Confusing words - part 1
Contents
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ACCEPT / EXCEPT ___________________________________________________ 2
ADVICE / ADVISE ___________________________________________________ 2
AFFECT / EFFECT ___________________________________________________ 2
ANYONE / ANY ONE / ANYWAY / ANY WAY _______________________________ 2
ANYTHING / EVERYTHING / ANYWHERE / EVERYWHERE _____________________ 2
BESIDE / BESIDES __________________________________________________ 2
BRING / TAKE / FETCH _______________________________________________ 2
DESERT / DESSERT _________________________________________________ 3
DRIVE / RIDE ______________________________________________________ 3
ECONOMIC / ECONOMICAL____________________________________________ 3
IN / INTO _________________________________________________________ 3
IT’S / ITS _________________________________________________________ 3
LEARN / TEACH / STUDY _____________________________________________ 3
LEND / BORROW ____________________________________________________ 3
LEND / LOAN _______________________________________________________ 4
LAY / LIE / LIE _____________________________________________________ 4
LIVE / LIFE ________________________________________________________ 4
LOOK / WATCH / SEE ________________________________________________ 4
LOSE / LOOSE ______________________________________________________ 4
OF / OFF __________________________________________________________ 4
ONCE / ONE’S / ONES _______________________________________________ 4
OVER / ABOVE _____________________________________________________ 5
PAST / PASSED _____________________________________________________ 5
PERSONAL / PERSONNEL _____________________________________________ 5
PIECE / PEACE _____________________________________________________ 5
PRIZE / PRICE / PRISE _______________________________________________ 5
QUIT / QUITE / QUIET _______________________________________________ 5
RAISE / RISE ______________________________________________________ 5
SAFE / SAVE _______________________________________________________ 6
SAY / TELL ________________________________________________________ 6
STATIONARY / STATIONERY ___________________________________________ 6
STEAL / STEEL _____________________________________________________ 6
THEN / THAN ______________________________________________________ 6
THERE / THEIR / THEY’RE _____________________________________________ 6
THIS / THESE ______________________________________________________ 6
TO / TOO / TWO ____________________________________________________ 7
UNDER / BELOW ____________________________________________________ 7
WEATHER / WHETHER _______________________________________________ 7
WHEREVER / WHERE EVER ____________________________________________ 7
WHO’S / WHOSE ____________________________________________________ 7
Choose the correct word from the following pairs:
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7.
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2.
3.
4.
ACCEPT / EXCEPT
I offered her an apology, but she wouldn’t __________ it.
The museum is open daily __________ Mondays.
Everyone was there ___________ for Sally.
The new telephones will ___________ coins of any denomination.
ADVICE / ADVISE
I ___________ you to see a doctor.
She didn’t listen to her father’s __________.
I’m very grateful to you for your __________.
I really don’t know what to ____________.
AFFECT / EFFECT
The punishment had no ________ on him. As soon as he left the prison he
began to steal again.
The new taxes will __________ the rich. They’ll have to pay more.
The higher bus fares won’t ___________ me. I have a car.
The medicine had an immediate _________ . I felt better at once.
ANYONE / ANY ONE / ANYWAY / ANY WAY
I love him ___________.
Is there ____________ of these books you didn’t like?
Is there _____________ I can help you?
____________ can see that this is not right.
ANYTHING / EVERYTHING / ANYWHERE / EVERYWHERE
He has done ____________ in his life.
You can use this card _____________.
Have you seen my glasses ______________ ?
He never does ____________ for me.
BESIDE / BESIDES
There is not much to do ___________ setting the table.
There was a small table _____________ the bed.
__________ Peter and me, who else is coming to your party tonight ?
Sarah was ___________ herself with joy, when Tom proposed to her.
It was too late to go to the cinema. ___________, I was too busy.
BRING / TAKE / FETCH
Can you ________ me to the station, please ?
You can ________ your wife to our party.
This glass has been used - please _________ me a clean one.
Can you ________ some milk when you come home ?
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5. She ________ the dogs for a walk every morning.
6. He _________ another chair from the dining room. (s.p.)
8.
1.
2.
3.
4.
9.
1.
2.
3.
4.
DESERT / DESSERT
He _______ed his wife and family for another woman.
If you make the main course, I’ll make a __________.
Banyuls is an excellent _____________ wine.
They were lost in the Sahara ___________ for several days.
DRIVE / RIDE
Can I _______ with you ? I don’t have a car.
The _______ to my parents’ house takes 20 minutes.
Most children like to _______ on trains.
Can you _______ ? I’m too tired.
10. ECONOMIC / ECONOMICAL
1. It’s not very __________ to leave the lights on when you’re not in the room.
2. Because of the recent strikes, the _____________ situation of the country
is very bad.
3. She’s an economist. She’s an expert in _____________ matters.
4. It’s a very _____________ car. It uses very little petrol.
11. IN / INTO
1. The dog is ______ the house somewhere.
2. The frog changed_______ a handsome prince.
3. She put the basket ________ the boot and set off for Central Park.
4. Her books have been translated _________ more than twenty languages.
12. IT’S / ITS
1. Look at this tree. ______ leaves are so pretty !
2. “______ a very friendly dog” said ______ owner.
3. My pain was gone, but now ______ back.
4. ______ been raining, the pavement is wet.
5. Look to the dog ! ______ wagging _______ tail.
13. LEARN / TEACH / STUDY
1. His mother ________ at the university in Oxford.
2. You have to ________ to listen to your inner voice.
3. Your English will improve a lot, if you ________ every day.
4. Can you please ________ me how to make a cake ?
5. She wants to ________ how to swim.
14. LEND / BORROW
1. I can _________ you my car for the weekend.
2. She used to _________ money and not bother to pay it back.
3. He _________ a novel from the library.
4. He doesn’t like _________ing his books.
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15. LEND / LOAN
1. If you need a coat, I can ________ you one.
2. Thank you very much for the ________ of your umbrella.
3. The bank refuses to ________ to students.
4. She’s trying to get a ________ to start her own business.
16. LAY / LIE / LIE
(fill in simple past forms only)
1. The snow ________ thick on the hills.
2. Trudy ________ five eggs last week.
3. The theft ________ heavy on his conscience.
4. I suspect he ________about his age.
5. He ________his hand on my shoulder.
17. LIVE / LIFE
1. The concert was broadcast ________ on the Internet.
2. Ocean ________ is being threatened by global warming.
3. I ________ with my parents in London.
4. He touched a ________ wire and got an electric shock.
18. LOOK / WATCH / SEE
1. There is a scary man outside ________ing my house.
2. I can’t ________ any fruit juice in the fridge.
3. He ________ed at his daughter with pride in his eyes.
4. She was ________ out of the window.
5. Football is very popular and many people go and _______ matches on
Sunday.
6. Did you ________ the advert in the newspaper ?
19. LOSE / LOOSE
1. Look after that money, or you’ll _______ it.
2. That screw is a bit _______. You’d better tighten it.
3. The opposite of ‘to find’ is to _______.
4. I tied the dog to a tree but it got _______ and ran away.
20. OF / OFF
1. The boys jump _______ the bridge into the river.
2. I’m very proud _______ my son, he worked very hard.
3. Keep _______ the grass ! You mustn’t walk there !
4. You’ll find more exercises on the back _______ the page.
21. ONCE / ONE’S / ONES
1. _______ again I was left with all the washing up.
2. Why don’t you throw those gloves away and get some new _______.
3. One ought to respect _______ parents.
4. He keeps his stamps - he’s got some very rare _______ - in a fireproof safe.
5. This house _______ belonged to my grandfather.
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6. I go swimming _______ a week.
22. OVER / ABOVE
1. The car was going _______ a hundred miles an hour.
2. He broke his arm _______ the elbow.
3. The thaw is setting in _______ zero degrees Celsius.
4. He must be _______ seventy by now.
23. PAST / PASSED
1. I’ve ________ the exam!
2. She _______ the post office on her way home, but forgot to go in.
3. The thief hid in a doorway and the policeman ran _______ him.
4. It was _______ midnight when I finally got to bed.
5. The truck driver _______ a couple of cyclists before driving _______ a
parked RV.
24. PERSONAL / PERSONNEL
1. The new director is likely to make major changes in __________ .
2. Her uncle takes a __________ interest in her progress.
3. I will give the matter my ___________ attention.
4. The __________ department will help you find a flat to rent.
25. PIECE / PEACE
1. After a busy day, all I want is _______ and quiet.
2. This jigsaw puzzle has two ________ missing.
3. The _______ conference was organized by the UN.
4. The vase lay on the floor in _______.
5. The beauty queen said her favourite food was a _______ of pie and that
she’d like to see world _______.
26. PRIZE / PRICE / PRISE
1. He robbed a bank. Now he has to pay the _______.
2. Sally almost won the first _______ in the beauty contest.
3. The burglar _______ the window and climbed through.
4. Can you guess the asking _______ of this house ?
27. QUIT / QUITE / QUIET
1. Would you _______ your job if you inherited lots of money?
2. She’s got _______ a bit of money.
3. Press Q to _______ the program.
4. He’s _______ attractive but not what I’d call gorgeous.
5. Could you keep _______ while I’m on the phone, please ?
6. It was a _______ wedding, with just a few friends and relations.
28. RAISE / RISE
1. He _______ed his voice in anger.
2. The sun _______ in the East.
3. The host was very friendly. He _______ to welcome us.
5/8
4. We were born and _______ in New York.
29. SAFE / SAVE
1. Swim lessons can _______ your children’s lives.
2. Better to be _______ than sorry.
3. It is necessary to _______ for your future.
4. I hope you have a _______ and pleasant journey.
30. SAY / TELL
1. My boss _______ me to work harder. (past s.)
2. Lisa _______ that she works in an office.
3. _______ your brother why you lied to him.
4. She _______ she probably lost her purse in the department store. (past s.)
5. How do I know ? I can’t _______ the future.
31. STATIONARY / STATIONERY
1. A __________ can print more than just wedding invitations.
2. The traffic got slower and slower until it was __________.
3. The __________ supplies are kept in that cupboard over there.
4. The motorcyclist collided with a __________ van.
5. You'll be able to get a tube of glue at the __________'s down the road.
6. The car full of __________ was __________.
32. STEAL / STEEL
1. He always _______ the show.
2. They were so poor they had to _______ in order to eat.
3. The ________ workers are on strike.
4. These _______ plates are mainly used in the automotive industry.
5. The thieves tried to _______ some _______ cables to sell as scrap metal.
33. THEN / THAN
1. We sold more products _______ we did last year.
2. This project is more challenging _______ I thought.
3. If he is sick, _______ you will have to go to the meeting.
4. Do your homework, _______ you can play.
34. THERE / THEIR / THEY’RE
1. The students are happy. They've finished _________ homework.
2. I’ve got an LCD TV. _________ much better than regular TVs.
3. ________ are many foreign students in my classroom.
4. Tom and Peter left _________ books over _________.
5. “Where are the cyclists?” asked Tom. “They’re over there on their bikes”
replied Joe.
35. THIS / THESE
1. Where were you _______ day last year ?
2. Life is expensive _______ days.
3. Are _______ your keys ?
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4. ________ is the best news I’ve heard all week !
36. TO / TOO / TWO
1. We chose for the lesser of _______ evils.
2. The parents had only just had a baby, so they decided that it was _______
early _______ try for another.
3. You can walk from here _______ the station in under 10 minutes.
4. I’ll probably rent that motorhome next year _______.
5. That son of hers should learn to stand on his own _______ feet.
6. I had my back ________ them, so I couldn’t see what they were doing.
37. UNDER / BELOW
1. He collapsed 200 metres _________ the summit.
2. The photo was hidden _________ the mattress.
3. The moon disappeared _________ the horizon.
4. This car can go from nought to sixty in _________ five seconds.
38. WEATHER / WHETHER
1. I don’t know __________ the __________ is meant to be good or bad
today.
2. Their holiday was spoilt by bad __________.
3. She can’t decide __________ she ought to marry him.
4. What’s the __________ like? Is it sunny?.
39. WHEREVER / WHERE EVER
1. _____________ have you been. I’ve been looking for you everywhere !
2. You always lose your keys ! _____________ did you put them now ?
3. I’ll find him, ______________ he has gone.
4. _____________ have you put my briefcase ? I can’t find it anywhere.
40. WHO’S / WHOSE
1. There was a picture in the paper of a man _______ house had been flooded.
2. _______ been using my computer ?
3. _______ your new business partner ?
4. _______ wallet is lying there on the floor ?
5. _______ that person over there? Is he the guy _______ wallet was stolen?
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Key
2
except
advice
affect
any one
everywhere
beside
bring
dessert
drive
economic
into
It’s / its
learn
borrow
loan
laid
life
see
loose
of
ones
above
passed
3
except
advice
affect
any way
anywhere
Besides
fetch
dessert
ride
economic
in
it’s
study
borrows
lend
lay
live
looked
lose
off
one’s
above
past
4
accept
advise
effect
Anyone
anything
beside
bring
desert
drive
economical
into
It’s
teach
lending
loan
lied
live
looking
loose
of
ones
over
past
24 personnel
25 peace
personal
pieces
personal
peace
personnel
pieces
26
27
28
29
30
31
prize
quite
rises
safe
says
stationary
prised
quit
rose
save
Tell
stationery
price
quite
raised
safe
said
stationary
32 steals
33 than
34 their
steal
than
They’re
steel
then
There
steel
then
their/there
35
36
37
38
these
too, to
under
weather
these
to
below
whether
This
too
under
weather
Wherever
Who’s
wherever
Who’s
Where ever
Whose
Who’s,
whose
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
1
accept
advise
effect
anyway
everything
besides
take
deserted
ride
economical
in
Its
teaches
lend
lend
lay
live
watching
lose
off
Once
over
passed
price
quit
raised
save
told
stationer
this
two
below
whether,
weather
39 Where ever
40 whose
5
Besides
takes
6
fetched
It’s / its
learn
laid
watch
see
once
once
passed,
past
piece,
peace
quiet
tell
stationer
quiet
stationery,
stationary
steal, steel
They’re/
there/their
two
to
8/8