quality, not person) | leadership | After the possessive His, subject of was: a noun. Leader is the person, but a person cannot be the reason; the quality leadership can. |
| 4 | accurate | noun | accuracy | After the preposition with and nothing after it: a noun. -ate adjective to -acy noun. |
| 5 | remark | adverb | remarkably | Before the adjective alert, describing how alert: an adverb. Remark + -able + -ly (le to ly). |
| 6 | perform | noun | performance | After the possessive team's, subject of delighted: a noun with -ance. |
| 7 | represent | gerund | representing | After the preposition for and followed by the object the college: a gerund. |
The Margalla Hills are one of the most ______ 1 (beauty) places near Islamabad. Sadly, careless visitors have caused serious ______ 2 (pollute) there. Many of them throw plastic bags ______ 3 (thought) on the trails. The authorities have decided to ______ 4 (strong) the laws against littering. They have also started an ______ 5 (aware) campaign in schools. Protecting nature is our shared ______ 6 (responsible), and we should act ______ 7 (immediate).
Completed paragraph
The Margalla Hills are one of the most beautiful places near Islamabad. Sadly, careless visitors have caused serious pollution there. Many of them throw plastic bags thoughtlessly on the trails. The authorities have decided to strengthen the laws against littering. They have also started an awareness campaign in schools. Protecting nature is our shared responsibility, and we should act immediately.
Why each answer is right
| Blank | Root | Form needed | Answer | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | beauty | adjective | beautiful | After the most and before the noun places: an adjective. Beauty: y to i + -ful. |
| 2 | pollute | noun | pollution | After the adjective serious, as the object of caused: a noun. Drop the e, add -ion. |
| 3 | thought | adverb (negative) | thoughtlessly | Describes how they throw the bags; the paragraph criticizes them, so the negative -less is needed, then -ly. |
| 4 | strong | verb | strengthen | After to (infinitive) with the object the laws: a verb. Irregular noun strength + -en. |
| 5 | aware | noun used before a noun | awareness | Before campaign, after an: the normal phrase is an awareness campaign (noun used as an adjective). An aware campaign is wrong because a campaign cannot be aware. |
| 6 | responsible | noun | responsibility | After the adjective shared, as the complement of is: a noun. -ble becomes -bility. |
| 7 | immediate | adverb | immediately | Describes how we should act: adjective + -ly; the e is kept. |
Sana was ______ 1 (anxiety) about her HSSC-II examination. Her teacher advised her to ______ 2 (organization) her study time with a simple timetable. She began ______ 3 (revise) one subject every day. Her ______ 4 (prepare) became more ______ 5 (effect) when she started solving past papers. She also learned to write her answers ______ 6 (neat). In the end, her hard work led to ______ 7 (succeed).
Completed paragraph
Sana was anxious about her HSSC-II examination. Her teacher advised her to organize her study time with a simple timetable. She began revising one subject every day. Her preparation became more effective when she started solving past papers. She also learned to write her answers neatly. In the end, her hard work led to success.
Why each answer is right
| Blank | Root | Form needed | Answer | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | anxiety | adjective | anxious | After the linking verb was, describing Sana: an adjective. Anxiety to anxious. |
| 2 | organization | verb | organize | After to (infinitive) with the object her study time: the base verb. |
| 3 | revise | gerund | revising | After began and followed by the object one subject: the -ing form (one word). Drop the e. |
| 4 | prepare | noun | preparation | After the possessive Her, subject of became: a noun with -ation. |
| 5 | effect | adjective | effective | After more and the linking verb became, describing preparation: an adjective with -ive. |
| 6 | neat | adverb | neatly | Describes how she wrote: an adverb. |
| 7 | succeed | noun | success | After the preposition to in led to, with nothing after: a noun. Irregular: succeed gives success. |
Every Ramazan, the young people of our street run a food drive for families living in ______ 1 (poor). The idea came from a ______ 2 (generosity) shopkeeper who donated the first hundred bags of flour. The volunteers work ______ 3 (tire) for the whole month. They believe that ______ 4 (help) others is the best form of worship. Their ______ 5 (sincere) has won the ______ 6 (admire) of the whole community. Last year, the local council decided to ______ 7 (recognition) their service with an award.
Completed paragraph
Every Ramazan, the young people of our street run a food drive for families living in poverty. The idea came from a generous shopkeeper who donated the first hundred bags of flour. The volunteers work tirelessly for the whole month. They believe that helping others is the best form of worship. Their sincerity has won the admiration of the whole community. Last year, the local council decided to recognize their service with an award.
Why each answer is right
| Blank | Root | Form needed | Answer | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | poor | noun | poverty | After the preposition in, with nothing after: a noun. Irregular: poor gives poverty. |
| 2 | generosity | adjective | generous | Between a and the noun shopkeeper: an adjective. |
| 3 | tire | adverb | tirelessly | Describes how they work; the sense is praise (without getting tired): tire + less + ly. |
| 4 | help | gerund | helping | Subject of is inside the that clause, followed by the object others: a gerund. |
| 5 | sincere | noun | sincerity | After the possessive Their, subject of has won: a noun with -ity; drop the e. |
| 6 | admire | noun | admiration | After the and before of: a noun. Drop the e, add -ation. |
| 7 | recognition | verb | recognize | After to (infinitive) with the object their service: the base verb. |
Artificial intelligence has brought a ______ 1 (revolution) change in the way we work. Doctors now use it to ______ 2 (diagnosis) diseases quickly. Farmers in Punjab use it to predict the weather more ______ 3 (accurate). However, experts warn that too much ______ 4 (depend) on machines can be harmful. Some students copy AI answers without any ______ 5 (understand) of the topic. The ______ 6 (wisdom) choice is to use AI ______ 7 (responsible) and to keep thinking for ourselves.
Completed paragraph
Artificial intelligence has brought a revolutionary change in the way we work. Doctors now use it to diagnose diseases quickly. Farmers in Punjab use it to predict the weather more accurately. However, experts warn that too much dependence on machines can be harmful. Some students copy AI answers without any understanding of the topic. The wise choice is to use AI responsibly and to keep thinking for ourselves.
Why each answer is right
| Blank | Root | Form needed | Answer | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | revolution | adjective | revolutionary | Between a and the noun change: an adjective with -ary. |
| 2 | diagnosis | verb | diagnose | After to (infinitive) with the object diseases: the base verb. |
| 3 | accurate | adverb | accurately | After more, describing how they predict: an adverb. |
| 4 | depend | noun | dependence | After too much (used with uncountable nouns) and before on: a noun with -ence (not -ance). |
| 5 | understand | noun | understanding | After without any and before of: a noun. Here the -ing word is a true noun. |
| 6 | wisdom | adjective | wise | Between The and the noun choice: an adjective. Wisest (superlative) is also correct. |
| 7 | responsible | adverb | responsibly | Describes how we should use AI: -ble becomes -bly. |
FBISE paper questions
Questions from the FBISE HSSC-II 2026 (1st Annual) papers, the old-syllabus paper and FBISE model papers that belong to this unit, answered the way an examiner expects.
- AAnalyze
- BAnalytical
- CAnalysisAnswer
- DAnalyzing
The blank comes after the adjective careful and before the preposition of, so it must be a noun: her careful analysis of the problem.
Analyze is a verb and Analytical an adjective. Analyzing is a gerund, but a gerund takes its object directly and is described by an adverb (carefully analyzing the problem), so it does not fit careful ... of.
The manager's ______ 1 (profession) approach during the meeting impressed the entire board. He spoke ______ 2 (clear) about the company's future goals. His main ______ 3 (prioritize) was to ensure that every team member felt valued. To achieve this, he organized a ______ 4 (create) workshop to encourage new ideas. He believed that constant ______ 5 (improve) was the key to staying competitive. The staff praised him for his ______ 6 (decide) and his ability to handle ______ 7 (press) situations with a calm mind.
Completed paragraph
The manager's professional approach during the meeting impressed the entire board. He spoke clearly about the company's future goals. His main priority was to ensure that every team member felt valued. To achieve this, he organized a creative workshop to encourage new ideas. He believed that constant improvement was the key to staying competitive. The staff praised him for his decisiveness and his ability to handle pressing situations with a calm mind.
Why each answer is right
| Blank | Root | Form needed | Answer | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | profession | adjective | professional | Between the possessive manager's and the noun approach: an adjective. Noun + -al. |
| 2 | clear | adverb | clearly | Describes how he spoke (a verb): adjective + -ly. |
| 3 | prioritize | noun | priority | After the adjective main and before the verb was: a noun. The noun of prioritize is priority (the thing that comes first). Prioritization is the process and does not fit his main .... |
| 4 | create | adjective | creative | Between a and the noun workshop: an adjective. Drop the e, add -ive. |
| 5 | improve | noun | improvement | After the adjective constant, subject of was: a noun. Keep the e before -ment. |
| 6 | decide | noun (quality) | decisiveness | After the possessive his and joined by and to the noun ability: a noun. Staff praise a quality, so decisiveness (the ability to decide quickly and firmly): decide, decisive, decisiveness. |
| 7 | press | adjective | pressing | Between the verb handle and the noun situations: an adjective. Pressing means urgent, needing quick action. |
Note. Blanks 6 and 7 have more than one defensible answer; the answers given are the ones most likely keyed.
- AAdvocating
- BAdvocateful
- CAdvocative
- DAdvocacyAnswer
Advocacy is the abstract noun (public support for a cause), made with the suffix -acy. The FBISE framework itself gives the pair advocate, advocacy.
Advocating is the -ing form of the verb; advocateful and advocative are not English words.
Note. Advocate itself is also a noun (a person who supports a cause, or a lawyer), but it is not among the options, so the answer is clearly D.
The explorer's ______ 1 (curious) about the ancient ruins led him deep into the jungle. He walked ______ 2 (caution) through the thick vines, aware of the hidden dangers. His ______ 3 (prepare) for the journey included studying old maps and packing ______ 4 (rely) equipment. He believed that ______ 5 (discover) the lost city would bring him great ______ 6 (happy). His team admired him for ______ 7 (handle) every challenge.
Completed paragraph
The explorer's curiosity about the ancient ruins led him deep into the jungle. He walked cautiously through the thick vines, aware of the hidden dangers. His preparation for the journey included studying old maps and packing reliable equipment. He believed that discovering the lost city would bring him great happiness. His team admired him for handling every challenge.
Why each answer is right
| Blank | Root | Form needed | Answer | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | curious | noun | curiosity | After the possessive explorer's, before about, subject of led: a noun. -ous adjective to -osity noun (no u). |
| 2 | caution | adverb | cautiously | Describes how he walked: noun caution, adjective cautious, adverb cautiously. |
| 3 | prepare | noun | preparation | After the possessive His, before for, subject of included: a noun. Drop the e, add -ation. |
| 4 | rely | adjective | reliable | After packing and before the noun equipment: an adjective. Change y to i, add -able. |
| 5 | discover | gerund | discovering | Subject of would bring inside the that clause, and followed by the object the lost city: a gerund. (The discovery of the lost city would need the and of.) |
| 6 | happy | noun | happiness | After the adjective great, object of bring: a noun. Change y to i, add -ness. |
| 7 | handle | gerund | handling | After the preposition for and followed by the object every challenge: a gerund. Drop the e. |
- ADeterminationAnswer
- BDetermines
- CDetermine
- DDeterminedly
After the possessive Her, the blank is the subject of the verb helped, so it must be a noun: determination.
Determines and determine are verbs and determinedly is an adverb; none can follow Her as a subject.
The athlete's ______ 1 (dedicate) to training was evident in her ______ 2 (focus) during the competition. She maintained a ______ 3 (discipline) approach to her diet and exercise routine, knowing that ______ 4 (achieve) success required hard work and ______ 5 (commit). Her coach praised her for ______ 6 (show) such dedication and ______ 7 (devote).
Completed paragraph
The athlete's dedication to training was evident in her focus during the competition. She maintained a disciplined approach to her diet and exercise routine, knowing that achieving success required hard work and commitment. Her coach praised her for showing such dedication and devotion.
Why each answer is right
| Blank | Root | Form needed | Answer | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | dedicate | noun | dedication | After the possessive athlete's, before to (a preposition here), subject of was: a noun. Drop the e, add -ion. |
| 2 | focus | noun (no change) | focus | After the possessive her and before during: a noun. Focus is already a noun, so it does not change. |
| 3 | discipline | adjective | disciplined | Between a and the noun approach: an adjective. Disciplined means well controlled; disciplinary (about punishment) has the wrong meaning. |
| 4 | achieve | gerund | achieving | Subject of required inside the that clause, followed by the object success: a gerund. Drop the e. |
| 5 | commit | noun | commitment | Joined by and to the noun hard work, object of required: a noun. One t, because -ment is a consonant suffix. |
| 6 | show | gerund | showing | After the preposition for and followed by the object such dedication: a gerund. |
| 7 | devote | noun | devotion | Joined by and to the noun dedication (both after such): a noun. Drop the e, add -ion. |
The athlete's ______ 1 (dedicate) to training was evident in her ______ 2 (focus) during the competition. She maintained a ______ 3 (discipline) approach to her diet and exercise routine, knowing that ______ 4 (achieve) success required hard work and ______ 5 (commit). Her coach praised her for ______ 6 (show) such ______ 7 (determine) throughout the season.
Completed paragraph
The athlete's dedication to training was evident in her focus during the competition. She maintained a disciplined approach to her diet and exercise routine, knowing that achieving success required hard work and commitment. Her coach praised her for showing such determination throughout the season.
Why each answer is right
| Blank | Root | Form needed | Answer | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | dedicate | noun | dedication | After the possessive athlete's, subject of was: a noun. Drop the e, add -ion. |
| 2 | focus | noun (no change) | focus | After her and before during: a noun, and focus is already a noun. |
| 3 | discipline | adjective | disciplined | Between a and the noun approach: an adjective meaning self-controlled. |
| 4 | achieve | gerund | achieving | Subject of required, followed by the object success: a gerund. |
| 5 | commit | noun | commitment | Parallel to hard work after and: a noun with -ment. |
| 6 | show | gerund | showing | After the preposition for, followed by the object such determination: a gerund. |
| 7 | determine | noun | determination | After such and before the prepositional phrase throughout the season, object of showing: a noun. Drop the e, add -ation. |
Exam focus
- Model paper and 2026 Set A Q6: dedicate, focus, discipline, achieve, commit, show, determine/devote. (short)The same paragraph appeared twice; learn its seven answers by heart.Go to answer
- Find the part of speech from the words around a blank (possessive + blank + noun, preposition + blank + object, verb + blank). (short)Every Q6 blank so far is solved by these position clues.Go to answer
- Noun or gerund after a preposition: for his decisiveness but for handling every challenge. (short)Four of the 2026 answers were gerunds; the object test decides.Go to answer
- Abstract noun suffixes -tion, -ment, -ness, -ity, -ance/-ence. (short)More than half of all Q6 answers so far are abstract nouns.Go to answer
- Two-step adverbs such as caution: cautious: cautiously and tire: tireless: tirelessly. (short)Set D blank 2 needed two suffixes; students often stop after one.Go to answer
- Spelling when adding suffixes: drop e, double the consonant, y to i. (short)A misspelt form usually gets no mark.Go to answer
- Word-form MCQs: careful ______ of the problem (analysis), noun form of advocate (advocacy), Her ______ helped her (determination). (mcq)One or two such MCQs appear in each Section A.Go to answer
- Adjective pairs with different meanings (disciplined/disciplinary, economic/economical, considerate/considerable). (mcq)Meaning decides when grammar allows both; Set A used disciplined.Go to answer
- All forms of the FBISE roots (profession, clear, prioritize, create, improve, decide, press, curious, caution, prepare, rely, discover, happy, handle). (short)FBISE repeats roots across sets and years.Go to answer