Confused Words Exercise (506)
In each sentence, choose the correct word from the pair of similar terms. (If both words possibly can be correct, choose the more plausible one.)
Answers and Explanations
1. He always tells the same old tired anecdote.
anecdote: story. "The anecdote about the time he got lost became more dramatic with each telling."
antidote: a treatment for poison or anything that stops or reverses a bad effect. "The only antidote for boredom is to do something."
2. Put your pedal to the metal.
pedal: pad or lever for operating a machine or instrument with a foot. "He had to replace a pedal on his bike."
petal: part of a flower. "Only one petal remained on the single rose in the vase."
3. Fortunately, the descent went more quickly than the climb up the mountainside.
decent: adequate or acceptable, or kind and honest. "They are good, decent people."
descent: lineage or derivation, or downward movement or inclination. "In the genealogy project, students traced their descent."
4. She did not hesitate to apprise me of the situation as soon as I arrived.
appraise: evaluate the condition or value of something. "I asked the jeweler to appraise the ring."
apprise: provide information. "I will apprise you about the decision after the meeting."
5. The contestants will then proceed to the next table.
precede: go before. "I was supposed to precede her in the line, but she insisted on going first."
proceed: continue. "I will proceed as we had planned."
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