Basic Details
Word: Conducive
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Helping something to happen or making it more likely; usually followed by to.
Synonyms: helpful, favourable, beneficial, useful
Antonyms: harmful, unfavourable
How to Spell Conducive
Syllables: con - du - cive
Tricky part: Students hear a z or s sound near the end and write sive, but it is cive, with a c. The vowel after d is u, as in conduct.
Watch out for: condusive, conducieve, condocive
Memory tip: Conduct and conducive start the same way, cond-u-c. Keep the c of conduct and swap the t for ive.
Usage Examples
Example 1: A quiet room is conducive to deep sleep.
Example 2: Warm, wet weather is conducive to the growth of mould.
Example 3: The friendly classroom was conducive to asking questions.
Fun Fact
Conducive comes from Latin conducere, to lead together. Conductor, conduct and even duke grew from the same ducere, to lead.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Only one word in the list is spelt correctly. Choose the meaning of that word.
1. atmosfere 2. conducive 3. productiv 4. benefisial
a) producing or doing a lot
b) helping something to happen
c) good for you or helpful
d) the mood of a place, or the air around the earth
Show answer
b) helping something to happen. Only conducive is correct; the others are beneficial, productive and atmosphere.
Word Connection
Choose the word opposite in meaning to conducive as used in the sentence:
Loud music from the next house was hardly conducive to studying for the exam.
a) helpful
b) favourable
c) useful
d) harmful
Show answer
d) harmful. Conducive means helpful to something, so the opposite is harmful.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the word in the sentence and choose it:
Clean air and green parks are veicnoduc to good health in a city.
a) convince
b) conductive
c) conclusive
d) conducive
Show answer
d) conducive. The letters hold c, o, n, d, u, c from conduct, and the i, v and e left over finish conducive; conductive would need a t.
Word Cookie
Insert the correct letters to form a word:
cond_c_ve
a) o, i
b) u, a
c) u, i
d) u, e
Show answer
c) u, i. It is conduc as in conduct, then ive.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which word usually follows conducive?
a) to
b) with
c) by
d) from
Show answer
a) to
2. Which of these is most conducive to learning?
a) a room with a blaring television
b) a bus stop in the rain
c) a well-lit, quiet classroom
d) a crowded railway platform
Show answer
c) a well-lit, quiet classroom
