Resume and copy editors from across the world will agree that most grammar mistakes people make in English are due to ignorance of the right usage of a particular word.
This is also due to the nature of certain words that sound similar. Take the quiz below and find out where you are going wrong.
Mistake 1: Accept/ Except/ Expect1. Everyone, _____ Rohan went out for a movie last Friday.
1) accept
2) expect
3) except
The correct answer is except
While accept is the opposite of 'decline', expect means 'to anticipate' and except is short to mean 'exception' or 'isolation'
Eg: If the job profile is good, Arun will accept the job offer.
If the presentation is tomorrow, the professor will expect you to keep it ready a day in advance.
Every one was dressed in white, except Arun who wore black.
except
Mistake 2: Your vs You're
1) your
2) you're
The correct answer is you're
you're
Mistake 2: Your vs You're
3. Is this ____ car?
1) your
2) you're
The correct answer is your
your
While your is used as a pronoun to represent possessiveness, you're is short for 'you are'
Eg: Your new haircut suits you better.
I like what you're (you are) wearing today.
Mistake 3: Its vs It's
4. When the computer stops responding to your commands, you know, ____ facing a problem.
1) it's
2) its
The correct answer is it's
it's
Mistake 3: Its vs It's
1) it's
2) its
The correct answer is its
its
While 'its' is used as a possessive pronoun, 'it's' is used in place of 'it is' or 'it has' in a sentence.
Eg: It's (it is) a bright sunny morning today.
The administration has its own way of dealing with public issues.
Mistake 4: Their/ There/ They're
6. Amit and Smita are getting married next week. ___ wedding will take place in Bangalore.
1) There
2) Their
3) They're
The correct answer is Their
Their
Mistake 4: Their/ There/ They're
7. _____ are some unused applications on your desktop.
1) Their
2) There
3) They're
The correct answer is There
There refers to direction as in 'Amit lives there'
'Their' is used to show possessiveness.
Eg.'Amit and Smita live here. This is their car'
'They're' is short for 'they are'. Eg. They're coming home for dinner next week.
There
There refers to direction as in 'Amit lives there'
'Their' is used to show possessiveness.
Eg.'Amit and Smita live here. This is their car'
'They're' is short for 'they are'. Eg. They're coming home for dinner next week.
Mistake 5: Two/ To/ Too
8. I already had my dinner. So, this burger will be ____ much for me.
1) two
2) to
3) too
The correct answer is too
too
'Two' means the number two (as in one, two, three); 'to' is used as an infinitive (to do, to sing, to dance, to eat, etc) and 'too' means excessiveness.
Eg: There were two people in the car.
You have to bend down to reach your knees.
You have eaten too much today.
Mistake 6: Loose vs Lose
9. Austin had to __ 5 kgs so he could fit into his old trousers.
1) loose
2) lose
The correct answer is lose
lose
'Loose' is an adjective; meaning 'not bound together' and it is also the opposite of 'tight'. 'Lose' (noun form loss) is a verb and the antonym for gain or recover.
Eg. You must wear loose garments at night
If you are not careful while travelling, you may lose your belongings.
Mistake 7: Affect vs Effect
1) effect
2) affect
The correct answer is affect
affect
While 'affect' is more often than not used as a verb, 'effect' is usually works as a noun.
Eg: The new petrol prices will affect the taxi drivers in the city.
The cause and effect of the new government law is yet to be seen.
Mistake 8: Then vs Than
11. The doctor will be back at noon. He will consult you ___
1) than
2) then
The correct answer is then
then
While 'then' is used to express time as a consequence, 'than' is used for comparison.
Eg. Practice regularly. Only then will you be able to improve your performance.
Karthik performed better than Rahul in the semi-final rounds.
Mistake 9: Weather vs Whether
12. Your final scores will decide ____ you are selected for the competition or not.
1) weather
2) whether
The correct answer is whether
whether
While 'whether' is used as a condition, that explores the possibilities of a situation like 'whether or not'; 'weather' is a noun as in 'climate'
Eg. I cannot say for sure whether I can join you for dinner.
The weather in Texas is unpredictable.
Mistake 10: Sight vs Site
1) site
2) sight
The correct answer is sight
sight
While both are nouns, 'sight' means 'vision', and implies the act of seeing; however, 'site' means 'location' or 'place'.
Eg. I caught sight of a rare bird this morning.
The engineer visited the construction site.
However, there are exceptions too. Eg. New York has several good sights (or sites) to visit.
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