One Word Substitution
🔒 Log in to trackGovernment systems, studies and word-craft
🔒 Log in to trackThis group holds four word sets: forms of government, speech and writing, time and frequency, and 'that which cannot be ...' words. In each set the stem holds one key detail. Match the detail, then check the look-alike pair.
Government words: who rules?
Every government word answers one question: who holds the power? Find the ruler in the stem and match it.
| Ruled by | Word |
|---|---|
| the people | democracy |
| one person with total power | autocracy |
| a king or queen | monarchy |
| the rich | plutocracy |
| nobles, the upper class | aristocracy |
| a small group | oligarchy |
| paid officials | bureaucracy |
| religious leaders, in God's name | theocracy |
| the mob | mobocracy |
| ability and merit | meritocracy |
| nobody, no government | anarchy |
Example: Government by the wealthy. Pluto means wealth. The word is plutocracy.
Speech and writing words
These come in confusing pairs.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| elegy | a poem of mourning for the dead |
| eulogy | words of praise, often after death |
| epitaph | words written on a tomb |
| soliloquy | speaking one's thoughts aloud when alone |
| extempore | spoken without preparation |
| prologue | the opening of a play or book |
| epilogue | the closing part |
| anthology | a collection of poems or stories |
Tip: Learn the three dead words as a set. Mourning is elegy, praise is eulogy, tomb writing is epitaph.
Time words
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| annual | once a year |
| biannual | twice a year |
| biennial | once in two years |
| perennial | lasting through the years |
| decade, century, millennium | 10, 100, 1000 years |
| nocturnal | active at night |
| diurnal | active by day |
Rule: -ennial counts years, so biennial is every two years. -annual counts times in a year, so biannual is twice a year.
That which cannot be ...
These start with in-, il- or im-, which mean not. The verb in the stem decides.
| Cannot be | Word |
|---|---|
| read | illegible |
| seen | invisible |
| heard | inaudible |
| believed | incredible |
| avoided | inevitable |
| conquered | invincible |
| corrected | incorrigible |
| wiped out | indelible |
Watch: Illegible means cannot be read. Ineligible means not qualified. They sound alike.
Worked examples
- Opening part of a play. Pro- means before. The word is prologue.
- Speaking one's thoughts aloud when alone. The word is soliloquy.
- Active at night. The word is nocturnal. Active by day is diurnal.
- That which cannot be avoided. The word is inevitable.
Read the key word in each stem first. It gives the answer before you look at the options.
How to answer
- Decide the set: government, speech and writing, time, or cannot-be.
- Find the key word: the ruler, the kind of writing, the number of years, or the verb.
- Match it, then check the look-alike pair.
Question types you will see
Each type: how to recognise it, the method step by step, and one question to try.
Government or rule by ...
The phrase says 'government by', 'rule by', or 'a state with no government'.
Underline the ruler.
Match the ruler to the word in the table.
Check the suffix -cracy or -archy.
The ruler decides the word.
Government by the wealthy: (a) aristocracy (b) plutocracy (c) democracy (d) oligarchy
Show solutionHide solution
The ruler is the wealthy.
Aristocracy is nobles and democracy is the people.
Wealth is pluto, so plutocracy.
(b) plutocracy
Speech and literary words
The phrase is about a poem, a speech, tomb writing, a life story or talking alone.
Underline the kind of writing or speech.
Sort: mourning, praise or tomb.
Pick the word for that job.
Overlapping pairs make this set easy to mix up.
A speech or writing that praises someone: (a) elegy (b) eulogy (c) epitaph (d) epilogue
Show solutionHide solution
The key idea is praise.
Elegy is mourning. Epitaph is on a tomb.
Eulogy is praise.
(b) eulogy
Time and frequency words
The phrase gives how often (every two years, twice a year) or when (at night).
Underline the count or the time.
Use -ennial for years and -annual for times a year.
Pick the matching word.
The word part shows what is counted.
Once in two years: (a) annual (b) biannual (c) biennial (d) perennial
Show solutionHide solution
Every two years is a count of years.
Biannual is twice a year.
Biennial is once in two years.
(c) biennial
That which cannot be ...
The phrase says 'that which cannot be read, seen, heard, conquered or corrected'.
Underline the verb.
Recall the in- word for it.
Check sound-alike pairs.
The verb in the stem gives the word.
That which cannot be read: (a) illegible (b) ineligible (c) inaudible (d) invisible
Show solutionHide solution
The verb is read.
Inaudible is not heard and invisible is not seen.
Ineligible sounds alike but means not qualified.
(a) illegible
Small-group and no-government rule
The phrase names a few rulers or no ruler at all.
Underline how many rule: few or none.
Match: a small group is oligarchy, none is anarchy.
Reject monarchy and autocracy.
The number of rulers is the whole clue.
Rule by a small group of people: (a) anarchy (b) oligarchy (c) monarchy (d) theocracy
Show solutionHide solution
The ruler is a small group.
Anarchy is no government.
Monarchy is one king or queen.
(b) oligarchy
Shortcuts that save time
Circle the ruler in the stem before the options. It gives the word.
Government by officials: (a) bureaucracy (b) theocracy (c) anarchy (d) monarchy
Show solutionHide solution
The ruler is paid officials.
Theocracy is priests and monarchy is a king.
Bureaucracy.
(a) bureaucracy
Learn elegy, eulogy and epitaph as one set. One question can ask any of them.
Pair each cannot-be word with its verb: read illegible, see invisible, hear inaudible.
Mistakes to avoid
Where most students lose marks on this subtopic.
Mixing elegy, eulogy and epitaph.
Mourning poem is elegy. Praise is eulogy. Tomb writing is epitaph.
Confusing biannual and biennial.
Biannual is twice a year. Biennial is once in two years.
Choosing ineligible for 'cannot be read'.
Cannot be read is illegible. Ineligible is not qualified.
Using anarchy for a small ruling group.
Anarchy is no government. A small group is oligarchy.
Learning government words without the ruler.
Learn each word with its ruler: rich, nobles, people, officials.
Quick revision
Read this the night before the exam.
Ruler decides: people democracy, rich plutocracy, officials bureaucracy, God theocracy, none anarchy.
Dead words: elegy mourning, eulogy praise, epitaph tomb.
Biannual is twice a year. Biennial is every two years.
Cannot-be: read illegible, conquer invincible, correct incorrigible, avoid inevitable.
Nocturnal is by night. Diurnal is by day.
Practice: 12 questions
Sets of 10, mixed across the question types above. Every answer has a step-by-step explanation.
Topic test · 12 questions
Suggested time 5 min · wrong answers go to your mistake notebook automatically.