Commonly Confused Words
Fix the Sentence
Vocabulary
Find the Error
Test-taking Strategies
100
This is the dictionary difference between these two commonly confused words: affect vs. effect
What is: affect: v. have an effect on; make a difference to. effect: n. a change that is a result or consequence of an action or other cause.
100
Rewrite the sentence so that it is grammatically correct: Once I finish reading this book, I have read every novel and essay that John Steinbeck ever published.
What is: Once I finish reading this book, I will have read every novel and essay that John Steinbeck ever published.
100
Viable
What is capable of surviving, practical, or workable?
100
This is the type of grammar error in the following sentence: The painter gave a fantastic demonstration for Ada and I, and we vowed to utilized the new technique in our own work.
What is pronoun agreement or pronoun error ("me" vs. "I")?
100
This section of the Verbal is the one that is in ascending order of difficulty.
What is Sentence Completion?
200
This is the dictionary difference between these two commonly confused words: capital vs. capitol
What is: capital: n. seat of a government OR financial resources capitol: n. the actual building where the legislative body meets
200
Rewrite the sentence so that it is grammatically correct: Our friends seemed to think that the movie was one of the best adventure films of recent years, but it did not seem that way to David and I.
What is: Our friends seemed to think that the movie was one of the best adventure films of recent years, but it did not seem that way to David or me.
200
Futile
What is hopeless, useless, or ineffective?
200
This is the type of error that can be found in the following sentence: The team, which is composed of four cyclists, compete against other cycling teams from around the nation and around the world.
What is subject/verb agreement?
200
This is the amount of time that you should take on each sentence completion question.
What is 30 seconds?
300
This is the dictionary difference between these two commonly confused words: eminent vs. imminent
What is: eminent: adj. famous or respected imminent: adj. ready to take place
300
Rewrite the sentence so that it is grammatically correct: The dispute between the teachers union and the board of education became less heated once it agreed to follow the rules of arbitration.
What is: The dispute between the teachers union and the board of education became less heated once they agreed to follow the rules of arbitration.
300
Tentative
What is hesitant or not fully worked out?
300
This is the type of grammar error that can be found in the following sentence: Tourists see statues of many famous patriots walking along Boston's Freedom Trail.
What is a dangling participle?
300
These are the four grammar error categories that you should use as a checklist for each question.
What is subject-verb agreement, verb tense error, parallelism, and pronoun agreement?
400
This is the dictionary difference between these two commonly confused words: lie vs. lay
What is: lie: v. to lie down (person/animal) note: a person can also lie, as in fabricate the truth lay: v. to set an object down
400
Rewrite the sentence so that it is grammatically correct: The invention of the plow over 12,000 years ago enable large populations to sustain themselves, without needing to migrate in search of food.
What is: The invention of the plow over 12,000 years ago enable large populations to sustain themselves, without the need to migrate in search of food.
400
Satire
What is irony or sarcasm intended to reveal human folly or vices?
400
This is the type of error that is found in the following sentence: In applying for the loan, one is required to supply copies of your federal income tax return.
What is pronoun agreement or using "one" with "one's" or "you" with "your"?
400
What part of the sentence should you look at FIRST if you are trying to make a sentence have parallel structure?
What is the conjunction?
500
This is the dictionary difference between these two commonly confused words: quote vs. quotation
What is: quote: v. to cite quotation: n. the act of citing something that someone said
500
Rewrite the sentence so that it is grammatically correct: Many literary historians regard the novels of Zora Neale Hurston, with their rich characterizations, as being among the more significant works of the late Harlem Renaissance.
What is: Many literary historians regard the novels of Zora Neale Hurston, with their rich characterizations, as being among the most significant works of the late Harlem Renaissance.
500
Ameliorate
What is to make more bearable or to improve?
500
This is the type of error that can be found in the following sentence: Because of the large traffic jam, scarcely no one from the group made it to the airport in time to catch the flight to the conference in San Antonio.
What is a double negative (scarcely + no one)?
500
This strategy is used to check subject verb agreement when you have a single noun followed by a comma.
What is cross out the appositive and check whether the subject and verb agree?
M
e
n
u