English · Micro-test

One Word Substitution

One word substitution asks for the single word that does the work of a phrase. For a law entrance test, the words worth knowing first are the ones a law student meets in the first month.

10 questions · 5 minutes · instant scoring

What this topic actually tests

These questions reward knowing word families more than knowing isolated words. Words for government end in '-cracy' or '-archy' (rule): democracy by the people, autocracy by one person, oligarchy by a few, plutocracy by the wealthy, theocracy by religious authority. Words for killing end in '-cide': homicide of a human being, genocide of a people, patricide of one's father. Words beginning 'omni-' concern all: omniscient knows all, omnipotent has all power, omnipresent is everywhere. Learn the family and a new member can be worked out on sight. The second group is the working vocabulary of a court. The plaintiff brings a civil suit and the defendant answers it; the appellant brings an appeal and the respondent answers that. An affidavit is a written statement sworn on oath; a subpoena is an order to attend court. A person who dies without a will dies intestate; one who makes a will is a testator, and the person named to carry it out is an executor. Bail releases an accused before trial, parole releases a convict before the sentence ends, and an amnesty is a general pardon for a class of people. The method in the examination is to pick out the defining feature in the phrase ('by a few', 'on oath', 'without a will') and match it against the option that carries exactly that feature.

The common trap on this topic

The options are nearly always from one family, and the error is choosing a relative of the right word. 'Rule by a small group' is oligarchy, not plutocracy, which specifies that the rulers are wealthy. 'Knowing everything' is omniscient, not omnipotent. Among legal terms the commonest confusions are plaintiff with appellant (the first starts a suit, the second starts an appeal), and bail, parole and amnesty, which all involve release but at different stages and for different reasons.

One Word Substitution: answers and explanations

The party who institutes a civil suit in a court of law:
Answer: A. Plaintiff
The plaintiff files the suit and the defendant answers it. An appellant is the party who files an appeal against a decision already given, and the respondent answers the appeal.
A form of government in which power rests with a small group of people:
Answer: C. Oligarchy
Oligarchy is rule by a few. Autocracy is rule by one person, plutocracy is rule by the wealthy, and theocracy is rule by religious authority.
A written statement of facts made voluntarily and confirmed on oath or affirmation:
Answer: D. Affidavit
An affidavit is a sworn written statement. A subpoena is an order requiring a person to attend court, and a verdict is the decision on the facts.
The condition of having died without leaving a valid will:
Answer: B. Intestate
A person who dies without a will dies intestate. A testator is a person who has made a will, and an executor is the person appointed to carry it out.
A decision in which every member of the body deciding it agrees:
Answer: A. Unanimous
Unanimous means of one mind. Anonymous means without a name, and is the look-alike placed to catch a hurried reader.
One who knows everything:
Answer: C. Omniscient
Omniscient joins omni- (all) with the root for knowing. Omnipotent is all-powerful, omnipresent is present everywhere, and omnivorous is eating all kinds of food.
The killing of one human being by another:
Answer: B. Homicide
Homicide is the killing of a human being by another, whether or not it amounts to murder. Suicide is the killing of oneself, genocide of a people, and patricide of one's father.
A general pardon granted by a government to a group of people, usually for political offences:
Answer: C. Amnesty
An amnesty is a pardon extended to a class of offenders. Parole is conditional release of a prisoner before the sentence ends, bail is release pending trial, and a reprieve only postpones a punishment.
That which cannot be taken away or transferred, as of certain rights:
Answer: B. Inalienable
Inalienable rights cannot be given up or taken away. Inevitable means unavoidable, invincible means unbeatable, and indelible means impossible to erase.
A person who is not a party to a case but assists the court with information or argument, at its invitation or with its leave:
Answer: C. Amicus curiae
Amicus curiae means friend of the court. Locus standi is the right to bring a matter before the court, ad hoc means for a particular purpose, and pro bono describes legal work done without a fee.

FAQ

Which one word substitutions matter most for law entrance tests?

Court and procedure terms (plaintiff, defendant, affidavit, intestate, amnesty, bail, parole), forms of government (-cracy and -archy words), and Latin terms used in English legal writing such as amicus curiae and locus standi.

How do I remember them?

By family. Learn what a root means (-cide, -cracy, omni-, bene-) and group the words under it. Ten roots cover well over a hundred words.

Is one word substitution asked in CLAT?

Rarely as a stand-alone question in the current pattern, but the same vocabulary appears in English and Legal Reasoning passages, and direct questions are asked in tests with a separate vocabulary component.

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