You can read about the words of the 21st century here, which the following exercise is based on.
Fill in the blank with the appropriate form of the word given in brackets.
-
(friend) Facebook users can choose to any of their previously added friends, at which point that individual will have restricted access to the user’s information if privacy settings are enabled.
Answers: defriend / unfriend
Explanation: The prefixes “un-” or “de-” are added to “friend” to describe the 21st-century action of intentionally removing someone from a social media friends list. -
(crowd) Now popular with independent film makers, involves the pooling of money and other resources to support efforts initiated by other people or organizations.
Answer: crowdfunding
Explanation: This is a compound noun combining “crowd” (a large group of people) and “funding” (providing money), meaning to raise money from many people online. -
(binge) As the weather gets cooler there’s no better way to spend your evenings than curling up on the couch and a new series.
Answer: binge-watching (or bingewatching)
Explanation: A compound word meaning to watch multiple episodes of a show rapidly. It requires the “-ing” form to match the parallel grammar of the sentence (“curling up… and binge-watching”). -
(brother) The two men apparently struck up a while working on the movie set together.
Answers: bromance / brotherhood
Explanation: “Bromance” is a modern portmanteau (blend) of “brother” and “romance,” describing a very close, non-romantic friendship between two men. “Brotherhood” is also grammatically correct here. -
(clutter) Clothing swaps are considered not only a good way to and refill one’s wardrobe, but also are considered an act of environmentalism.
Answer: declutter
Explanation: Adding the prefix “de-” (meaning to remove or reverse) to “clutter” creates a verb meaning to remove unnecessary items from an untidy space. -
(wall) Unfortunately the article is behind a , and you can only view a snippet unless you have a subscription.
Answer: paywall
Explanation: A modern combination of “pay” and “wall.” It acts as a digital barrier preventing internet users from accessing content without paying for a subscription.
Leave a Reply