Expanding your vocabulary is a key aspect of improving your language skills. Whether you’re learning English as a second language or simply aiming to enhance your word power, regular practice is essential.
To help you in this endeavor, we’ve compiled a comprehensive practice exercise test focusing on general vocabulary, accompanied by answers for self-assessment.
Confusing pairs and false friends
Complete the following sentences with the appropriate word.
1. actually / now
Please can we go home ________ ?
It looks quite small, but ________ it is over 5 metres high.
2. advice / advise
My grandfather gave me a very useful piece of ________ .
I ________ you to put all your money into a deposit account.
3. affect / effect
The cuts in spending will have a serious ________ on the hospital.
The strike will seriously ________ the train service.
4. already / yet
I haven’t seen her ________ this morning.
I’ve ________ done my shopping.
5. afraid of / worried about
I am ________ snakes.
She’s ________ the baby; he doesn’t look very well.
6. avoid / prevent
The police will ________ anyone from leaving the building.
You should travel early to ________ the traffic jams.
7. beside / besides
Come and sit down ________ me.
________ managing the shop, he also teaches in the evening.
8. bring / fetch
It’s your turn to ________ the children from school.
Don’t forget to ________ the books to school with you.
9. chance / possibility
Our team has a good ________ of winning tonight.
There is always the ________ that the plane will be early.
10. channel / canal
You can take a boat trip around the ________s of Amsterdam.
Can you switch the television to ________ 4 for the news?
England and France are separated by the ________ .
11. conduct / direct
Von Karajan will ________ the Berlin Symphonic Orchestra at the concert.
It took two policemen to ________ the traffic.
12. continuous / continual
She has been in ________ pain for three days.
I am getting fed up with her ________ complaints.
13. driver / chauffeur
The ________ brought the Rolls Royce to the hotel’s main entrance.
He’s got a job as a bus ________ .
14. formidable / wonderful
They had a ________ holiday by a lake in Sweden.
The castle is surrounded by ________ walls and gates.
15. fun / funny
I didn’t have much ________ on my birthday.
He made ________ faces and made the children laugh.
16. go / play
Shall we ________ jogging or swimming?
Neither. Let’s ________ tennis.
17. come along with / follow
Would you like to ________ me to the cinema tonight?
Make sure the dog doesn’t ________ me to the shops.
18. harm / damage
Don’t ________ my sunglasses if you borrow them.
He didn’t mean to ________ your little girl.
19. invent / discover
Did Alexander Fleming ________ penicillin?
When did she ________ the new computer terminal?
20. job / work
He goes to ________ every day on his bicycle.
She’s got a ________ in the supermarket.
21. kind / sympathetic
You should always be ________ to little children.
I’m very ________ to her problems.
22. lay / lie
I’m very tired; I’ll just go and ________ down for a few minutes.
My father is going to ________ a new carpet in the dining room.
23. lend / borrow
Can I ________ you car to go to the shops?
He asked me if I would ________ him £5 till Monday.
24. nature / countryside
We must try to protect ________ and the environment.
The English ________ is beautiful in spring.
25. pass / take
She had to ________ her driving test three times before she was able to ________.
26. practice / practise
You need more ________ before you’re ready to take the exam.
Don’t forget to ________ your phrasal verbs.
27. priceless / valueless
Be very careful with that painting; it’s ________ .
Her jewels were all imitations; they were quite ________ .
28. principal / principle
She refuses to eat meat on ________ .
The ________ wants to see you in her office.
The country’s ________ products are paper and wood.
We talked about the ________s of nuclear physics.
29. raise / rise
Does the sun ________ in the east or the west?
The airline are going to ________ their fares again next year.
30. recipe / receipt
Goods cannot be exchanged unless a sales ________ is shown.
I gave her an Indian ________ book for her birthday.
31. remember / remind
Would you ________ me to finish early tonight?
Did you ________ to switch off the kitchen light?
32. scenery / view
I adore the beautiful ________ in the Lake District.
You can get a good ________ of the sea from the church tower
33. sensible / sensitive
She’s very ________ and is easily upset.
Staying indoors was a ________ thing to do in this terrible weather.
34. take / bring
Can you ________ this cheque to the bank for me please?
Can I ________ my girlfriend here for tea?
Correct Answers:
- now / actually
- advice / advise
- effect / affect
- yet / already
- afraid of / worried about
- prevent / avoid
- beside / besides
- fetch / bring
- chance / possibility
- canal(s) / channel /Channel
- conduct / direct
- continuous /continual
- chauffeur / driver
- wonderful /formidable
- fun / funny
- go / play
- comealong with / follow
- damage / harm
- discover / invent
- work / job
- kind /sympathetic
- lie / lay
- borrow / lend
- nature / countryside
- take / pass
- practice /practise (in American English, practice can be both a noun and a verb)
- priceless / valueless
- principle / principal / principal / principle
- rise /raise
- receipt / recipe
- remind / remember
- scenery / view
- sensitive / sensible
- take/ bring
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