English Grammar & Writing Vocabulary & Word Usage Syllabus

Vocabulary & Word Usage syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Vocabulary & Word Usage in English Grammar & Writing, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Word Formation

   3 topics

   • Roots, Prefixes, and Suffixes
   • Compound Words
   • Derivation and Inflection
2. 2

   Word Relationships

   3 topics

   • Synonyms and Antonyms
   • Homonyms, Homophones, and Homographs
   • Analogies
3. 3

   Context and Meaning

   3 topics

   • Using Context Clues
   • Connotation and Denotation
   • Denotative Precision
4. 4

   Idioms and Figurative Language

   3 topics

   • Common Idioms
   • Collocations
   • Figures of Speech
5. 5

   Register and Diction

   4 topics

   • Formal and Informal Language
   • Jargon, Slang, and Colloquialisms
   • Wordiness and Redundancy
   • Precise Word Choice

Vocabulary & Word Usage flashcards for English Grammar & Writing

20 of 50 cards from the Vocabulary & Word Usage deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What is a root (or base) in word formation, and why is it important for vocabulary building?

   A root is the core part of a word that carries its central meaning and to which prefixes and suffixes attach (e.g., 'spect' meaning 'to look' in inspect, spectator). Knowing roots lets you infer the meaning of unfamiliar words.

2. Define a prefix and give an example of how it changes meaning.

   A prefix is an affix added to the beginning of a root to modify its meaning. Example: 'un-' (meaning 'not') added to 'happy' gives 'unhappy,' reversing the meaning.

3. Define a suffix and explain the two main things it can change.

   A suffix is an affix added to the end of a root. It can change a word's meaning and/or its part of speech. Example: adding '-ness' to the adjective 'happy' creates the noun 'happiness.'

4. Give the meanings of the roots 'bio,' 'graph,' and 'chrono.'

   'Bio' means life (biology), 'graph' means to write or draw (autograph), and 'chrono' means time (chronology).

5. What do the prefixes 'pre-,' 'post-,' and 'anti-' each mean?

   'Pre-' means before (preview), 'post-' means after (postwar), and 'anti-' means against or opposite (antifreeze).

6. What part of speech do the suffixes '-tion/-ness,' '-ful/-ous,' and '-ly' typically create?

   '-tion' and '-ness' create nouns (action, kindness); '-ful' and '-ous' create adjectives (hopeful, dangerous); '-ly' typically creates adverbs (quickly).

7. What is a compound word, and what are its three written forms?

   A compound word is a single word made by combining two or more words. The three forms are closed (notebook), hyphenated (mother-in-law), and open/spaced (ice cream).

8. Distinguish an endocentric compound from an exocentric compound.

   An endocentric compound's meaning is derivable from its parts, with one element as the head (a 'blackboard' is a kind of board). An exocentric compound's meaning is not the sum of its parts (a 'redhead' is a person, not a head).

9. What is the difference between derivation and inflection?

   Derivation creates a new word, often changing its part of speech (teach → teacher). Inflection modifies a word's form for grammatical features like tense, number, or case without creating a new word (walk → walked; cat → cats).

10. Name the main grammatical categories that English inflectional morphology marks.

    Tense/aspect (-ed, -ing), number and possession on nouns (-s, -'s), person on verbs (-s), and comparative/superlative on adjectives (-er, -est). English has only about eight inflectional suffixes.

11. What is the difference between a derivational affix and an inflectional affix in terms of position?

    In English, inflectional suffixes come last (outermost), while derivational affixes come closer to the root. Example: in 'organizers,' '-ize' and '-er' are derivational and the final '-s' (plural) is inflectional.

12. Define synonyms and antonyms, and note why 'perfect' synonyms are rare.

    Synonyms are words with similar meanings (big/large); antonyms are words with opposite meanings (hot/cold). Perfect synonyms are rare because words usually differ in connotation, register, or usage.

13. Name the three main types of antonyms with an example of each.

    Gradable antonyms (hot/cold — degrees exist), complementary/binary antonyms (alive/dead — no middle ground), and relational/converse antonyms (buy/sell, teacher/student).

14. Define homonyms, homophones, and homographs.

    Homonyms are words with the same spelling AND pronunciation but different meanings (bat the animal / bat for hitting). Homophones sound alike but differ in spelling/meaning (to/too/two). Homographs are spelled alike but may differ in pronunciation or meaning (lead the metal / lead a team).

15. Are 'bass' (fish) and 'bass' (low sound) homophones, homographs, or both?

    They are homographs only: spelled the same but pronounced differently (BASS the fish vs. BASE the sound). They are not homophones because they don't sound alike.

16. What is a verbal analogy, and what is the standard notation used to express one?

    A verbal analogy expresses a relationship between two pairs of words that share the same relationship. Standard notation: A : B :: C : D, read 'A is to B as C is to D.'

17. Solve and name the relationship: Puppy : Dog :: Kitten : ?

    The answer is Cat. The relationship is 'young/offspring to adult animal' (age or life-stage relationship).

18. List four common relationship types tested in analogies.

    Synonym (happy:glad), antonym (hot:cold), part-to-whole (finger:hand), and cause-and-effect (fire:smoke). Others include category/type, function, and degree of intensity.

19. What are context clues, and why are they useful?

    Context clues are hints within surrounding text that help a reader infer the meaning of an unfamiliar word without a dictionary.

20. Name four types of context clues.

    Definition/restatement clues (word defined in sentence), synonym clues, antonym/contrast clues, and example/illustration clues. Inference from general context is also used.

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