There are some words which can cause confusion in meaning if we are not careful about their spelling because they can be confused for another word which is very similar in spelling.
Here are some commonly confused verbs
die / dying / died
dye / dyeing / dyed
hop / hopping / hopped
hope / hoping / hoped
mop / mopping / mopped
mope / moping / moped
scrap / scraping / scraped
lie (recline) / lying / laid or lain
lie (tell a lie) / lying / lied
Complete the following sentences.
1The rabbit ............... across the field.
Wrong!
Use "hopped" because the sentence means the rabbit jumped across the field.
2I was ............... that you could lend me a pound.
Wrong!
Use "hoping" because the sentence means wanting something to happen.
3She ............... the skirt to match her blouse.
Wrong!
Use "dyed" because it means changed the color of something.
4The poor woman is ...............
Wrong!
Use "dying" because it means becoming dead.
5The rough surface of the floor made ............... difficult.
Wrong!
Use "mopping" because it means cleaning a floor with a mop.
6I slipped and ............... an elbow.
Wrong!
Use "scraped" because it means rubbed or scratched the skin painfully.
7The witness ............... to the jury.
Wrong!
Use "lied" because it means told a false statement.
8The king ............... now in his final resting place.
Wrong!
Use "lies" because it means rests or is located in that place.
9I ............... down on the couch yesterday.
Wrong!
Use "lay" because it is the past tense of "lie" meaning recline.
10Please ............... the plate down now.
Wrong!
Use "lay" because it means put something down.
11The tiles were ............... in a geometric pattern.
Wrong!
Use "laid" because it is the past participle of "lay" meaning put in place.
12It is a mistake to ............... too much emphasis on grades.
Wrong!
Use "lay" in the expression "lay emphasis on" something.
Answers
- The rabbit hopped across the field.
- I was hoping that you could lend me a pound.
- She dyed the skirt to match her blouse.
- The poor woman is dying
- The rough surface of the floor made mopping difficult.
- I slipped and scraped an elbow.
- The witness lied to the jury.
- The king lies now in his final resting place.
- I lay down on the couch yesterday.
- Please lay the plate down now.
- The tiles were laid in a geometric pattern.
- It is a mistake to lay too much emphasis on grades.