What does formative mean?
Word: Formative
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Formative means helping to shape how someone or something grows and develops.
Synonyms: shaping, influential
Antonyms: summative, final
How do you spell formative?
Syllables: for - ma - tive
Tricky part: It ends in ive with a silent e, like active and creative.
Watch out for: formativ, formmative
Memory tip: Your formative years form you: the word starts with the whole of form.
Formative in a sentence
Example 1: My grandparents' stories had a big influence during my formative years.
Example 2: Our teacher uses short formative quizzes every Friday.
Example 3: Those two years at boarding school were formative for her.
Fun Fact
Many schools split assessment into two kinds: formative checks during learning that help the teacher adjust, and summative tests at the end that give a final mark.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
formattive
a) i
b) m
c) t
d) a
Show answer
c) t. The t is single, just as it is in formation.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word:
formative
a) accidental
b) developmental
c) decorative
d) temporary
Show answer
b) developmental. Formative years are the years when a person is still developing.
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
vortamief
a) normative
b) formative
c) informative
d) formation
Show answer
b) formative. Informative is two letters longer, formation ends in ion, and normative starts with n; these nine letters give formative.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the incorrectly spelt word:
a) formitive
b) expensive
c) negative
d) relative
Show answer
a) formitive. Form is followed by an a, as in formation; the other three are spelt correctly.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A person's formative years are usually ____.
a) the day of an exam
b) the years after retirement
c) the last week of a holiday
d) childhood and the teenage years
Show answer
d) childhood and the teenage years
2. Which is most likely to be a formative experience for a child?
a) moving to a new country at eight
b) a ten-minute phone call
c) missing one bus last winter
d) a single rainy afternoon
Show answer
a) moving to a new country at eight
