Commonly confused words - ice cream helps.

English is a tricky language. There are many words that sound and look similar, but their meanings are different. Why? Just to frustrate you. No, seriously, I’m not sure why. Nevertheless, I do know that the SAT tests your knowledge of some commonly confused words. You need to be able to determine the correct  word choice based on the rest of the words in the sentence or passage (context clues). The passage below contains some commonly confused words. Use your knowledge of diction, or word choice, to determine the correct word.

I bet (your / you’re) dreaming about ice cream right now. You are studying for the SAT and thinking that this tasty dessert would be a nice (complement / compliment) to your current study session. You know it’s right (there / their / they’re) in the kitchen. Maybe a little treat is just what you need? You (accept / except) your destiny and head into the kitchen for a scoop. Enjoy your study break! After all, eating ice cream isn’t (elicit / illicit).

Answer Key

I bet you’re dreaming about ice cream right now. You are studying for the SAT and thinking that this tasty dessert would be a nice complement to your current study session. You know it’s right there in the kitchen. Maybe a little treat is just what you need? You accept your destiny and head into the kitchen for a scoop. Enjoy your study break! After all, eating ice cream isn’t illicit.

Explanation:

you’re (contraction) - you are

your (pronoun)  - possessive

complement (noun) - something that completes to make a whole

compliment (noun) - a comment of praise

there (adverb) - in or at that place

their (pronoun) - possessive

they’re (contraction) - they are

accept (verb) - to agree to receive something

except (preposition) - to exclude something

illicit (adjective) - illegal

elicit (verb) - to draw out or bring out

Okay, did you take an ice cream break in the middle of this blog post? No judgement. It’s delicious. My personal favorites are mint chip and any combination of chocolate and peanut butter. I would love to hear about your favorite ice cream flavor and your thoughts on commonly confused words. Are you a big fan of rainbow sherbert, and do you frequently confuse affect and effect? Maybe rocky road is your jam, but knowing when to use its or it’s drives you bananas? Let me know in the comment section below. As always, thanks for reading and for visiting The Test Prep Spot.