ENGLISH VOCABULARY EXERCISE

ENGLISH VOCABULARY EXERCISE

Complete the following sentences using an appropriate form of the word given in the brackets.

1. You will find it ……………………. to learn Hindi before visiting India. (advantage)

2. He is an ……………….. man, unafraid of risks. (adventure)

3. ………………… winds prevented us from arriving on time. (adversity)

4. Sweet are the uses of ……………………. (adverse)

5. It is ……………….. for all children to get vaccinations. (advice)

6. The judge gave the careless driver an ………………. (admonish)                                    

7. She is famous for her ……………….. of equal rights for women. (advocate)

8. She has an ……………………. relationship with her grandparents. (affection)

9. The two hospitals have a close ……………….. (affiliate)

10. We are expecting an …………………… answer. (affirmation)

Answers

1. You will find it advantageous to learn Hindi before visiting India.

2. He is an adventurous man, unafraid of risks.

3. Adverse winds prevented us from arriving on time.

4. Sweet are the uses of adversity.

5. It is advisable for all children to get vaccinations.

6. The judge gave the careless driver an admonition.

7. She is famous for her advocacy of equal rights for women.

8. She has an affectionate relationship with her grandparents.

9. The two hospitals have a close affiliation.

10. We are expecting an affirmative answer.

AWHILE VS. A WHILE

AWHILE  VS. A WHILE

Distinguishing the terms awhile and a while can be tricky. This may be due to the fact that both these terms are used to express time and commonly used.

Here’s how to avoid the confusion:

While they sound and look very similarly, these terms actually represent different parts of speech. The word awhile is an adverb used to denote “for a short time”.

“It clearly will take awhile for Bears offense to take shape”
Chicago Tribune

“Interview: UFC SLC’s Jason Novelli: UFC call ‘took awhile to actually set in'”
Bloody Elbow

“What Is The Joker’s Real Name? You Might Have To Wait Awhile To Find Out”
Bustle

In all three examples, awhile is used to refer to the amount of time it took or people waited for a certain condition or event to happen.

On the other hand, a while is a two-word expression used as a noun phrase consisting of the article a and the noun while. The phrase a while generally means “a period, length or interval of time”.

“Bowled in a T20 tie at Chepauk after quite a while and it felt nice: Balaji”
Times of India

“Trump and Clinton Will Go Down in History — For a While”
Wall Street Journal

“Apple iPhone estimates raised for the ‘first time in a while’ at UBS”
MarketWatch

It is important for you to remember that a while can and often follows a preposition such as for and in as you can see from the examples above. Meanwhile, awhile can never follow a preposition since it functions as an adverb.

We waited awhile before the food was served.

We waited for a short time before the food was served.

His heart stopped for a while before he was resucitated.

His heart stopped for a period of time before he was resucitated.

Now, can you come up with your own sentences using a while andawhile?

WORDS CONFUSED

WORDS CONFUSED

Affection and affectation

These words are often confused.

Affection means love, fondness, emotional attachment, tenderness or warmth.

·         She feels great affection for her parents.

Affection can also mean sickness, illness or disease.

He died of a consumptive affection.

Affectation means pretence, sham or false mannerism.

·         He affected a Canadian accent.

To affect is to make a pretense of.

·         She is from Canada but she affects a strong British accent.

Affluent and effluent

These words are often confused.

Affluent means rich, wealthy, prosperous, well-off etc.

·         She married an affluent widower.

·         People living in affluent societies are not always happy.

Effluent means liquid waste discharged into a river.

·         The effluent stream has polluted water in the nearby wells as well.

Exercise

Complete the following sentences using appropriate words.

1. Her finishing-school accent is just an ………………….. (affection / affectation)

2. Wealth and fame has made him so ………………. that I no longer like him. (affected / effected)

3. The two colleges have a strong …………………, sometimes sharing faculty. (affinity / affiliation)

4. There is a close ……………….. between lemons and limes. (amity / affinity)

5. In a truly ……………….. society, there is more than enough for all. (affluent / effluent)

Answers

1. Her finishing-school accent is just an affectation.

2. Wealth and fame has made him so affected that I no longer like him.

3. The two colleges have a strong affiliation, sometimes sharing faculty.

4. There is a close affinity between lemons and limes.

5. In a truly affluent society, there is more than enough for all.