There are several confusing words in English. The words where and were, who’s and whose, whole and hole are just some of them. Can you use these words correctly?
1Do you know ............... Samuel lives?
Wrong!
Use "where" to ask about or refer to a place.
2How many people ............... there at the party?
Wrong!
Use "were" as the past form of "be" with a plural subject.
3The dog has had ............... breakfast.
Wrong!
Use "its" as the possessive form meaning the breakfast belongs to the dog.
4............... time you stopped reading my letters.
Wrong!
Use "It's" because the phrase means "It is time."
5There is a ............... in my sock.
Wrong!
Use "hole" for an opening or damaged place in something.
6I spent the ............... week at home.
Wrong!
Use "whole" to mean complete or all of something.
7It was a decision ............... importance I didn't realize at the time.
Wrong!
Use "whose" as the possessive relative word meaning "of which."
8Do you know anybody ............... going to Japan next month?
Wrong!
Use "who's" because it means "who is" in this sentence.
9They have never invited us to ............... parties.
Wrong!
Use "their" to show that the parties belong to or are connected with them.
10Take a ............... of paper and jot down this number.
Wrong!
Use "piece" for one part or sheet of something.
11The war ............... oil prices.
Wrong!
Use "affected" as the verb meaning influenced or changed.
12The cold weather had an adverse ............... on my health.
Wrong!
Use "effect" as the noun meaning result or influence.
Answers
- Do you know where Samuel lives?
- How many people were there at the party?
- The dog has had its breakfast.
- It’s time you stopped reading my letters.
- There is a hole in my sock.
- I spent the whole week at home.
- It was a decision whose importance I didn’t realize at the time.
- Do you know anybody who’s going to Japan next month?
- They have never invited us to their parties.
- Take a piece of paper and jot down this number.
- The war affected oil prices.
- The cold weather had an adverse effect on my health.