15 Word Formation Practice Questions with Answers | Cambridge C2 Proficiency

Word Formation is Part 3 of the Reading and Use of English paper in Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE). You read a short text with eight gaps. Beside each gap there is a word in capitals, and you change it to make the word that fits, using prefixes, suffixes, internal changes, or compounds. It tests your vocabulary and word building. This post gives you 15 C2 Proficiency 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

Can Handwriting Reveal Emotion?

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).

Popular (0) PSYCHOLOGICAL [PSYCHOLOGY] claims often suggest that handwriting reveals a writer's emotional state. Yet the (1) ______ [INTERPRET] of pressure, slant and spacing is strongly affected by context. In controlled trials, judgements of identical samples frequently contradicted one another and were therefore (2) ______ [CONSIST] across different raters. High (3) ______ [CONFIDENT] in a judgement did not predict its (4) ______ [ACCURATE]. Each rater's prior (5) ______ [EXPECT] about the writer also influenced the label selected. Withholding personal (6) ______ [KNOW] reduced this effect, but did not remove it. Enlarging a short sample created an (7) ______ [EXAGGERATE] of minor differences between letters. Researchers conclude that the (8) ______ [RELY] of emotional assessment from handwriting alone is too low for clinical or employment decisions.

Question 2

Dogs That Detect Plant Disease

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).

Specially (0) TRAINED [TRAIN] dogs can identify odours associated with disease in crops. Early (1) ______ [DETECT] matters because an (2) ______ [INFECT] may spread before leaf damage is sufficiently (3) ______ [NOTICE] to attract attention. During trials, dogs must respond (4) ______ [CONSIST] across plants grown in different soils. They learn to (5) ______ [DIFFER] infected samples from those affected only by drought. Handlers also prevent dogs from being guided (6) ______ [ACCIDENT] by body movement or the position of a sample. A positive response is followed by laboratory (7) ______ [CONFIRM], since scent alone cannot identify the exact pathogen. Wider (8) ______ [APPLY] of the method will depend on training costs, field conditions and whether performance remains stable outside controlled trials.

Question 3

Reading River History in Gravel

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) ROUNDED [ROUND] stones in a river bed contain a partial record of their journey. Their surfaces bear microscopic signs of (1) ______ [ABRADE] caused by repeated collisions. A mineral that is uncommon locally may point to an (2) ______ [STREAM] source, while progressive (3) ______ [FLAT] can indicate prolonged transport along the bed. The stones' preferred (4) ______ [ALIGN] may also reveal the direction of past flow. Yet flood (5) ______ [TURBULENT] can overturn them, erasing an earlier pattern. Automated image sorting increases speed but may introduce (6) ______ [CLASSIFY] when mud obscures a stone's outline. A sample must therefore be sufficiently (7) ______ [REPRESENT] of the whole deposit, rather than drawn only from conspicuous fragments. Only then can researchers attempt a credible (8) ______ [RECONSTRUCT] of how the channel has changed.

Question 4

The Sound of a Quiet Electric Car

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 electrically (0) POWERED [POWER] car can be difficult to hear at low speed because its motor produces little sound. A warning tone must be sufficiently (1) ______ [NOTICE] to alert pedestrians without dominating the street. Its purpose is to increase (2) ______ [AWARE] rather than imitate a petrol engine exactly. The tone is generated (3) ______ [ELECTRON] and changes with speed. Listeners should be able to judge the (4) ______ [LOCATE] of an approaching vehicle and avoid (5) ______ [CONFUSE] with alarms used by emergency services. Regulators also seek (6) ______ [CONSIST] across different car models. Independent (7) ______ [EVALUATE] includes trials with visually impaired pedestrians as well as measurements in traffic noise. The true (8) ______ [EFFECTIVE] of a warning tone depends on whether people recognise its meaning quickly in ordinary streets.

Question 5

Flattening a Map Without Damaging It

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).

Large (0) ARCHIVAL [ARCHIVE] maps are often stored rolled, and forcing one flat can split paper or detach ink. Conservators first raise the surrounding (1) ______ [HUMID] in a sealed chamber. This restores enough (2) ______ [FLEXIBLE] for the sheet to move without cracking. The controlled (3) ______ [RELAX] of the paper fibres takes several hours. Weights are then added (4) ______ [GRADUAL] so that one area is not placed under sudden strain. Any visible (5) ______ [DISTORT] is recorded before treatment. The map must not be (6) ______ [MEASURE] larger or smaller in either direction after it dries. Materials placed against its surface are fully (7) ______ [REVERSE] and leave no adhesive behind. The safest method of (8) ______ [FLAT] therefore combines moisture, time and light pressure rather than a single heavy load.

Question 6

Reading a Sail from Its Surviving Threads

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).

Exceptionally (0) PRESERVED [PRESERVE] textile fragments from a shipwreck can reveal how a sail was made. Their extreme (1) ______ [FRAGILE] means that researchers examine them through magnified images before handling them. The original (2) ______ [ALIGN] of surviving yarns shows which direction carried the greatest strain. Three exact (3) ______ [REPEAT] of a reinforced seam may indicate an edge rather than the centre of the sail. Chemical treatment can shrink different fibres by different amounts, causing visibly (4) ______ [EQUAL] contraction across the fragment. A feature documented before treatment remains readily (5) ______ [IDENTIFY] to a researcher who has not seen it before. The (6) ______ [PROBABLE] that a fragment came from a corner increases when two reinforced edges meet. Several working (7) ______ [ASSUME] are nevertheless recorded beside every measurement. A digital (8) ______ [RECONSTRUCT] can then compare alternative sail shapes without forcing incomplete evidence into a single design.

Question 7

Mapping Shade Across a City Square

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) GEOGRAPHICAL [GEOGRAPHY] survey of shade can show why two sides of the same square feel very different in summer. Researchers take repeated (1) ______ [MEASURE] of surface temperature and create a (2) ______ [PHOTOGRAPH] record at fixed times. Each camera must be positioned (3) ______ [ACCURATE]. A temporary (4) ______ [OBSTRUCT] by a delivery vehicle can invalidate an image. Shade also (5) ______ [VARY] sharply as the sun moves behind buildings and trees. A direct (6) ______ [COMPARE] between weekdays and weekends reveals how parked vehicles alter the pattern. To remain (7) ______ [REPRESENT] of typical conditions, the survey excludes unusual events and extreme weather. The resulting evidence supports urban (8) ______ [PLAN] by identifying places where trees or shelters would provide useful relief without blocking important routes.

Question 8

Why Old Glass Sometimes Turns Purple

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).

Historic glass may appear (0) COLOURLESS [COLOUR] when first made yet acquire a purple tint after decades in sunlight. Several metallic (1) ______ [PURE] can remain in sand and other raw ingredients. The metals entered the glass (2) ______ [INTEND], since early makers could not refine those materials chemically. Prolonged (3) ______ [EXPOSE] to ultraviolet light changes the state of certain metal ions. Its (4) ______ [NOTICE] then increases, although the colour may develop unevenly across a window. Once the reaction has occurred, it is effectively (5) ______ [REVERSE]: no safe treatment can return the pane to its original state. Fragile panes are therefore displayed (6) ______ [CAUTION], with light levels recorded throughout an exhibition. Two accredited object (7) ______ [CONSERVE] monitor both colour and surface condition over time. Every proposed (8) ______ [TREAT] is first tested on modern glass, since removing the tint could also erase evidence of the object's history.

Question 9

Why Some Seeds Need Smoke

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).

Some fire-adapted plants keep (0) DORMANT [DORMANCY] seeds in the soil for decades. Heat alone does not necessarily increase the seed coat's (1) ______ [PERMEABLE]. In many species, chemicals carried in smoke initiate (2) ______ [GERMINATE] by activating receptors in the seed. That observation makes it (3) ______ [LEAD] to describe fire simply as destructive. Smoke applied (4) ______ [EXCESS] can nevertheless inhibit growth, so laboratory doses must resemble those produced by a natural burn. Ecologists distinguish the ecological (5) ______ [RENEW] caused by a low-intensity fire from the damage caused by an extreme one. They also compare burned ground with (6) ______ [TREAT] control plots. Such comparisons show how disturbance can contribute to long-term (7) ______ [RESILIENT] without benefiting every plant. Indeed, closely related species do not always respond (8) ______ [IDENTICAL] to the same chemical signal.

Question 10

Reconstructing a Lighthouse's Flash

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 historic lighthouse lens is an (0) OPTICAL [OPTICS] system assembled from concentric glass prisms. The original (1) ______ [ARRANGE] of those prisms determines how the beam is concentrated. Their precisely (2) ______ [CURVE] surfaces are measured without removing the prisms from the supporting frame. Even a slight (3) ______ [PRECISE] in one panel can spread light beyond the intended angle, so every element must be positioned (4) ______ [CORRECT]. The speed of lens (5) ______ [ROTATE] once determined the interval between flashes. Surviving gear ratios can therefore reveal the originally (6) ______ [INTEND] sequence. Where the motor is missing, a temporary (7) ______ [REPLACE] is connected without altering historic fittings. Engineers run it slowly at first, then confirm that the mechanism operates (8) ______ [RELY] before attempting the full historical speed.

Question 11

Why Some Sand Dunes Sing

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 deep sound produced by a few desert dunes is an unusual (0) ACOUSTIC [ACOUSTICS] phenomenon. A large-scale (1) ______ [VIBRATE] begins when a layer of dry grains moves down a steep slope. The remarkable (2) ______ [UNIFORM] of grain size helps many collisions occur at similar frequencies. Surface (3) ______ [DRY] is also essential, since moisture prevents grains from moving freely. The downward (4) ______ [MOVE] of the layer creates a low note that the dune itself can reinforce. This natural (5) ______ [AMPLIFY] allows the sound to travel over long distances. Within the moving layer, neighbouring impacts become briefly (6) ______ [COORDINATE], allowing a sustained tone to emerge. Experiments are difficult to make fully (7) ______ [PRODUCE] because each slide changes the slope. The global (8) ______ [RARE] of singing dunes reflects the unusually narrow range of conditions required.

Question 12

The Glass Tubes Made by Lightning

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).

Fulgurites are (0) GEOLOGICAL [GEOLOGY] records of lightning strikes preserved beneath sandy ground. A strike causes an (1) ______ [EXTREME] rapid rise in temperature, and grains along its path become completely (2) ______ [FUSE]. The grains then undergo rapid (3) ______ [SOLID], producing a branching glass tube within the surrounding sand. Several internal (4) ______ [IRREGULAR] record changes in heat and moisture during the brief event. The incorporated local minerals give the glass a chemically (5) ______ [DISTINGUISH] signature that can identify its source. Specimens recovered in one piece have remained entirely (6) ______ [BREAK], despite walls that may be thinner than paper. Their position must therefore be recorded (7) ______ [PRECISE] before excavation begins. Even when a specimen looks robust, poorly planned recovery can be highly (8) ______ [DESTROY] and erase evidence about the direction of the original strike.

Question 13

What Ancient Incense Left Behind

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).

Small quantities of burnt resin can survive on (0) ARCHAEOLOGICAL [ARCHAEOLOGY] ceramic vessels for centuries. Researchers value the remarkable (1) ______ [PRESERVE] of compounds absorbed into porous walls. Minute (2) ______ [CHEMISTRY] traces are released by controlled heating and separated before analysis. Each compound undergoes laboratory (3) ______ [IDENTIFY] through comparison with reference materials. Modern (4) ______ [CONTAMINATE] remains a persistent risk, particularly when a vessel has been handled without gloves. For that reason, only samples taken from strictly (5) ______ [COMPARE] locations are assessed together. If one result differs (6) ______ [SIGNIFY] from the rest, it is repeated rather than treated as decisive. A single unreplicated reading is too (7) ______ [RELY] to support a claim about ancient ritual. Detailed reporting also permits a cautious (8) ______ [INTERPRET] of the findings without disguising their limitations.

Question 14

Heat Reveals Metal Fatigue

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).

Aircraft components subjected to (0) CYCLIC [CYCLE] loads can weaken long before a crack is visible. At first, the damaged region may be entirely (1) ______ [MICROSCOPE]. An infrared camera records a series of minute temperature (2) ______ [FLUCTUATE] as the component is repeatedly loaded. Although each fluctuation is individually (3) ______ [SIGNIFY], a spatial (4) ______ [CONCENTRATE] of heat can betray a developing fault. A pattern becomes (5) ______ [DISCERN] enough to guide inspection only after readings from many cycles have been averaged. Analysts compare several independent (6) ______ [INTERPRET] of isolated hot spots before treating any warm pixel as a crack. The method's chief (7) ______ [STRONG] lies in revealing where further inspection should be focused. That warning permits earlier (8) ______ [INTERVENE], before a microscopic defect becomes a dangerous fracture.

Question 15

Why Old Roads Sink Unevenly

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).

Modern (0) ENGINEERING [ENGINE] surveys can explain why one section of an old road sinks while the surface nearby remains level. Poor initial (1) ______ [COMPACT] may leave pockets within the foundation. Soil moisture also (2) ______ [VARY] sharply between adjacent sections, especially where buried pipes leak. Cracking above a void is evidence of local (3) ______ [STABLE], although the visible damage may appear some distance from its cause. Engineers examine the original (4) ______ [DRAIN] system and use radar to support the (5) ______ [IDENTIFY] of hidden gaps. The depth of each defect must be mapped (6) ______ [ACCURATE] before repair. Traffic volume alone does not determine the (7) ______ [URGENT] of the work; a small void near a bridge joint may present the greater risk. Effective (8) ______ [MAINTAIN] therefore depends on understanding the layers below the road rather than repeatedly resurfacing the top.