Academic word list 1 & 2

Read or download the sublists 1 & 2 from the academic word list. If you are unsure of the meaning of any of the words, look them up in a dictionary and find examples of how they can be used in academic writing.

Different activities focus on:

word meaning
grammatical word form
collocation (words that typically pair with the target word)
spelling

Most common form	Other words in the family
analysis	analyse, analysed, analyser, analysers, analyses, analysing, analyst, analysts, analytic, analytical, analytically
approach	approachable, approached, approaches, approaching, unapproachable
area	areas
assessment	assess, assessable, assessed, assesses, assessing, assessments, reassess, reassessed, reassessing, reassessment, unassessed
assume	assumed, assumes, assuming, assumption, assumptions
authority	authoritative, authorities
available	availability, unavailable
benefit	beneficial, beneficiary, beneficiaries, benefited, benefiting, benefits
concept	conception, concepts, conceptual, conceptualisation, conceptualise, conceptualised, conceptualises, conceptualising, conceptually
consistent	consist, consisted, consistency, consistently, consisting, consists, inconsistencies, inconsistency, inconsistent
constitutional	constituencies, constituency, constituent, constituents, constitute, constituted, constitutes, constituting, constitution, constitutions, constitutionally, constitutive, unconstitutional
context	contexts, contextual, contextualise, contextualised, contextualising decontextualised, uncontextualised
contract	contracted, contracting, contractor, contractors, contracts
create	created, creates, creating, creation, creations, creative, creatively, creativity, creator, creators, recreate, recreated, recreates, recreating
data	-
definition	definable, define, defined, defines, defining, definitions, redefine, redefined, redefines, redefining, undefined
derived	derivation, derivations, derivative, derivatives, derive, derives, deriving
distribution	distribute, distributed, distributing, distributional, distributions, distributive, distributor, distributors, redistribute, redistributed, redistributes, redistributing, redistribution
economic	economical, economically, economics, economies, economist, economists, economy, uneconomical
environment	environmental, environmentalist, environmentalists, environmentally, environments
established	disestablish, disestablished, disestablishes, disestablishing, disestablishment, establish, establishes, establishing, establishment, establishments
estimate	estimated, estimates, estimating, estimation, estimations, over-estimate, overestimate, overestimated, overestimates, overestimating, underestimate, underestimated, underestimates, underestimating
evidence	evidenced, evident, evidential, evidently
export	exported, exporter, exporters, exporting, exports
factors	factor, factored, factoring
financial	finance, financed, finances, financially, financier, financiers, financing
formula	formulae, formulas, formulate, formulated, formulating, formulation, formulations, reformulate, reformulated, reformulating, reformulation, reformulations
function	functional, functionally, functioned, functioning, functions
identified	identifiable, identification, identifies, identify, identifying, identities, identity, unidentifiable
income	incomes
indicate	indicated, indicates, indicating, indication, indications, indicative, indicator, indicators
individual	individualised, individuality, individualism, individualist, individualists, individualistic, individually, individuals
interpretation	interpret, interpretations, interpretative, interpreted, interpreting, interpretive, interprets misinterpret, misinterpretation, misinterpretations, misinterpreted, misinterpreting, misinterprets, reinterpret, reinterpreted, reinterprets, reinterpreting, reinterpretation, reinterpretations
involved	involve, involvement, involves, involving, uninvolved
issues	issue, issued, issuing
labour	laboured, labouring, labours
legal	illegal, illegality, illegally, legality, legally
legislation	legislate, legislated, legislates, legislating, legislative, legislator, legislators, legislature
major	majorities, majority
method	methodical, methodological, methodologies, methodology, methods
occur	occurred, occurrence, occurrences, occurring, occurs reoccur, reoccurred, reoccurring, reoccurs
percent	per cent, percentage, percentages
period	periodic, periodical, periodically, periodicals, periods
policy	policies
principle	principled, principles, unprincipled
procedure	procedural, procedures, proceed, proceeded, proceeding, proceedings, proceeds
process	processed, processes, processing
required	require, requirement, requirements, requires, requiring
research	researched, researcher, researchers, researches, researching
response	respond, responded, respondent, respondents, responding, responds, responses, responsive, responsiveness, unresponsive
role	roles
section	sectioned, sectioning, sections
sector	sectors
significant	insignificant, insignificantly, significance, significantly, signified, signifies, signify, signifying
similar	dissimilar, similarities, similarity, similarly
source	sourced, sources, sourcing
specific	specifically, specification, specifications, specificity, specifics
structure	restructure, restructured, restructures, restructuring, structural, structurally, structured, structures, structuring, unstructured
theory	theoretical, theoretically, theories, theorist, theorists
variables	invariable, invariably, variability, variable, variably, variance, variant, variants, variation, variations, varied, varies, vary, varying

Most common form	Other words in the family
achieve	achievable, achieved, achievement, achievements, achieves, achieving
acquisition	acquire, acquired, acquires, acquiring, acquisitions
administration	administrate, administratesadministrations, administrative, administratively, administrator, administrators
affect	affected, affecting, affective, affectively, affects, unaffected
appropriate	appropriacy, appropriately, appropriateness, inappropriacy, inappropriate, inappropriately
aspects	aspect
assistance	assistassistant, assistants, assisted, assisting, assists, unassisted
categories	category, categorisation, categorise, categorised, categorises, categorising, categorizing
chapter	chapters
commission	commissioned, commissioner, commissioners, commissioning, commissions
community	communities
complex	complexities, complexity
computer	compute, computation, computational, computations, computable, computed, computerised, computers, computing
conclusion	conclude, concluded, concludes, concluding, conclusions, conclusive, conclusively inconclusive, inconclusively
conduct	conducted, conducting, conducts
consequences	consequent, consequence, consequently
construction	construct, constructed, constructing, constructions, constructive, constructs reconstruct, reconstructed, reconstructing, reconstruction, reconstructs
consumer	consume, consumedconsumers, consumes, consuming, consumption
credit	credited, crediting, creditor, creditors, credits
cultural	cultureculturally, cultured, cultures, uncultured
design	designed, designer, designers, designing, designs
distinction	distinct, distinctions, distinctive, distinctively, distinctly, indistinct, indistinctly
elements	element
equation	equate, equated, equates, equating, equations
evaluation	evaluate, evaluated, evaluates, evaluating, evaluations, evaluative, re-evaluate, re-evaluated, re-evaluates, re-evaluating, re-evaluation
features	feature, featuredfeaturing
final	finalise, finalised, finalises, finalising, finality, finally, finals
focus	focused, focuses, focusing, refocus, refocused, refocuses, refocusing
impact	impacted, impacting, impacts
injury	injure, injured, injures, injuries, injuring, uninjured
institute	instituted, institutes, instituting, institution, institutional, institutionalise, institutionalised, institutionalises, institutionalising, institutionally, institutions
investment	invest, invested, investing, investments, investor, investors, invests reinvest, reinvested, reinvesting, reinvestment, reinvests
items	item, itemisation, itemise, itemised, itemises, itemising
journal	journals
maintenance	maintain, maintained, maintaining, maintains,
normal	normalisation, normalise, normalised, normalises, normalising, normality, normally abnormal, abnormally,
obtained	obtain, obtainable, obtaining, obtains, unobtainable
participation	participate, participant, participants, participated, participates, participating, participatory
perceived	perceive, perceives, perceiving, perception, perceptions
positive	positively
potential	potentially
previous	previously
primary	primarily
purchase	purchased, purchaser, purchasers, purchases, purchasing
range	ranged, ranges, ranging
region	regional, regionally, regions
regulations	regulate, , regulated, regulates, regulating, regulation, regulator, regulators, regulatory, deregulated, deregulates, deregulating, deregulation, unregulated
relevant	irrelevance, irrelevant, relevance
resident	reside, resided, residence, residential, residents, resides, residing
resources	resource, resourced, resourceful, resourcing unresourceful, under-resourced
restricted	restrict, restricting, restriction, restrictions, restrictive, restrictively, restricts, unrestricted, unrestrictive
security	secure, insecure, insecurities, insecurity, secured, securely, secures, securing, securities
sought	seek, seeking, seeks
select	selected, selecting, selection, selections, selective, selectively, selector, selectors, selects
site	sites
strategies	strategy, strategic, strategically, strategist, strategists
survey	surveyed, surveying, surveys
text	texts, textual
traditional	tradition, non-traditional, traditionalist, traditionally, traditions
transfer	transferable, transference, transferred, transferring, transfers

Activities

Now try the activities which will help you become familiar with the words and expand your vocabulary.

Questions

relating to money
relating to the law
relating to the natural world
a means of evaluating a student's knowledge or skills
a written, or audio/visual work
a section of a book
not changing or contradicting
necessary, needed
a research result which is unlikely to have happened by chance or coincidence
a number used to express a proportion
information, especially figures, used for analysis
a mathematical formula
an academic or specialist magazine or periodical
a series of questions used to collect information from people on a topic
a recognised expert
a group of people connected by a shared locality, ethnicity, or special interest
a single person or thing
an organisation or unit that carries out work
the money you receive from employment or business transactions
the ability to buy goods and pay for them later
an amount of money you put into a bank or business for the purpose of making profit
to believe something is fact without actual proof
to make an informed guess about the approximate amount of something
to bring something into existence
a length of time
a geographical area
a field of activity in the economy
to investigate something and make a judgement about its value
to cause a change
to plan the form and function of something
an agreed and established way of doing something
symbols and numbers which express a mathematical rule or chemical compound
the significant parts of something
not simple
an idea or theory
the wider situation relating to an idea or event
first or most important
particular, precise, definite
last
a process of investigating something by dividing it into smaller parts
an idea or explanation which hasn't been proven
information which helps support an explanation or argument
to investigate and discover information
to have a positive effect
to help
the way of doing something
elements of a particular situation which are changeable
the action or purpose of something
a general truth or fixed rule
circumstances or facts which influence something
official rules which control how we do things
collections of things which share common features
different ways of looking at or thinking about something
a series of steps or actions taken to do or make something
got
looked for
bought
guidelines for action agreed upon by a business, institution or government
laws
problems or difficulties

Answers

financial
legal
environmental
assessment
text
chapter
consistent
required
significant
percent
data
equation
journal
survey
authority
community
individual
institute
income
credit
investment
assume
estimate
create
period
region
sector
evaluate
affect
design
procedure
formula
features
complex
concept
context
primary
specific
final
analysis
theory
evidence
research
benefit
assist
method
variables
function
principle
factors
regulations
categories
aspects
process
obtained
sought
purchased
policy
legislation
issues

Activity 1

Identify the correct word forms. Choose the correct noun, verb or adjective from the options inside the square brackets.

Word 1

Noun: distribution
Verb: [distribute, distributional, distributor]
Adjective: [distribution, distributional, distributor]

Answers:

Noun: distribution
Verb: [distribute]
Adjective: [distributional]

Word 2

Noun: Interpretation
Verb: [misinterpretation, interpret, interpretive]
Adjective: [misinterpretation, interpret, interpretive]

Answers:

Noun: Interpretation
Verb: [interpret]
Adjective: [interpretive]

Word 3

Noun: [conclusion, concludes, conclusive]
Verb: conclude
Adjective: [conclusion, conclusive conclusively]

Answers:

Noun: [conclusion]
Verb: conclude
Adjective: [conclusive]

Word 4

Noun: [selection, select, selective]
Verb: select
Adjective: [selective, selector, selectively]

Answers:

Noun: [selection]
Verb: select
Adjective: [selective]

Word 5

Noun: [correspondence, corresponded, correspondingly]
Verb: correspond
Adjective: [correspondence, correspondingly, corresponding]

Answers:

Noun: [correspondence]
Verb: correspond
Adjective: [corresponding]

Word 6

Noun: [computable, computer, computational]
Verb: [compute, computation, computable]
Adjective: computerised

Answers:

Noun: [computer]
Verb: [compute]
Adjective: computerised

Activity 2

Complete the following sentences by identifying the correct word form. Choose the correct noun, verb or adjective from the options inside the square brackets.

1. For example, there has been a slow uptake of the use of degradable plastic bags [derived, derive, derivative] from plants such as corn.

Answer: derived

2. This assignment requires a methodical [approaching, approachable, approach].

Answer: approach

3. Opportunities for [export, exporter, exported] to Asia will also be discussed in light of the new trade agreements.

Answer: export

4. The [contract, contractor, contracted] between the two companies was shown to be unlawful.

Answer: contract

5. Many experts predict that the full [economical, economy, economic] impact will not be felt for at least a year.

Answer: economic

Choose the best word in each sentence from the options inside the square brackets.

1. Researchers have described three [major/appropriate] effects on the development of brain function.

Answer: major

2. Seminar sessions led by the course coordinator will [achieve/occur] several times over the eleven-week program.

Answer: occur

3. Indeed, the [role/range] of the father within the family unit has undergone considerable change since the early twentieth century.

Answer: role

4. These learning activities are designed to enable the [injuries/acquisition] of knowledge and practical skills.

Answer: acquisition
1. Researchers have described three [major/appropriate] effects on the development of brain function.

Answer: major

2. Seminar sessions led by the course coordinator will [achieve/occur] several times over the eleven-week program.

Answer: occur

3. Indeed, the [role/range] of the father within the family unit has undergone considerable change since the early twentieth century.

Answer: role

4. These learning activities are designed to enable the [injuries/acquisition] of knowledge and practical skills.

Answer: acquisition

Guess the word that matches the list of synonyms. The number of letters is given as a clue.

1. Synonyms: agreement, commitment, arrangement, settlement

Hint: 8 letters

Answer: contract

2. Synonyms: idea, notion, conception, abstraction
Hint: 7 letters

Answer: concept

Choose the best word in each sentence from the options inside the square brackets.

1.Ensure the evidence was [obtaining, obtain, obtained] lawfully, as any suspected failure to follow regulations may endanger the prosecution’s case.

Answer: obtained

2. Of the many [issues, aspects] facing young people today, the social pressure to conform to a ‘perfect’ body type is among the most difficult.

Answer: issues

3. How much a child allows peer pressure to [transfer, affect] his or her decision-making process depends largely on family background and education.

Answer: affect

4. The [conceptual, concept, conceptualise] for the project was conceived during the riots, as a response to prevailing attitudes towards those involved in the unrest.

Answer: concept

5. It is anticipated that the results will be [consistent, restricted] with Langham (2007), indicating a cyclical pattern of behaviour in this species.

Answer: consistent

6. The [majority, majorities, major] obstacle to a change of policy is the belief that companies should be free to set executive pay levels.

Answer: major

7. Understanding the [potential, available] pitfalls of the restaurant industry and how to avoid them will help to ensure your venture’s success.

Answer: potential

8. The text “Aspects of War: representations of conflict in contemporary American cinema” is [requiring, required, requirement] reading for this course.

Answer: required

9. The first stage of the plan is to [estimation, estimate, estimated] the likely flood peak, using the available water catchment figures.

Answer: estimate

10. Many physicists [sought, occurred] to explain the atom, but it was Bohr’s concept of electrons that paved the way for quantum physics as we know it today

Answer: sought

11. Viewed in the [contextualise, contextual, context] of the anxiety of post-WW2 Europe, it is easy to see why authorities decided the film was too frightening for audiences.

Answer: context

12. The potential risk of an investment can be [evaluated, evaluation, evaluating] using several methods.

Answer: evaluated

13. The project is a [formula, response] to Dunbar’s number, the theory that there are a finite number of meaningful relationships that a person can maintain.

Answer: response

14.The most impressive of the new technology’s [features, credits] is its ability to allow real-time audience interaction with a live broadcast.

Answer: features

15. This course focuses not only on the theory of urban design, but also on students’ [acquiring, acquisition, acquires] of practical skills in CAD and project management.

Answer: acquisition

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Academic word list 1 & 2