What the question looks like
A word is given (often a word with several meanings, such as bank, charge, check, credit, run, yield) along with four or five sentences. You are asked either:
- in which sentence the word is used incorrectly (or "all are correct"), or
- in which sentence the word has the same meaning as in a given sentence, or
- in which sentence a confusable word (affect/effect, principal/principle) is used correctly.
Step-by-step approach
- List the meanings you know. Charge: a fee, an accusation, responsibility (in charge), to fill a battery, to rush forward. This list helps you judge each sentence.
- Check the grammar around the word. Most incorrect usages fail because of the wrong preposition or wrong part of speech: charged with (not of) fraud; address a problem (not address to); covers all costs (not covers for in this sense).
- For "same meaning" questions, replace the word with a synonym that fits the given sentence (e.g., bank on = rely on) and test each option with that synonym.
- Do not reject unfamiliar but valid meanings. The plane banked (tilted), a run on the bank (mass withdrawals) and the colours ran (spread in water) are all correct English.
High-yield multiple-meaning words
| Word | Meanings to know |
|---|---|
| bank | financial institution; river side; rely on (bank on); tilt (an aircraft) |
| credit | loan facility; money added to an account; praise or recognition; unit of study |
| check | examine; restrain or control (check inflation); a bill (US); a pattern of squares |
| yield | produce or give a return; give way or surrender; the amount produced |
| interest | money paid on a loan; curiosity; advantage or benefit (public interest); a share in a business |
| run | move fast; manage (run a shop); continue for a period; mass withdrawal (run on a bank) |
Confusable pairs
- affect (verb: to influence) vs effect (noun: result; verb: to bring about).
- principal (main; head of a school; the original sum of a loan) vs principle (a rule or belief).
- stationary (not moving) vs stationery (paper, pens).
- complement (complete) vs compliment (praise).
Worked example
Which sentence uses address incorrectly? "He addressed to the problem with great urgency." Address in the sense of "deal with" is transitive and takes no to: He addressed the problem.
Time target: 30-45 seconds. "All are correct" is a genuine answer in many papers, so do not force an error that is not there.