Sharpen your English language skills by distinguishing between commonly confused words such as affect vs. effect, their vs. there, and more. This quiz helps clarify word usage, spelling, and meaning in easy, everyday contexts.
Which sentence uses the correct word: 'The new policy will _____ how employees schedule their workdays.'?
Explanation: The word 'affect' is a verb, meaning to influence something. 'The new policy will affect how employees schedule their workdays' is correct because the policy is influencing the schedules. 'Effect' is usually a noun and would be incorrect here. 'Effact' and 'Affact' are not real words and are simply misspellings or typos.
Choose the correct word to complete this sentence: 'She is taller _____ her brother.'
Explanation: 'Than' is used for comparisons, as in this sentence comparing height. 'Then' refers to time or the next event and would be incorrect here. 'Thane' is a completely unrelated word referring to a title or rank, and it does not fit in the context. Both 'Thane' options serve as realistic-looking errors.
Select the word that correctly completes: '_____ going to announce the results soon.'
Explanation: 'They're' is the contraction for 'they are,' which makes sense in this sentence. 'There' refers to a place, which does not match here. 'Their' shows possession and is not correct. 'Thier' is a common misspelling of 'their.'
Identify the correct option for this sentence: '_____ going to love the surprise I planned!'
Explanation: 'You're' means 'you are,' which is correct for this sentence. 'Your' is a possessive adjective and does not fit here. 'Yore' refers to times long past and is unrelated. 'Youre' is a misspelling of 'you're.'
Fill in the blank: 'The cat licked _____ paws after eating.'
Explanation: 'Its' is the possessive form used for objects or animals. The correct sentence is 'The cat licked its paws.' 'It's' means 'it is' or 'it has,' which does not make sense here. 'Its'' and 'Itts' are incorrect spellings and do not exist in standard English.
Which word correctly fits this sentence: 'Be careful not to _____ your keys.'
Explanation: 'Lose' is the verb meaning to misplace something, fitting the context of misplacing keys. 'Loose' refers to something not tight and is not correct here. 'Loos' is a typo and 'Loss' is a noun for the act of losing, so neither are suitable in this sentence.
Choose the correct word: 'Everyone _____ Sam was invited to the celebration.'
Explanation: 'Except' means 'not including' and fits this sentence perfectly. 'Accept' means to receive or agree and would be incorrect here. 'Exsept' and 'Excep' are common misspellings or typos of 'except.'
Select the word that correctly completes: 'He wore _____ hats at the party.'
Explanation: 'Two' is the number 2, appropriate for describing how many hats he wore. 'Too' generally means 'also' or 'excessively.' 'To' is a preposition, and 'Tow' is a completely different word meaning to pull something. Only 'Two' fits the numerical context.
Fill in the blank: 'Her necklace was a perfect _____ to her dress.'
Explanation: 'Complement' means something that completes or goes well with something else, which fits the sentence. 'Compliment' means a kind remark, which is not the intended meaning here. 'Compelment' and 'Complimant' are incorrect spellings of the intended words.
Which word is correct for the leader of a school: 'The _____ gave a speech during the assembly.'
Explanation: 'Principal' is the head of a school, making it the correct answer. 'Principle' refers to a fundamental rule or belief, not a person. 'Prinsipal' and 'Prenciple' are common misspellings and do not fit the context.