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."

_____ 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."

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.

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.

____ 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

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

i ____ speak Spanish; ___ you?

• can

• may

Answer explanation

Can denotes ability, power

May denotes permission or possibility

____ I take a piece of chalk from your desk?

• can

• may

Answer explanation

Can denotes ability, power

May denotes permission or possibility

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.

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.