Wordcraft, 16 September 2026

Glossary from the edition

17 words, each quoted in the sentence where it appeared in the 16 September 2026 edition. Meaning first, then the sentence, then where it came from.

The seven lessons

One entry of each type, every day: a system, not a word list.

Worksheet

Every exercise from the session, on paper. Answers are folded under each one; the online session marks them for you and keeps your score.

Root & family · tangere (to touch)

1. Choose one Circle the letter of the correct option.

   Which word is NOT from tangere, to touch?

   1. tangle
   2. attain
   3. contagion
   4. integer
   Answer

   tangle. Tangle comes from a Scandinavian source. Attain is ad- + tangere, contagion is from contingere, and integer means untouched.

2. Fill the blank Circle the letter that completes the sentence.

   The Gujarat plan aims to secure 200 to 500 square kilometres of safe, ___ habitat.

   1. contiguous
   2. contagious
   3. contingent
   4. continual
   Answer

   contiguous. Contiguous: patches that touch and form one block. Contagious spreads disease, contingent depends on something else, continual repeats over time.

3. Match the pairs Write the letter from the right against each number on the left.

   Match each word to its literal sense.

   1. intangible
   2. integer
   3. attain
   4. contingent

   1. touching on you by chance
   2. to touch at, to reach
   3. untouched, hence whole
   4. that cannot be touched
   Answer

   • intangible: that cannot be touched
   • integer: untouched, hence whole
   • attain: to touch at, to reach
   • contingent: touching on you by chance

   Each literal sense still shows in the modern meaning once you see the touch inside it.

4. Find the error Circle it in the sentence below, then write the correction.

   Find the word that breaks the family.

   contact contagion tangerine intangible tact

   Answer

   tangerine → tangerine (from Tangier, not tangere). Tangerine names the port of Tangier. The other four all descend from tangere.

5. Choose one Circle the letter of the correct option.

   Why does "integrative taxonomy" fit the Latin integer?

   1. It makes the description whole by combining morphology with molecular data
   2. It avoids touching the specimens
   3. It counts species in whole numbers
   4. It is taught only in integrated courses
   Answer

   It makes the description whole by combining morphology with molecular data. Integer means whole. Integrative taxonomy joins two kinds of evidence into one complete description, as the Mizoram frogs article explains.

6. Put in order Number the lines 1 upward in the correct order.

   Arrange from the most literal sense of touch to the most abstract.

   • contingent (depending on what may happen)
   • attain (to reach a goal)
   • contiguous (sharing a border)
   • contact (a touching together)
   Answer

   1. contact (a touching together)
   2. contiguous (sharing a border)
   3. attain (to reach a goal)
   4. contingent (depending on what may happen)

   The physical touch thins into adjacency, then into reaching a goal, then into chance. The same root carries all four.

Confusable pair · species / specie

7. Choose one Circle the letter of the correct option.

   Which sentence is correct?

   1. Ingerana aizawl is a new species of frog from Mizoram.
   2. Ingerana aizawl is a new specie of frog from Mizoram.
   3. Ingerana aizawl is a new specy of frog from Mizoram.
   4. Ingerana aizawl is a new species of frogs from Mizoram are.
   Answer

   Ingerana aizawl is a new species of frog from Mizoram.. Species is the singular as well as the plural. Specie means coin, specy does not exist, and the last option breaks the grammar.

8. Fill the blank Circle the letter that completes the sentence.

   The two new Mizoram frogs ___ described using integrative taxonomy.

   1. were
   2. was
   3. is
   4. has been
   Answer

   were. Two frogs, so a plural verb. With species the noun never shows number, which is why the verb must.

9. Match the pairs Write the letter from the right against each number on the left.

   Match each phrase to its meaning.

   1. a new species
   2. two new species
   3. payment in specie
   4. invasive species

   1. non-native organisms that spread and cause harm
   2. payment in coin or in kind
   3. two newly described kinds of organism
   4. one newly described kind of organism
   Answer

   • a new species: one newly described kind of organism
   • two new species: two newly described kinds of organism
   • payment in specie: payment in coin or in kind
   • invasive species: non-native organisms that spread and cause harm

   The first two differ only in the number word; the third is the coin sense; the fourth is a fixed ecological phrase.

10. Find the error Circle it in the sentence below, then write the correction.

    Find the slip.

    The cheetah is a specie declared extinct in India in 1952.

    Answer

    specie → species. One kind of animal is still a species. Specie means coin money.

11. Choose one Circle the letter of the correct option.

    Where does the word specie come from?

    1. The Latin phrase in specie, where specie is a form of species
    2. A misspelling of species that became accepted
    3. The French word for spice
    4. An abbreviation of specimen
    Answer

    The Latin phrase in specie, where specie is a form of species. In specie uses the Latin ablative of species. It came into English as coin money by the 1670s, separately from the biological species.

12. Put in order Number the lines 1 upward in the correct order.

    Arrange the check before you write the word.

    • Keep specie only for coin or in specie
    • Let the verb and determiner show one or many
    • If yes, write species whatever the number
    • Ask whether the sentence is about living things or kinds
    Answer

    1. Ask whether the sentence is about living things or kinds
    2. If yes, write species whatever the number
    3. Let the verb and determiner show one or many
    4. Keep specie only for coin or in specie

    The meaning decides the word; the verb decides the number.

Collocation · phase out, phase down, freeze: the verbs of a treaty timetable

13. Choose one Circle the letter of the correct option.

    Which sentence describes the Kigali Amendment correctly?

    1. It phases down HFCs.
    2. It phases out HFCs.
    3. It phases out CFCs for the first time.
    4. It freezes ozone-depleting substances permanently.
    Answer

    It phases down HFCs.. Kigali phases HFCs down, not out. CFCs were already controlled under the Protocol before Kigali.

14. Fill the blank Circle the letter that completes the sentence.

    India, in Group 2, will ___ HFC consumption in 2028 and then cut it to 85 per cent below baseline by 2047.

    1. freeze
    2. phase out
    3. ratify
    4. baseline
    Answer

    freeze. The 2028 step holds consumption at the baseline level. The cuts come after it.

15. Match the pairs Write the letter from the right against each number on the left.

    Match each term to its meaning.

    1. baseline
    2. freeze
    3. phase down
    4. phase out

    1. stepwise cut to zero
    2. stepwise cut to a lower level
    3. no growth above the baseline
    4. the reference level for measuring cuts
    Answer

    • baseline: the reference level for measuring cuts
    • freeze: no growth above the baseline
    • phase down: stepwise cut to a lower level
    • phase out: stepwise cut to zero

    The four describe a sequence. Swapping any two changes what the treaty requires.

16. Find the error Circle it in the sentence below, then write the correction.

    Find the verb that misstates the treaty.

    Under Kigali, India must phase out HFCs by 2047.

    Answer

    out → down. The Group 2 target for 2047 is an 85 per cent reduction, a phase-down, not elimination.

17. Choose one Circle the letter of the correct option.

    Which is correctly hyphenated?

    1. The HFC phase-down schedule differs by group.
    2. Countries phase-down HFCs in steps.
    3. The HFC phase down-schedule differs by group.
    4. Countries phase-down-HFCs in steps.
    Answer

    The HFC phase-down schedule differs by group.. As a modifier or noun, phase-down takes a hyphen. As a verb, countries phase down HFCs, with no hyphen.

18. Put in order Number the lines 1 upward in the correct order.

    Arrange the Kigali sequence for a developing country.

    • the final reduction step is reached
    • consumption is phased down in steps
    • consumption is frozen at the baseline
    • a baseline period is fixed
    Answer

    1. a baseline period is fixed
    2. consumption is frozen at the baseline
    3. consumption is phased down in steps
    4. the final reduction step is reached

    Baseline, freeze, phase-down, final step. The article’s table gives each group’s years in this order.

From the edition · uncommenced

19. Choose one Circle the letter of the correct option.

    What does "uncommenced" say about Section 106(2) of the BNS?

    1. It is on the statute book but has not been brought into force
    2. It has been repealed by Parliament
    3. It was struck down by the Supreme Court
    4. It applies only to future offences
    Answer

    It is on the statute book but has not been brought into force. Uncommenced means enacted but not in force. It is neither repealed nor struck down, and it is not a question of retrospective effect.

20. Fill the blank Circle the letter that completes the sentence.

    The BNS came into force on 1 July 2024, but Section 106(2) was excluded from the ___ notification.

    1. commencement
    2. repeal
    3. ordinance
    4. ratification
    Answer

    commencement. A commencement notification brings provisions into force. Section 106(2) was left out of it.

21. Match the pairs Write the letter from the right against each number on the left.

    Match each item from the edition to its stage.

    1. Section 106(2) BNS
    2. the rest of the BNS
    3. India-MERCOSUR First Additional Protocol
    4. Semicon 2.0

    1. approved in July, notified in August 2026
    2. signed, awaiting ratification
    3. in force since 1 July 2024
    4. enacted, uncommenced
    Answer

    • Section 106(2) BNS: enacted, uncommenced
    • the rest of the BNS: in force since 1 July 2024
    • India-MERCOSUR First Additional Protocol: signed, awaiting ratification
    • Semicon 2.0: approved in July, notified in August 2026

    Four different gaps between a decision and its legal effect, all in one edition.

22. Find the error Circle it in the sentence below, then write the correction.

    Find the word that overstates the law.

    Section 106(2) BNS currently punishes drivers who flee after a fatal crash.

    Answer

    punishes → would punish (it is uncommenced). An uncommenced provision punishes no one yet. The accurate verb is conditional.

23. Choose one Circle the letter of the correct option.

    According to Shubham Kumar, why would Section 106(2) not cover the Gurugram case even if commenced?

    1. It applies only where the victim dies, and the rider survived
    2. It applies only to commercial vehicles
    3. It was replaced by Section 109 BNS
    4. It applies only outside cities
    Answer

    It applies only where the victim dies, and the rider survived. This is the survivor gap the column identifies: no equivalent aggravated offence exists for grievous injury followed by flight.

24. Put in order Number the lines 1 upward in the correct order.

    Arrange the stages of a statutory provision.

    • provision in force and enforceable
    • commencement date appointed by notification
    • assent received and the Act enacted
    • bill passed by Parliament
    Answer

    1. bill passed by Parliament
    2. assent received and the Act enacted
    3. commencement date appointed by notification
    4. provision in force and enforceable

    An uncommenced provision is stuck between the second and third steps.

Say it shorter · the sentence that says it twice

25. Say it shorter Rewrite the sentence below within the word limit.

    The evaluation phase does not carry a production commitment; it is a design-integration study ahead of any future production decision.

    Word limit 14

    Model

    The evaluation is a design-integration study and commits neither side to production. The second clause restated the first. One sentence now carries both facts: what the study is, and what it does not commit anyone to.

26. Choose one Circle the letter of the correct option.

    Which sentence uses "not X; it is Y" to add something new?

    1. A shipbuilding cluster is not a yard; it is an ecosystem.
    2. The study is not a commitment; it does not commit anyone.
    3. The plan is not final; it is not yet finalised.
    4. The rule is not in force; it has not come into force.
    Answer

    A shipbuilding cluster is not a yard; it is an ecosystem.. Only the first replaces one idea with a different one. The other three say the same thing twice.

27. Find the error Circle it in the sentence below, then write the correction.

    Find the word where the echo begins.

    Kumik links three lines of reasoning; using Kumik lets the writer weave them.

    Answer

    using → (cut from "using" to the end). Everything after the semicolon repeats the claim before it.

28. Fill the blank Circle the letter that completes the sentence.

    To test a second clause, ___ it and see whether the sentence loses any claim.

    1. cover
    2. expand
    3. italicise
    4. repeat
    Answer

    cover. The cover test: if nothing is lost when the clause is hidden, it was an echo.

29. Match the pairs Write the letter from the right against each number on the left.

    Match each sentence to its kind.

    1. An e-CoO is not a documentation reform; it is a customs law amendment.
    2. The study carries no commitment; it precedes any decision to commit.
    3. A cluster is not a yard; it is an ecosystem.
    4. Each is separate; using Kumik lets you weave them.

    1. echo
    2. earned contrast
    3. echo
    4. earned contrast
    Answer

    • An e-CoO is not a documentation reform; it is a customs law amendment.: earned contrast
    • The study carries no commitment; it precedes any decision to commit.: echo
    • A cluster is not a yard; it is an ecosystem.: earned contrast
    • Each is separate; using Kumik lets you weave them.: echo

    The earned contrasts replace one reading with another. The echoes repeat their first clause.

30. Put in order Number the lines 1 upward in the correct order.

    Arrange the steps for fixing a two-part sentence.

    • Cut the echo or give it a new fact
    • Ask whether any claim disappeared
    • Cover the second clause
    • Spot the "not X; it is Y" or semicolon shape
    Answer

    1. Spot the "not X; it is Y" or semicolon shape
    2. Cover the second clause
    3. Ask whether any claim disappeared
    4. Cut the echo or give it a new fact

    Spot, cover, ask, fix. The order stops you from cutting a contrast that was doing real work.

Usage watch · Dr or Dr. full stops in titles and abbreviations

31. Choose one Circle the letter of the correct option.

    Under the British contraction rule, which is written without a full stop?

    1. Dr
    2. Prof.
    3. Capt.
    4. Rev.
    Answer

    Dr. Dr keeps the last letter of Doctor, so it is a contraction. The others cut off the end of the word and take a stop.

32. Fill the blank Circle the letter that completes the sentence.

    Air Vice Marshal (___) Manmohan Bahadur wrote the column on retired generals.

    1. retd
    2. r.
    3. ret’d.
    4. rtd..
    Answer

    retd. Retd keeps the first and last letters of retired, a contraction, so the edition writes it without a stop.

33. Match the pairs Write the letter from the right against each number on the left.

    Match each form to its kind.

    1. Dr
    2. Capt.
    3. Ltd
    4. Prof.

    1. truncation (end cut off)
    2. contraction (first and last letters)
    3. truncation (end cut off)
    4. contraction (first and last letters)
    Answer

    • Dr: contraction (first and last letters)
    • Capt.: truncation (end cut off)
    • Ltd: contraction (first and last letters)
    • Prof.: truncation (end cut off)

    The last letter decides it: kept means contraction, missing means truncation.

34. Find the error Circle it in the sentence below, then write the correction.

    Find the form that breaks the writer’s own convention.

    Dr Singh met Dr. Sankaran and Capt. Jagmohan.

    Answer

    Dr. → Dr. The sentence starts with the British form. Either convention is fine; switching within a sentence is the slip.

35. Choose one Circle the letter of the correct option.

    How should you write the Karnataka prefix in an answer?

    1. As the order writes it, Er., since it is an official title
    2. Always as Er, because British rules apply in India
    3. As Engr., the American form
    4. As E.R., with two stops
    Answer

    As the order writes it, Er., since it is an official title. Quote an official title as the government writes it. The edition reports the prefix as Er.

36. Put in order Number the lines 1 upward in the correct order.

    Arrange the check for a shortened title.

    • Make every instance match
    • Check the convention used elsewhere in your answer
    • If yes, British style drops the stop; if no, add one
    • Does it keep the last letter of the word?
    Answer

    1. Does it keep the last letter of the word?
    2. If yes, British style drops the stop; if no, add one
    3. Check the convention used elsewhere in your answer
    4. Make every instance match

    Classify, apply the rule, then enforce consistency across the script.

Idiom in formal register · double down

37. Choose one Circle the letter of the correct option.

    What does Cassandra Steer mean when she urges countries to "double down" at Geneva?

    1. Commit more firmly to preventing an arms race in outer space
    2. Double their military space budgets
    3. Withdraw from the talks and try again later
    4. Split the negotiations into two tracks
    Answer

    Commit more firmly to preventing an arms race in outer space. The figurative sense is increased resolve, here directed at arms control, not armament.

38. Fill the blank Circle the letter that completes the sentence.

    In a formal GS answer, "double down on efforts" is safer written as "___ efforts".

    1. redouble
    2. undouble
    3. doubling
    4. redoubling down
    Answer

    redouble. Redouble is the standard formal verb with the same meaning.

39. Match the pairs Write the letter from the right against each number on the left.

    Match each idiom to its meaning.

    1. double down
    2. play into the hands of
    3. redouble
    4. double the bet

    1. the literal blackjack move
    2. increase an effort, formal
    3. help an opponent without meaning to
    4. commit more firmly under pressure
    Answer

    • double down: commit more firmly under pressure
    • play into the hands of: help an opponent without meaning to
    • redouble: increase an effort, formal
    • double the bet: the literal blackjack move

    Two idioms from one column, one formal substitute, and the literal origin.

40. Find the error Circle it in the sentence below, then write the correction.

    Find the word that makes the idiom lazy here.

    The ministry doubled down on its routine annual report.

    Answer

    routine → (no pressure or stake: say "published"). Doubling down needs a contested position or a raised stake. A routine report is simply published.

41. Choose one Circle the letter of the correct option.

    In Steer’s column, what "plays into the hands of" China and Russia?

    1. The public US declaration of on-orbit space control weapons
    2. The 1967 Outer Space Treaty
    3. The Geneva meeting in November 2026
    4. India’s Mission Shakti test
    Answer

    The public US declaration of on-orbit space control weapons. Her argument is that the declaration validates accusations China and Russia had long made.

42. Put in order Number the lines 1 upward in the correct order.

    Arrange the check before using "double down".

    • Choose the idiom or a formal equivalent for the register
    • Confirm the actor raised rather than kept its commitment
    • Name the pressure or criticism it faced
    • Name the position or effort
    Answer

    1. Name the position or effort
    2. Name the pressure or criticism it faced
    3. Confirm the actor raised rather than kept its commitment
    4. Choose the idiom or a formal equivalent for the register

    Without pressure and a raised commitment the idiom does not apply; the register decides whether to use it or redouble.

Writing task · Uncommenced, unratified, unfrozen: say exactly what is in force

Choose one item from today’s edition that is decided but not yet operating: Section 106(2) of the BNS, the India-MERCOSUR First Additional Protocol, or India’s 2028 HFC freeze under the Kigali Amendment. In no more than 100 words, state exactly what has happened, what has not, and what one step would bring it into effect. Use uncommenced, ratify or freeze correctly, and at least one word from today’s glossary.

Companion to Vocab Builder (what a word scores in a GS answer) and Key Terms. Wordcraft is the language itself.