FCE (First Certificate)
Word Formation: Nouns with -ion
One of the most common ways to change a verb to a noun is with -ion (e.g. act to action) and -ation (e.g. observe to observation). Sometimes we also change the verb stem as well when we make the noun like this (e.g. explain to explanation). The table below shows common nouns in which the spelling of the stem also changes.
Look at the information in the table for 1-2 minutes and try to remember the words. Then click below to hide the information and try to answer the questions at the bottom.
| Noun | Verb | Adjective |
|---|---|---|
| application | apply | applicable |
| permission | permit | permissable |
| solution | solve | unsolved |
| description | describe | descriptive |
| intention | intend | unintended |
| competition | compete | competitive |
| decision | decide | decisive |
| explanation | explain | unexplained |
| production | produce | productive |
| repetition | repeat | repetitive |
| consumption | comsume | consumable |
| qualification | qualify | qualified |
Click here to show/hide this information
Write the correct form of the word in brackets to complete these sentences. Some of the answers are irregular (from the table above), but there are other regular nouns included here. Don't forget to use an -s if necessary.