FCE word formation practice: Repair cafés
This is a free FCE word formation practice set: an original text with eight gaps, each with a word in capitals that you must change to fit. It is part of our FCE practice collection, and it works best after reading our Part 3 word formation guide.
By Eleanor BennettLast updated:
Before you start
Part 3 tests whether you can build the right form of a word: noun, adjective, adverb or verb, positive or negative, singular or plural. Try to finish in about ten minutes, because the Reading and Use of English paper has one time limit for all seven parts, so it helps to know how long each part takes you.
- Decide what kind of word the gap needs before you change anything. An article before the gap usually means a noun; a verb before it often means an adverb.
- Read the whole sentence to check whether the meaning should be negative.
- Check whether a noun needs to be plural.
Practice · Reading & Use of English Part 3
Word formation 1: Repair cafés
Instructions: Read the text below. Use the word given in capitals to form a word that fits each gap (1–8). Check whether you need a noun, adjective, adverb or verb, and whether the meaning should be negative or plural. There is an example at the beginning (0): POPULAR → popularity.
### Fix it, don't throw it away
Repair cafés have grown enormously in (0) popularity ____ over the last ten years. The idea is simple: once a month, people bring their broken household items to a local hall, where (1)ENTHUSIAST ____ with practical skills try to fix them. Everything from lamps to bicycles can be mended, and there is no (2)OBLIGE ____ to pay, although most visitors are happy to leave a small donation.
For many people, the best part is not the repair itself but the chance to learn. Instead of simply handing over a (3)BREAK ____ toaster and waiting, visitors are encouraged to sit beside the expert and watch. Organisers see the events as (4)EDUCATE ____ as well as practical, and there is real (5)SATISFY ____ in bringing an old object back to life.
The volunteers often complain that modern products are (6)DELIBERATE ____ designed to be difficult to open, which forces customers to buy a (7)REPLACE ____ instead. They believe this is both wasteful and (8)RESPONSIBLE ____ at a time when the planet's resources are under so much pressure.
After you finish
Most mistakes in Part 3 come from three things: the wrong word class, a missing negative prefix, or spelling. Look at which one caught you.
Learn word families, not single words. Our FCE word formation list groups common words by family, and the word formation trainer helps you review them.
Questions about this practice set
Does spelling matter in word formation?
Yes. The answer must be spelled correctly to get the mark, so watch out for changes such as satisfy → satisfaction.
Can the answer be the same as the word in capitals?
In the exam the word almost always has to change. If you think it doesn't, read the sentence again and check whether a plural, a prefix or a different word class is needed.