Verbal Reasoning Quiz - Making Words from Larger Words 1 (Questions)

This is the first quiz in this section on Making Words from Larger Words. So, what exactly will you have to do? Basically, it is a test of your vocabulary – something which is vital if you want to do well in your 11+ Verbal Reasoning exam.

Before you start, arm yourself with a dictionary. You may come across some words which you are unfamiliar with as you go through the questions. If so, look them up, memorise their meanings and – hey presto – you’ve improved your vocabulary.

See if you can find an answer to the questions without looking at the options. That’s the way the questions will be posed if you find them in your exam. Only look at the answers if you really, really have to. Good luck!

Example:
From the word IMPORTANCE, form new words having the following meanings (the number of letters in the words is given by the number of dashes, so you do not have to use all the letters):

Tighten: _ _ _ _ _
Two parts of the eye: _ _ _ _ _ _ AND _ _ _ _ _ _
A form of transport: _ _ _ _ _
Writer of verse: _ _ _ _
Close: _ _ _ _

'Cramp' can be made, and it is a five-letter word meaning ‘tighten’.
Both ‘cornea’ and ‘retina’ are parts of the eye that can be made from the letters.
The form of transport is 'train' (not 'car' as there are five letters in the answer, rather than three).
A writer of verse is a 'poet', and the required letters are all there.
The word meaning ‘close’ (rhymes with ‘dose’, not ‘rose’) is 'near'.

Using the letters from the word ADAPTATION, make a 5-letter word meaning ‘a paved outdoor area’.

[ ]	Piazza
[ ]	Inapt
[ ]	Point
[ ]	Patio

Using the letters from the word VILLAINOUS, make a 5-letter word meaning ‘a type of stringed musical instrument’.

[ ]	Violin
[ ]	Viola
[ ]	Viols
[ ]	Vials

Using the letters from the word KALEIDOSCOPE, make an 8-letter word meaning ‘marked with lots of small spots’.

[ ]	Freckled
[ ]	Specked
[ ]	Speckled
[ ]	Eclipsed

Using the letters from the word PACHYDERM, make a 4-letter word meaning ‘copied or mimicked’.

[ ]	Aped
[ ]	Herd
[ ]	Made
[ ]	Ream

Using the letters from the word EARDRUMS, make a 5-letter word meaning ‘thought or pondered’.

[ ]	Mused
[ ]	Amused
[ ]	Marred
[ ]	Armed

Using the letters from the word QUADRANGLE, make a 4-letter word meaning ‘stick together’.

[ ]	Dual
[ ]	Rule
[ ]	Glue
[ ]	Rend

Using the letters from the word HABITUAL, make a 4-letter word meaning ‘drag’.

[ ]	Halt
[ ]	Haul
[ ]	Lath
[ ]	Bath

Using the letters from the word TABLECLOTH, make a 6-letter word meaning ‘enough to cause death’.

[ ]	Bleach
[ ]	Tablet
[ ]	Cattle
[ ]	Lethal

Using the letters from the word RACECOURSE, make a 6-letter word meaning ‘rare’.

[ ]	Accrue
[ ]	Sparse
[ ]	Accuse
[ ]	Scarce

10.

Using the letters from the word NAGGINGLY, make a 6-letter word meaning ‘graceful’.

[ ]	Gangly
[ ]	Giggly
[ ]	Gainly
[ ]	Niggly

Verbal Reasoning Quiz - Making Words from Larger Words 1 (Answers)

Using the letters from the word ADAPTATION, make a 5-letter word meaning ‘a paved outdoor area’.

[ ]	Piazza
[ ]	Inapt
[ ]	Point
[x]	Patio

Both ‘point’ and ‘inapt’ can be made from the letters, but neither of them mean ‘a paved outdoor area’. ‘Piazza’ does, but that word cannot be formed from the letters. The answer is ‘patio’

Using the letters from the word VILLAINOUS, make a 5-letter word meaning ‘a type of stringed musical instrument’.

[ ]	Violin
[x]	Viola
[ ]	Viols
[ ]	Vials

All four options can be made from the given letters, however, ‘vials’ are not musical instruments. ‘Viols’ are, but that is the plural of ‘viol’ so refers to more than one. ‘Violin’ would work, except that is has 6 letters, rather than 5. The correct answer is ‘viola’

Using the letters from the word KALEIDOSCOPE, make an 8-letter word meaning ‘marked with lots of small spots’.

[ ]	Freckled
[ ]	Specked
[x]	Speckled
[ ]	Eclipsed

‘Eclipsed’ can be formed form the given letters, but it does not mean ‘marked with lots of small spots’. ‘Specked’ and ‘freckled’ do, but ‘specked’ is only 7 letters and ‘freckled’ contains an ‘F’ and an ‘R’ (‘kaleidoscope’ does not). The answer is ‘speckled’

Using the letters from the word PACHYDERM, make a 4-letter word meaning ‘copied or mimicked’.

[x]	Aped
[ ]	Herd
[ ]	Made
[ ]	Ream

All of the four options are 4-letter words which can be made from the given letters, however, only one of them (‘aped’) means ‘copied or mimicked’, so that is the answer

Using the letters from the word EARDRUMS, make a 5-letter word meaning ‘thought or pondered’.

[x]	Mused
[ ]	Amused
[ ]	Marred
[ ]	Armed

Only two of the options are 5-letter words, and only one of the options matches the definition. The answer is ‘mused’

Using the letters from the word QUADRANGLE, make a 4-letter word meaning ‘stick together’.

[ ]	Dual
[ ]	Rule
[x]	Glue
[ ]	Rend

All of the four options are 4-letter words which can be made from the given letters. However, only one of them means ‘stick together’, and that is ‘glue’. ‘Rend’ is an antonym of ‘glue’ (it has an opposite meaning) because it means ‘tear apart’

Using the letters from the word HABITUAL, make a 4-letter word meaning ‘drag’.

[ ]	Halt
[x]	Haul
[ ]	Lath
[ ]	Bath

All four options are genuine 4-letter words which can be made from the given letters. Only ‘haul’ matches the definition though. A ‘lath’ is a thin, flat strip of wood

Using the letters from the word TABLECLOTH, make a 6-letter word meaning ‘enough to cause death’.

[ ]	Bleach
[ ]	Tablet
[ ]	Cattle
[x]	Lethal

Whilst imbibing bleach, taking too many tablets, or being trampled by cattle could cause death, ‘lethal’ is the only one of the options which means ‘enough to cause death’ (think of the phrase ‘a lethal dose’)

Using the letters from the word RACECOURSE, make a 6-letter word meaning ‘rare’.

[ ]	Accrue
[ ]	Sparse
[ ]	Accuse
[x]	Scarce

Both ‘accuse’ and ‘accrue’ are 6-letter words which can be formed from the given letters, but neither of them mean ‘rare’. ‘Sparse’ does mean ‘rare’ but it cannot be formed from the letters in ‘racecourse’. The answer is ‘scarce’

10.

Using the letters from the word NAGGINGLY, make a 6-letter word meaning ‘graceful’.

[ ]	Gangly
[ ]	Giggly
[x]	Gainly
[ ]	Niggly

‘Gainly’ is an old-fashioned word which means ‘graceful or elegant’ (you would see it most often today in the word ‘ungainly’ which means ‘awkward or clumsy’)