Common Misuses of Words - pg 2

The lamp stood ____ the couch.

• beside

• besides

Answer explanation

Beside means "near to; close"; besides means "in addition to; moreover."

Tags

CCSS.L.11-12.2B

CCSS.L.7.2B

CCSS.L.8.2C

CCSS.L.9-10.1.C

CCSS.L.6.6

_____ the leader of the expedition, no one else was injured in the landslide.

• beside

• besides

Answer explanation

Beside means "near to; close"; besides means "in addition to; moreover."

Tags

CCSS.L.5.5C

I ____ Gail's fountain pen; she was not too eager to ____ it to me.

• borrowed, lend

• borrowed, loan

• lent, lend

• lent, loan

Answer explanation

Borrow means "to receive a loan"

Lend means "to extend a loan." The word loan is a noun.

Tags

CCSS.L.5.5C

I was grateful for the ____.

• loan

• lend

Answer explanation

Borrow means "to receive a loan"

Lend means "to extend a loan." The word loan is a noun.

Tags

CCSS.L.5.5C

____ me the newspaper that is lying on the table.

• bring

• take

Answer explanation

Bring suggests motion toward the speaker

Take suggest motion away from the speaker

Tags

CCSS.L.11-12.2B

CCSS.L.7.2B

CCSS.L.8.2C

CCSS.L.9-10.1.C

CCSS.L.6.2B

Please ____ this letter to the post office downtown.

• bring

• take

Answer explanation

Bring suggests motion toward the speaker

Take suggest motion away from the speaker

Tags

CCSS.L.11-12.2B

CCSS.L.7.2B

CCSS.L.8.2C

CCSS.L.9-10.1.C

CCSS.L.6.6

i ____ speak Spanish; ___ you?

• can

• may

Answer explanation

Can denotes ability, power

May denotes permission or possibility

Tags

CCSS.L.11-12.2B

CCSS.L.7.2B

CCSS.L.8.2C

CCSS.L.9-10.1.C

CCSS.L.6.2B

____ I take a piece of chalk from your desk?

• can

• may

Answer explanation

Can denotes ability, power

May denotes permission or possibility

Tags

CCSS.L.1.6

CCSS.L.3.6

During the war the ____ passed judgement on all articles submitted for publication.

• censor

• censure

Answer explanation

A censor passes judgement on a play or creative production.

To censor means "to pass judgment, to ban"

To censure or to give censure is to reprove or reprimand.

Do not confuse censure with criticize. While censure always denotes adverse judgment, criticize may denote favorable or unfavorable opinion.

Tags

CCSS.L.5.5C

The War Office official ____ the letters that soldiers wrote home.

• censored

• censured

Answer explanation

A censor passes judgement on a play or creative production.

To censor means "to pass judgment, to ban"

To censure or to give censure is to reprove or reprimand.

Do not confuse censure with criticize. While censure always denotes adverse judgment, criticize may denote favorable or unfavorable opinion.

Tags

CCSS.L.5.5C