Word Usage and Word Swap

intermediate24 min read

Two related question types: pick the sentence that uses a given word correctly, and spot the two words in a sentence that have been interchanged. Both turn on the exact sense of a word and the company it keeps.

What you will be able to do

Test a word against each sentence for part of speech, exact sense and collocation.
Separate commonly confused pairs by a one-line rule.
Find the two swapped words in a sentence by locating the two clauses that read as nonsense.
Confirm a swap by checking that exchanging the pair fixes both places at once.

What is inside this lesson

1The two formats
2Word usage: the check
3Pairs that are tested again and again
4Word swap: the check
5Worked example: one of each
6Common mistakes
7Quick revision
8Practice

The lesson itself is for members

Reading the 8 sections above, the worked examples and the practice set is free — the whole knowledge base is on the free plan, along with flashcards, private notes and Ask Onely.

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