What does constructive mean?
Word: Constructive
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Constructive means helpful and meant to improve something, rather than only finding fault with it.
Synonyms: helpful, useful, positive, productive
Antonyms: unhelpful, negative
How do you spell constructive?
Syllables: con - struc - tive
Tricky part: Students drop the c in the middle and write construtive, or lose the r of str. The cluster nstr is a lot of consonants in a row, and one of them is easily missed.
Watch out for: construtive, constructiv, constuctive
Memory tip: Say it the way a builder would, with a sharp k sound in the middle: con-STRUCK-tive. That k sound is your c.
Idioms and Phrases
- constructive criticism: comments about faults that are meant to help someone improve Example: "Our drawing teacher gives constructive criticism, so we always know what to fix next."
Constructive in a sentence
Example 1: The meeting ended well because everyone made constructive suggestions.
Example 2: Spending the holidays on a constructive hobby like carpentry kept Aarav busy.
Example 3: Instead of blaming each other, the two teams had a constructive talk about the rules.
Fun Fact
Constructive comes from the Latin construere, to pile up or build, which shares its root with structure.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Makeup
Only one of these words takes the suffix ive to make a real word. Choose it.
ive
a) construct
b) repeat
c) destroy
d) produce
Show answer
a) construct. Construct takes ive just as it is; destroy, produce and repeat all need a spelling change before any ive ending will fit.
Word Connection
Choose the word opposite in meaning to constructive as used in the sentence:
The coach's constructive remarks after the match helped the young players correct their mistakes.
a) encouraging
b) destructive
c) honest
d) detailed
Show answer
b) destructive. Constructive remarks build people up; destructive ones tear them down.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the word in the sentence and choose it:
Instead of only complaining about the canteen, try to make a cuvetsnrotci suggestion to the principal.
a) constructive
b) instructive
c) construction
d) constrictive
Show answer
a) constructive. A helpful suggestion is a constructive one; construction has no v and constrictive has no u, so neither matches.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Your friend asks for comments on her essay. Which reply is constructive?
a) Your ending would be stronger with one more example.
b) I liked it, but I cannot really say why.
c) You should just copy the model answer.
d) This is the dullest essay in the class.
Show answer
a) Your ending would be stronger with one more example.
2. In a constructive debate, the two sides mainly try to ____.
a) find better ideas together
b) repeat their own points louder
c) end the talk as quickly as possible
d) prove the other side foolish
Show answer
a) find better ideas together
