This advanced English vocabulary quiz tests meaning, collocation and register through twenty short contexts. You will need to distinguish words that look similar, choose natural word combinations and notice how a writer expresses certainty. It is a practice activity, not a validated CEFR assessment or a substitute for testing speaking, listening, reading and writing.
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How to take the quiz
Choose the best answer for each sentence before looking at the explanations. Give yourself one point for each correct answer, and note any item you answered by guessing. All the examples provide enough context for one intended answer; use the whole sentence rather than choosing the most impressive-looking word.
Questions 1–5: precise meanings
- The new evidence may ______ her account; it independently supports the same sequence of events.
A. contradict B. conceal C. corroborate D. distort - The instructions were ______: either of two interpretations seemed possible.
A. ambiguous B. explicit C. redundant D. unanimous - The committee called the proposal ______ because it could be carried out with the staff and budget available.
A. obsolete B. incidental C. reluctant D. feasible - These safeguards cannot remove every risk, but they can ______ its impact.
A. exacerbate B. mitigate C. imitate D. overlook - The information is ______ to the investigation because it concerns an unrelated event.
A. indispensable B. irrelevant C. pertinent D. conclusive
Questions 6–10: natural collocations
- The report ______ serious doubts about the reliability of the figures.
A. builds B. lifts C. grows D. raises - Before approving the policy, the council will ______ a thorough review.
A. conduct B. manufacture C. compose D. deliver - The team worked for hours but could not ______ a consensus.
A. catch B. perform C. reach D. win - The new rule could have ______ consequences, affecting schools across the country for years.
A. far-fetched B. short-lived C. half-hearted D. far-reaching - The witness gave a ______ account, carefully including even small details.
A. hasty B. meticulous C. vague D. casual
Questions 11–15: register and word choice
- In a formal notice, which phrase best replaces “put off the meeting”?
A. Postpone the meeting B. Settle the meeting C. Withhold the meeting D. Prevent the meeting - The findings are ______: the researchers have published them for discussion but may revise them after further testing.
A. definitive B. irrevocable C. provisional D. unanimous - The manager asked staff to be ______ about the confidential discussion and avoid revealing it to others.
A. discrete B. distinct C. discreet D. distant - The contract contains a ______ that payments must arrive within thirty days.
A. stipulation B. prediction C. speculation D. reputation - The scientist remained ______ about the claim and wanted stronger evidence before accepting it.
A. indifferent B. sceptical C. nostalgic D. resentful
Questions 16–20: inference and nuance
- The speaker’s answer was ______: she avoided the question instead of addressing it directly.
A. candid B. exhaustive C. forthright D. evasive - The two accounts are ______: both cannot be true because they place the same person in different cities at the same time.
A. complementary B. incompatible C. equivalent D. interchangeable - The benefit was ______; it disappeared within a few hours.
A. enduring B. cumulative C. transient D. permanent - Her criticism was ______: it identified a specific problem and suggested a practical improvement.
A. arbitrary B. hostile C. indiscriminate D. constructive - The evidence is ______, so we cannot draw a firm conclusion yet.
A. inconclusive B. decisive C. compelling D. definitive
Answers with explanations
| Question | Answer | Why it fits |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | C. corroborate | To corroborate an account is to support it with additional evidence. Contradict would mean oppose it. |
| 2 | A. ambiguous | Two plausible interpretations make the wording ambiguous. Explicit wording would be clear. |
| 3 | D. feasible | Feasible means possible and practical in the circumstances. Obsolete means no longer useful or current. |
| 4 | B. mitigate | Mitigate means reduce severity. Exacerbate means make a problem worse. |
| 5 | B. irrelevant | The unrelated event does not bear on this investigation. Pertinent would mean relevant. |
| 6 | D. raises | Raise doubts is the natural combination. Lift and grow do not fit this expression. |
| 7 | A. conduct | Conduct a review means carry out an examination. Compose is normally used for creating writing or music. |
| 8 | C. reach | Reach a consensus means arrive at a shared agreement. |
| 9 | D. far-reaching | The context describes broad, lasting effects. Far-fetched means unlikely or difficult to believe. |
| 10 | B. meticulous | The account pays close attention to detail. Hasty implies insufficient care because of speed. |
| 11 | A. Postpone the meeting | Postpone preserves the meaning of move to a later time. Prevent would mean stop it from happening. |
| 12 | C. provisional | A provisional finding is subject to later confirmation or revision. Definitive signals a settled conclusion. |
| 13 | C. discreet | Discreet means careful about revealing information. Discrete means separate or distinct. |
| 14 | A. stipulation | A stipulation is a stated condition or requirement. |
| 15 | B. sceptical | She doubts the claim’s truth. Indifferent would mean not interested or concerned. |
| 16 | D. evasive | An evasive response avoids giving the requested information. Candid and forthright suggest openness. |
| 17 | B. incompatible | The two accounts cannot be reconciled in the situation described. |
| 18 | C. transient | Transient means lasting a short time. Cumulative means increasing through successive additions. |
| 19 | D. constructive | Constructive criticism helps improve something rather than simply expressing dislike. |
| 20 | A. inconclusive | The evidence does not settle the question. Compelling or decisive evidence would support a firmer judgment. |
Turn your result into useful practice
Your total shows how many of these particular items you answered correctly; it cannot establish your English level. Look at the pattern of mistakes instead. If questions 6–10 were difficult, practise complete collocations such as “raise doubts” and “reach a consensus,” rather than studying the verbs alone.
Choose three missed words and write a new sentence for each. Then write a contrast sentence using its near-opposite: “The findings are provisional” versus “The findings are definitive.” Explain what extra evidence or context would make each sentence appropriate.
Useful distinctions to remember
Ambiguous concerns possible meanings; inconclusive concerns whether evidence settles a question. A clear report can still contain inconclusive results. Likewise, a feasible plan is practical, while a constructive comment is helpful: the adjectives describe different qualities.
Use a learner’s dictionary to check meaning, pronunciation and usage labels. The Cambridge entries for discreet, discrete and provisional are useful starting points. Return to the quiz after practising your own examples and see whether you can explain the choices without relying on the answer letters.
