Year 6 English Spelling -cious, -tious, -cial and -tial: check-up and practice test questions

Method. Drop the e from the root word, then add -cious.

1. Find the root word. Malice ends in -ce.
   malice
2. Drop the e and add -cious. Malice loses its e and gains -cious.
   malic + ious
3. Write the answer.
   malicious

Check. malice + ious = malicious. ✓

Method. Drop -ion from the root word, then add -ious.

1. Find the root word. Caution ends in -tion.
   caution
2. Drop -ion and add -ious. Caution loses -ion and gains -ious.
   caut + ious
3. Write the answer.
   cautious

Check. caution - ion + ious = cautious. ✓

Method. Test each choice against the sentence or the text.

1. Read what the question asks for. Decide what the sentence or the text needs.
2. Test the choice. Nutrition ends in -tion, so the adjective ends in -tious.
   nutritious fits
3. Reject the other choices. nutricious has the wrong ending for this word.
   nutricious do not fit
4. Write the answer.
   nutritious

Check. The choice fits the sentence or the text. ✓

Watch out. Look at the root word, or at the letter before the ending.

Method. Think about the meaning, then check the ending.

1. Think about the meaning. The meaning is: very important.
   very important
2. Check the ending. Crucial has the vowel u before -cial.
   crucial
3. Write the answer.
   crucial

Check. crucial has the meaning given. ✓

Watch out. Say the word, then check the letters that come before the ending.

Method. Think about the meaning, then check the ending.

1. Think about the meaning. The meaning is: absolutely necessary.
   absolutely necessary
2. Check the ending. Essential has the consonant n before -tial.
   essential
3. Write the answer.
   essential

Check. essential has the meaning given. ✓

Watch out. Say the word, then check the letters that come before the ending.

Method. Look at the letter before the ending.

1. Find the letter before the ending. The letter before the ending is i.
   beneficial
2. Apply the rule. A vowel letter before the ending gives -cial. A consonant letter before the ending gives -tial.
   -cial
3. Write the answer.
   -cial

Check. beneficial ends in -cial. ✓

Watch out. Decide from the letter before the ending, not from how the word sounds.

Method. Look at the letter before the ending.

1. Find the letter before the ending. The letter before the ending is n.
   confidential
2. Apply the rule. A vowel letter before the ending gives -cial. A consonant letter before the ending gives -tial.
   -tial
3. Write the answer.
   -tial

Check. confidential ends in -tial. ✓

Watch out. Decide from the letter before the ending, not from how the word sounds.

Method. Find the wrong word, and use its root word.

1. Find the word that is wrong. Ambitous is missing the i before -ous.
   ambitous
2. Use the root word. Ambition ends in -tion, so the adjective is ambitious.
   ambition
3. Write the answer.
   The Olympic team were very ambitious this year.

Check. ambitious keeps the t and the i. ✓

Method. Use the meaning, then learn the exception.

1. Use the meaning. About buying and selling is commercial.
   about buying and selling
2. Check the exception. The letter before -cial is r, a consonant, so the word is an exception.
   commercial
3. Write the answer.
   commercial

Check. commercial is spelt with -cial. ✓

Method. Name the two kinds of letter, and the ending each gives.

1. Name the two kinds of letter. A vowel letter or a consonant letter comes before the ending.
   vowel, consonant
2. Give the ending for each. A vowel gives -cial, and a consonant gives -tial.
   -cial, -tial
3. Write the answer.
   A vowel letter before the ending gives -cial, and a consonant letter gives -tial.

Check. The letter before the ending decides it. ✓

Method. Drop the e from the root word, then add -cious.

1. Find the root word. Space ends in -ce.
   space
2. Drop the e and add -cious. Space loses its e and gains -cious.
   spac + ious
3. Write the answer.
   spacious

Check. space + ious = spacious. ✓

Method. Test each choice against the sentence or the text.

1. Read what the question asks for. Decide what the sentence or the text needs.
2. Test the choice. Cautious follows the -tion rule: the noun is caution, so the ending is -tious.
   cautious fits
3. Reject the other choices. Cautous leaves out the i, so the spelling is wrong.
   cautous do not fit
4. Write the answer.
   cautious

Check. The choice fits the sentence or the text. ✓

Method. Drop -ion from the root word, then add -ious.

1. Find the root word. Nutrition ends in -tion.
   nutrition
2. Drop -ion and add -ious. Nutrition loses -ion and gains -ious.
   nutrit + ious
3. Write the answer.
   nutritious

Check. nutrition - ion + ious = nutritious. ✓

Method. Think about the meaning, then check the ending.

1. Think about the meaning. The meaning is: very important.
   very important
2. Check the ending. Crucial has the vowel u before -cial.
   crucial
3. Write the answer.
   crucial

Check. crucial has the meaning given. ✓

Watch out. Say the word, then check the letters that come before the ending.

Method. Think about the meaning, then check the ending.

1. Think about the meaning. The meaning is: absolutely necessary.
   absolutely necessary
2. Check the ending. Essential has the consonant n before -tial.
   essential
3. Write the answer.
   essential

Check. essential has the meaning given. ✓

Watch out. Say the word, then check the letters that come before the ending.

Method. Find each word that is wrong, then check its root word or the letter before the ending.

1. Find the first mistake. Officail should end in -cial, because the letter before the ending is i, a vowel.
   officail
2. Find the second mistake. Substancial should end in -tial, because the letter before the ending is n, a consonant.
   substancial
3. Write both corrections. Official and substantial are both correct.
   official, substantial
4. Write the answer.
   The official report was a substantial help to the team.

Check. Both words now follow the rules. ✓

Method. Use the root word to work out the ending.

1. Find the root word. Grace is the root word, and it ends in -ce.
   grace
2. Apply the rule. Drop the e and add -cious.
   grac + ious
3. Write the answer.
   Grace is the root word and it ends in -ce, so I drop the e and add -cious to get gracious.

Check. grace + ious = gracious. ✓

Method. Use the word to describe something that must be kept private.

1. Choose a subject. The results are the thing that is private.
   The results
2. Add the verb and the rest of the sentence. Confidential describes the results.
   were confidential until Friday.
3. Write the answer.
   The results were confidential until Friday.

Check. The sentence spells confidential correctly. ✓

Method. Use the meaning, then check the root word.

1. Use the meaning. Wanting very much to achieve something great is the meaning.
   wanting to achieve
2. Check the root word. Ambition ends in -tion, so the adjective is ambitious.
   ambition
3. Write the answer.
   ambitious

Check. ambition - ion + ious = ambitious. ✓

Method. Find the wrong word, then use its root word to write the correct spelling.

1. Find the wrong word. Superstitous is missing the i before -ous.
   superstitous
2. Find the root word. Superstition ends in -tion, so the adjective is superstitious.
   superstition
3. Write the answer.
   The superstitious fisherman would not sail on a Friday. The root word is superstition.

Check. superstition - ion + ious = superstitious. ✓

Method. Look at the letter before the ending.

1. Find the letter before the ending. In partial, the letter before -tial is r.
   r
2. Apply the rule. A consonant before the ending gives -tial.
   partial
3. Write the answer.
   The letter before the ending is r, a consonant, so the ending is -tial.

Check. partial has a consonant before -tial. ✓

Method. Use the meaning, then check the vowel before the ending.

1. Use the meaning. Made by people, not natural, is artificial.
   made by people
2. Check the letter before the ending. The letter before -cial is i, a vowel.
   artific + ial
3. Write the answer.
   artificial

Check. artificial follows the vowel rule. ✓

Method. Use the meaning, then learn the spelling.

1. Use the meaning. Tastes very good is delicious.
   tastes very good
2. Write the spelling. Delicious is spelt with -cious, and it is learned on its own.
   delicious
3. Write the answer.
   delicious

Check. delicious has the letters c, i, o, u, s. ✓