WORDS, too, have families with recognisable common features along with distinct individual characteristics in the form of affixes i.e. prefixes or suffixes. Starting with a root word, new words can be derived carrying in them the core meaning of the root unit. Look at the following examples:

Root word.

beauty (noun)

i) She is very beautiful (Adjective)

ii) She’s training to be a beautician (noun)

iii) The municipal corporation is going to beautify the town with parks (verb)

Now check your vocabulary quotient after filling in the blanks in the following sentences.

1. (attend: verb)

The audience was very ———————— during the lecture.

2. (deceive: verb)

i) Appearances are often ——-

ii) I wouldn’t trust such a —————— person.

3. (length: noun)

John’s trousers need to be —-

4. (pray: verb)

Have you said your ————-?

5. (speak: verb)

Nehru made many great ——-

6. (proud: adj.)

He —————- himself on his appearances

7. (able: adj; promote: vb)

His ————- to speak English well makes it very difficult for him to get ————-

8. (critic: n; destroy: vb)

i) I’m not interested in hearing your ————

it’s always ————-

9. (intention:n)

"Did he do that ————-?

"No, it was quite ——————"

10. (Notice:n/vb)

Arun’s influence on his brother is quite ——————-

11. (collect:vb)

Many nations believe in ——— security.

12. (friend:n)

i) I was very much impressed by the —————— of the local population.

ii) Nations must learn to live together in ——————-

(iii) He ——————-me when I first come to this country.

13. (advise: vb)

i) Until the situation has settled down, it is ———— to travel in that country.

ii) The government set up an ———— body on the use of drugs in sport.

iii) I doubt the —————— of drinking alcohol while undergoing that medical treatment.

14. (separate: adj/vb)

They are very close friends; in fact they are ————

15. (bitter: adj)

His recent failures have —— him.

Answer key:

1 attentive

2. deceptive ii) deceitful

3. lengthened

4. prayers

5. speeches

6. prides

7. inability, promoted

8. i) criticism, destructive (ii) critical

9. intentionally, unintentional

10. noticeable

11 collective

12. i) friendliness ii) friendship iii) befriended

13. i) inadvisable ii) advisory iii) advisability

14. inseparable

15. embittered