Commonly confused words quiz
Twenty sentences, each with one word missing. Pick the word that fits; every answer comes with the reason.
1. Having raised twins herself, the nurse had deep for the tired new parents and knew exactly how they felt.
Answer: empathy. She shares and understands their feelings from experience, which is empathy. See the full explanation.
2. The bird built nest under the bridge.
Answer: its. The nest belongs to the bird, so the possessive its fits. See the full explanation.
3. Our announced that school will close early on Friday.
Answer: principal. This is the head of a school, which is the noun principal. See the full explanation.
4. Do you know left this umbrella by the door?
Answer: who. The word is the subject of left (he left it), so use who. See the full explanation.
5. If we this game, we're out of the tournament.
Answer: lose. This is the verb meaning fail to win, so the word is lose. See the full explanation.
6. Our hotel was two miles from the beach than the photos suggested.
Answer: farther. This is a measurable physical distance, so farther, with far inside it, fits best. See the full explanation.
7. Thank you for the helpful about my essay.
Answer: advice. The word names a thing you were given, a suggestion, so it is the noun advice. See the full explanation.
8. Ben lived in Chicago for before moving west.
Answer: a while. The word comes after the preposition for, so you need the two-word noun phrase a while. See the full explanation.
9. Start every sentence with a letter.
Answer: capital. The word means an uppercase letter, which is always capital. See the full explanation.
10. Last summer, Sam to work at a camp instead of a store.
Answer: chose. Last summer shows the past, so the past tense chose is correct. See the full explanation.
11. The doctor asked me to in slowly through my mouth.
Answer: breathe. After to, you need the verb, the action of taking in air, so it is breathe. See the full explanation.
12. She turned the lost wallet the police.
Answer: in to. Turn in is the verb here, and to goes with the police, so write two words. See the full explanation.
13. Do you know car is blocking the driveway?
Answer: whose. It asks who owns the car, so use whose. See the full explanation.
14. The jacket I wore yesterday needs to be washed.
Answer: that. The clause tells which jacket you mean, and there are no commas, so use that. See the full explanation.
15. A green salad is a nice to the pasta.
Answer: complement. The salad goes well with the pasta and completes the meal, so complement fits. See the full explanation.
16. Being of a volunteer group is a great way to meet people.
Answer: a part. The meaning is a member or piece of the group, so it is two words. See the full explanation.
17. Please write name at the top of the page.
Answer: your. This shows ownership, the name that belongs to you, so use your. See the full explanation.
18. The coach said we could text her with questions.
Answer: anytime. The meaning is whenever, with no preposition before it, so the one word anytime fits. See the full explanation.
19. Ben's great-grandfather decided to from Ireland in 1910.
Answer: emigrate. He is leaving his home country, and the word takes from, so emigrate fits. See the full explanation.
20. Please the baby gently in the crib.
Answer: lay. You are placing something (the baby), so the verb with an object, lay, fits. See the full explanation.
Pick an answer to start.