15 Word Formation Practice Questions with Answers | Cambridge C1 Advanced

Word Formation is Part 3 of the Reading and Use of English paper in Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE). You read a short text with eight gaps. Beside each gap there is a word in capitals, and you change it (for example by adding a prefix or suffix) to make the word that fits. It tests your vocabulary and word building. This post gives you 15 C1 Advanced Word Formation practice questions with answers. Each text has a worked example (gap 0), and every answer comes with a short note that explains how the word changes. Try each text first, then open the answers to check your work.

Question 1

Scenery Built for Another Stage

Read the text below. Use the word given in capitals in brackets to form a word that fits in the gap in the same line. There is an example at the beginning (0).

A theatre set is normally designed for one (0) PERFORMANCE [PERFORM] run and then discarded. The StageLoop Network takes a different approach. Crews begin by (1) ______ [DISMANTLE] each set into labelled sections, which are placed in temporary (2) ______ [STORE]. Technical manager Pia Marden says the (3) ______ [STANDARD] of panel sizes makes exchange between venues easier. Crews can (4) ______ [ADAPTATION] the panels by repositioning doors, windows and surface finishes. The network can (5) ______ [REUSABLE] each component only after its fixings have been removed (6) ______ [SAFE]. The scheme reduces the volume of material sent for (7) ______ [DISPOSE], but it depends on close (8) ______ [COLLABORATE] between designers at Alder Row Theatre and other members.

Question 2

A Language Carried by Whistles

Read the text below. Use the word given in capitals in brackets to form a word that fits in the gap in the same line. There is an example at the beginning (0).

Whistled (0) COMMUNICATION [COMMUNICATE] allows messages to travel across valleys where ordinary speech would be lost. The EchoSpeech Project records test calls at several measured (1) ______ [DISTANT]. Although the whistle contains no conventional vowels, familiar phrases remain (2) ______ [RECOGNISE] to experienced listeners. Small (3) ______ [VARY] in pitch and rhythm can distinguish words that would otherwise sound alike. At the Valen Whistle Archive, every (4) ______ [PRODUCE] is matched with the speaker's intended sentence. Dr Nela Corr labels changes (5) ______ [ACCURATE] so later researchers do not assign an (6) ______ [INTEND] meaning. The recordings support a deeper (7) ______ [UNDERSTAND] of how language can change medium while retaining structure. They also contribute to the long-term (8) ______ [PRESERVE] of a practice now used less frequently.

Question 3

Footprints Preserved by a Volcano

Read the text below. Use the word given in capitals in brackets to form a word that fits in the gap in the same line. There is an example at the beginning (0).

A line of human footprints in (0) VOLCANIC [VOLCANO] ash can survive for centuries and then disappear within a season. At the Velora Ash Field, the prints' extreme (1) ______ [FRAGILE] makes ordinary excavation impossible. Even brief (2) ______ [EXPOSE] to wind can damage their edges. The StepShadow Survey therefore records them without the slightest physical (3) ______ [DISTURB]. Laser scanners capture depth with millimetre (4) ______ [PRECISE], producing a digital (5) ______ [REPRODUCE] of each print. Dr Imani Kest warns that a single (6) ______ [INTERPRET] of walking speed must acknowledge considerable (7) ______ [CERTAIN]. The scans preserve evidence for study while the original surface receives long-term (8) ______ [PROTECT].

Question 4

Why Musicians Practise More Slowly

Read the text below. Use the word given in capitals in brackets to form a word that fits in the gap in the same line. There is an example at the beginning (0).

Simple (0) REPETITION [REPEAT] does not guarantee that a difficult musical passage will improve. In the TempoStep Study at Westmere Music Lab, players practise (1) ______ [DELIBERATE] below performance speed. This allows them to prioritise (2) ______ [ACCURATE] and notice errors that would otherwise remain (3) ______ [NOTICE]. Teacher Leona Brigg asks for an immediate (4) ______ [CORRECT] whenever a fingering pattern slips. Although the process initially feels inefficient, its long-term (5) ______ [EFFICIENT] comes from preventing mistakes from becoming habitual. Speed is increased only after the phrase develops rhythmic (6) ______ [FLUENT]. Players report greater (7) ______ [CONFIDENT], and recordings show a more controlled final (8) ______ [PERFORM].

Question 5

A Choir That Measures a Room

Read the text below. Use the word given in capitals in brackets to form a word that fits in the gap in the same line. There is an example at the beginning (0).

An (0) ACOUSTIC [ACOUSTICS] test normally uses electronic tones, but the VocalMap Trial works with a live choir at Harrowfen Rehearsal Hall. Sustained notes reveal the room's natural (1) ______ [RESONATE] and several delayed (2) ______ [REFLECT] produced by hard walls. Because the ceiling slopes, one side receives much more sound than the other, creating an (3) ______ [EQUAL] distribution across the singers. Engineer Iris Tane looks for differences that are statistically (4) ______ [MEAN] rather than relying on preference alone. The choir must reproduce each chord (5) ______ [IDENTICAL] during multiple microphone passes. Consistent singing is essential to the (6) ______ [CONSIST] of the results. After identifying the exact (7) ______ [LOCATE] of a strong echo, the team tests small (8) ______ [ADJUST] to curtains and seating instead of rebuilding the room.

Question 6

The Hidden Geometry of Soap Foam

Read the text below. Use the word given in capitals in brackets to form a word that fits in the gap in the same line. There is an example at the beginning (0).

The (0) GEOMETRIC [GEOMETRY] beauty of soap foam comes from physical rules rather than deliberate design. In the FoamFrame Experiment at Kendall Physics Studio, cameras record the (1) ______ [ARRANGE] of bubbles inside a transparent box. Each film shifts to (2) ______ [MINIMUM] its surface energy while the foam retains overall (3) ______ [STABLE]. When one bubble bursts, several immediately (4) ______ [NEIGHBOUR] cells change shape. Gentle (5) ______ [COMPRESS] of the box makes these changes easier to study. Professor Omi Rell explains that slow motion makes every stage clearly (6) ______ [VISION]. A perfectly regular pattern is rare; even a small (7) ______ [REGULAR] can redirect the rearrangement. Simple ingredients therefore produce remarkable structural (8) ______ [COMPLEX].

Question 7

Reading Drought in Church Roof Timbers

Read the text below. Use the word given in capitals in brackets to form a word that fits in the gap in the same line. There is an example at the beginning (0).

A (0) WOODEN [WOOD] roof beam may contain an annual record that began long before the building was constructed. The Wetherby Roof Survey examines the pattern of tree (1) ______ [GROW] in beams from St Orlan's Church. Ring (2) ______ [WIDE] changes with growing conditions, but useful conclusions require a long and (3) ______ [COMPARE] sequence. Exact (4) ______ [DATE] is possible when the pattern overlaps with a regional reference. Several later (5) ______ [ALTER] to the roof must also be identified because replacement wood may come from another period. Dr Keira Mott tests the (6) ______ [RELY] of every match against several samples. A narrow ring is interpreted (7) ______ [CAUTION], since disease can restrict growth as well as drought. Combined sequences nevertheless provide valuable evidence for (8) ______ [CLIMATE] studying centuries with few written weather records.

Question 8

Who Benefits from an Algorithmic Timetable?

Read the text below. Use the word given in capitals in brackets to form a word that fits in the gap in the same line. There is an example at the beginning (0).

Automated (0) SCHEDULING [SCHEDULE] can process thousands of journeys, but efficiency alone does not make a timetable fair. The Eastbar Transit Audit collects several stated (1) ______ [PREFER] and examines how fully they are (2) ______ [REPRESENT] in the RouteWeave System. Sparse data from shift workers may create an (3) ______ [EQUAL] even when average waiting time falls. Professor Sana Vell therefore demands greater (4) ______ [TRANSPARENT] about the priorities built into the model. Every major change should have a public (5) ______ [JUSTIFY], and its effects should be reviewed (6) ______ [PERIOD]. Operators must remain (7) ______ [ACCOUNT] for decisions rather than blaming the software. The audit will judge procedural (8) ______ [FAIR] as well as speed and cost.

Question 9

Mapping a Cave with Moving Air

Read the text below. Use the word given in capitals in brackets to form a word that fits in the gap in the same line. There is an example at the beginning (0).

An (0) UNDERGROUND [GROUND] cave may contain passages that no person can enter, but moving air can provide indirect evidence about them. The Underbreath Survey records slow air (1) ______ [CIRCULATE] through narrow cracks. Smoke is unsuitable, so the Calder Cavern Group uses instruments designed for the (2) ______ [DETECT] of extremely weak currents. Their high (3) ______ [SENSITIVE] reveals temperature-driven changes over a single day. Similar patterns at two points may indicate hidden (4) ______ [CONNECT] between chambers. Researcher Milo Senn marks routes that remain physically (5) ______ [ACCESS] and seeks independent (6) ______ [CONFIRM] before adding them to a map. Instruments must be positioned (7) ______ [PRECISE] because a nearby visitor can disturb the air. The results guide future (8) ______ [EXPLORE] while reducing unnecessary entry into fragile spaces.

Question 10

Listening to the Strength of Spider Silk

Read the text below. Use the word given in capitals in brackets to form a word that fits in the gap in the same line. There is an example at the beginning (0).

Spider silk is a (0) NATURAL [NATURE] material whose finest threads are difficult to test without breaking them. At Keswick Materials Institute, the SilkTone Method avoids permanent (1) ______ [DESTROY] by inducing a tiny (2) ______ [VIBRATE] in a suspended thread. Its frequency is measured (3) ______ [PRECISE] with a laser. For the method to be (4) ______ [REPEAT], the thread must be held at the same length and temperature each time. Professor Amara Quill notes that thread diameter (5) ______ [VARY] naturally between samples and cannot be controlled. The calculation must therefore remain (6) ______ [RELY] across a wide range of samples. A direct (7) ______ [COMPARE] with conventional break tests has shown that vibration can predict tensile (8) ______ [STRONG] without consuming rare silk.

Question 11

Translating Words That Do Not Exist

Read the text below. Use the word given in capitals in brackets to form a word that fits in the gap in the same line. There is an example at the beginning (0).

An invented word presents a particularly (0) CREATIVE [CREATE] challenge to a literary translator. The Marden Translation Circle is comparing versions of The Glass Orchard, a novel whose vocabulary changes as its narrator grows older. Translator Nia Selven tries to preserve the (1) ______ [ORIGINAL] of each coinage while ensuring that recurring forms remain (2) ______ [RECOGNISE]. Maintaining (3) ______ [CONSIST] matters because prefixes introduced early acquire new functions later. A translated invention must also sound (4) ______ [MEAN] within its sentence rather than merely unusual. Selven records every (5) ______ [DECIDE] and supplies a brief (6) ______ [JUSTIFY] for it. She (7) ______ [OCCASION] revises an earlier term when a later chapter reveals an unexpected connection. Her aim is a close (8) ______ [CORRESPOND] between the effects of the two texts, not identical wording.

Question 12

A Museum of Unsuccessful Ideas

Read the text below. Use the word given in capitals in brackets to form a word that fits in the gap in the same line. There is an example at the beginning (0).

An (0) UNSUCCESSFUL [SUCCESS] product can reveal more about design than an object that reached the shops. The Unmade Objects Collection at Merriton Design Store records each commercial (1) ______ [REJECT] alongside notes left by one (2) ______ [INVENT]. Curator Ivo Rael argues that such material exposes long-held (3) ______ [ASSUME] about customers and technology. Some objects failed because their commercial (4) ______ [PRACTICE] had never been tested; others attracted criticism for an awkward outward (5) ______ [APPEAR]. Several worked well in the laboratory but failed (6) ______ [EXPECT] in ordinary homes. These prototypes have proved historically (7) ______ [BENEFIT] because they preserve decisions that successful products often conceal. Together they provide unusually direct evidence of (8) ______ [CREATE] under pressure.

Question 13

Synchronising a Clock with Pulsars

Read the text below. Use the word given in capitals in brackets to form a word that fits in the gap in the same line. There is an example at the beginning (0).

A highly (0) RELIABLE [RELY] clock is essential when astronomers compare signals received months apart. At the Northbar Radio Array, the exact (1) ______ [ARRIVE] time of each pulse is recorded against an atomic clock. The remarkable (2) ______ [REGULAR] of certain pulsars allows their next pulse to be predicted, although the signal reaching Earth is not perfectly (3) ______ [PREDICT]. The PulseCheck Programme makes a direct (4) ______ [COMPARE] between observed and expected times. Any systematic difference may require a small (5) ______ [CORRECT] to the equipment rather than a new theory about the star. Dr Elian Sorell says the method depends on exceptional (6) ______ [PRECISE]. Because a break could hide a short-lived effect, atmospheric monitoring must remain (7) ______ [INTERRUPT] throughout each observation. Repeated measurements can reveal whether the clock's long-term (8) ______ [STABLE] has begun to decline.

Question 14

What Silence Means in an Online Meeting

Read the text below. Use the word given in capitals in brackets to form a word that fits in the gap in the same line. There is an example at the beginning (0).

An (0) UNSPOKEN [SPEAK] response in an online meeting may indicate disagreement, reflection or simply a faulty connection. The QuietScreen Project at Ravelin Communication Centre studies uneven (1) ______ [PARTICIPATE] in remote teams. Even a brief moment of (2) ______ [HESITATE] creates an (3) ______ [AMBIGUOUS] when visual signals are weak. Researcher Mina Orrel warns that silence can therefore result in a serious (4) ______ [MISINTERPRET] of the speaker's intention. Treating it as consent rests on an unsupported (5) ______ [ASSUME]. Effective chairs ask (6) ______ [EXPLICIT] whether anyone needs more time and monitor how promptly the team (7) ______ [RESPOND] across several meetings. The project concludes that skilled (8) ______ [FACILITATE], rather than more technology alone, is usually required to include quieter participants.

Question 15

Following Sand with Fluorescent Grains

Read the text below. Use the word given in capitals in brackets to form a word that fits in the gap in the same line. There is an example at the beginning (0).

Understanding (0) COASTAL [COAST] erosion requires evidence about where individual grains of sand travel. In the GlowGrain Trial, scientists add several fluorescent (1) ______ [TRACE] to a small batch of ordinary sand. The coated grains cannot be seen in daylight and remain effectively (2) ______ [VISIBLE] until examined under a special lamp. Once they have been (3) ______ [RELEASE] at Lanwick Shore, repeated sampling maps their (4) ______ [DISTRIBUTE] along the beach. A dense (5) ______ [ACCUMULATE] behind a breakwater may reveal movement that surface photographs miss. Dr Sela Prit limits unnecessary public (6) ______ [EXPOSE] to the mineral while samples are collected. The mineral coating is designed to be (7) ______ [ENVIRONMENT] harmless, and laboratory checks confirm its (8) ______ [SAFE] before fieldwork begins.