Style Questions, continued Using Appropriate Language The final Style issue tested on the ACT English Test tends to be the hardest for many testtakers, although the questions themselves are not very time-consuming. These final Style questions are all about word choice, otherwise known as diction. Much like the questions involving idiom use that we reviewed in the previous chapter, these questions will often require you to trust your ear. Wrong answers to “word choice” questions tend to be wrong for one of the following reasons: • • • • They They They They use slang or overly informal language. use pompous or inflated language. involve the misuse of commonly confused words. are otherwise awkward, wordy, or ambiguous. We sometimes refer to commonly confused words as “tricky twins.” Here’s our top-ten list of these troublemakers. Tricky Twins Correct usage explained than/then than—used to compare or contrast things, as in “holier than thou” then—used when one thing follows another, as in “if this, then that” affect/effect affect—verb meaning “to influence” effect—noun meaning “result” (also a verb meaning “to bring about”) principle/principal principle—rule, law, or scruple, as in “that man has no principles” principal—every other meaning you can think of lead/led lead—verb meaning “to direct”, or the heavy metal, as in a lead pipe led—the past tense of “to lead” lose/loose lose—the verb, meaning “to misplace”—pronounced looz loose—the adjective, meaning “unfastened”—pronounced looss accept/except accept—to agree, to receive, or to take on except—excluding, as in, “I bought every dress except the red one” eminent/imminent eminent—distinguished or renowned imminent—about to happen compliment/complement compliment—praise or flattery complement—a completing part or a full quantity . discreet/discrete discreet—tactful or diplomatic discrete—separate, distinct, or disconnected elicit/illicit elicit—to provoke, draw out, or extract illicit—illegal, forbidden, or socially unacceptable