Commonly misused words quiz pdf

We highlight harvards steven pinkers most commonly misused words and phrases with great examples drawn from his latest bestseller. Portable document format pdf is a universal type of file that can be read universally across every computer platform. Whether youre a selfproclaimed grammar nazi or use the phrase intensive purposes, there are still some words that confuse us all. To test your familiarity with 20 of these often puzzling word pairs, set aside a few minutes to take this quiz. Nov 09, 2020 in this quiz, we will focus on various commonly confused words in english.

They have to look up the words in the dictionary, try and find an antonym and synonym using the. The transition from spoken to written language can often be a bumpy one because the way we talk tends to be a lot less formal than the way we write. We promise it wont be too hard and youll walk away a little smarter. Weve also thrown in one or two questions on apostrophes and capital letters just to keep you on your toes. Dec 09, 2014 the following sentence uses the commonly misused words correctly. The magician created the illusion of a disappearing coin. Our commonly confused words worksheets are free to download and easy to access in pdf format.

It is meant to include only words whose misuse is deprecated by most usage writers, editors, and professional grammarians defining the norms of standard english. In this quiz, we will focus on various commonly confused words in english. Theres an explanation about commonly confused words before each printable worksheet, and the answers are provided in the pdf file. Certain words are easy to mix up, but these two commonly confused worksheets can help. Practice differentiating between the two words with this fillintheblanks worksheet. Included are two separate units of 15 misused pairs. Word usage worksheets commonly confused words worksheets. Commonly misused words quiz 1 due no due date points 20. Illusion an allusion refers to implying or referring to something, especially in literature. Top 30 commonly confused words homophones in english. For each of the following sentences, circle the word or words that best complete the sentence correctly. Cern desktop publishing service grammar and style guidelines misused terms lay a transitive verb. Activity choose the correct word in the following sentences.

This conversion can be accomplished by a few different methods, but heres one easy and highquality method. Words commonly confused worksheet kipp memphis collegiate. Beware of these commonly misused and misspelled words infographic. Even though we warned jake not to eat a a hole pie at one sitting, he b sat at the kitchen table and c proceeded to consume slice after slice.

Commonly misused words comprehension worksheet in this printable, students read the definitions of two commonly misused words, accept and except, then answer questions about the words and fill in the blanks in sentences. Marco verch professional photographer and speaker flickr cc by 2. For examples and practice exercises, click on the highlighted words. Oct 02, 2018 here, from our glossary of commonly confused words, are 20 tricky word pairs that look and sound alike but have different meanings. Affecteffect commonly misused words comprehension worksheet.

When we try to translate spoken ideas into writing, it is often hard to remember correct grammar. Nov 30, 2015 the 58 most commonly misused words and phrases. Following after is the more precise word if a time sequence is involved. Many words look or sound similar use the right word so the reader knows your meaning incorrect words can be distracting.

English is large and includes many a word that looks andor sounds very much like another word. David is a publisher and entrepreneur who tries to help professionals grow their business and careers, and. All entries conclude with a section highlighting why the. Circle the word that correctly completes the sentence the amountnumber of critical steps is outlined in the chapter describing the process. Commonly confused words affecteffect usually affect is a verb, meaning to influence, and effect is a noun, meaning result. Writers often confuse words that sound alike but have different meanings or words that have similar meanings.

Commonly misused words you should get right readers digest. Its hard to work in a noisy environment, but i think ive finally. Cern desktop publishing service grammar and style guidelines misused terms commonly misused and problem words and expressions after. Are you an expert on the difference between to, too and two. Less there are fewerless harry potter books than movies. Without saying a word, he nonetheless implied, inferred by his body language that his partner had cheated. Affect is usually used as a verb think a for action meaning to influence. Each company in the conglomerate operates as a discreetdiscrete entity. Quiz yourself on 25 commonly misspelled words in this list of pairs. Commonly confused words connors writing center dimond library 329. There are a lot of words in english that look or sound alike but have different meanings, such as affect and effect or cite and site.

Few is an adjective that describes countable nouns. Even though we warned jake not to eat a a hole pie at one sitting, he b sat at the. Heres a quickreference list of pairs of words that regularly cause people problems. Select the word that completes the sentence accurately and appropriately. We like to call out typos, argue about the oxford comma and rile our siblings by replying to their text messages with grammar corrections or is that just me. A helpful 500 word vocabulary list of commonly tested words can be found in chapter 2. If a cat falls of off the counter, it will land on its feet. Top 20 commonly confused homophones scholastic parents. She was confident that he would exceed, accede to her request. Microsoft word is a word processing program that is sold with microsoft office. If your feeling down, its probably best to be around friends and family to lift your spirits.

Use these worksheets to give students more practice with commonly confused words and help them avoid embarrassing grammar mistakes in their speech and writing. Professional custom content writing service alliedwriters. Browse commonly misused verbs resources on teachers pay teachers, a marketplace trusted by millions of teachers for original educational resources. Did you know that every time you misspeak, a kitten cries. Here, youll find an easily confused words worksheet for early learners and one for more advanced learners. There is used when you are referring to a place examples.

In the english language, we make up new words every day. The line between when they are improper and acceptable is vague, and it is the time of transition where the most conflict arises. Commonly confused words university of new hampshire. The following sentence uses the commonly misused words correctly. In this quiz, were going to separate the dictionary words from the makebelieve. Thanks to the magic of spellcheck, alot is not very common anymore, but watch for it in your handwritten work. Some all too common mistakes have found their way to memes and mugs like the notorious youre v. Because the pronouns whom and whomever are objects, they can be. Determine which word within the parentheses is correct. Mar 31, 2014 homophones are words that sound alike but are spelled differently.

This is a grammar diagnostic page with study links. Yes, language evolves but some words are just flat out misused. But get these commonly misused words down and youll look smarter than ever. Commonly misused words and phrases why should you bother to read this handout. Easily confused words test test your knowledge of easily confused words e. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. The 58 most commonly misused words and phrases the.

Check out the list below the following scenarios are the most commonly used cases. The case always seems to be that unless youre picking it up as a second language, you simply overlook all of the contradictions and overly tricky aspects of it an example of which is multiple varying words with either the same spelling or pronunciation with. We received alot of emails supporting the new policy. Farther you need to go furtherfarther than platform 9 if you want to board the train to hogwarts. Even the strictest editors arent immune to some of these miscues. Its time to test that theory with this fun and surprisingly knowledgeable quiz. Can you tell if these commonly misused words are being used correctly. I have my upper elementary students glue this in their spelling journals. Social activities may affect your grades, but the effect had better be small.

There are many words in the english language that are commonly confused. Words and expressions commonly misused flashcards quizlet. From the solar system to the world economy to educational games, fact monster has the info kids are seeking. Commonly confused words there are a lot of words in english that look or sound alike but have different meanings, such as affect and effect or cite and site. The english language has always been a complex one.

Be sure to use each word in the pair correctly in context. Commonly misused words grammar, punctuation, and sentences. Commonly misused words accept except accept verb meaning to take receive. Pdfs are extremely useful files but, sometimes, the need arises to edit or deliver the content in them in a microsoft word file format. However, there are still several oft misused terms that have not reached a high level of awareness. It is possible that some of the meanings marked nonstandard may pass into standard english in the future, but at this time all of the following nonstandard. Smashing grammar written by the founder of grammar monster, smashing grammar includes a glossary of grammar essentials from apostrophes to zeugma and a chapter on easily confused words from affecteffect to whetherif. Commonly confused words trivalley local school district. In addition, you may want to have a dictionary or thesaurus handy as you work through the questions in each section. This can help expand your bank of vocabulary words. Many of these examples are among the top 10 misused words, so if students can master their proper usage, they will be ahead.

This is a list of english words that are thought to be commonly misused. An illusion refers to a misleading image, object, or idea that does not exist as it appears. We discussed the multiple literary illusionsallusions within the text. Each entry starts with a simple explanation and basic examples before moving to reallife, entertaining examples. Effect is most commonly used as a noun meaning result or outcome.

Choose one of the words in brackets to fill the gap. The horse mentioned in the text is clearly an allusion to the trojan horse. Amongbetween me and you, i think kallie won the contest. May expresses permission, possibility, or human interpretation. For each of the following sentences, circle the word or words that best complete the sentence. Affect is usually a verb meaning to change or to influence. Jan 11, 2011 misused words common writing mistakes misused is a concatenation of miss and used, so it must be improper. Idiomatic in familiar speech as a detached phrase in the sense, agreed, or go ahead. It was unfortunate that i forgot my textbook the night before the quiz.

Here youll find worksheet activities that help students sort through the confusing issue of confusing words. Harvard linguist identifies these 50 commonly misused words. Jan 09, 2019 in the glossary, youll also find links to definitions, examples, and practice exercises that should help you keep these words straight. Weve compiled some of the most frequently misused words to provide a little crash course for people who havent sat in a classroom in a while. Compose your own unique sentences for the most frequently misused words paired below. Confusing wordsa quiz updated with more commonly confused words. Do you know these commonly used words that arent actually words.