EXERCISE: Advice vs.

Advise
Underline the correct word.

1. It’s important to interact with others in your industry to exchange ideas and advice/advise.

2. You can offer me advice/advise, but that doesn’t mean I will follow it.

3. Paolo will give advice/advise to anyone, including complete strangers.

4. Don’t give advice/advise that you’re not willing to follow yourself.

5. Adele is always happy to offer advice/advise if you ask her for it.

6. Randall has a bad habit of offering unsolicited advice/advise.

7. Next time I need financial advice/advise, I think I’ll call Jerome.

8. Sara always takes my advice/advise to heart.

9. Mark won’t mind if you call to ask his advice/advise about this.

10. I’m sure that Adriana will give careful consideration to your advice/advise.

11. Our new members are impressed with the level of advice/advise they received from the leadership group.

12. Lakeisha knows she can always go to her best friend for advice/advise.

13. From the beginning, she advice/advised me that the project would require fast turnaround times.

14. We adviced/advised the city council that the deadline was tentative and might need to be extended.

15. The lawyer adviced/advised him to plead guilty.

16. The policeman adviced/advised him of his rights while placing the handcuffs around his wrists.

17. If you want to go on the senior trip, I would strongly advice/advise you to start saving your money.

18. I strongly advice/advise you to call your doctor immediately.

19. I’d like to ask an engineer to advice/advise us on the design.

20. It’s essential that we find a professional to advice/advise us on this situation.

EXERCISE: Affect vs. Effect
Underline the correct word.

1. The new law goes into affect/effect tomorrow.

2. The affect/effect of the antibiotic on her infection was surprising.
3. The net affect/effect of blowing the whistle on her boss was that she was eventually given his position.
4. What was the affect/effect of his promotion?
5. What do you suppose the affect/effect of her resignation will be?
6. The rainy weather had a bad affect/effect on attendance at the seminar.
7. That book had a major affect/effect on his philosophy.
8. The changes had an enormous affect/effect on production.
9. Plastic surgery had an affect/effect, not only on her appearance, but on her self-esteem.
10. The movie Winged Migration had two affects/effects on him: he became an environmental advocate and a bird lover.
11. If the chemotherapy has no affect/effect, should she get surgery for the tumor?
12. What she said had no affect/effect on the boss.
13. The new schedule will take affect/effect in October.
14. When will we know if the chemotherapy has taken affect/effect?
15. To be an affective/effective leader, you should know both your strengths as well as your weaknesses.
16. I hope to affect/effect improvements in my work.
17. We had to affect/effect a reduction in costs.
18. Shelley had to affect/effect great reductions in her expenses.
19. They were able to affect/effect an increase in their savings.
20. How were you able to affect/effect such radical changes?
21. We cannot affect/effect a new policy without the board of directors voting on it first.
22. The supervisor affected/effected a reconciliation between Donya and Dayne.
23. Roberta has affected/effected many improvements in office procedures.
24. The new director will reorganize the office and affect/effect a number of changes in personnel.
25. The knowledge I gain from this course will affect/effect my performance.
26. I don’t know why the cold air affects/effects my skin.
27. I did not know that antibiotics could affect/effect people so quickly.
28. The new personnel ruling does not affect/effect my status.
29. Losing her hair from chemotherapy did not affect/effect her as much as her friends had expected.
30. His decision affected/effected everyone here.
31. The critics greatly affected/effected his thinking.
32. The crisis has greatly affected/effected our lifestyle.
EXERCISE: Lay vs. Lie
Underline the correct word. Use the table below as your guide.

Present Past Participle

lie lay Lain
lay (requires an object) laid laid

1. Henry has lied/laid consistently on the witness stand.

2. Lie/Lay on this lounge chair and soak up some sun.

3. Lie/Lay down next to me and I will hold you.

4. I am dizzy and need to lie/lay down.

5. After I took the pill, I had to lie/lay down.

6. When my dog is tired, she lies/lays on her back.

7. When I got dizzy yesterday, I lie/lay down.

8. I have lain/laid down because of a headache every afternoon this week.

9. The preschoolers have lain/laid down after lunch each day.

10. The lions have lain/laid in wait for their prey.

11. Lie/Lay the rugs after painting the walls.

12. My brother lies/lays carpet for a living.

13. I think we can lie/lay the groundwork for lasting changes within the organization.

14. I will lie/lay my head on my pillow shortly.

15. We need to lie/lay this baby down for a nap.

16. She lay/laid the blanket over her as she slept.

17. I have lain/laid my cards on the table.

18. We will know when we have lain/laid this issue to rest when we no longer fight about it.

19. Sandra has lain/laid out her plan for reorganization.

20. The lions are lying/laying in wait for their prey.

EXERCISE: Their vs. There vs. They’re
Underline the correct word.

1. According to an old legend, their/there/they’re is treasure buried on that island.

2. Their/There/There is a telephone down the hall.

3. Their/There/They’re is a mouse in my closet!

4. I was told that their/there/they’re would be a free breakfast this morning.

5. I believe Wynona left her glasses over their/there/they’re.

6. Do you see the bird’s nest over their/there/they’re?

7. Their/There/They’re baking the turkey for tonight’s dinner.

8. Juan and Pancho just called to let us know their/there/they’re coming for dinner.

9. Have Paige and Preston called to say whether their/there/they’re going to the school play?

10. I wonder if their/there/they’re planning to go shopping with us.

11. I don’t know what their/there/they’re doing to cause all that noise, but it’s giving me a headache!

12. I’m not sure where their/there/they’re planning to hold the company picnic this year.

13. It’s their/there/they’re decision, so I’ll just stay out of it.

14. It’s their/there/they’re truck; I’m just borrowing it for the day.

15. I don’t appreciate their/there/they’re ignoring me when I speak to them.

16. The kids haven’t called yet; I’m concerned about their/there/they’re being out so late at night.

17. I can’t wait to see the looks on their/there/they’re faces when I tell them the truth.

18. You should have seen the shock in their/there/they’re eyes when I won the award.

19. The students were instructed to put down their/there/they’re pencils after finishing the exam.

20. The children went upstairs to play after clearing their/there/they’re plates at dinner.
EXERCISE: More Confusing Words and Homonyms
Underline the correct word.

1. Everyone is planning to go on the trip accept/except Dolores.

2. Even though Kurt asked my opinion, he didn’t want to listen to my advice/advise.

3. Some religious leaders burn incense at an altar/alter as a form of prayer.

4. We are all ready/already for summer vacation.

5. Until Simon called, I had almost given up on this deal all together/altogether.

6. A few days ago, Taya called to request my assistance/assistants with her latest project.

7. Many people are hesitant to bare/bear their souls on the Internet.

8. It will be easier to move the cabinet if you hold it at the base/bass.

9. If you ever come in contact with a wild boar/bore, do not provoke it.

10. Please be careful not to brake/break the vase.

11. Canvas/Canvass fabric is known for its durability, so I’d recommend using it for your project.

12. Students have a hard time remembering that the capital/capitol of California is Sacramento.

13. She ate the carat/carrot/karat raw.

14. One day I’d like to go scuba diving and photograph the choral/chorale/coral/corral reefs.

15. He used the information from several of Heidi’s newsletters, but he didn’t cite/sight/site his sources.

16. She wasn’t interested in being part of any of the clicks/cliques at school.

17. When you sand any wood surface, always start with coarse/course sandpaper.

18. We have different specialties, so our business services complement/compliment one another.

19. I wasn’t at all surprised when Cindy decided to join the U.S. Marine Core/Corps.

20. Every time I try to sneak up on you, the floor creaks/creeks.

21. I’m planning to have the chocolate cake for desert/dessert.

22. Many countries use questionable techniques to elicit/illicit information from their prisoners.

23. Many people don’t stop to consider how current events affect their every day/everyday lives.

24. Carlos can’t wait to go to the fair/fare this weekend.

25. I hope the solar flair/flare doesn’t affect our computer equipment.

26. We hired professionals to clean out our chimney flu/flue.

27. It’s amazing that hangars/hangers can be built large enough to accommodate today’s gigantic airplanes.

28. After screaming at the concert, Kamilah’s voice was hoarse/horse.

29. Please let Ricardo know when you’re done with that project so you’re not just sitting there idle/idol/idyl.

30. Irregardless/Regardless of Anita’s recent illness, she still maintains a positive attitude.
31. Juanita lead/led the policemen to the place where she had parked her car.

32. The bolt of lightening/lightning struck the house and started a fire.

33. These pants are loose/lose, so I must have lost weight.

34. You know better than to medal/meddle/metal/mettle in other people’s business.

35. I would like a chocolate moose/mousse cake for my birthday.

36. Armando left the other oar/or/ore in the canoe.

37. Casey looked pail/pale, so I thought she might be sick.

38. If you’ll give me a knife, I’ll pair/pare/pear the apple.

39. We’ll need a forklift to place all those boxes on the palate/palette/pallet.

40. Denise isn’t known for her patience/patients with children.

41. Having life insurance gives us peace/piece of mind.

42. Would you like to have a sneak peak/peek/pique at the restaurant before it opens?

43. There’s an open market outside of town where merchants can pedal/peddle their goods.

44. Before hanging the wallpaper, check to see if the walls are plum/plumb.

45. We couldn’t believe the squirrel climbed up that pole/poll.

46. This is the fifth time that Josef has been called to the principal’s/principle’s office.

47. Use the rains/reigns/reins to guide the horse along the path.

48. The company will have to raise/raze adequate funds before it can move forward with the project.

49. When we opened the trash can, it reeked/wreaked of rotten meat.

50. Obtaining a driver’s license is often considered a right/rite/write of passage.

51. When Marie’s plane hadn’t arrived, her mother started ringing/wringing her hands in worry.

52. My grandmother taught me how to sew/so/sow when I was a little girl.

53. Have you ever watched someone shear/sheer a sheep?

54. The magician impressed the audience with his sleight/slight of hand.

55. Connie ordered her business stationary/stationery from the local print shop.

56. I’d like to go to the state fair on Sundae/Sunday.

57. Dominic threw/through the garbage bag into the dumpster.

58. If you ask her, Katerina will admit that she’s quite vain/vane/vein.

59. Who’s/Whose job is it to clean the kitchen tonight?

60. We’ll need to have a custom yoke/yolk built for the oxen.