Can you tell the difference between historic and historical?

When do you use accept and when do you use except? Further and Farther? Sensual and Sensuous? For the last four years the CAT has been testing aspirants on this particular type of vocabulary question. These types of questions can be labelled as Commonly Confused Words. Format: Typically a sentence is given which has a blank. Two alternatives are provided for filling up the blank. The aspirant has to use his/her knowledge of English vocabulary to select the right word to fit into the blank. Of course this being the CAT it does not stop at that one has to solve 5 sentences like these to be able to arrive at one correct answer! Which means that you have to solve all the sentences very carefully. Even if you get one of the sentences wrong the correct answers in all the other sentences would not fetch any marks. Sample question from CAT 2007 Sentences 1.Regrettably [A] / Regretfully [B] I have to decline your invitation. 2.I am drawn to the poetic, sensual [A] / sensuous [B] quality of her paintings. 3.He was besides [A] / beside [B] himself with rage when I told him what I had done. 4.After brushing against a stationary [A] / stationery [B] truck my car turned turtle. 5.As the water began to rise over [A] / above [B] the danger mark, the signs of an imminent flood were clear. Answer Choices (1) BAABA (2) BBBAB (3) AAABA (4) BBAAB (5) BABAB As you can see in the above question you have to pick the right word for the blanks in Sentences 1-5 and the correct combination among the Answer Choices 1-5 has to be selected. Practice: The question before us is to how to practice these types of questions as they are not available as a separate topic in any grammar book as such. In such a difficult situation we turn to the Internet for help. a) Wikipedia: Our first stop is the Wikipedia. Wikipedia has a page with a list of English words which are commonly misused . The list of words are alphabetically arranged. It discusses the meaning of the words and uses the words in a sentence in the right way as well as non standard constructions. Example from Wikipedia, accept and except. While they sound similar (or even identical), except is a preposition that means apart from, while accept is a verb that means agree with, take in, or receive. Except is also occasionally used as a verb, meaning to take out or to leave out. o Standard: We accept all major credit cards, except Diners Club. o Standard: Men are fools present company excepted! (Which means, present company excluded) o Non-standard: I had trouble making friends with them; I never felt excepted. o Non-standard: We all went swimming, accept for Jack.

b) Google: If you type the phrase Commonly Confused Words into Google, you should get access to the following resources for CCW.

(i) Oxford Dictionary has a page on this topic - http://oxforddictionaries.com/page/easilyconfused which is in the following format and has roughly 65-70 word pairs.

Word 1 altar amoral appraise assent aural

Meaning a sacred table in a church not concerned with right or wrong to assess agreement, approval relating to the ears or hearing

Word 2 alter immoral apprise ascent oral

Meaning to change not following accepted moral standards to inform someone the action of rising or climbing up relating to the mouth; spoken

(ii) Edufind.com - http://www.edufind.com/english/writing/easily_confused_words.cfm This too has a listing of pairs of easily confused of words. The advantage is that the meaning is not given on the page itself but rather is in the following format

Word 1 defuse delusion delusion descent desert discreet

Word 2 diffuse illusion allusion dissent dessert discrete

Once you have taken a look at the words defuse and diffuse and decided what they mean you can press the review button and it gives you the difference between the the two words in this form,

defuse Remove the fuse from an explosive device. Can be used to mean to calm down an incident. Example: He defused a dangerous situation by talking calmly and logically to the angry mob.

diffuse Spread over a wide area Example: The wreckage was found over a diffuse area covering nearly thirty square kilometers.
(iii) ABOUT.COM A number of quizzes are presented on about.com for identifying CCW. The advantage here is that the words are not stand-alone but appear in sentences as they would appear in the CAT. A look at the link http://esl.about.com/library/quiz/bl_confusing1.htm shows us the following,

Q: The _____ applauded enthusiastically after the performance was finished. (a) audience (b) spectators You can keep marking your answers and get your score at the end of the the quiz. Other Links on about.com which may be useful for CCW are, a) http://esl.about.com/library/quiz/bl_homophone1.htm b) http://esl.about.com/library/quiz/bl_homophone2.htm c) http://esl.about.com/library/quiz/bl_confusing2.htm c) As usual there is no place like Pagalguy for your prep work and a casual look at a couple of threads reveals a rich source of CCW. Examples from PG Threads, moot:Subject to debate; arguable E.g: a moot question. moor: To make fast (a vessel, for example) by means of cables, anchors, or lines E.g: moor a ship to a dock. amended:To remove the faults or errors in; correct. E.g.: President amended the earlier proposal so as to make it more comprehensive. emended:To improve by critical editing: E.g.: emend a faulty text. ingenious**:Marked by inventive skill and imagination. E.g: an ingenious scheme igneous: Of, relating to, or characteristic of fire. E.g.:an igneous desert atmosphere. prudent: Wise in handling practical matters; exercising good judgment or common sense. E.g.: a prudent manager prudish: Marked by or exhibiting the characteristics of a prude(One who is excessive); E.g. prudish lady PG Threads for reference purpose, 1. http://www.pagalguy.com/forum/english-resources/44418-commonly-confused-words.html 2. http://www.pagalguy.com/forum/english-resources/51429-confusing-english-words.html d) Books If you are attending coaching classes you will find that they also provide you with a list of CCW in their Grammar Books. Apart from this, a good book to follow for these types of questions is Better English by Normal Lewis . e) Mock CATS: Since these questions have been coming in the CAT you will find that you will be frequently asked these types of questions in the Mocks . As discussed in my previous article on Mock CAT analysis maintain a database of these CCW and you will find the databank extremely helpful for revision purpose when the CAT is just round the corner! I am sure that if you tapped the above sources well you will be exposed to a variety of CCW and will confidently sale through the CCW. Oh! That should have been sail!

http://esl.about.com/library/quiz/bl_homophone1.htm http://esl.about.com/library/quiz/bl_homophone2.htm

http://esl.about.com/library/quiz/bl_confusing1.htm http://esl.about.com/library/quiz/bl_confusing2.htm

A
abdicate, abrogate, and arrogate. To abdicate is to resign from the throne, or more loosely

to cast off a responsibility. To abrogate is to repeal a law or abolish an arrangement. To arrogate is to attempt to take on a right or responsibility to which one is not entitled. Standard: Edward VIII abdicated from the throne of the United Kingdom. Standard: Henry VIII abrogated Welsh customary law. Non-standard: John abrogated all responsibility for the catering arrangements (should

be "abdicated"). Non-standard: You should not abrogate to yourself the whole honour of the

President's visit (should be "arrogate"). accept and except. While they sound similar (or even identical), except is a preposition that

means "apart from", while accept is a verb that means "agree with", "take in", or "receive". Except is also occasionally used as a verb, meaning to take out or to leave out. Standard: We accept all major credit cards, except Diners Club. Standard: Men are fools... present company excepted! (Which means, "present

company excluded") Non-standard: I had trouble making friends with them; I never felt excepted. Non-standard: We all went swimming, accept for Jack.

acute and chronic. Acute means "sharp", as an acute illness is one that rapidly worsens and

reaches a crisis. A chronic illness may also be a severe one, but it is long-lasting or lingering. Standard: She was treated with epinephrine during an acute asthma attack. Standard: It is not a terminal illness, but it does cause chronic pain. Non-standard: I have suffered from acute asthma for twenty years. Non-standard: I just started feeling this chronic pain in my back.

adverse and averse. Adverse means unfavorable, contrary or hostile. Averse means having

a strong feeling of opposition, antipathy, or repugnance. Standard: They sailed despite adverse weather conditions. Standard: He was averse to taking his medicine. Non-standard: He is not adverse to having a drink now and then.

affect and effect. The verb affect means "to influence something", and the noun effect means

"the result of". Effect can also be a verb that means "to cause [something] to be", while affect as a

noun has technical meanings in psychology, music, and aesthetic theory: an emotion or subjectively experienced feeling. A device to remember when trying to decide which is the right choice: If something affects you it usually has an effect on you. Standard. This poem affected me so much that I cried. Standard. Temperature has an effect on reaction spontaneity. Standard. The dynamite effected the wall's collapse. Standard. He seemed completely devoid of affect. Non-standard. The rain effected our plans for the day. Non-standard. We tried appeasing the rain gods, but to no affect.

aggravate and mitigate. Aggravate means "to make worse". Mitigate means "to make less

bad". "Mitigating factor" refers to something that affects someone's case by lessening the degree of blame, not anything that has any effect at all. algorithm and logarithm. An algorithm is a sequence of instructions, often used for

calculation and processing data. A logarithm is a mathematical function that indicates, for a given base, the power (i.e. exponent) to which the base must be raised to produce that number. Standard: The manager developed an algorithm by which he could determine which

candidate would best meet the needs of the company. Standard: The pH is equivalent to the negative logarithm of the concentration

of hydrogen ions in solution. Thus, a solution of pH 6.2 will have an [H+] concentration of 106.2 mol/L a lot and allot. A lot means many; allot means to distribute something. allusion, illusion, and hallucination. An allusion is an indirect or metaphorical reference to

something; an illusion is a false picture of something that is there; a hallucination is the seeing of something that is not there. alternately and alternatively. Alternately is an adverb that means in turn; one after the

other. Alternatively is an adverb that means on the other hand; one or the other. ones. appraise and apprise. To appraise is to assess or value something; to apprise is to teach or Standard: We alternately spun the wheel in the game. Standard: You can choose a large bookcase or, alternatively, you can buy two small

inform. Standard: His performance was appraised very positively. Standard: I lost no time in apprising her of the situation.

Non-standard: Has he been appraised of the fact?

assume: to suppose to be true, especially without proof, and presume: to take for granted as

being true in the absence of proof to the contrary. Presume can also mean "take excessive liberties", as in the adjective form "presumptuous". Standard: They had assumed that they were alone, so they were surprised when they

heard a third voice join their song. Standard: Doctor Livingstone, I presume?

assure, ensure, and insure. In American English, to assure is purely to intend to give the

listener confidence, to ensure is to make certain of, and to insure is to purchase insurance. The only difference with British English is that "assure" can be used instead of "insure", particularly in the context of life insurance/assurance. [edit]B bifurcate. Bifurcate means to segregate or divide into two parts. It is not a stand-in for 'more Standard: I assure you that I will have your car washed by the time you return. Standard: When you mow the lawn, ensure there are no foreign objects in the grass. Standard: I plan to purchase the collision policy when I insure my car. Standard: I already have more than enough life assurance. Non-standard: His actions insured that the attacking army would fail.

than one.' breath and breathe. A breath (noun) is the inhalation or exhalation of air from the lungs.

To breathe (verb) is the act of inhalation and exhalation. [edit]C cache and cachet. A cache (IPA: /k/) is a storage place from which items may be quickly

retrieved. A cachet (IPA: /ke/) is a seal or mark, such as a wax seal on an envelope or a mark of authenticity on a product. Note that cachet is usually used figuratively to mean "marked by excellence, distinction or superiority". Standard: The pirates buried a cache of jewels near the coast. Standard: Living in New York City definitely has a certain cachet. Non-standard: If your web browser is running slowly, try emptying the cachet.

can't and cant. Can't is a contraction of cannot. Cant has a number of different meanings,

including a slope or slant, or a kind of slang or jargon spoken by a particular group of people. "Canting arms" is a coat-of-arms that represents meaning of the bearer's surname.

Standard: I can't understand the dialogue in this book because it is written in cant. Standard: Heralds do not pun; they cant.[1] Non-standard: I cant swim; I have never taken lessons.

complementary and complimentary. Things or people that go together well

are complementary (i.e., they complete each other), complimentary refers to an item given without charge (considered a 'gift'), usually in addition to a product or service that may have been purchased. It also means to praise someone or something. Standard: Orange and blue are complementary colors. Standard: The motel provides a complimentary breakfast (i.e., breakfast at no charge)

to customers who stay overnight. Standard: Jane was very complimentary about your new home.

Similarly, a complement is an accessory, while a compliment is a statement of admiration. complaisance and complacency. Complaisance means the willingness to comply

with the wishes of others. Complacency means self-satisfaction especially when accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies. comprise, compose and consist. To comprise means to be made up of, or

to consist of; as a slightly different usage it can mean to contain, include, or embrace. It takes as a direct object each of the parts. Each of these is used with the greater whole as the subject of the verb. To compose in this context (of a whole thing and its parts) is used with the parts, considered together, as the subject of the verb.[2] Standard: A full pack comprises 52 cards. Standard: A full pack consists of 52 cards. Standard: A full pack is composed of 52 cards plus the joker. Standard: A full pack includes 52 cards and the joker. Non-standard: A full pack comprises of 52 cards. Non-standard: A full pack is comprised of 52 cards. Standard: The property comprises five floors of office space. Standard: The property consists of five floors of office space. Standard: The property includes five floors of office space and a private elevator (lift). Non-standard: The property comprises of five floors of office space. Non-standard: The property is comprised of five floors of office space.

concession. A concession stand gets its name from the fact that the operator has

typically been granted a contract known as a "concession" to operate the stand. It is nonstandard to refer to the items sold at concession stands as "concessions." contiguous, continual, and continuous. Contiguous means "touching" or "adjoining

in space"; continual means "repeated in rapid succession"; continuous means "uninterrupted" (in time or space). Standard: Alaska is not one of the forty-eight contiguous states. Standard: The field was surrounded by a continuous fence. Standard: The continuous murmur of the stream. Standard: His continual interruptions are very irritating. contingent and contingency. As a noun, a contingent is a representative group;

a contingency is a possible event. Standard: The explorers were prepared for every contingency. Standard: He was a member of the California contingent at the convention. Non-standard: He was greeted by a contingency from the school board. crotch and crutch. A crotch is an area where something branches or forks off in two

directions, or the area on a person's body where the legs fork from the trunk (commonly interchanged with 'groin'). A crutch is a device that assists motion, especially one that sits under the armpit, or something that supports, often used negatively to indicate that it is not needed and causes an unhealthful dependency. [edit]D diffuse and defuse. To diffuse is to disperse randomly, whereas to defuse is to

remove the fuse from a bomb, or in general to render a situation less dangerous. Diffuse can also be used as an adjective, meaning "not concentrated". Standard: The situation was defused when Sandy explained that he was gay, and had no interest in Frank's wife. Standard: The smell of gasoline slowly diffused into the still air of the hall. Standard: The spotlights were turned off, leaving the stage lit by the diffuse glow of the lanterns. disassemble and dissemble. To disassemble means "to dismantle" (e.g. to take

a machine code program apart to see how it works); to dissemble means "to tell lies".

disburse and disperse. Disburse means "to give out", especially

money. Disperse means "to scatter". discreet and discrete. Discreet means "circumspect". Discrete means "having

separate parts", as opposed to contiguous. disinterested and uninterested. To be disinterested in something means to not be

biased about something (i.e. to have no personal stake in a particular side of an issue). To be uninterestedmeans to not be interested in or intrigued by something. Standard: As their good friend, I tried to mediate their argument in a disinterested manner so as not to anger either. Standard: Though his initial reaction suggested otherwise, he maintains that he remains uninterested in the business proposition. Non-standard: The key to attracting a member of the opposite sex is to balance between giving attention to him or her and appearing disinterested. dissect and bisect. Bisect means "to cut into two"; dissect means "to cut apart", both

literally and figuratively. Disect is an archaic word meaning "to separate by cutting", but has not been in common use since the 17th century. Standard: We dissected the eye of a bull in biology class today. Standard: She dissected Smith's dissertation, pointing out scores of errors. Standard: The Americas are bisected by the Panama canal. Non-standard: We bisected the eye of a bull in biology class today. [edit]E economic and economical. Economic means "having to do with the

economy". Economical means "financially prudent, frugal" and also figuratively in the sense "sparing use" (of time, language, etc.)[3] Standard: Buying in bulk can often be the most economical choice. Standard: The actor should be economical in his use of movement. Standard: He attended the School of Economic and Business Sciences. Non-standard: Leading economical indicators suggest that a recession may be on the horizon. Non-standard: The actor should be economic in his use of movement. e.g. and i.e. The abbreviation e.g. stands for the Latin exempli grati "for example",

and should be used when the example(s) given are just one or a few of many. The

abbreviation i.e. stands for the Latin id est "that is", and is used to give the only example(s) or to otherwise qualify the statement just made. Standard: A Briton is a British citizen, e.g. John Lennon. Standard: Tolkien's The Hobbit is named after its protagonist, i.e., Bilbo Baggins. Non-standard: A Briton is a British citizen, i.e., Paul McCartney (at the last count, there were about 60 million BritonsSir Paul is far from being the only one) emigration and immigration. Emigration is the process of leaving a

country; immigration is the process of arriving in a countryin both cases, indefinitely. Standard: Ethnic communities, such as Little Italy, were created by people emigrating from their home countries. eminent, preeminent, imminent, and immanent. Eminent, originally meaning

"emerging", means "illustrious or highly-regarded". Preeminent means "most highlyregarded". Imminent means "about to occur". Immanent (less common than the other two, and often theological) means "indwelling, pervading". Standard: The eminent doctor Jones testified on behalf of the defence. Standard: Rumours that war was imminent soon spread through the population. Standard: God's grace is immanent throughout the entire creation. eponymous is used to describe something which gives its name to something else,

not something which receives the name of something else. Standard: Frank, the eponymous owner of Frank's Bistro, prepares all meals in a spotless kitchen. Non-standard: Frank maintains an eponymous restaurant, Frank's Bistro. exacerbate and exasperate. Exacerbate means "to make

worse". Exasperate means "to exhaust", usually someone's patience. Standard: Treatment by untrained personnel can exacerbate injuries. Standard: Do not let Jack talk to the state trooper; he is tactless and will just exasperate her. expedient and expeditious. Expedient means "to do conveniently or quickly, but

possibly improperly". Expeditious means "done efficiently", and does not carry any negative connotation. Standard: The chef's expedient solution was to microwave the undercooked hamburger. Standard: The chef's expeditious solution was to cook a new hamburger.

[edit]F flesh and flush. To flesh out is to add flesh to a skeleton, or metaphorically to add

substance to an incomplete rendering. To flush out is to cause game fowl to take to flight, or to frighten any quarry from a place of concealment. Standard: The forensic pathologist will flesh out the skull with clay. Standard: The beaters flushed out the game with drums and torches. Non-standard: This outline is incomplete and must be flushed out. flounder and founder. To flounder is to be clumsy, confused, indecisive or to flop

around like a fish out of water. A flounder is also a type of flatfish. To founder is to fill with water and sink.It also means "to fail". Standard: The ship is damaged and may founder. Standard: She was floundering on the balance beam. Non-standard: The ship is damaged and may flounder. flout and flaunt. One flouts a rule or law by flagrantly ignoring it.

One flaunts something by showing it off. Standard: If you have it, flaunt it. Standard: He continually flouted the speed limit. Non-standard: If you have it, flout it. Non-standard: He continually flaunted the speed limit. [edit]H hay and straw. Hay is a grassy plant used as animal fodder. Straw is the dry stalk of

a cereal plant (e.g., barley, oats, rice, rye), after the grain or seed has been removed; it is used to line an animal's stall or for insulation. hang. To hang something or someone in the present tense, one uses the same form.

In the past, however, pictures are hung and criminals are hanged. hangar and hanger. The aeroplane is in the hangar; the coat is on the hanger. hear and here. To "hear" is to detect a sound with one's ears. "Here" refers to one's

immediate location. hoard and horde. A hoard is a store or accumulation of things. A horde is a large

group of people. Standard: A horde of shoppers lined up to be the first to buy the new gizmo.

 Standard: He has a hoard of discontinued rare cards. Non-standard: Do not horde the candy, share it. Non-standard: The hoard charged when the horns sounded. [edit]I imply and infer. Something is implied if it is a suggestion intended by the person

speaking, whereas a conclusion is inferred if it is reached by the person listening. Standard: When Tony told me he had no money, he was implying that I should give him some. Standard: When Tony told me he had no money, I inferred that I should give him some. Non-standard: When Tony told me he had no money, he was inferring that I should give him some. inherent and inherit. A part inherent in X is logically inseparable from X. To inherit is

a verb, meaning "pass down a generation". Standard: Risk is inherent in the stock market. Standard: The next president inherits a legacy of mistrust and fear. Non-standard: There is violence inherit in the system. it's and its. It's is a contraction that replaces it is or it has (see apostrophe). Its is

the possessive determiner corresponding to it, meaning "belonging to it". Standard: It's time to eat! (it is time) Standard: It's been nice getting to meet you. (it has been) Standard: My cell phone has poor reception because its antenna is broken. Non-standard: Its good to be the king. Non-standard: The bicycle tire had lost all of it's pressure. fitting. Standard: It is ironic that the center for the handicapped has no wheelchair ramp. Standard: It is ironic that Alanis Morissette wrote a song called "Ironic" with many examples, not one of which is actually ironic. Non-standard: It is ironic that George W Bush is right-handed and Republican while Bill Clinton is left-handed and Democratic. Non-standard: It is raining on our wedding day! Is it not ironic? irony. Something is ironic if it is the opposite of what is appropriate, expected, or

isle and aisle. An isle is an island. An aisle is corridor through which one may pass

from one place to another. Standard: He came from a small isle in the Caribbean. Standard: The coffee is down the third aisle on the left. [edit]J jive and jibe. Jive is hepcat patois or deception. Jibe is to be in accord with. Standard: Don't give me that same old jive. Standard: Your report doesn't jibe with the facts. Non-standard: Your report doesn't jive with the facts. [edit]L lay (lay, laid, laid, laying) and lie (lie, lay, lain, lying) are often used

synonymously. Lay is a transitive verb, meaning that it takes an object. "To lay something" means to place something. Lie, on the other hand, is intransitive and means to recline. The distinction between these related verbs is further blurred by the fact that past tense of lie is lay. An easy rule of thumb is to replace the words with sit and set. If sit makes sense (e.g. sit down) then lie should be used (lie down). If the sentence works with set (e.g. set the book on the table) then lay should be used (lay the book on the table). A layoff is never a lieoff or lyoff. (To lie can also mean "to not tell the truth" but in that case, the past tense is lied.) Standard: I lay my husband's work clothes out for him every morning. Yesterday, I decided to see if he paid attention to what I was doing, so I laid out one white sock and one black. He did not notice! Standard: You should not lie down right after eating a large meal. Yesterday, I lay on my bed for half an hour after dinner, and suffered indigestion as a result. My wife saw me lying there and made me get up; she told me that if I had waited for a couple of hours I could have lain down in perfect comfort. Standard: You lied to me, there is no hidden chamber! Non-standard: Is this bed comfortable when you lay on it? (Should be lie) Non-standard: Yesterday I lied down in my office during the lunch hour. (Should be lay) Non-standard: There was no reason for him to have laid down in the middle of the path, it unnerved me to see him laying there saying nothing. (Should be "have lain down" and "him lying there") Non-standard: Lie the baby down, and change his diaper (Should be lay, as lie is intransitive)

 Non-standard: "It could be easy for those guys to lay down. After I left, they could have just laid down."[4] Non-standard: I am going to lay out in the sun and work on my tan. (Should be lie. In general, the term lay out when referring to sunbathing is always non-standard usage.) Non-standard: Sorry, I lay about our appointment yesterday. (Should be lied) Non-standard: You should not lay down right after eating a large meal. Yesterday, I lied on my bed for half an hour after dinner, and suffered indigestion as a result. My wife saw me laying there and made me get up; she told me that if I had waited for a couple of hours I could have lied down in perfect comfort. (Should be lie, lay, lying and lain) levee and levy. A levee is a structure built along a river to raise the height of its

banks, thereby preventing nearby land from flooding (see: dike). To levy is to impose (1) a tax, fine or other assessment, or (2) a military draft; as a noun, a levy is an assessment or army thus gathered. The two words share a common root, but they are not considered interchangeable in Standard English. Because they are homophones, misuse is usually only apparent when observed in writing. Standard: The Netherlands is well known for its elaborate system of levees. Standard: This statute allows the state to levy a 3% tax. Non-standard: Recent storms have weakened the levy. loathe and loath or loth: Loathe is a verb meaning "to strongly dislike",

and loath (or loth) is an adjective meaning "unwilling" or "reluctant". Standard: I loathe arrogant people. Standard: I was loath to concede defeat. Standard: I was loth to submit to a body-cavity search until I saw who would be administering it. lose and loose. Lose can mean "fail to win", "misplace", or "cease to be in

possession". Loose can mean the opposite of tight, or the opposite of tighten. Lose is often misspelled loose, likely because lose has an irregular rhyme for the way it is spelled: it is more common for words ending -ose to rhyme -z, like nose, or rose, but lose rhymes -uz, like news or confuse. This may cause poor spellers to guess the correct spelling should match another -uz rhyming word like choose, although choose is itself also an exception to the regular rhyme for words ending -oose (typically such words, including loose, rhyme -us, like goose or caboose). Standard: We cannot afford to lose customers to our competitors. Standard: A screw is loose and I need a screwdriver to tighten it.

 Non-standard: If the team cannot score any points, they will loose the game. [edit]M macerate, marinate, and marinade. (From post-classical Latin marina brine, short

for classical Latin aqua marina sea water.)[5] In Standard English, marinade is a noun and not a verb; marinate is the verb. Macerate means "to soften by steeping in a liquid" and in culinary terminology is used for non-protein items, specifically fruit.[5] The word macerate is also used in science "to soften bone, rock etc. in a liquid".[5] Standard: The meat will taste better if you marinate it in olive oil before cooking. Standard: Prepare the marinade by mixing vinegar and soy sauce. Non-standard: Marinade the meat in wine for half an hour. Standard: Macerate the fruit in wine for half an hour. Non-standard: Marinate the fruit in wine for half an hour. me, myself, and I. In a traditional prescriptive grammar, I is used only as a

subject, me is used only as an object, and myself is used only as a reflexive object, that is to say when the subject is "I" and the object would otherwise be "me". Myself is often used incorrectly, often in a form of hypercorrection. Like the other reflexive pronouns, myself should be used only when both the subject and object of the verb are the speaker, or as an emphatic pronoun (intensifier). Standard: Jim and I took the train. Standard: He lent the books to Jim and me. Standard: That is I in the picture. (This is very formal, and seldom found in speech.) Acceptable: That is me in the picture. (This is typical in informal English.) Standard (intensifying): I myself have seen instances of that type. Standard (reflexive): I hurt myself. I did it to myself. I played by myself. I want to enjoy myself. Non-standard: Jim and me went into town. Non-standard: Me and Jim went into town. Non-standard: As for myself, I prefer the red. Non-standard: He is an American like myself. Non-standard: He gave the paper to Jim and myself. Non-standard: My wife and myself do not like the development. Non-standard: 'I wake up/With my eyes shut tight/Hoping tomorrow will never come/For you and I.' (Should be For you and me) (From "You And I, Part II" by Fleetwood Mac)

 Non-standard: "Allow myself to introduce myself." (An example of intentional misuse for humorous effect, from Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery.) mitigate and militate. To mitigate is to make something milder. To militate is to fight

or exert pressure for something to happen or not to happen. Standard: The seriousness of your crime was mitigated by the provocation you were under. Standard: Over-protective practices in this factory militate against increased efficiency. Non-standard: Over-protective practices in this factory mitigate against increased efficiency. [edit]N novice and novitiate. A novice is a prospective or trainee member of a religious

order. The novitiate is the state of being a novice, or the time for which one is a novice. However, a novice monk or nun is often incorrectly described as "a novitiate" (perhaps confused with "initiate"). [edit]O of and have. In some dialects of spoken English, of and the contracted form

of have, 've, sound alike. However, in standard written English, they are not interchangeable. Standard: Susan would have stopped to eat, but she was running late. Standard: You could have warned me! Non-standard: I should of known that the store would be closed. (Should be "I should've known") overestimate and underestimate. There is frequent confusion between things

that cannot and should not be over/underestimated, though the meanings are opposite. Standard: The damage caused by pollution cannot be overestimated (i.e. it is so enormous that no estimate, however high, is excessive) Standard: The damage caused by pollution should not be underestimated (i.e. it is wrong to regard it as minor) Non-standard: The damage caused by pollution cannot be underestimated (literal meaning: it is so minimal that no estimate is too small. Intended meaning: one of the previous two)

[edit]P past and passed. Past refers to events that have previously occurred,

while passed is the past tense of "to pass", whether in a congressional action or a physical occurrence. Standard: Congress passed the bill limiting the powers of the President. Standard: History is mainly concerned with the events of the past. Non-standard: He past my house on his way to the store. peremptory and preemptive. A peremptory act or statement is absolute; it cannot be

denied. A preemptive action is one taken before an adversary can act. Standard: He issued a peremptory order. Standard: Preemptive air strikes stopped the enemy from launching the new warship. perpetrate and perpetuate. To perpetrate something is to commit it, while

to perpetuate is something is to cause it to continue or to keep happening. Standard: The gang perpetrated outrages against several citizens. Standard: The stories only serve to perpetuate the legend that the house is haunted. perquisite and prerequisite. Perquisite usually means 'an extra allowance or

privilege'. Prerequisite means 'something required as a condition'. Standard: He had all the perquisites of a movie star, including a stand-in. Standard: Passing the examination was one of the prerequisites for a teaching position. perspective and prospective. Perspective is a view with correct visual angles,

example: parallel railway tracks converging in the distance. "Prospective" is a future possibility or expectation. insight. Standard: I admired her perspicacity; she just seemed to get it so much better than I. Standard: He expressed the idea so perspicuously that anyone could understand. Non-standard: She spoke in a perspicacious way. photogenic and photographic. The former is to be used to mean someone's perspicuity and perspicacity. If something is perspicuous, it is easily understood; its

meaning is obvious. If one is perspicacious, then one is quick to understand or has good

likeness is particularly amenable to being well photographed. The latter is anything pertaining

to photography whether it is technical e.g. photographic chemical or equipment, or generic e.g. photographic journals. practice and practise. In British English, practice is the noun and practise is the

verb, although this distinction is not maintained in American English. prescribe and proscribe. To prescribe something is to command or recommend it.

To proscribe somebody or something is to outlaw him, her or it. progeny and prodigy. Progeny are offspring or things that follow something else.

A prodigy is a genius or a marvelous example of something. [edit]Q Quartary and quaternary. Quartary (from Latin: quartarius) is the fourth member of

an ordinal number word series beginning with (primary, secondary, tertiary) and continuing with (quintary, sextary, ...).[6] Quaternary (from Latin: quaternarius) is the fourth member of a distributive number word series beginning with (singular, binary, ternary) and continuing with (quinary, senary, septenary, octonary ... centenary).[7][8] In biology, the non-standard usage "Quaternary structure" is so firmly entrenched that to refer to "Quartary structure" would be incorrect. [edit]R redundant does not mean "useless" or "unable to perform its function". It means that there is an excess of something, that something is "surplus to requirements" and no longer needed. Standard: The week before Christmas, the company made seventy-five

workers redundant. Standard: A new pill that will instantly cure any illness has made antibiotics

redundant. (Antibiotics could still be used to cure illnesses, but they are no longer needed because a better pill has been invented.) Non-standard: Over-use of antibiotics risks making them redundant. (This

should read: over-use of antibiotics risks making them ineffective) regimen and regiment. A regimen is a system of order, and may often refer to the systematic dosing of medication. A regiment is a military unit. Standard: The sick soldier was removed from his regiment. Standard: The sick soldier was ordered to complete a regimen of amoxicillin.

Non-standard: But wow, without the daily regiment of basketball, imagine

what will happen to him?[9] reign and rein. A reign refers to the rule of a monarch.[10] Reins are the straps used to control the movements of an animal (typically a horse).[11] Thus, to "take the reins" means to assume control, and to have "free rein" means to be free of constraints.[12] Non-standard: ...the Suns gave Sports Illustrated's Jack McCallum free reign

of practices...[13] Non-standard: Bobby Jindal, a whiz kid takes the reigns of Louisiana's

Department of Health and Hospital[14] Non-standard: Taylor will be passing on the reigns of the neighborhood

school to Assistant Principal Amy Kleiner.[15] Non-standard: ...his rein of terror in 1969 is fascinating part of the history of

20th century crime...[16] Non-standard: He spent the last four seasons trying to patch together lineups

in Houston, where injuries reined supreme, and he had a great deal of success under the circumstances.[17] revert. To revert is to return to a former state, not to reply or respond to someone. Standard: The Hulk reverted to Bruce Banner after he had a nice cup of tea

and calmed down a bit. [edit]S sensual and sensuous. Both words mean "to do with the senses". Sensual is more often applied to a pleasure or experience or to a person's character; sensuous to someone or something of enticing appearance. Standard: Don Juan is the most sensual character in fiction. Standard: Ascetics believe in avoiding all sensual pleasures. Standard: Marilyn Monroe looks extremely sensuous in this film clip. Non-standard: Thanks for your email, I will look into this and revert to you.[18]

set and sit. When used as a transitive verb, to set means "to place" or "to adjust to a value", whereas to sit means, "to be seated". Standard: Set the pot upon the stove. Standard: Set the temperature-control to 100 C. Non-standard: Set down over there. Non-standard: Sit the pot on the stove. Standard: Sit on the chair.

 shirk and shrink. To shirk means "to consistently avoid", "to neglect", "to be too afraid to engage". To shrink means "to contract", "to become physically smaller in size"; also, to shrink awaymeans, "to suddenly jerk away from something in horror". However, to shrink from may also mean, "to hesitate or show reluctance toward". Standard: I will not shirk discussion. Standard: I will not shrink from discussion. Standard: She shrank away from me. Non-standard: I will not shrink discussion. Non-standard: I will not shirk from discussion.

cite, sight and site. A sight is something seen; a site is a place. To cite is to quote or list as a source. Standard: You are a sight for sore eyes. Standard: I found a list of the sights of Rome on a tourist site. Standard: Please cite the sources you used in your essay. Standard: You must travel to the site of the dig to see the dinosaur bones. Standard: It is necessary to have line-of-sight if you want to use semaphore. Non-standard: One must be careful on a construction sight. Non-standard: I will site the book in which I saw the statistics. Non-standard: I could not fire because I did not have line-of-site to the target.

suspect and perpetrator. A suspect is a known person suspected of having committed a crime; a perpetrator is a known or unknown person who committed a crime. A suspect is presumed innocent until proven guilty, therefore it is inappropriate to say that the suspect committed the crime. When describing a crime, perpetrator (or robber, assailant, shooter, etc.) is the appropriate term for the person who committed the crime. Only when a person has been found guilty is he or she is considered a perpetrator. Standard: The perpetrator displayed a gun, and took money from the till. Standard: A suspect was arrested. His name is Matt Smith. Standard: The perpetrator was wearing a dark shirt and jeans. The suspect's

attire matched that of the perpetrator. Standard: Police are searching for the perpetrator, but no suspect has been

identified. Standard: Police are searching for a suspect named Mary Smith. Non-standard: Police are looking for three suspects who mugged a man in

the park. Non-standard: Witnesses said the suspect was tall and thin.

[edit]T temblor and trembler. A temblor is an earthquake. A trembler is something that trembles. than and then. Than is a grammatical particle and preposition associated with comparatives, whereas then is an adverb and a noun. In certain dialects, the two words are usually homophonesbecause they are function words with reduced vowels, and this may cause speakers to confuse them. Standard: I like pizza more than lasagna. Standard: We ate dinner, then went to the movies. Non-standard: You are a better person then I am.

their, there, they're, and there're. There refers to the location of something. Their means "belonging to them". They're is a contraction of "they are". There're is a contraction of "there are".[citation needed] Standard: There're five of them, and they're all coming to the restaurant for

their dinner; we will meet them there. there's, where's, etc. A common spoken mistake is using a singular contraction when it should be plural in words like there's and where's. This stems from the fact that there're and where're are more difficult to enunciate and are often avoided for that reason in colloquial speech. Non-standard: Where's the cars? (Should be Where're or where are) Non-standard: There's many types of car. (Should be There are)

throe and throw. Throe is a spasm. Throw means to pass an object back and forth through the air. to and too. Too means "in excess" or "also". To is a preposition or is a part of a verb in the infinitive. At the end of a sentence to may also refer to a dropped verb in the infinitive. trimester. A trimester is a period of three months.[19][20] Because it is most commonly used in conjunction with a nine-month academic year[21] or a nine-month term of human pregnancy,[22] it is sometimes wrongly assumed that trimester is simply a synonym for one third.[23][24] Standard: One calendar year contains four trimesters.

Non-standard: Without further delay, then, comes ESPN.com's annual (and

overdue) First Trimester Report, ushering folks back to the office by taking stock of the season's opening third:[25] [edit]V venal and venial. These words are sometimes confused; venal means "corrupt", "able to be bribed", or "for sale"; venial means "pardonable, not serious".[3][26] Standard: According to Catholic doctrine, eating meat on a Friday is a venial

sin, but murder is a mortal sin. [edit]W warranty and warrantee. A warranty is a legal assurance that some object can perform some specified task or meets certain quality standards. A warrantee is the person who benefits from a warranty. The verb form is warrant. Confusion here can stem from guarantee and the less common guaranty, which have similar meanings. Standard: Most new cars come with at least a three-year warranty. Standard: I guarantee that you will make a return on your investment. Non-standard: Your mobile phone has stopped working? Maybe you need to Standard: All ages have examples of venal politicians.

claim under the warrantee. whose and who's. Whose is an interrogative word (Whose is this?) or a relative pronoun (The people whose house you admired); who's is a contraction for "who is" or "who has". won't, wont and want. Won't is a contraction for "will not", while wont is a word meaning "accustomed" or "inclined to" (as an adjective) or "habit or custom" (as a noun). Want means the act of desiring or wishing for something. Standard: He won't let me drive his car. Standard: He spent the morning reading, as he was wont to do. Standard: He took a walk in the evening, as was his wont. Standard: His only want was to see his son again. Non-standard: I wont need to go to the supermarket after all. Non-standard: He took a walk in the evening, as was his want.

[edit]Y you're and your. While they sound the same in many dialects, in standard written English they have separate meanings. You're is a contraction for "you are", and your is a possessive pronoun meaning "belonging to you". When in doubt, just see whether the word in question can logically be expanded to "you are". Standard: When driving, always wear your seatbelt. Standard: If you're going out, please be home by ten o'clock. Non-standard: You're mother called this morning. Non-standard: Your the first person to notice my new haircut today!

Commonly confused words

Take a look at these two sentences one of them contains a mistake: I poured over book after book. We pored over the catalogues. Are you uncertain which one is right? There are a lot of words in English that look or sound alike but have very different meanings, such as pore and pour or flaunt and flout. Its easy to get them confused and most electronic spellcheckers wont be much help in this type of situation: they can tell you if a word has been spelled wrongly but they cant generally flag up the misuse of a correctly spelled word. Heres a quick-reference list of pairs of words that regularly cause people problems. The words follow the accepted British English spelling. Some of them do have alternative American spellings and you will find these at the main dictionary entry on this website. Word 1 accept adverse advice affect aisle all together along aloud altar amoral Meaning Word 2 to agree to receive or do except unfavourable, harmful averse recommendations about advise what to do to change or make a effect difference to a passage between rows of isle seats all in one place, all at once altogether moving or extending a long horizontally on out loud allowed a sacred table in a church alter not concerned with right immoral Meaning not including strongly disliking; opposed to recommend something a result; to bring about a result an island completely; on the whole referring to something of great length permitted to change not following accepted moral

appraise assent aural balmy bare bated

or wrong to assess agreement, approval

apprise ascent

bazaar berth born bough brake breach broach canvas censure cereal

relating to the ears or oral hearing pleasantly warm barmy naked; to uncover bear in phrase baited 'with batedbreath', i.e. in great suspense a Middle Eastern market bizarre a bunk in a ship, train, etc. birth having started life a branch of a tree a device for stopping a vehicle; to stop a vehicle to break through, or break a rule; a gap to raise a subject for discussion a type of strong cloth to criticize strongly borne bow break breech brooch canvass censor

standards to inform someone the action of rising or climbing up relating to the mouth; spoken foolish, crazy to carry; to put up with with bait attached or inserted

strange the emergence of a baby from the womb carried to bend the head; the front of a ship to separate into pieces; a pause the back part of a gun barrel a piece of jewellery to seek peoples votes to ban parts of a book or film; a person who does this happening in a series

chord climactic coarse complacent complement

a grass producing an serial edible grain; a breakfast food made from grains a group of musical notes cord forming a climax rough climatic course

council cue curb currant defuse desert discreet disinterested

smug and self-satisfied complaisant to add to so as to improve; compliment an addition that improves something a group of people who counsel manage or advise a signal for action; a queue wooden rod to keep something in kerb check; a control or limit a dried grape current to make a situation less diffuse tense a waterless, empty area; to dessert abandon someone careful not to attract discrete attention impartial uninterested

a length of string; a cord-like body part relating to climate a direction; a school subject; part of a meal willing to please to praise or express approval; an admiring remark advice; to advise a line of people or vehicles (in British English) the stone edge of a pavement happening now; a flow of water, air, or electricity to spread over a wide area the sweet course of a meal separate and distinct not interested

draught draw dual elicit ensure

a current of air

draft

an even score at the end of drawer a game having two parts duel to draw out a reply or reaction to make certain that something will happen illicit insure

a first version of a piece of writing a sliding storage compartment a fight or contest between two people not allowed by law or rules to provide compensation if a person dies or property is damaged a paper container for a letter to drive out an evil spirit a mythical being, part man, part goat to disregard a rule to fail an ancestor onwards, ahead a decoration along a wall a type of bear a large crowd of people to draw a conclusion to hate to be deprived of; to be unable to find a metric unit; rhythm in verse to make less severe a board for mixing colours to sell goods voting in an election a tiny opening; to study something closely to do something repeatedly to gain skill; to do something regularly to officially forbid something

envelop exercise fawn flaunt flounder forbear foreword freeze grisly hoard imply loath loose meter militate palate pedal pole pour practice

to cover or surround envelope physical activity; to do exorcise physical activity a young deer; light brown faun to display ostentatiously flout to move clumsily; to have founder difficulty doing something to refrain forebear an introduction to a book forward to turn to ice frieze gruesome, revolting grizzly a store horde to suggest indirectly infer reluctant, unwilling loathe to unfasten; to set free lose a measuring device to be a powerful factor against the roof of the mouth a foot-operated lever a long, slender piece of wood to flow or cause to flow the use of an idea or method; the work or business of a doctor, dentist, etc. to authorize use of medicine; to order authoritatively most important; the head of a school a person inclined to doubt the ability to see not moving a level of a building to arouse interest full of twists; complex metre mitigate palette peddle poll pore practise

prescribe

proscribe

principal sceptic sight stationary storey titillate tortuous

principle septic site stationery story titivate torturous

a fundamental rule or belief infected with bacteria a location writing materials a tale or account to make more attractive full of pain or suffering

wreath

a ring-shaped arrangement wreathe of flowers etc.

to surround or encircle

The council was (a) averse/ (b) adverse to expansion plan for the library. The after (a) effects/ (b) affects of the bombing are still visible in Japan. Please (a) appraise/ (b) apprise me of the happenings at your end. Mounting sales (a) augur/ (b) auger a profitable year. Critics (a) censored/ (b) censured the new movie. The best scene in movie was the (a) climactic / (b) climatic one. Judge asked the lawyer to produce some (a) creditable / (b) credible evidences. His jail records (a) militated/ (b) mitigated against him. Exhibiting (a) perspicuous/ (b) perspicacious judgments. A (a) venal/ (b) venial sin

Answers SET-1 1.a 2.a 3.b 4.a 5.b 6.a 7.b 8.a 9.b 10.b
And Explanations Adverse-Unfavourable Averse-Strong feeling of opposition Affect-makes a difference to Effect-as a result of Apprise-To inform Appraise-To assess Auger-Device for boring something Augur-Soothsayer / Prophet/a sign Censure-To criticize in a vehement manner Censor-supervising the suitability of a person or a product Climactic-Forming a climax Climatic-Relating to climate Credible-Believable Creditable-Praise worthy Militate-To have a substantial effect

Mitigate-To make less severe Perspicuously-Clearly expressed or lucid Perspicacious-Having keen mental perception and understanding Venal-Susceptible to bribery Venial-Excusable,small

SET-2 1 He stated that his decision to let 20,000 go was entirely _____. It was simply an economic necessity.

amoral immoral

2. Some people feel that his _____ to the President was unnecessary.

allusion illusion

3. I went to John to seek _____ on my current situation.

council counsel

4. The lawyer would like to ______ a response from his client.

elicit illicit

5. Id like to _______ from France, but I don't know where to move.

emigrate immigrate

6. Did they win or _____ the game last week?

loose lose

7. His voice made an amazing _____ impression.

oral aural

8. The ______ department is looking for three new employees.

personal personnel

9. Children tend to be rather _____ and need something to keep them occupied.

restless restive

10. This attachment is a ______ that allows you to clean your curtains.

complement compliment

Answers- SET 2

Amoral-not involving questions of right or wrong; without moral quality; neither moral nor immoral Allusion-A passing or casual reference. Counsel-advice or opinion Elicit-To draw or bring out Emigrate-To leave one country or region lose Aural-Relating to aura Personnel-A body of persons employed in an organization Restless-never at rest complement-(Something which completes other)

Set-3 Dated 23-9-09 1. Her short skirt was really risqu / risky. 2. A Rye / wry expression mix both humor and disbelief. 3. A Doe/Dough is a female deer. 4. A horde/hoard of children attacked the treats on the picnic table. 5. A healthy pond should team/teem with life. 6. A place I remember from my childhood is the little brown church in the vale/veil. 7. A vein of gold in a mine is known as the mother load/lode. 8. All those opposed should say nay/neigh. 9. Are there any amusement parks in this local/locale? 10.Can you peel/peal the apples for me? PS-We can discuss any particular answers if someone is not comfortable with the OA. I am sure Puys over here can solve any discrepancies in OA.

1 risque- daringly close to indelicacy or impropriety instead of risky of risky sports 2 wry- bitterly or disdainfully ironic or amusing, instead of rye of rye bread 3 Doe-A female dear instead of bread dough 4 horde-meaning a large group instead of hoard of a vast hoard of silver coins 5 teem- to abound or swarm; be prolific or fertile instead of team of a football team 6 vale-a valley insteadof veil of under a veil of humor 7 lode- a rich supply or source instead of load of workload 8 nay- no instead of neigh which means cry of a horse 9 locale- a place or locality instead of local of local people 10 peel- to strip (something) of its skin, rind, bark, etc instead of Peal of to peal the bells of a tower

Set -4 Questions

1. The audience/spectators applauded enthusiastically after the performance was

finished

2. Besides/Beside the fact that it was difficult, the exam also included questions

that we had never studied before 3. I told my boss that I wanted a big raise/rise. 4. The article's title/headline read "Politician Wants Answers". 5. He was cooking dinner while/during the football match. 6. You will find the book beside/besides the lamp on the table 7. I wasn't able to do any work because of the continual/continuous interruptions 8. As long as/ As far as I am concerned, you can come along. 9. Could you give me some advise/advice on this problem? 10. Mary assured/ensured us we had made a good decision 11. The audience/spectators applauded enthusiastically after the performance was finished (audience) 12. Besides/Beside the fact that it was difficult, the exam also included questions that we had never studied before (Besides) 13. I told my boss that I wanted a big raise/rise. (raise) 14. The article's title/headline read "Politician Wants Answers". ( Headline) 15. He was cooking dinner while/during the football match.(during) 16. You will find the book beside/besides the lamp on the table (Beside) 17. I wasn't able to do any work because of the continual/continuous interruptions (continual) 18. As long as/ As far as I am concerned, you can come along. (as far as) 19. Could you give me some advise/advice on this problem? (advice) 20. Mary assured/ensured us we had made a good decision (assured)

Questions -Set 5
1. She titivated/titillated her old dress with a new belt 2. The planes ascent/assent made me nervous 3. A turgid/turbid language 4. A dinner to delight the palette/palate 5. He was uninterested/disinterested in sports 6. It was imminent/immanent that a fight will break out 7. Wreathe/Wreath means an arrangement of flowers 8. Money is not a prerequisite/perquisite for good life 9. With respect to the ordinance/ordnance issued by the government 10. To settle in a luxurious/luxuriant country

Answers -Set 5
1. titivated
2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. ascent turgid palate uninterested imminent Wreath prerequisite ordinance luxuriant

and the explanations Titillate-To excite or arouse Titivate-To make smart Ascent-Climb Assent-Agree to Turbid-Opaque Turgid-swollen/Overblown or pompous/Bombastic Palate-Roof of the mouth Palette-a painters equipment Disinterested-Impartial Uninterested-Someone not interested Imminent-Likely to happen Immanent-Intrinsic/Inborn Wreath-Arrangement of flowers Wreathe-Verb meaning envelop,surround Perquisite-A special right/Incidental payments Prerequisite-Something as a prior condition Ordinance-An authoritative order Ordnance-Guns/Military equipments Luxuriant-Abundant or lush in growth Luxurious-Characterize by luxury,Comfortable

1) Attracted to her solely because of her ever glowing optimism and positivity, Shyam tried convincing Asha that his love for her was entirely ________ (plutonic/platonic). 2) It was a quick half an hour flight from Bangalore to Chennai but we had to wait for almost an hour to collect our luggage from the ________ (carousal/carousel). 3) The _______________ (attrition/detrition) rate in call centers is quite high. 4) I need to buy some pens and writing pads so I will be going to the ________________ (stationary/stationery) store. 5)The ____________________ (deleterious/delirious) effects of smoking marijuana were mainly responsible for his failing health. 6)My neighbour's daily _________________ (carousals/carousels) are beginning to get on my nerve. 7)Shiela was quite fond of her new dress, so I did not know how to _______________ (broach/brooch) the fact that she looked quite ridiculous in it. The _____________ (covert/overt) operations of the Indian Army in the North East have been revealed by the media. 9) Pascal had mastered Euclidean geometry and calculus by the tender age of 12. He was indeed a most

__________ (precocious/precious) child. 10) You are ________ (quiet/quite) ___________ (quiet/quite) today! 11) Christmas and New Year fall within a week of each other, so in December one always sees ___________ (lesser/fewer) employees on the office floor. 12) Samantha was always happy and cheerful but after her ____________ (marital/martial) problems began, we noticed _____________ (lesser/fewer) glow in her usually bright features 13) The _______________ (plaintive/plaintiff) tone of the song saddened me further. 14)The facts were _______ (distorted/contorted) by the witnesses thereby making the detective's job much more difficult. 15)If you were to look up the word "macha" in the dictionary, the _________ (denotation/connotation) of the word would be "brother-in-law". However, the _________ (connotation/denotation) of the word usually is "a very close friend". 16) By these accusations are you trying to _________ (infer/imply) that I was the one who stole your mobile? 17) Ram, an amateur _____________ (entomologist/etymologist) would always make it a point to learn Greek and Latin roots, thereby enabling him to learn new words with greater ease. 1 Stop being so _________ (complacent/complaisant) Rahul ! If you wish to succeed in CAT, then this is surely not the correct attitude. 19)The __________ (extant/extent) of the destruction done in the II world war can be gauged by the fact that over 20 million people had been killed in it. 20)This is indeed a _________ (special/especial) occasion for our company and I would like to thank all the people who have made this evening possible __________ (specially/especially) our VP Mr. Ram Das. 21) "Showing a lit cigarette in a __________ (censer/censor/censure)! Are you insane? Indians are very religious by nature and critics are bound to _________(censer/censor/censure) this movie, that is, if the film board does not ________ (censer/censor/censure) that entire scene itself. 22) The aggressive and unruly journalists __________ (besieged/beseeched) the Pulitzer prize winning author for interviews. 23) The severely ill patient's condition was further ____________ (exacerbated/exaggerated) by the inexperienced doctor's incorrect decisions and the lethargic attitude of the hospital staff. 24) You are going to the party ____________ (isn't it/ aren't you)? 25) Rahul has no credible ___________ (excuse/alibi) and hence he is our main suspect in the murder case. 26) When a few unruly hooligans interrupted the _________ (riot/rite), a fight ensued which eventually resulted in a city wide ________ (riot/rite). 27) Vipin is such a hot tempered fashion designer that when Sachin asked him to make a few __________ (altercations/alterations) to his design, he quickly flew into a rage and what followed was an hour long _______________ (altercation/alteration). 2 The bombastic speaker was found of using pompous, ____________ (turbid/turgid) language

29) This area is rich in both ____ (flora/fauna) and __________ (flora/fauna) as it has a wide variety of plants and

animals respectively. 30) Despite all the difficulties that you face in life, all those people who hurt you and cause _________ (strife/strive), you must never lose sight of your goals and must always ___________ (strife/strive) to be the best. 31) You will witness several wicked, evil acts, great injustices, numerous ________ (inequities/iniquities) but you must never be depressed because there is still a lot of beauty left in this world. 32) The bank manager was accused of fund _______________ (inappropriation/misappropriation). 33) Vijay was preparing himself for work when a salesman rang the bell. The poor salesman had indeed chosen an __________ (importune/inopportune) _____________ (moment/movement) for his arrival. 34) I am aware of the _____________ (adverse/averse) ____________ (effects/affects) of smoking, what I can't understand is, how does my smoking ___________ (effect/affect) you, when you are sitting 20 feet away ? 35)He ____________ (affected/effected) an entry into the room with the ___________ (effectation/affectation) of a scholar. 36) Much to the ___________________ (exaltation/exultation) of all the single Indian girls, John Abraham is no longer with Bipasha Basu and is single again! 37) The thought of being sent to the principals office _____________ (petrified/putrefied) the young child. 3 The chain snatcher was apprehended by the ____________ (vigilante/dilettante).

39) The police have requested the public to pass on any information that they might have about the kidnappers and have also promised a suitable ______________ (award/reward). 40) The _________________ (apathy/antipathy) of the citizens shocked the political activist; they went about their work with absolutely no interest in the elections or who will rule them in the near future.

41) Harry, the leading mathematician at Harvard has developed a new theorem for finding the gcd of n ____________ (discrete/discreet) numbers (n1, n2, n3 etc). As the theorem hasnt yet been published in the scientific journal, he has requested all of us to be ____________ (discrete/discreet) in this regard. 42) The doctor asked the patient to come down to his clinic on Saturday, so that he could perform a/an ___________ (biopsy/autopsy) on the _____________ (diseased/deceased) tissue. 43) His ___________ (simplistic/simplified) theory was greeted with derision from his peers. 44) Physics was Einsteins ___________ (fort/forte). 45) Even though I ____________ (loath/loathe) that man, I was _______ (loath/loathe) to take his life. 46) The __________ (ostensible/ostentatious) purpose of this book is to teach children polite behavior but it is equally suitable for elders who have forgotten politeness and thus really need to improve their ___________ (manners/mannerisms). 47) You love pasta! What a co-incidence! I love pasta __________ (also, too)

4 The lackey _________ (brought/bought) me my shoes, the same pair, which father had ________ (bought/brought) last month from the mall. 49) During the ___________ (reign/rein) of the despot, people were a terrified lot. He treated them like animals, beating them with his _____ (reign/rein) at the slightest provocation. 50) His _____________ (mercurial / saturnine) disposition makes him an unpredictable person. We never know what he is going to do next! 51) Are you going to invite Tony and __________ (I/me) to the party? 52) The criminal was _____________ (hung/hanged) last night. 53) The media mogul accused the editor of __________ (libel / slander) when he read their front page article which made several accusations against him. 54) Criss Angel will once again try to push the _____________ (envelop/envelope) when he will attempt being buried alive for a week. 55) The student was ______________ (flouting/flaunting) the college rules by _____________ (flouting/flaunting) his Ferrari as cars are not allowed inside the main campus.

56) The priest read an __________________ (elegy/eulogy) at the funeral service. 57) Is he trying to _________________ (elude/allude) our questions by ___________ (eluding/alluding) to those ambiguous details. 5 The ______________ (vinery/winery) is full of ripe grapes which will then be taken to the _________ (vinery/winery) and crushed to make wine. 59) I bumped into her at the mall yesterday; it was a ________________ (fortuitous/fortunate) meeting. 60) The young executive who had _____________ (embellished/embezzled) his resume stating that he was an IIM-A grad was arrested for fund ____________ (embellishment/embezzlement) 61) The _____________________ (indigenous/indigent) people of this town have become rather _____________ (indigenous/indigent) due to their inability to adapt to new technologies and business practices. 62) The _____________ (ascetic/acetic) lifestyle of the monk amazed us all for lunch all he would eat was dry rotis and dal and follow it up with an _____________ (ascetic/acetic) lime juice. 63) The eagle carried the young rabbit to its _____________ (eerie/eyrie), a place high in the mountains, which was very _________ (eerie/eyrie). 64) We reached our cabin on top of the hill after driving across several ____________ (tortuous/torturous) hilly roads. It was a very _______________ (tortuous/torturous) experience. 65) Several bonded labourers were ______________ (emancipated/emaciated) by the human rights commission. Their long hours of work and poor diet had _________________

(emancipated/emaciated) them all. 66) Rahul is a _______________ (voracious/veracious/vicarious) reader. He often reads articles from reliable web-sites like Wikipedia which offer (voracious/veracious/vicarious) accounts and facts rather than myths and gossips. He also loves reading detective novels where he experiences a ________________ (voracious/veracious/vicarious) thrill when the detective is on a dangerous mission. 67) An _______________________ (ordinance/) issued by the government has ordered the removal of __________________ (ordinances/ordnances) near the border as a truce has been called in. 6 The crowded streets, the poor living conditions, the stale ________________ (indelible/inedible) food all these facts left an _____________ (indelible/inedible) impression on the young mans mind.

69) The entrepreneur was so _______________ (disparate/desperate) for his fun city to be a success that he included such _____________ (disparate/desperate) attractions such as a grand opera and fishing! 70) Sheila is the ___________ (spitting/splitting) image of her mother. 71) The comedians ________________ (self-deprecating/self-depreciating) humour was a hit among the audience. 72) Students often use ________________ (mnemonic/pneumonic) devices when they have to remember difficult formulas. 73) My __________ (older/elder) brother is ________________ (older/elder) than me by 3 years. 74) The strict mother _________________ (descried/decried) her son walking arm in arm with a girl and ______________ (descried/decried) the lack of morals among todays youth. 75) Barack Obama was ____________ (shot/shot at) last night in the White House. He is currently recovering in the hospital where doctors have stated that he is stable and out of danger. 76) Does your ________________ (remuneration/renumeration) ________________ (commensurate/commiserate) with your technical skills? 77) Unlike most therapists who do nothing more than offer mere condolences like I am so sorry that this happened to you and other such statements, he would put himself in his patients shoes and try to understand the problem from his point of view. His approach was one of ____________ (sympathy/empathy) rather than ________ (sympathy/empathy) 7 The MLAs car was ________________ (shot at/fired at). The police after analyzing the crime scene stated that as many as 300 shells had been ________ (shot/fired). 79) We are _____________ (immured/inured) to corruption in our government offices. 80) Tarzan is usually bare except for a _____________ (lioncloth/loincloth).

The question below has five word pairs. Only one of the words in a word pair fits the context of the sentence correctly. Find the option which enlists all the correct words. The (A) adoptive/adopted (B) parents (A) preceded/proceeded (B) to file their application to adopt another child. They had (A) born/borne (B) the taunts of their relatives for a long time before they had come to the decision to go for adoption. Even then, this (A) alternate/alternative (B) was seen by the society as an act of (A) bravado/bravery (B) rather than a natural desire to bring up an individual. OPTIONS 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) ABBBA BBBBA ABABB BBAAB ABABA

here goes the explaination for this.. The parents have not been adopted. Instead they are adopting children so they are adoptive. If something precedes x, it comes before x. Here, the word is proceed which is "to continue or advance". Born mean "brought forth by birth" while borne means, "to hold up; support as well as to bring forth (young); give birth to". It is not possible to give birth to taunts so borne is a better fit than born. Alternative has to do more with "choice" and alternate has more to do with "succession". Alternate would be to "take turns" whereas alternative would be "the other choice". Thus, alternative is our word here. In the paragraph, the society does not seem to appreciate the couples adoption. Hence, they do not think it as an act of bravery but more as an act of bravado which means "boldness or audacity". Hence, the correct answer is option 1.

1. In the absence of a queue, we could not find out whos (A) / whose (B) turn
came next.

2. At the funeral, several wreathes (A) / wreaths (B) were placed on the grave
of the deceased.

3. During his speech he made the ironic (A) / sardonic (B) observation that the
politicians could always be trusted.

4. The judges were uninterested (A) / disinterested (B) in the outcome of the
case.

5. The administrative division of India is composed (A) / comprises (B) of 28

states and 7 union territories.
OPTIONS: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) ABABB BBBAA BBABA BABAB ABBAB

here goes the explaination for this: Who's is a contraction of who is or who has, while whose is the possessive, used in questions

such as whose is this? and whose turn is it? Whose is the correct word contextually. Therefore, options 1 and 5 can be eliminated. Wreath (n and v) with no 'e' at the end means 'arrangement of flowers'. Hence the plural wreaths; while wreathe with an 'e' is a verb meaning 'envelop, surround, or encircle'. Wreaths is the correct word contextually. Therefore, option 4 can be eliminated. Ironic implies an attempt to be amusing or provocative by saying usually the opposite of what is meant: made the ironic observation that the government could always be trusted. Sardonic implies scorn, mockery, or derision that is manifested by either verbal or facial expression: surveyed the scene with a sardonic smile. Therefore, option 2 can be eliminated. Uninterested means to find something boring or dull. Disinterested means impartial. Comprise is a verb meaning to consist of or be composed of. Compose means to make up the constituent parts of. If we use comprises the sentence should read: ... division of India comprises 28 states and ... Hence, the correct answer is option 3. She always felt that she was (A) inflicted/afflicted (B) by some malady or the other. She would often (A) elude/allude (B) to her so-called insufferable imagined illnesses to her visitors. She was such a good storyteller that her visitors were horrified listening to her endless (A) forebodings/forbidding (B) about future health concerns. She also had (A) excess/access (B) to all kinds of medicine information that she would want to discuss with her doctor daily. 1)ABAB 2)BBAB 3)BBAA 4)AAAB 5)BBBA the answer to this set is option 2. BBAB

To inflict a blow indicates that someone (doer) has "caused or meted out a blow". One is afflicted (troubled, make distressed or upset) "by maladies or illnesses". Allude is "to refer indirectly to something". To elude is "to escape or avoid". The lady used to allude or refer to her imagined illnesses. Unsufferable is used for persons or their behaviour (which is intolerable) and not for illnesses. Insufferable is the right word here, as it means "difficult or impossible to endure, intolerable". The fourth word is forebodings (future misfortunes) as the sentence ends with about future health concerns. To forbid is "to command someone not to do something". Excess is "more" whereas access, our last word here, is "right to use of (information)". Hence, the correct answer is option 2.