One Word Substitution
🔒 Log in to trackGovernment systems, studies and word-craft
🔒 Log in to trackGovernment by whom? The stem always names the ruler — match the ruler to the suffix -cracy or the classical root:
- by the people → democracy; by officials → bureaucracy; by the rich → plutocracy; by the nobles → aristocracy; by God/clergy → theocracy; by one → autocracy/dictatorship; by the mob → mobocracy (or ochlocracy); no government → anarchy; rule by a king/queen → monarchy.
Studies and -graphy words: geography (earth's surface), demography (populations), cartography (maps), calligraphy (beautiful writing), hagiography (saints' lives), etymology (word origins), philology (language history). The stem 'study of ___' names the object; the -ology/-graphy suffix names the family.
Speech and writing words form their own tight set — prologue/epilogue (start/end of a literary work), epitaph (tomb inscription), elegy (mourning poem), eulogy (words of praise for the dead), euphemism (mild substitute for a harsh word), soliloquy (talking to oneself), extempore (unprepared). Two overlapping pairs are the classic traps: elegy vs eulogy (both about the dead: mourning vs praise) and epitaph vs epilogue (tomb vs play's end).
Time and frequency words: century (100 years), decade (10), annual (yearly), biennial (every two years), biannual (twice a year), diurnal (daily/by day), nocturnal (by night). The biannual/biennial pair decides itself: -ennial counts years, -annual counts per year.
That-which-cannot-be set: inevitable, incredible, invisible, inaudible, illegible, incorrigible, inexplicable — all 'in-/il- + verb of perception or action'. The stem names the verb ('read' → illegible), so link each to its verb: believe→incredible, see→invisible, hear→inaudible, read→illegible, avoid→inevitable, correct→incorrigible.
Government words: who rules?
Every government word answers one question: who holds the power? Find the ruler in the stem, then match it.
| Ruled by | Word |
|---|---|
| the people (through elected members) | democracy |
| one person with total power | autocracy / dictatorship |
| a king or queen | monarchy |
| the rich | plutocracy |
| nobles, the upper class | aristocracy |
| a small group | oligarchy |
| officials in government offices | bureaucracy |
| religious leaders, in God's name | theocracy |
| nobody (no government, no law) | anarchy |
Worked example: Government by the wealthy → pluto = wealth → plutocracy.
Speech and writing words
These words about speaking and writing come in confusing pairs.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| elegy | a sad poem mourning the dead |
| eulogy | a speech or writing praising someone (often after death) |
| epitaph | words written on a tomb |
| soliloquy | speaking one's thoughts aloud when alone (as in a play) |
| extempore | spoken without preparation |
| prologue / epilogue | opening part / closing part of a play or book |
| biography / autobiography | life story written by another / by oneself |
| anthology | a collection of poems or stories |
The three 'dead' words: mourning poem → elegy, praise → eulogy, tomb writing → epitaph. Learn them as a set of three.
Time words
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| annual | once a year |
| biannual | twice a year |
| biennial | once in two years |
| perennial | lasting through the years |
| centenary | 100th anniversary |
| decade / century / millennium | 10 / 100 / 1000 years |
| nocturnal | active at night |
| diurnal | active in the daytime |
Memory tip: -ennial counts years (biennial = every 2 years); -annual counts times in a year (biannual = 2 times a year).
'That which cannot be ___' words
These start with in-, il- or im- (meaning 'not'). The verb in the stem gives the answer.
| Cannot be ... | Word |
|---|---|
| read (handwriting) | illegible |
| seen | invisible |
| heard | inaudible |
| believed | incredible |
| avoided | inevitable |
| conquered | invincible |
| corrected or reformed | incorrigible |
| wiped out or removed (a mark) | indelible |
Trap: illegible (cannot be read) vs ineligible (not qualified). They sound alike but mean totally different things.
How to answer
- Decide the type: government, speech/writing, time, or 'cannot be'.
- Find the key word in the stem: 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 ...
Stem: 'Government by ...', 'Rule by ...', or 'A state with no government'.
Underline the ruler (people, rich, officials, God, nobody).
Match to the -cracy or -archy word.
Reject words whose ruler differs.
Why it works: the first part of each word names the ruler.
Government by a small group of powerful people — (a) oligarchy (b) monarchy (c) democracy (d) anarchy
Show solutionHide solution
oligo = few → (a) oligarchy.
Speech and literary words
Stem is about a poem, speech, tomb writing, life story or talking alone.
Decide what the writing does (mourns, praises, marks a tomb, tells a life).
Match: mourns → elegy, praises → eulogy, tomb → epitaph, own life → autobiography, alone → soliloquy.
Double-check the elegy/eulogy pair.
Why it works: the options are usually drawn from this small, confusing set.
A collection of poems by different writers — (a) anthology (b) biography (c) epilogue (d) elegy
Show solutionHide solution
Collection → (a) anthology.
Time and frequency words
Stem mentions how often (every two years, twice a year) or when (at night, 100th anniversary).
Note the exact number and unit.
Apply the rule: -ennial counts years, -annual counts per year.
For day/night use diurnal/nocturnal.
Why it works: the options differ only in the counting, so precise reading wins.
Happening twice a year — (a) biannual (b) biennial (c) annual (d) perennial
Show solutionHide solution
Twice a year → (a) biannual. Biennial is every two years.
'That which cannot be ___' words
Stem: 'That which cannot be read / seen / conquered / corrected'.
Find the verb in the stem.
Recall the in-/il- word built on that verb.
Watch the sound-alike (illegible vs ineligible).
Why it works: each negative word is built on exactly one verb.
That which cannot be heard — (a) inaudible (b) invisible (c) illegible (d) indelible
Show solutionHide solution
Heard → audio → (a) inaudible.
Shortcuts that save time
Underline WHO rules in the stem (people, rich, officials, one, God) and match to democracy/plutocracy/bureaucracy/autocracy/theocracy. The stem hands you the answer's head word.
Chain each 'cannot-be' word to its verb: read→illegible, believe→incredible, see→invisible. Stems always quote the verb.
About the dead: praise → eulogy, mourning-poem → elegy, tomb-writing → epitaph. Three cards, three certain marks.
Mistakes to avoid
Where most students lose marks on this subtopic.
Choosing 'astrology' for a scientific study of stars.
Swapping biannual (twice a year) and biennial (every two years).
Using 'elegy' where praise of the dead is asked (that is 'eulogy').
Confusing anarchy (no government) with autocracy (one ruler).
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 = twice a year; biennial = every two years.
Cannot-be: read → illegible, conquer → invincible, correct → incorrigible, avoid → inevitable.
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.