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Think you're an English whiz? Take this quiz!
Do you think you can speak the language better than the Queen? We challenge you to take this quiz and find out how well versed you are in the English language!
English, as Amitabh Bachchan told us in one of his movies, is a very 'phunny' language.
That being said, it is also a language we simply cannot do without.
Since English has always been a second language to Indians, many of us tend to commit mistakes without realising it.
Language expert Preeti Shirodkar recently wrote a series of articles on rediff.com on the most common blunders Indians make while speaking and writing in English.
Now, she has designed a quiz on word usage. Find out if you really know the English language as well as you think you do!
Read the sentences carefully and select one of the three options listed below to fill in the blank
1. She went and sat __________ her friend who had lost her dog, in order to comfort her.
a. beside
b. besides
c. neither of the two
The correct answer is a. 'Beside' refers to next to, 'besides' refers to other than/in addition to.
Think you're an English whiz? Take this quiz!
2. It was __________ that she took notice of the poor old beggar.
a. then
b. than
c. neither of the two
The correct answer is a. 'Then' indicates 'time', 'than' indicates comparison.
Think you're an English whiz? Take this quiz!
3. As the story continued, a sudden, loud noise in ___________ backyard shook them up.
a. there
b. their
c. neither of the two
The correct answer is b. 'There' indicates 'place;' 'their' refers to 'belonging to.'
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4. Walking ________________ the gate, she saw a multi-coloured rainbow spread across the sky.
a. towards
b. toward
c. either of the two
The correct answer is a. 'Towards' is British and toward is American. The sentence is in British English, as indicated by the way the word 'multi-coloured' is spelt (in American English, it would be spelt 'multi-colored').
Think you're an English whiz? Take this quiz!
5. It is impossible not to ______________ one's focus in the face of such calamity.
a. loose
b. lose
c. neither of the two
The correct answer is b. 'Lose' refers to 'misplacing something,' while 'loose' indicates 'fitting.'
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6. Having _____________ post dinner is one of the primary causes of obesity across the world.
a. desert
b. dessert
c. either of the two
The correct answer is b. 'Desert' refers to 'a barren piece of land or even to abandon;' 'dessert' refers to 'the sweet dish had with/after meals.'
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7. It is really impossible for others to trust you, if you do not _____________ what you preach.
a. practice
b. practise
c. either of the two
The correct answer is b. 'Practise' is the verb, while 'practice' is the noun.
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8. It was her _______________ aim to bring order to the chaos, she saw all around her.
a. principal
b. principle
c. neither of the two
The correct answer is a. 'Principal' means chief, while 'principle' refers to 'values.'
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9. To get the crowd under control proved _______________ a task for the outnumbered police force.
a. quiet
b. quite
c. either of the two
The correct answer is b. 'Quite' means 'a great deal,' while 'quiet' involves 'silence.'
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10. When asked whether she wished to hear the good news or the bad first, she said she would prefer the ____________.
a. later
b. latter
c. neither of the two
The correct answer is b. 'Later' refers to 'a delayed point in time,' while 'latter' refers to 'the second of two options/ things, etc.'
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11. These days one has to be prepared for any kind of ______________ at any time of the year.
a. whether
b. weather
c. either of the two
The correct answer is b. 'Weather' refers to climactic conditions, while 'whether' involves a doubt or choice between two possibilities.
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12. An application letter addressed to the __________________ manager wouldn't fetch one a job as a professor in the English department.
a. personnel
b. personal
c. either of the two
The correct answer is b. 'Personal' refers to belonging to an individual, while 'personnel' refers to a group of people and is also used to refer to HR heads, as they manage people.
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13. His ________________ to the post of CEO was so phenomenal that it aroused more hatred than admiration.
a. ascent
b. accent
c. neither of the two
The correct answer is a. 'Ascent' refers to rise, while 'accent' refers to one's pronunciation.
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14. Her plea to turn _________ the television fell on deaf ears.
a. of
b. off
c. neither of the two
The correct answer is b. 'Of' indicates 'possession,' 'off' refers to 'something which has been removed.'
Think you're an English whiz? Take this quiz!
15. Do not take printouts ____________ when it's really necessary.
a. accept
b. except
c. expect
The correct answer is b. 'Accept' means to receive/agree, 'except' refers to 'does not include' and 'expect' means 'to look forward to.'