B2 First: use of English part 3 (word formation with -ent and -ant)
Two common noun endings are -ance and -ence. Usually, their adjectives are made with -ant and -ent. Here are some common examples which might help you in the B2 First exam.
Look at the information in the tables for a few minutes and try to remember the words. Then click below to hide the information and try to answer the questions at the bottom.
| Noun (-ence) | Adjective | Verb |
|---|---|---|
| evidence | evident | - |
| existence | existing | to exist |
| (in)dependence | (in)dependent | to depend |
| difference | different | to differ |
| intelligence | intelligent | - |
| (dis)obedience | (dis)obedient | to (dis)obey |
| excellence | excellent | to excel |
| silence | silent | to silence |
| violence | violent | to violate |
| innocence | innocent | - |
| occurrence | - | to occur |
| (im)patience | (im)patient | - |
| Noun (-ance) | Adjective | Verb |
|---|---|---|
| attendance attendant (person) |
- | to attend |
| assistance assistant (person) |
- | to assist |
| (dis)appearance | apparent | to (dis)appear |
| distance | distant | - |
| (un)importance | (un)important | - |
| acceptance | accepting | accept |
| reassurance | reassured | to reassure |
| (ir)relevance | (ir)relevant | - |
| (in)significance | (in)significant | to signify |
Note: I have only given the more common word forms here. There are other forms but these are much less common (for example, it is possible to use "evidence something" as a verb).
Practice 1: word formation (use of English part 3)
Write the correct form of the word in brackets to complete these sentences. The answer could be a noun or an adjective. Don't forget to use an -s or a negative prefix if necessary.