Create the Middle Word: Practice Set 2
Create the Middle Word: Practice Set 2 is a second practice round on the WORD ( ) WORD bridging format used in 11+ verbal reasoning, where a single missing word completes the word before the bracket and begins the word after it. This set uses less obvious splits and several options that work in only one of the two positions, so both checks must be carried out in full.
Method
- Read the word before the bracket and think of every word you can that it commonly joins with to form a longer word.
- Test each of those candidate words in front of the word after the bracket, checking whether it also forms a genuine word there.
- Remember the missing word does not have to be short - some correct answers are four or five letters long.
- Reject any candidate that only works on one side, since several options are deliberately included to work in just one position.
- Where more than one candidate seems to work after the first word, check every one of them against the second word before deciding, rather than stopping at the first success.
- Confirm your final choice reads as two genuine words both ways before moving to the next question.
Worked example
PAPER ( ) BONE. Choose the missing word from: A) Back B) Work C) Weight D) Clip E) Boy.
- Try each option after PAPER: paperback, paperwork, paperweight, paperclip and paperboy are all genuine words, so the first check alone does not decide the answer.
- Try each option before BONE: only backbone is a genuine word (workbone, weightbone, clipbone and boybone are not).
- Only BACK makes a genuine word both after PAPER (paperback) and before BONE (backbone).
- Final answer: A) Back.
Practice questions
Type your answer and press Check to be marked straight away, or reveal the answer and mark yourself.
Q1BED ( ??? ) WALK - which word completes BED and begins WALK?Show answer
Answer: Side (BEDSIDE and SIDEWALK)
Q2AIR ( ??? ) UP - which word completes AIR and begins UP?Show answer
Answer: Line (AIRLINE and LINEUP)
Q3MILE ( ??? ) WALL - which word completes MILE and begins WALL?Show answer
Answer: Stone (MILESTONE and STONEWALL)
Q4SURF ( ??? ) WALK - which word completes SURF and begins WALK?Show answer
Answer: Board (SURFBOARD and BOARDWALK)
Q5WIND ( ??? ) STONE - which word completes WIND and begins STONE?Show answer
Answer: Mill (WINDMILL and MILLSTONE)
Q6BOOK ( ??? ) HOLE - which word completes BOOK and begins HOLE?Show answer
Answer: Worm (BOOKWORM and WORMHOLE)
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a 11+ exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
Choose the one word that completes the first word and begins the second, making two real words. a) STAIR ( ) MENT - A) Case B) Way C) Well D) Hole E) Room. b) SUMMER ( ) HOLD - A) House B) Time C) Camp D) School E) Break. c) OUT ( ) NESS - A) Fit B) Look C) Come D) Line E) Ward.
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Choose the one word that completes the first word and begins the second, making two real words. d) CUP ( ) ROOM - A) Board B) Cake C) Ful D) Case E) Tea. e) HAND ( ) THING - A) Some B) Shake C) Book D) Made E) Writing. f) OVER ( ) TABLE - A) Time B) Coat C) Head D) Come E) Load. g) GOLD ( ) BOWL - A) Fish B) Smith C) Mine D) Rush E) Finch.
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Choose the one word that completes the first word and begins the second, making two real words. h) PASS ( ) ABLE - A) Port B) Word C) Age D) Ion E) Ing. i) SNOW ( ) HOLE - A) Man B) Ball C) Flake D) Storm E) Plough.
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Free printable worksheet
Want more practice on paper? Download the create the middle word: practice set 2 worksheet pack - 8 pages of exam-style questions with a full mark scheme. One email opens every download in this browser for 14 days - no account, no card. Print it for personal and classroom use.
This topic is chapter 14 of 11+ Verbal Reasoning Workbook 3, the whole course as one free printable PDF.
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