Word Forms in IELTS: Noun, Verb and Adjective Families That Cost Marks

Lakshmi from Visakhapatnam wrote “the government should develop the economical of villages”. She knew every word, but one was in the wrong form.

Many English words belong to families of related forms, such as develop, development and developed. Choosing the right form matters in Writing, where word formation is part of Lexical Resource, and in completion questions, where the wrong form can lose the mark.

Why Word Forms Matter in IELTS

In Writing, the public descriptors mention word formation under Lexical Resource. Band 6 describes some errors in spelling and word formation that do not impede communication, and Band 7 describes only a few errors that do not detract from overall clarity.

In Reading, the official IELTS website says completion answers use words taken from the text. It also tells you to think about the type of word that fits the gap, such as a noun or a verb.

If the passage says “reliance”, the word “rely” is a different form, so copy the form you read. Our guide to Reading completion questions covers the word limits.

In Listening, the official IELTS website says you do not have to change the words in the recording. Cambridge’s IELTS FAQ adds that you lose marks for incorrect spelling and grammar, so write the word you hear in the form the gap needs. Our guide to Listening completion questions covers the word limits.

Eight Word Families for IELTS

Each form in the table is listed in the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, and “none in common use” means it gives no everyday form. Check a dictionary example before you use a form you have not met, such as “developmentally”.

Changing a form is also a paraphrasing technique, which our post on paraphrasing techniques puts to work.

Pairs With Different Meanings

Some families contain two adjectives that look alike but mean different things. The Oxford Learner’s Dictionary explains these three pairs:

• Economic or economical: “economic” relates to a country’s trade and industry (“economic growth”), while “economical” means good value for the money spent (“an economical car”).
• Historic or historical: “historic” describes something important enough to be remembered (“a historic occasion”), while “historical” means connected with the past (“historical research”).
• Sensible or sensitive: “sensible” means able to make good judgements (“a sensible decision”), while “sensitive” means easily affected or aware of feelings (“sensitive skin”).

Using the Words Around the Gap

Look at what comes before and after the gap to predict the part of speech before you read the text or hear the recording.

• After “a” or “the”, and any adjective that follows it, you usually need a noun.
• After the infinitive “to” or a modal verb such as “should”, you need the base form of a verb.
• Before a noun, you usually need an adjective.

Try It

Write the correct form of the word in brackets.

1. Many commuters prefer the new metro line because of its ________. (rely)
2. Many coastal communities face serious ________ challenges because of rising sea levels. (environment)
3. The finance minister proposed several measures to ________ on administrative spending. (economy)
4. The new airline wants to keep its tickets ________ priced. (compete)
5. Regular exercise has a ________ effect on mental health. (benefit)
6. Researchers carried out a detailed ________ of the survey results. (analyse)

Key Takeaways

• Many English words have noun, verb, adjective and adverb forms.
• The Writing descriptors mention word formation errors under Lexical Resource.
• Reading completion answers use words taken from the text, so copy the form you read.
• Economic and economical, historic and historical, sensible and sensitive differ in meaning.
• The words around a gap show which part of speech to expect.