The _____ applauded enthusiastically after the performance was finished.

audience

spectators

: _____ the fact that it was difficult, the exam also included questions that we had never
studied before.

Besides

Beside

I told my boss that I wanted a big _____.

rise

raise

The article's _____ read "Politician Wants Answers".

title

headline

His opinion had no _____ on my decision.

effect

affect

He _____ down for a short nap.

lay

lie

Could you give me the _____ for that wonderful dessert?

receipt

recipe

They _____ his passport on entering the country.

 controlled

inspected

Please finish your work _____ five o'clock.

by

until

He was cooking dinner ______ the football match.

while

during

Could you go to the store and get me some _____?

stationary

stationery

I need to ______ a new button onto my shirt.

sow

sew

You will find the book _____ the lamp on the table.

beside

besides

You can choose from _____ four prizes!

between

among

It's so hot! I need to find some _____.

shadow

shade

_____ his having studied French, he found the course very difficult.
 Although

Despite

I hope our services ______ your expectations.

accede

exceed

All the children are coming _____ John.

accept

except

The professor was given ______ to materials in the research library.

access

excess

Some people feel that his _____ to the President was unnecessary.

allusion

illusion

Are we _____ to leave on vacation?

all ready

already

There is _____ too much violence on TV today.

all together

altogether

Is there _____ we can put off the meeting until tomorrow?

any way

anyway

The outcome of the project was entirely _____. He planned every step!
 casual

causal

The police threatened to _____ the faulty goods.

cease

seize

Jack felt _____ the outcome would be in his favor.

confidant

confident

They created a ______ design for a Halloween mask.

costume

custom

I ordered ______ even though I was already full.

desert

dessert

The lawyer would like to ______ a response from his client.

elicit

illicit

Congratulations! You are ______ for the grand prize.

eligible

illegible

He is an ______ expert in his field.

eminent

imminent

I'd like to _______ from France, but I don't know where to move.
 emigrate

immigrate

They _____ his motives are less than pure.

expect

suspect

I didn't _____ the solution. I just guessed!

infer

imply

Did they win or _____ the game last week?

loose

lose

His voice made an amazing _____ impression.

oral

aural

The ______ department is looking for three new employees.

personal

personnel

Should we _____ with the project or wait until July?

precede

proceed

Children tend to be rather _____ and need something to keep them occupied.

restless

restive

This attachment is a ______ that allows you to clean your curtains.

 complement

compliment

Choose one of the words in brackets to fill the gap.

1 Do you ________________ payment by credit card? (accept / except)

2 Everybody turned up at Fiona's party ________________ her exboyfriend. (accept / except)
3 What ________________ did the high altitude have on you? (affect / effect)
4 Did the high altitude ________________ you when you were in Quito? (affect / effect)
5 She gave me some excellent ________________ about my girlfriend. (advice / advise)
6 I ________________ you not to get involved in Sandra and Mike's problems. (advice / advise)
7 We need to find something to ________________ the curtains. (complement / compliment)
8 She got annoyed with me because I didn't ________________ her on her new hair style. (complement /
compliment)
9 Don't tell anyone about my promotion. I want to be as ________________ about it as possible. (discreet /
discrete)
10 Catalan and Valencian are not ________________ languages. (discreet / discrete)
11 The weather forecast says that rain is ________________ . (eminent / imminent)
12 Professor Pachorro is very ________________ among brain surgeons. (eminent / imminent)
13 I wanted to see the ________________ about Manet in the Prado gallery in Madrid. (exhibition /
expedition)
14 A recent Spanish ________________ to the Antarctic has been collecting data about global warming.
(exhibition / expedition)
15 The South Downs, a range of hills running across Sussex, are not very ________________ . (high / tall)
16 Tom Cruise is not ________________ . He's short. (high / tall)
17 This is an ________________ device for opening bottles. (ingenious / ingenuous)
18 Your argument is ________________ . Just tell me why you are in favour of a military solution. (irrelevant
/ irreverent)
19 If you want to be a champion, you have to ________________ everyday. (practice / practise)
20 Learning to dance the salsa is a question of going to classes and lots of ________________ . (practice /
practise)

Commonly Confused Words Exercise answers

1 Do you accept payment by credit card? (accept / except)

2 Everybody turned up at Fiona's party except her exboyfriend. (accept / except)
3 What effect did the high altitude have on you? (affect / effect)
4 Did the high altitude affect you when you were in Quito? (affect / effect)
5 She gave me some excellent advice about my girlfriend. (advice / advise)
 6 I advise you not to get involved in Sandra and Mike's problems.
7 We need to find something to complement the curtains. (complement / compliment)
She got annoyed with me because I didn't compliment her on her new hair style. (complement /
8
compliment)
9 Don't tell anyone about my promotion. I want to be as discreet about it as possible. (discreet / discrete)
10 Catalan and Valencian are not discrete languages. (discreet / discrete)
11 The weather forecast says that rain is imminent. (eminent / imminent)
12 Professor Pachorro is very eminent among brain surgeons. (eminent / imminent)
13 I wanted to see the exhibition about Manet in the Prado gallery in Madrid. (exhibition / expedition)
A recent Spanish expedition to the Antarctic has been collecting data about global warming. (exhibition /
14
expedition)
15 The South Downs, a range of hills running across Sussex, are not very high. (high / tall)
16 Tom Cruise is not tall. He's short. (high / tall)
17 This is an ingenious device for opening bottles. (ingenious / ingenuous)
Your argument is irrelevant. Just tell me why you are in favour of a military solution. (irrelevant /
18
irreverent)
19 If you want to be a champion, you have to practise everyday. (practice / practise)
20 Learning to dance the salsa is a question of going to classes and lots of practice. (practice / practise)