Develop, development, developed: word families
Work out from the sentence whether a gap needs a noun, a verb or an adjective.
2 min read · Updated 9/8/2026
The key idea
Words from the same root can do different jobs: develop is a verb, development is a noun. Developed can be used as a past tense form or as an adjective.
When you write down a new word, also note a family member next to it:
- educate → education → educational
- improve → improvement
- compete → competition → competitive
Looking at the suffix helps, but not every word is formed by the same rule. In a dictionary, check an example as well as the form.
See an example
The city needs to develop its transport system.
After needs to, the base form of the verb comes.
The development of public transport takes time.
In the structure The … of, a noun is needed here. The meaning is similar, but the job in the sentence has changed.
Now you try
Choose the right form from the brackets.
- We saw a clear ___ in her writing. (improve / improvement)
- Schools should ___ practical skills. (develop / development)
Write your own sentence with the word education.
A personal draft. It is not saved when you leave or automatically graded.
Reveal the answer and explanation
Answer and explanation
- improvement — a noun comes after a clear.
- develop — after the modal should, the base form of the verb comes.
Example: Education can give people more career options. To remember a word, note not only its equivalent in your own language but also its place in the sentence.
How do I review new words?
Official sources for this topic
Cambridge · English Grammar Today