WORD PROBLEMS
Accent ‚ to emphasize or stress
Ascent ‚ a going up or rising
movement
Assent ‚ to agree
We must accent the positive aspects of the merger.The balloon made a rapid ascent to a high altitude.Will you give your assent to this arrangement?
Accept ‚ to receive
Except ‚ to the exclusion of
Please accept this gift as a token of my appreciation.All documents have been signed except those on the desk.
Adapt ‚ to adjust to a
situation
Adept ‚ skillful
Adopt ‚ to put into practice, or to borrow
We were able to adapt to the new working arrangement.You've become very adept at dealing with irate customers.Can we adopt the amendments to our sick leave policy?
Adjacent/Contiguous/Conterminous
Adjacent ‚ close to, nearby
Contiguous ‚ sharing the same boundary
Conterminous (also coterminous
) ‚ contained within one boundary
The school was adjacent to stores in the shopping outlet.A wooden fence offered some privacy for the contiguous lots.The conterminous United States excludes Alaska and Hawaii.
Adverse ‚ unfavorable
Averse ‚ having a dislike for something
An adverse ruling negated our attempts at reconciliation.He was averse to working with the management team.
Advice ‚ recommendations
Advise ‚ to make a recommendation or make
recommendations
We took his advice and contracted with a licensed plumber for the repair of the frozen pipes.I would advise you to look carefully at all aspects of the new job before you decide to move on.
Affect (as a verb) ‚ to change or
influence
Affect (as a noun) ‚ the subjective
impression of feeling or emotion
Effect (as a noun) ‚ a result or
consequence
Effect (as a verb) ‚ to cause
Loud noises can affect your ability to concentrate.His strange affect was very disconcerting.What effect did the decision have on your responsibilities?Can you effect the change within the designated time frame?
Allusion ‚ reference to something
Illusion ‚ a mistaken impression
Delusion ‚ a false belief
Your allusion to the results of the study helped convince me.The illusion that was created was one of total innocence.Your fear of being severely criticized is just a delusion.
Alternate ‚ occurring in turns, every other one
Alternative ‚ allowing for a choice between two or
more options
Black stones and white stones were placed in alternate lines.We considered a number of alternative proposals.
Among ‚ any of more than two choices
Between ‚ either of two choices
The gifts were divided among all who attended.The choice is basically between good and evil.
Anyone ‚ any person
Any one ‚ a specific person or object
The story might have been about anyone.Any one of the proposals could have accomplished the task.
Assure ‚ to make certain, guarantee (refers
to persons)
Insure ‚ to make certain, guarantee (financial
)
Ensure ‚ to make certain, guarantee
I can assure you that when you insure your property against loss by fire, you will ensure that peace of mind exists for you.
Biannually ‚ two times a year
Biennially ‚ every two years
We convene biannually, on January 30 and July 30.The group meets biennially in May of odd-numbered years.
Bimonthly ‚ every two months, or twice a month
Semimonthly ‚ twice a month
Our bimonthly meetings are held in February, April, June, August, October, and December.Semimonthly reviews are published on the 5th and 20th of every month.
Can ‚ ability, or permission, or
possibility
May ‚ permission, or possibility
You can reach your goal if you'll only put forth a little more effort. (ability)(Can or May) I help you to complete the assignment that was given to you by Mr. Finchell? (permission)It's my observation that William (can or may ) make errors if he is not careful. ( possibility)The issue may not seem vital, but it is. (possibility)
Capital ‚ invested money, or the central
city or site of government, or an uppercase letter
Capitol ‚ the main government building
Can sufficient capital be raised to finance the expansion?Lincoln is the capital of Nebraska.THIS SENTENCE IS WRITTEN IN CAPITAL LETTERS.The museum is located in the capitol rotunda.
Carat ‚ the weight of a gem
Caret ‚ a mark showing an insertion
Karat ‚ a unit for the purity of gold
The wedding ring that Michael gave Elizabeth had a 2.6 carat diamond setting.A caret is a proofreading symbol used to indicate where something is to be inserted in a line of printed matter.Her necklace is 18-karat gold.
Cite ‚ to quote
Sight ‚ vision
Site ‚ a location
Please cite a specific reference that will support your claim.We lost sight of the ship when it passed beyond the horizon.The proposed site for the new plant is still a matter of concern.
Complement ‚ completing or adding to something
Compliment ‚ an expression of praise
Our work will complement the activities of the task force.I'd like to compliment you on your excellent achievement.
Comprise ‚ to include or contain
Compose ‚ to make up from many parts
The Union comprises 50 states. (The whole contains the parts.)Fifty states compose the union. (The parts make up the whole.)
Continual ‚ intermittent, but frequently
repeated
Continuous ‚ without interruption
The continual banging of the shutters was annoying.The protest group maintained a continuous vigil at the prison.
Council ‚ a group of people
Counsel ‚ to advise, or advice, or an attorney
Consul ‚ a foreign representative
The student council decided to relocate the candy machines.Please counsel us concerning our team's responsibilities.We appreciate your counsel in this matter.Will you be represented by counsel at this hearing?The Japanese consul helped to clarify the issues in dispute.
Councilor ‚ a member of council
Counselor ‚ an advisor or an attorney
The councilor proposed that the bond issue be placed on the April election ballot.The camp counselor was very skilled at resolving the many disputes that arose during the two-week session.
Credible ‚ believable
Creditable ‚ praiseworthy
Credulous ‚ gullible
Do you believe John will be viewed as a credible witness?She gave a creditable performance under stressful conditions.Because Mary is so credulous, she is often victimized.
Disburse ‚ to pay out
Disperse ‚ to scatter
The treasurer will disburse the accrued funds as directed.The police were called to disperse the crowd that had gathered.
Discreet ‚ tactful or prudent
Discrete ‚ separate or individual
I trust you'll be discreet about the content of our discussion.These are discrete occurrences and clearly unrelated.
Disinterested ‚ neutral or unbiased
Uninterested ‚ without interest
He was chosen as a disinterested third-party observer.Fred seemed uninterested in the results of the survey.
Elapse ‚ to pass by or slip
Lapse ‚ to drift, or to discontinue, or to
terminate
Allowing time to elapse between readings affects data validity.Do not permit the electorate to lapse into a state of apathy.The subscription will lapse unless it is immediately renewed.
Eminent ‚ outstanding or prestigious
Imminent ‚ very near or impending
The eminent physicist described his current research project.We were in imminent danger of losing our life's savings.
Envelop ‚ to enclose or to encase
Envelope ‚ something that encloses or contains
We will envelop the pod with a plastic overlayment.Please open the envelope and distribute its contents.
Farther ‚ more distant (physical distance
)
Further ‚ more remote ( time or degree)
The mountains are farther away than they may appear.Nothing could be further from the truth.
Fewer ‚ smaller in number ( refers to things
that can be counted)
Less - smaller in amount or degree ( refers to
mass items that cannot be counted)
There are fewer gallons of solvent in the container today.There is less solvent in the container today.
Forward ‚ at or near the front
Foreword ‚ the introduction to a book
The car lurched forward and struck the tree.Acknowledgments were given in the foreword to the book.
Imply‚ to suggest or hint
Infer ‚ to draw a conclusion or to deduce
You imply that the results of the study may be biased.I infer from your report that you are highly displeased.
Irregardless ‚ (unacceptable version of regardless)
Regardless ‚ heedless or unmindful
He decided to proceed, regardless of the consequences.
Its ‚ (the possessive form of it)
It's ‚ (the contraction of it is)
The plane was on its final approach when it crashed.It's a pleasure to be associated with this company.
Later ‚ coming after something else
Latter ‚ the second of two objects or persons
We intend to present the final results of the investigation at a later date.The committee had considered either rebuilding the structure or relocating to another site. Because of the high costs involved in construction, they chose the latter alternative.
Lay, Laid, Laid ‚ to put or place ( principal parts of lay)
Please lay the book on the table.We laid the bricks in a random pattern on the patio.Our study has laid a firm foundation for future discussions.
Lie, Lay, Lain ‚ to rest or recline ( principal parts of lie)
The Indian ruins lie several miles south of this mesa.When I lay down last night, I fell asleep immediately.The rubbish had lain there for nearly a week.
Maybe ‚ perhaps
May be‚ possibility
Maybe the problem cannot be effectively resolved.The alternative may be too risky.
Practical ‚ useful, reasonable
Practicable ‚ feasible, possible
Jim developed a practical method for gathering relevant data.The solution is not practicable at this time.
Precedence ‚ an established priority
Precedents ‚ an example or instance, as in a legal
case
Your needs take precedence over the needs of our agency.Several precedents were established by the recent verdict.
Principal ‚ main or chief, or referring
to capital
Principle ‚ moral standard, or law
The principal means of transportation was the bicycle.How much of my payment was applied to the loan principal?Our decision was based on principle rather than expediency.The principle of jet propulsion is fairly easy to comprehend.
Raise, Raised, Raised ‚ to move (something) upward (principal parts of raise)
Can we raise the required amount by Friday?We raised the beam to a higher position in the structure.They had raised enough money to cover the start-up costs.
Respectfully ‚ with respect
Respectively ‚ in the sequence named
We were not treated very respectfully when we made our appearance at the reception.The number of deliveries in May, June, and July were, respectively, 25, 39, and 48.
Rise, Rose, Risen ‚ to stand up or move upward (principal parts of rise)
Please rise from your bed and answer the door.The price of commodities rose with inflation.The balloon had risen to a very high altitude.
Set, Set, Set ‚ to place, or establish ( principal parts of set)
They set the computers on the table in the hall and then returned to their work stations.Yesterday we set a record for the number of customer calls successfully handled.After I had set the operational parameters, I left the room to allow the committee to conduct its activities.
Sit, Sat, Sat ‚ to rest or recline ( principal parts of sit)
Castles usually sit at the top of hills.We sat in the restaurant and waited for the rain to stop.The boxes had sat in the warehouse all morning.
Stationary ‚ fixed in one spot
Stationery ‚ writing paper
The stationary object glowed brightly in the northeastern sky.Is any stationery available with our corporate letterhead?
Than ‚ (used in comparisons )
Then ‚ at that time
The project took more time to complete than we had originally projected.Until then, let's not get too excited about our chances to win the contract award.
Their ‚ (possessive pronoun )
There ‚ in that place
They're ‚ (contraction for they are
)
While in the lab, they wore protective gear over their work uniforms to reduce the possibility of contamination.The computer disks were placed there for safekeeping, but someone apparently borrowed them.Does anyone know where they're taking those boxes that I had specifically requested be left in the warehouse?
To ‚ (preposition)
Too ‚ excessively, or also
Two ‚ (number)
Take the problem to your immediate supervisor for resolution before approaching me with it.We are taking entirely too much time wrestling with this relatively unimportant issue. (excessively)We must carefully consider the leave requests of the other people in the department, too. ( also)Take two aspirins and call me in the morning.
Toward, Towards ‚ in the direction of, or before in time (Either form is correct, although toward is preferred.)
By moving your desk toward the far wall, you'll create more room for the lateral file.It began to rain toward morning, and the unsettled weather conditions persisted for the remainder of the day.
Who ‚ (relative pronoun, subjective case
)
Whom ‚ ( relative pronoun, objective case)
Do you know who will be representing our position in the upcoming contract negotiation with Zolotow Electronics?Are you the individual with whom I corresponded?
Your ‚ (possessive form of you)
You're ‚ (contraction of you are)
If you'll give me your undivided attention, I'll be able to review the contract terms rather quickly.The car that you're now driving formerly belonged to me.