1
VOCABULARYLIST
PreliminaryEnglishTest(PET)
UpdatedJanuary2020
PETVocabularyList
©UCLES2020
IntroductiontothePETVocabularyList
ThePETVocabularyListgivesteachersaguidetothevocabularyneededwhenpreparing
studentsforthePETexamination.
BackgroundtotheList
ThePETlistwasoriginallydevelopedbyCambridgeESOLinconsultationwithexternal
consultantstoguideitemwriterswhoproducematerialsforthePETexamination。It
includesvocabularyfromtheCouncilofEurope'sThreshold(1990)specificationandother
vocabularywhichcorpuvidenceshowsishigh-frequency.
ThelistcoversvocabularyappropriatetothislevelofEnglishandincludesreceptive
vocabulary(wordsthatthecandidateixpectedtounderstandbutwhichisnotthefocus
ofaquestion),andproductivevocabulary(wordsthatthecandidateneedstoknowto
answeraquestion).
ThelistdoesnotprovideanexhaustivelistofallwordswhichappearonthePETquestion
papersandcandidatesshouldnotconfinetheirstudyofvocabularytothelistalone.
HowtheListisUpdated
ThevocabularyofEnglishchangesovertime,withwordsbeingaddedandotherwords
fallingintodisu.Inordertomaintainitscurrency,thePETlistisupdatedonanannual
basisbytheadditionandremovalofwords,usingacorpus-badapproach。Suggested
additionstothewordlistarecollatedandthefrequencyofthewordsisobtainedby
referencetoestablishedcorpora(electronicdatabas).Thecorporainquestionreprent
receptiveandproductivelanguageingeneralcontexts。Themaincorporaudforthe
validationofthePETVocabularyListare:
•theCambridgeLearnerCorpus(CLC)whichincludesover20millionwordsofwritten
learnerEnglishatsixlevels;
•theBritishNationalCorpus(BNC)whichincludes100millionwordsofwrittenand
spokennativespeakerdata.
OrganisationoftheList
• Wordts
Somecategoriesofwordsalearneratthislevelmightbeexpectedtoknowarenot
includedinthealphabeticallistbutarelistedparately。Wordsformedwithcommon
affixes,somecompoundsandwordsfromsomecommonwordts,e.g.daysoftheweek
3
aredescribedbelowandinAppendix1.Althoughsome‘grammarwords’(pronouns,
modals,etc.)areincluded,the‘LanguageSpecification'ctionofthePETHandbook
(availableunder‘Downloads’)shouldbeconsultedforamorecompletelisting。
• Exemplification
Examplephrasandntencesshowinghowwordsmightbeudaregivenonlywhere
wordswithdifferentmeaningsneedtobeconstrainede.g.theuof caislimitedto
‘suitca’:candidatesarenotexpectedtoknowothermeanings,suchas‘alegalca'。
3
• PrefixesandSuffixes
AlistofpossibleprefixesandsuffixesisprovidedinAppendix2,andthemaybe
combinedwiththevocabularyitemsinthelistasappropriate。Wordswithanaffixwhichis
notincludedintheappendixarelistedparatelyinthealphabeticallist。
• CompoundWords
Compoundwordsarenotincludedinthelistwherebothindividualwordsareprentand
themeaningofthecompoundisliteralandtransparent,e.g。 courbook, schoolboy,
shoemaker, underwater。Asimilarapproachhasbeenadoptedwithtwo—wordand
hyphenatedcompounds,forexample,coffeebar,leisurecentre,home-made,open—air.
• Multi—wordVerbs
Multi-wordverbsarenotincludedinthelistiftheyhavealiteralmeaningandare
compodofverbsandparticlesalreadyinthelist。Examplesof‘literal’multi-wordverbs
arecomeinto,sitdown,asin‘Whynotcomeintothekitchenandsitdown?'Ifthemeaning
oftheverbisnottransparent,e。g. putthrough,getalong,thentheverbislistedandan
exampleofusagegiven.
• TopicLists
InAppendix3wordshavebeengroupedtogetherundercommonPETthemes,suchas
‘HouandHome’,‘Sport’,‘FoodandDrink’。
UnsuitableTopics
CambridgeESOLexaminationsmustnotcontainanythingthatmightoffendorupt
candidates,potentiallyaffecttheirperformanceordistractthemduringtheexamination.A
numberof‘nsitive’topicsareconsideredunsuitableforuinPET,forexample,war
andpolitics,andvocabularyrelatingtotheisnotincludedintheVocabularyList.
PersonalVocabulary
ThecontentofthePETlistisgeneralinnatureandisunlikelytocovercompletelythe
productivevocabularythatmayberequiredbyallcandidates.Candidatesshouldknowthe
specificlexistheywillneedtodescribethemlvesandtheirlives,forexample,work,
hobbies,likesanddislikes.
Abbreviations
AbbreviationsudintheVocabularyListare:
abbrevabbreviationoracronym
4
adj
adv
AmEng
BrEng
conj
det
adjective
adverb
AmericanEnglish
BritishEnglish
conjunction
determiner
79
exclamexclamation
79
int
n
interjection
8
noun
8
phrvphrasalverb
79
pl
prep
prepphr
plural
preposition
prepositionalphra
79
79
pron
sing
v
pronoun
singular
verb
79
SummaryofPointstobenoted
•ThelistdoesnotincludeeverywordthatmayappearonaPETpaper.
•Thelistcoversreceptiveandproductivevocabulary.
•Itisupdatedeveryyear.
79
79
ability(n)
able(adj)
A
afford(v)
afraid(adj)
after(prep)
afternoon(n)
afterwards(adv)
15
about(adv&prep)
•about500students(adv)
•Thefilmisaboutasmallboy.
(prep)
above(prep)
abroad(adv)
abnt(adj)
accept(v)
access(n)
•disabledaccess
•internetaccess
accident(n)
accommodation(n)
accompany(v)
accordingto(prep)
account(n)
accurate(adj)
ache(n&v)
achieve(v)
across(prep)
act(n&v)
•inthecondact(oftheplay)(n)
•toactinaplay(v)
•toactstrangely(v)
action(n)
active(adj)
activity(n)
actor(n)
actress(n)
actual(adj)
ad(advertiment)(n)
add(v)
addition(n)
•inaddition
additional(adj)
address(n)
admire(v)
admission(n)
•charges/cost/price
admit(v)
adult(adj&n)
advanced(adj)
advantage(n)
adventure(n)
advert(n)
adverti(v)
advertiment(n)
advice(n)
advi(v)
aeroplane(n)
again
17
(adv)
against(prep)
age(n)
aged(adj)
agent(n)
agency(n)
ago(adv)
agree(v)
ahead(adv)
aim(n&v)
air(n)
air—conditioning(n)
airforce(n)
airline(n)
airmail(n)
airport(n)
alarm(n)
alarmclock(n)
album(n)
alike(adv)
alive(adj)
all(adj,adv,det&pron)
allright/alright(adv)
allow(v)
almost(adv)
alone(adv)
along(adv&prep)
aloud(adv)
alphabet(n)
already(adv)
also(adv)
although(conj)
altogether(adv)
always(adv)
a.m。(adv)
amazed(adj)
amazing(adj)
ambassador(n)
ambition(n)
ambulance(n)
among(amongst)(prep)
amount(n)
amusing(adj)
ancient(adj)
and(conj)
angry(adj)
animal(n)
ankle(n)
anniversary(n)
announce(v)
announcement(n)
17
79
annoy(v)
annual(adj)
another(adj)
answer(n&v)
answerphone(n)
antique(adj&n)
anxious(adj)
any(adj&pron)
anybody(pron)
anyhow(adv)
anyone(pron)
anything(pron)
anyway(adv)
anywhere(adv)
apartfrom(prep)
apartment(n)
apologi(v)
apology(n)
appear(v)
appearance(n)
apple(n)
application(n)
apply(v)
appointment(n)
approach(v)
approve(v)
architect(n)
area(n)
argue(v)
arm(n)
armchair(n)
army(n)
around(adv&prep)
arrange(v)
arrest(v)
arrival(n)
arrive(v)
art(n)
article(n)
artist(n)
as(adv&conj)
aswell(adv)
aswellas(prep)
ashamed(adj)
ask(v)
asleep(adj)
aspirin(n)
assistant(n)
at(prep)
atall(prepphr)
atfirst(prepphr)
atlast(prepphr)
atleast(prepphr)
atonce(prepphr)
atprent(prepphr)
atthesametime(prepphr)
athlete(n)
athletics(n)
atmosphere(n)
attach(v)
attack(n&v)
attempt(v)
attend(v)
attention(n)
attitude(n)
attract(v)
attraction(n)
attractive(adj)
audience(n)
aunt(n)
automatically(adv)
available(adj)
average(adj&n)
avoid(v)
awake(adj)
away(adv)
awful(adj)
B
baby(n)
back(adv,adj&n)
background(n)
backpack(n)
backwards(prep)
bad(adj)
bag(n)
baggage(n)
bake(v)
balance(n)
balance(v)
balcony(n)
bald(adj)
ball(n)
ballet(n)
balloon(n)
banana(n)
band(n)
bandage(n)
bank(n)
bankbalance(n)
banknote(n)
bar(n)
barbecue(n&v)
bare(adj)
baon(phrv)
baball(n)
bament(n)
basic(adj)
basin(n)
19
basket(n)
basketball(n)
bat(n)
bath(n&v)
bathroom(n)
battle(n)
bay(n)
be(v)
beach(n)
bean(n)
bear(n)
beard(n)
beat(v)
beautiful(adj)
becau(conj)
becauof(prep)
become(v)
bed(n)
bedroom(n)
bee(n)
beef(n)
before(prep)
begin(v)
behave(v)
behind(prep)
believe(v)
bell(n)
belong(v)
belongings(n)
below(adv&prep)
belt(n)
bend(n&v)
beneath(adv&prep)
benefit(n&v)
beside(prep)
between(prep)
beyond(prep)
bicycle(n)
big(adj)
bike(n)
bill(n)
•electricitybill
bin(n)
biography(n)
biology(n)
bird(n)
birth(n)
birthday(n)
biscuit(n)
bit(n)
bite(n&v)
bitter(adj)
black(adj)
blackboard(n)
blame(n&v)
blank(adj)
•ablankpieceofpaper
blanket(n)
bleed(v)
blind(adj&n)
block(n)
•blockofflats
blond(e)(adj&n)
blood(n)
blou(n)
blow(n&v)
blue(adj)
board(n&v)
boardingpass(n)
boat(n)
body(n)
boil(v)
bold(adj)
bomb(n&v)
bone(n)
book(n&v)
bookingoffice(n)
bookshelf(n)
bookshop(n)
boot(n)
•leatherboots
•thebootofthecar
border(n)
bored(adj)
boring(adj)
born(adj)
borrow(v)
boss(n)
both(adj&pron)
bottle(n)
bottom(n)
bowl(n)
box(n&v)
boy(n)
boyfriend(n)
brain(n)
brake(n&v)
branch(n)
brave(adj)
bread(n)
break(n&v)
breakdown(phrv)
•Thecarhasbrokendown。
breakin(phrv)
•Someonebrokeinandstolethe
computer.
breakup(phrv)
•Whendoesschoolbreakup?
•Thepopgrouphasbrokenup。
breakfast(n)
breath(n)
20
breathe(v)
brick(n)
bridge(n)
brief(adj)
bright(adj)
brilliant(adj)
bring(v)
bringup(phrv)
•ShewasbroughtupinLondon.
broad(adj)
brochure(n)
brother(n)
brown(adj)
brush(n&v)
bucket(n)
buffet(adj&n)
bug(n)
build(v)
building(n)
bulb(n)
•lightbulb
bull(n)
bullet(n)
bureau(n)
burger(n)
burglar(n)
burglary(n)
burn(n&v)
bury(v)
bus(n)
business(n)
busstation(n)
busstop(n)
busy(adj)
but(conj)
butcher(n)
butter(n)
button(n)
buy(v)
by(prep)
byaccident(prepphr)
byallmeans(prepphr)
byhand(prepphr)
bymistake(prepphr)
byname(prepphr)
C
cab(n)
cabbage(n)
cabin(n)
cable(n)
café/cafe(n)
cage(n)
cake(n)
calculator(n)
calendar(n)
call(n&v)
callfor(phrv)
•I’llcallforyouat7.
callin(phrv)
•Shecalledintoeafriend。
calm(adj)
camel(n)
camera(n)
camp(n&v)
campsite(n)
can(n)
canal(n)
cancel(v)
candidate(n)
candle(n)
canteen(n)
cap(n)
capital(adj)
•capitalcity
•capitalletter
captain(n)
car(n)
carryout(phrv)
carpark(n)
card(n)
•birthdaycard
•creditcard
•identity(ID)card
•playingcard
cardboard(adj&n)
care(n&v)
•takecareofsomeone(n)
•tocare(about/for)
someone/something(v)
career(n)
carpet(n)
carrot(n)
carry(v)
carryon(phrv)
•Hecarriedonwalkingdespitethe
rain.
cartoon(n)
ca(n)
•suitca
