Grammar
What is the past perfect continuous form of the verb "to study"?
(Had been studying)
What’s a synonym for "exhausted"?
(Tired, drained, fatigued, worn out)
What is the literary term for a narrative that begins in the middle of the action?
(In media res)
What does "hit the nail on the head" mean?
(To be exactly right about something.)
How do you pronounce the word "epitome"?
(Eh-PIT-oh-mee)
Which of these is a non-defining relative clause?
(B: My brother, who lives in Spain, is visiting next week.)
What does "ubiquitous" mean?
(Something that appears everywhere)
What is the grammatical term for a word that connects clauses or sentences, such as “however” or “nevertheless”?
Conjunction/conjunctive adverb
What does "barking up the wrong tree" mean?
(Accusing the wrong person or following the wrong idea.)
Pronounce: "Squirrel"
Correct: SKWIR-uhl
Rewrite this sentence using inversion: "If I had known, I would have helped."
(Had I known, I would have helped.)
Which word means the opposite of "mitigate"?
(A: Worsen)
What is the term for a word that sounds the same as another word but has a different meaning and spelling, like “bare” and “bear” or "new" and "knew"?
(Homophone)
Fill in the blank: "I thought he was arrogant, but after meeting him, I realized I had to eat my ____."
(Words)
Pronounce: "Choir"
(Correct: KWAI-er)
What’s the difference between “I stopped to smoke” and “I stopped smoking”?
(The first means you stopped what you were doing to have a cigarette; the second means you quit smoking forever.)
Name three words derived from "dict" (meaning "to say" or "to tell").
(Dictate, dictionary, predict, contradict, edict, etc.)
What’s the difference in meaning between “historic” and “historical”?
(“Historic” means important in history; “historical” means related to history in general.)
What does "to burn the midnight oil" mean?
(To work late into the night.)
Pronounce: "Gnome"
(Correct: Nome, the "g" is silent)
Correct the mistake: “He suggested me to go to the doctor.”
(He suggested that I go to the doctor.)
"The politician was accused of making a ______ promise that he never intended to keep."
(Hollow, empty, insincere, meaningless)
What’s the name for a word or phrase that has been borrowed from another language and used in English, like “déjà vu”, "tsunami", "pizzeria or "mosquito"?
(loanword)
Explain the idiom: "Don't put all your eggs in one basket."
(Don’t risk everything on one plan or opportunity.)
Pronounce: "Worcestershire"
(Correct: WUSS-ter-sheer or WUSS-ter-shur)