Where the Letters Change
Follow each family up its branches and watch which letters move.
Click to zoom
The larger letters are the ones that change. Everything else stays put.
Words like succeed, achieve and able change their spelling as well as their ending. Learn where the letters move, and stop writing succesful and achievment.
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Six words that cost marks more often than any others.
These families do not just change ending. Some change shape entirely.
Up to now the families have been fairly obedient. Important becomes importance. Danger becomes dangerous. You add an ending and the stem stays where it is.
This group does not behave.
succeed → success (loses a letter)
able → ability (changes almost completely)
prepare → preparation (the E moves)
So you now have two decisions to make instead of one:
Get the first right and the second wrong and you still lose the mark. The examiner does not award half credit for succesful.
Follow each family up its branches and watch which letters move.
The larger letters are the ones that change. Everything else stays put.
Twenty words. Ten are real English. Ten are words learners build by accident.
Sort each item into the correct category
Three decisions in three steps: name the slot, build the form, check the letters.
Chain 1
Sentence: Her ______ in business surprised everyone.
Family: succeed / success / successful
Step 1 — the word before the gap is "her", so the slot needs:
Step 2 — the word is:
Step 3 — what changed from the verb:
Chain 2
Sentence: He was ______ to attend the meeting.
Family: able / ability / unable
Step 1 — the words before the gap are "was", so the slot needs:
Step 2 — but the meaning is negative, so the word is:
Step 3 — the negative prefix here is:
Chain 3
Sentence: Good exam ______ takes months, not days.
Family: prepare / preparation / prepared
Step 1 — nothing follows the gap but a verb, so the slot needs:
Step 2 — the word is:
Step 3 — the letter learners get wrong here:
Eight sentences. Right form, wrong spelling still counts as wrong here.
Her ______ in the competition surprised her teachers. (succeed)
Finishing the course was his greatest ______. (achieve)
She has a remarkable ______ to explain difficult ideas simply. (able)
He was ______ to finish the exam in the time allowed. (able — negative)
The workload became ______ once they hired two more staff. (manage)
Exam ______ should begin at least three months in advance. (prepare)
She answered every question ______. (confident)
The team argued their case ______ and won the contract. (succeed)