Compound Words & Collocations: HSC 12th Board Vocabulary PYQs
Welcome to a highly scoring vocabulary section for your 12th Board Exams (HSC / ISC)! In the reading comprehension passages, examiners frequently ask you to pick out Compound Words or fill in the blanks with correct Collocations. Many students lose marks in collocations by translating phrases directly from their mother tongue into English. Master our advanced vocabulary cheat sheet below, practice the top 20 Previous Year Questions (PYQs), and challenge yourself with the interactive Self-Test!
🔥 Exam Tip & The Advanced Vocabulary Cheat Sheet:
- 1. Compound Words: Two distinct words joined together to create a new word with a new meaning.
👉 Noun + Noun = Moonlight, Watermelon
👉 Adjective + Noun = Blackboard, Greenhouse
👉 Verb + Noun = Playground, Breakfast- 2. Collocations: Words that naturally go together. English speakers use them automatically.
The "Do vs. Make" Trap: You do homework, chores, and business. But you make a mistake, a decision, and a promise.- 3. The Adjective Trap: Do not translate literally!
👉 Rain is heavy (not strong).
👉 Tea/Coffee is strong (not heavy).
👉 Traffic is heavy (not big).- 4. Collocation Verbs: You catch a cold, commit a crime, keep a secret, and pay attention.
Top 20 Board Exam Questions: Compound Words & Collocations
Part 1: Forming Compound Words
Combine the correct word from the options to form a meaningful compound word.
- Question: Match the word 'Sun' with the correct word to form a compound word: (light / house / fast) (HSC March 2019)
Answer: Sunlight - Question: Form a compound word by adding a noun to 'Life':
Answer: Lifestyle (or Lifeguard, Lifeline). - Question: Match the word 'News' with a correct word: (board / paper / book) (HSC July 2022)
Answer: Newspaper - Question: Which of the following is a correct compound word? (Timepass / Passbook / Passhouse)
Answer: Passbook (Note: 'Timepass' is Indian slang, not formal English). - Question: Form a compound word starting with 'Water':
Answer: Waterfall (or Watermelon, Waterproof).
Part 2: Identify the Pattern of Compound Words
Determine if the word is Noun+Noun, Adjective+Noun, or Verb+Noun.
- Question: Identify the pattern of the compound word: Blackboard (HSC March 2022)
Answer: Adjective + Noun (Black = Adjective, Board = Noun). - Question: Identify the pattern of the compound word: Sunflower
Answer: Noun + Noun (Sun = Noun, Flower = Noun). - Question: Identify the pattern of the compound word: Washing machine (HSC March 2020)
Answer: Gerund (Verb+ing) + Noun - Question: Identify the pattern of the compound word: Postman
Answer: Noun + Noun - Question: Identify the pattern of the compound word: Software
Answer: Adjective + Noun (Soft = Adjective, Ware = Noun).
Part 3: Correcting Collocation Errors (Board Traps)
Identify the wrong verb or adjective and replace it with the natural English pairing.
- Question: He did a big mistake in his final exam. (Correct the collocation) - HSC March 2023
Answer: He made a big mistake in his final exam. (Mistakes are 'made', not 'done'). - Question: The flight was delayed due to strong rain.
Answer: The flight was delayed due to heavy rain. - Question: Please give attention to what the teacher is saying.
Answer: Please pay attention to what the teacher is saying. - Question: She asked a fast question before leaving the room. (HSC March 2024 Pattern)
Answer: She asked a quick question before leaving the room. (Questions are quick, not fast). - Question: He has been arrested for doing a crime.
Answer: He has been arrested for committing a crime.
Part 4: Board-Style Passage (Fill in the correct Collocation)
Choose the correct words to complete the natural phrases.
- Question: After the interview, they promised to _____ in touch with me. (stay / keep / make)
Answer: keep in touch - Question: We highly _____ your kind gesture towards the poor children. (appreciate / thank / welcome)
Answer: appreciate your kind gesture - Question: Smoking is _____ prohibited on the school premises. (heavily / strictly / fully)
Answer: strictly prohibited - Question: I would like to _____ a complaint about the poor service. (do / make / file)
Answer: file (or make) a complaint - Question: They had to _____ the meeting because the manager was unwell. (drop / cancel / break)
Answer: cancel the meeting
📝 Test Yourself: Guess the Collocation!
Have you mastered natural English pairings? Try solving these 5 tricky 12th board-level questions. Click on "Show Answer" to check your accuracy!
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Question: Choose the correct collocation: I need to (do / make) my homework before dinner.
👉 Click here to Show Answer
Answer: I need to do my homework before dinner. (Rule: You 'do' tasks/work).
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Question: Correct the error: We were stuck in big traffic for two hours.
👉 Click here to Show Answer
Answer: We were stuck in heavy traffic for two hours.
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Question: Choose the correct collocation: He (took / caught) a cold after walking in the rain.
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Answer: He caught a cold after walking in the rain.
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Question: Form a compound word: Match 'Break' with (fast / time / house).
👉 Click here to Show Answer
Answer: Breakfast.
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Question: Correct the error: She gave a decision to quit her job.
👉 Click here to Show Answer
Answer: She made a decision to quit her job.
The ultimate trick to scoring full marks in Collocations is to read the sentence aloud. Since collocations are natural pairings, the wrong word will usually "sound weird" to your ears. Bookmark this page, practice thoroughly, and secure your marks in the HSC / ISC English Vocabulary section!