Module 2 · Use of English Core · Lesson 06
Use of English Part 3
Use of English Part 3. 8 gaps, one stem word per line. Transform it into the right form — noun, adjective, adverb, negative or compound.
Get talking · Section 1
5 minOn the board: DECIDE. In 60 seconds, shout out every related word: decision, decisive, decisively, indecisive, indecision, undecided. That's a Part 3 family.
In pairs, list 5 words starting with un-, in-, im-, dis-, mis-. Which prefix is hardest to predict?
Pick one adjective that describes you (e.g. 'creative'). Write its noun, adverb and negative forms. Share with your partner.
Grammar focus · Section 2
8–10 minThe word-family wheel
Every Part 3 gap belongs to a word family. From the stem in CAPITALS you can usually build 4–6 forms: a verb, a noun (sometimes two: person + abstract), an adjective (sometimes two: -ive vs -able), an adverb, and a negative. Train the wheel: VERB → NOUN-action → NOUN-person → ADJECTIVE → ADVERB → NEGATIVE.
Examples
→ DECIDE → decision / decisive / decisively / indecisive / indecision
→ ACT → action / activity / actor / active / actively / inactive
→ RELY → reliance / reliable / reliably / unreliable / unreliability
→ SCIENCE → scientist / scientific / scientifically / unscientific
→ HOPE → hope / hopeful / hopefully / hopeless / hopelessly
Question 1.She made a quick ___ . (DECIDE)
Question 2.His behaviour was completely ___ . (RESPONSIBLE)
Question 3.She handled the case ___ . (PROFESSION)
Question 4.There is growing ___ about the climate. (AWARE)
Question 5.He's a successful ___ . (SCIENCE)
Quick check 1.Part 3 always tests…
Quick check 2.If a gap needs an ADVERB, the suffix is usually…
Quick check 3.Common NEGATIVE prefixes include…
Vocabulary · Section 3
5–7 minWords & phrases to own
abstract noun (-tion / -ment / -ity / -ness)
Suffix turns a verb/adjective into an idea: decision, agreement, ability, kindness.
person noun (-er / -or / -ist / -ant)
Suffix names the person: teacher, actor, scientist, assistant.
adjective (-ful / -less / -ive / -able / -ous)
Common adjective endings: hopeful, hopeless, creative, reliable, dangerous.
adverb (-ly)
Almost always -ly: hopefully, carefully — note 'fast', 'hard' are exceptions.
negative prefix
un- / in- / im- / il- / ir- / dis- / mis-: unhappy, invisible, impossible, illegal, irregular, dishonest, misunderstand.
im- before m/p
'impossible', 'imperfect' — never 'inpossible'.
ir- before r
'irregular', 'irresponsible'.
il- before l
'illegal', 'illogical'.
double suffix
Stack carefully: hope → hopeful → hopefully; care → careless → carelessly.
compound / plural marker
Watch hidden plurals: 'children', 'phenomena', 'analyses' — Part 3 sometimes hides these.
Tap an item on the left, then tap its match on the right.
Pronunciation · Section 4
3–4 minStress shifts when suffixes are added
Say it aloud
- • PHOto → phoTOgraphy → photoGRAphic → photoGRAphically
- • ECoNOMy → eCONomist → ecoNOMic → ecoNOMically
- • DECide → deCIsion → deCIsive → deCIsively
- • PRODuce → proDUCtion → proDUCtive → proDUCtively
- • SCIence → scienTIfic → scienTIfically
Reading · Section 5
8–10 minWhy word families are an FCE candidate's best friend
Read the passageTap to openTap to hide
Most candidates approach Part 3 the wrong way round. They see the stem in capital letters and start mentally cycling through every suffix they have ever learnt, hoping one will sound right. By gap 4, they are guessing. The candidates who reach the upper band do something different: they read the SENTENCE first, ignore the stem entirely, and ask themselves a single question — 'what part of speech am I missing?' Only then do they look at the stem and build the form.
This ordering matters because the sentence almost always gives the answer away. If the gap is preceded by 'a' or 'the', it is a singular noun. If it is preceded by 'very' or 'extremely', it is an adjective. If it modifies a verb, it is an adverb. If the sentence is clearly negative in meaning ('Despite the company's …' followed by a long list of failures), the answer is a negative form.
The second skill is mechanical: knowing your suffixes. Person nouns usually end in -er, -or, -ist, -ant. Abstract nouns in -tion, -ment, -ity, -ness. Adjectives in -ful, -less, -ive, -able, -ous. Adverbs almost always in -ly. Build these endings into your weekly vocabulary work and the eight Part 3 gaps stop feeling like a memory test and start feeling like a checklist.
Question 1.What do upper-band candidates do FIRST?
Question 2.If the gap is preceded by 'very' or 'extremely', it is most likely…
Question 3.Adverbs almost always end in…
Q1.It is best to start by cycling through every possible suffix.
Q2.Articles ('a', 'the') are a clue that the gap is a noun.
Q3.Person nouns commonly end in -er, -or, -ist, -ant.
Q4.Negative meaning in the sentence sometimes triggers a negative prefix.
Listening · Section 6
8–10 minTwo students walk through 4 Part-3 gaps live (about 2:00)
Listening audio
Tap play to listen. Drag the timeline to jump anywhere.
Show transcript
Lara:Gap 1: 'It was a brave but ultimately ___ attempt.' Stem: SUCCESS.
Jay:Adjective. Ends in -ful or -less. 'Ultimately' has a sad feel, so… 'unsuccessful'.
Lara:Good — adjective AND negative. Two transformations in one gap.
Jay:Gap 2: 'She spoke ___ about the project.' Stem: PASSION.
Lara:Adverb — it modifies 'spoke'. 'Passionately'.
Jay:Watch the spelling — passion → passionate → passionately. Double 'n', double 't' nearly.
Lara:Gap 3: 'The ___ of the new software was a disaster.' Stem: INTRODUCE.
Jay:Noun. 'The ___ of' — abstract noun. 'Introduction'.
Lara:Gap 4: 'Their behaviour was completely ___ .' Stem: RESPONSIBLE.
Jay:Adjective, and from the meaning, negative. 'Irresponsible' — ir- before r.
Lara:So we did adjective, adverb, noun and negative adjective in 90 seconds. That's the whole game.
Jay:Exactly. Part of speech first. Then prefix or suffix.
Then spell it slowly.
Question 1.Why is 'unsuccessful' two transformations in one gap?
Question 2.'She spoke ___ about the project.' What part of speech is the gap?
Question 3.Stem RESPONSIBLE → negative adjective is…
Question 4.What 3-step routine do the students use?
Exam skills · Section 7
5 minWord Formation — the 3-step routine
Your task
For every gap: STEP 1 identify part of speech. STEP 2 decide positive or negative. STEP 3 build the form and spell slowly.
Example
Sentence: 'It was a completely ___ decision.' Stem: LOGIC. Part of speech = adjective (after 'completely', before 'decision'). Meaning = negative (we don't praise illogical decisions). Build = il- + logic + -al → ILLOGICAL.
Practice · Section 8
8–10 minFill in the blank
Question 1.It was a ___ idea. (CREATE)
Question 2.He spoke very ___ . (CONFIDENT)
Question 3.There has been a sharp ___ in sales. (REDUCE)
Question 4.His comments were ___ and unhelpful. (SENSITIVE)
Question 5.She made an ___ decision under pressure. (ACT)
Question 6.The film was ___ funny. (SURPRISE)
Question 7.He's a famous ___ . (PIANO)
Question 8.The journey was ___ long. (END)
Q1.DECIDE → noun (action): 'a clear ___'
Q2.RESPONSIBLE → negative adjective
Q3.SCIENCE → person noun
Q4.HOPE → negative adjective (-less)
Writing · Section 9
5 minPut it in writing
Your task
Mini-task. Choose 3 of these stems: DECIDE / RELY / CREATE / RESPONSIBLE / SCIENCE / HOPE. For each, write a personal sentence using a DIFFERENT form of the word (noun, adjective, adverb or negative). Swap with your partner.
Show model answer
DECIDE — Making the decision to study FCE was easy; sticking to it is harder. RELY — My morning routine relies heavily on coffee. CREATE — I'd say I'm more analytical than creative. RESPONSIBLE — Forgetting my brother's birthday was completely irresponsible of me.
Speaking · Section 10
10–15 minMake it a real conversation
Roleplay
ROLEPLAY — Word Family chat. Student A says a personal sentence using a base verb ('I really enjoy COOKING'). Student B has 10 seconds to reply with a sentence using a DIFFERENT form of the same root ('Are you a confident cook?' / 'What's your specialty in the kitchen?'). Goal: recycle word families in real conversation.
Useful phrases
- • I'm a bit of an indecisive person, to be honest.
- • She's really creative — she paints, writes, the lot.
- • It was an unsuccessful attempt, but I learned a lot.
- • He spoke very passionately about the topic.
- • Their reaction was completely irresponsible.
- • I have a deep awareness of how much I still need to learn.
Teacher notes
Optional · Teacher-led
Teacher Activities
Two extensions that lock in the family wheel. ~18 min total
FCE Exam Practice · Section 11
20–30 minReal FCE tasks
One authentic Word Formation task. Read the text. Use the CAPITAL stem at the end of each line to form a word that fits the gap. ONE word per gap. Target time: 8 minutes.
For questions 1–8, read the text below. Use the word given in CAPITALS at the end of each line to form a word that fits in the gap. Write only ONE word in each gap.
The minimalist movement has grown DRAMATIC (DRAMATIC) over the last ten years. Followers argue that owning fewer possessions leads to a deeper sense of HAPPY (HAPPY) and a clearer mind. For many, the change begins with a small DECIDE (DECIDE): clearing out one drawer, or refusing to buy one NEED (NEED) item this month. Supporters insist that the benefits go far beyond a tidier flat. They report feeling more PRODUCT (PRODUCT), more CREATE (CREATE), and less anxious about money. Critics, of course, point out that minimalism can become FASHION (FASHION) in itself — another lifestyle to buy into. Yet even sceptics LIKELY (LIKELY) admit that, at the very least, the movement asks a useful question: how much do we really need?
Homework · Section 12
Take-homeTake it home
Word-family wheels — complete the grid
Fill in each missing form. Mind spelling changes.
Columns: Verb · Noun (thing/action) · Noun (person) · Adjective · Adverb · Negative adjective.
- 1) decide → decision → ? → decisive → decisively → indecisive
- 2) rely → ? → — → reliable → reliably → ?
- 3) create → creation → creator → ? → creatively → uncreative
- 4) — → responsibility → — → responsible → ? → ?
- 5) — → science → ? → scientific → ? → unscientific
RUoE Part 3 — Word Formation (8 items)
Use the word in CAPITALS to form a word that fits each gap.
The science of forming habits
Most people assume that (1)___ (WILL) is the key to building a new habit. In fact, (2)___ (RESEARCH) at University College London have shown that (3)___ (CONSIST) matters far more. Their study found that small, (4)___ (REPEAT) actions performed in the same context become (5)___ (AUTOMATIC) after roughly 66 days.
The (6)___ (IMPLY) is clear: if you want to read more, leave a book on your pillow. If you want to exercise, lay out your kit the night before. The (7)___ (ABLE) to design your environment is, in many ways, more (8)___ (POWER) than motivation itself.
- 1) WILL →
- 2) RESEARCH →
- 3) CONSIST →
- 4) REPEAT →
- 5) AUTOMATIC →
- 6) IMPLY →
- 7) ABLE →
- 8) POWER →
60-word paragraph — multiple forms of one root
Write about someone you admire, using ≥ 4 forms from the same root word.
Underline each form. Self-check that the part of speech fits the sentence.
Suffix hunt — find the stem
Find 10 suffixed words in the passage and write their stem.
Underline 10 suffixed words (-ful, -tion, -al, -ly, -ous, -er/-or, -ible/-able). Write the stem next to each.
Why we love festivals
Festivals have always played a powerful role in human society. They give communities a chance to celebrate shared traditions, from religious ceremonies to harmless street parties. Musicians, artists and storytellers find audiences they would never normally reach, while tourists arrive in their thousands, bringing valuable income to local businesses.
Of course, the disruption can be considerable, but most residents agree that the cultural benefits clearly outweigh the noise.
Recap · Section 13
2–3 minWhat you've learned
- Part 3 = 8 gaps; transform the CAPITAL stem into the right form.
- Routine: part of speech → positive or negative → suffix → prefix → spell slowly.
- Negative prefixes: un- in- im- (m/p) ir- (r) il- (l) dis- mis-.
- Adverbs almost always -ly; person nouns -er/-or/-ist/-ant; abstract nouns -tion/-ment/-ity/-ness.
- Mis-spelt right answers score ZERO — spell slowly.