Ch. 16 Commonly Confused Words & Register ACT

ACT English
Ch. 16 Diction & Register
Commonly confused words
Formal vs. Informal register

Meaning: Comparison

I can shoot a free throw better than anyone.

​Than

Meaning: Next

Then, we went to the state tournament.

​Then

Then vs. Than

Multiple Choice

I would rather skate at the roller rink than/then swim at the Wilderness.

• than

• then

Multiple Choice

We climbed the jungle gym. Than/Then we went down the slide.

• than

• then

Multiple Choice

Rather than/then play kick ball, let's walk around the track.

• than

• then

Multiple Choice

We were great friends until she flirted with my boyfriend. Then/Than, we didn't speak anymore

• than

• then

Meaning: not including someone or something

​Except

Meaning: take upon someone or something

​Accept

Accept vs. Except

Multiple Choice

The readers for the essay competition will
not accept/except the essays unless they are written
properly.

• accept

• except

Multiple Choice

Everyone was invited to the cheer
banquet accept/except for her because she
behaved badly

• accept

• except

Multiple Choice

Our house is almost finished accept/except
for the lighting fixtures.

• accept

• except

Multiple Choice

We will have a city meeting to decide if we
are going to accept/except the new transportation
system.

• accept

• except

Meaning: The result of a change (noun)

​Effect

Meaning: To influence or produce a change in something (verb)

​Affect

Affect vs. Effect

Multiple Choice

The rainy weather made a big affect/effect on whether the construction workers can pour the concrete
or not.

• affect

• effect

Multiple Choice

The amount of time you put toward studying for a test will affect/effect your score.

• affect

• effect

Multiple Choice

The rainy weather made a big affect/effect on whether the construction workers can pour the concrete
or not.

• affect

• effect

Multiple Choice

The affect/effect of cheating on all your assignments is not knowing the material for the test.

• affect

• effect

Meaning: a particular form or version of a published text.

​Edition

Meaning: the action or process of adding something to something else

​Addition

Addition vs. Edition

Multiple Choice

The couple made an addition/edition to their bill when they decided to order a sundae after their main
course.

• addition

• edition

Multiple Choice

I prefer hardback additions/editions for my own books, because they are more sturdy and last me a longer
time.

• addition

• edition

Multiple Choice

It is important to remember how to solve addition/edition problems because you use those skills in
everyday life.

• addition

• edition

Multiple Choice

The textbook the school ordered for all government classes come in many different additions/editions.

• addition

• edition

Meaning: a thing that is or is likely to be wrongly perceived or interpreted by the senses.

Illusion

Meaning: a reference to a well-known person, character, place, or event that a writer makes to deepen the
reader's understanding of their work by creating an association between the work and the reference.

​Allusion

Allusion vs. Illusion

Multiple Choice

The Museum of the Bible gives an allusion/illusion to Jesus Christ.

• allusion

• illusion

Multiple Choice

The movie has an allusion/illusion at the beginning which hints the ending.

• allusion

• illusion

Multiple Choice

The optical allusion/illusion made me dizzy.

• allusion

• illusion

Multiple Choice

I couldn’t figure out if the allusion/illusion was a rabbit or dog.

• allusion

• illusion

Meaning: To make certain or sure that something is going to happen.

​Ensure

Meaning: to tell someone something positively, or to remove any doubt one
might have.

​Assure

Assure vs. Ensure

Multiple Choice

I can assure/ensure you that she is safe.

• assure

• ensure

Multiple Choice

I assure/ensure you I will be there.

• assure

• ensure

Multiple Choice

The price is low to assure/ensure a quick
sale.

• assure

• ensure

Multiple Choice

I can not assure/ensure that he will be on
time.

• assure

• ensure

Meaning: Acting against or in a contrary direction.

​Adverse

Meaning: Having an active feeling of repugnance, dislike, or distaste. Usually used with “to”.

​Averse

Averse vs. Adverse

Multiple Choice

The medicine had averse/adverse effects.

• averse

• adverse

Multiple Choice

He was averse/adverse to the idea of taking
chances.

• averse

• adverse

Multiple Choice

MLK was averse/adverse to the idea of
segregation.

• averse

• adverse

Multiple Choice

Many fear that budget cuts will have
an averse/adverse effect on education.

• averse

• adverse

Meaning: the building(s) state legislators meet in

​Capitol

Meaning: the city that is the most important to a state (usually seats government)

​Capital

Capital vs. Capitol

Multiple Choice

Charleston became the capital/capitol of West Virginia in
1877.

• capital

• capitol

Multiple Choice

The capital/capitol of Virginia was a fun place to visit
because of the many historical sites.

• capital

• capitol

Multiple Choice

The U.S. Capital/Capitol was very beautiful, and I had a lot of
fun visiting the area.

• capital

• capitol

Multiple Choice

Though the museum was fun, nothing compares to
the tour of the Capital/Capitol.

• capital

• capitol

Meaning: give advice to someone

​Counsel

Meaning: the body of people elected to manage affairs of something.

​Council

Council vs. Counsel

Multiple Choice

The student body council/counsel voted for Mr. Burnette to be president.

• council

• counsel

Multiple Choice

The council/counsel has grown over the past few years to 20 people

• council

• counsel

Multiple Choice

My mom had to council/counsel me on relationships.

• council

• counsel

Multiple Choice

I had to council/counsel my brother so he would pass his class.

• council

• counsel

Meaning: an action of moving downward, dropping, or falling; the origin or background of a person

​Descent

Meaning: of an acceptable standard; satisfactory

​Decent

Decent vs. Descent

Multiple Choice

The plane made a decent/descent down to the ground as it landed.

• decent

• descent

Multiple Choice

We went to the new restaurant for dinner and the food was decent/descent.

• decent

• descent

Multiple Choice

They started the long decent/descent down the mountain early in the morning.

• decent

• descent

Multiple Choice

He is a decent/descent person, even though he makes some bad decisions.

• decent

• descent

Meaning: the sweet course eaten at the end of a meal.

​Dessert

Meaning: a landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions create unique biomes
and ecosystems.

​Desert

Desert vs. Dessert

Multiple Choice

The desert/dessert receives little amount of rainfall.

• desert

• dessert

Multiple Choice

My favorite desert/dessert is a simple chocolate chip cookie.

• desert

• dessert

Multiple Choice

Desert/Dessert is not apart of a healthy diet.

• desert

• dessert

Multiple Choice

The desert/dessert biome is the driest of all biomes.

• desert

• dessert

Meaning: leave out or exclude, either intentionally or forgetfully

​Omit

Meaning: produce and discharge

​Emit

Emit vs. Omit

Multiple Choice

My car emits/omits a lot of carbon dioxide when I’m driving my car.

• emits

• omits

Multiple Choice

He needs to emit/omit what is irrelevant in the sentence.

• emit

• omit

Multiple Choice

My headphones emit/omit sound to cancel out any surrounding noises.

• emit

• omit

Multiple Choice

Sally needs to emit/omit the salt in the recipe.

• emit

• omit

Meaning: to place an object on a surface

​Lay

Meaning: a person or object reclining

​Lie

Lie vs. Lay

Multiple Choice

Everyone in my group decided to go lie/lay down for a little while after the hike.

• lie

• lay

Multiple Choice

My friend went to go lie/lay down on the couch because she had a headache from the test.

• lie

• lay

Multiple Choice

I had to lie/lay my phone down very easily because I didnʼt want to break it

• lie

• lay

Multiple Choice

I went to lie/lay the paper down in my teachers basket to turn in the assignment.

• lie

• lay

Meaning: relating to or effective in the future

​Prospective

Meaning: a particular attitude toward or way of regarding something

​Perspective

Perspective vs. Prospective

Multiple Choice

While teaching, teachers cannot share their perspective/prospective on certain topics to students.

• perspective

• prospective

Multiple Choice

Scientists may have a different perspective/prospective on global warming than regular civilians.

• perspective

• prospective

Multiple Choice

Perspective/Prospective students have already applied to scholarships for college.

• perspective

• prospective

Multiple Choice

I have three perspective/prospective buyers scheduled to look at the house.

• perspective

• prospective

Meaning: The elected head or a republic or the person officially in charge

​President

Meaning: An earlier event or action that is required as an example or guide to be
considered in similar circumstances

​Precedent

Precedent vs. President

Multiple Choice

There's a certain precedent/president you have follow before completing your training.

• precedent

• president

Multiple Choice

The precedent/president can veto a law after it has been through the Senate.

• precedent

• president

Meaning: to continue or move forward

​Proceed

Meaning: to go before, as in place, order, rank, importance, or time

​Precede

Precede vs. Proceed

Multiple Choice

John will precede/proceed Nathan in the stateʼs rankings.

• precede

• proceed

Multiple Choice

Even through his leg broke, Jackson will precede/proceed up the mountain.

• precede

• proceed

Meaning: a comprehensive and fundamental law, doctrine, or assumption.

​Principle

Meaning: a person who has controlling authority or is in a leading position.

​Principal

Principal vs. Principle

Multiple Choice

The principals/principles of all of the schools in our county met for a school-board meeting.

• principals

• principles

Multiple Choice

There are 12 basic principals/principles of design: contrast, balance, emphasis, proportion, hierarchy,
repetition, rhythm, pattern, white space, movement, variety, and unity.

• principals

• principles

Meaning: the objective form of who; to be used after a preposition or as an object

​Whom

Meaning: what or which person or people

​Who

Who vs. Whom

Multiple Choice

Jacob, who/whom is good at baseball, hit a baseball over the
fence.

• who

• whom

Multiple Choice

I am the man to who/whom you wrote the check.

• who

• whom

21. Formal vs. Informal Register

Formal register--pronoun “one”; most ACT passages are written in a more formal
register

Informal register--pronoun “you”; few passages will use this on the ACT, but the ones
that do will be casual and laid back in the word choice of the selection.

Meaning: you

​Informal

Meaning: one

​Formal

Formal vs. Informal Register

Multiple Choice

When you make cornbread, will one/you be sure not to burn it?

• one

• you

Multiple Choice

When one studies calculus on a high level, one/you opens new avenues of learning about the world.

• one

• you