1. Spelling
Underline the correct spelling in the following groups of words:
(i) professor/proffessor/proffesor
(ii) committed/comited/commited
(iii) acomodation/accommodation/ accomodation
(iv) unneccessary/unneccesary/unnecessary
(v) embarrass/embarras/embarass
(vi) iridescence/irridescence/iridesence
(vii) similies/similes/simmiles
(viii) pusilanemous/pusillanemous/ pusillanimous
(ix) privilege/priviledge/privelige
(x) viccissitude/vicisitude/vicissitude
2. Vocabulary
Underline the correct italicized word in the following sentences:
(i) I always manage to loose/lose my pen.
(ii) The pub's license/licence has been withdrawn.
(iii) He had to put in a good deal of practise/practice.
(iv) Having read the sentence, the judge ordered the prisoner to be lead/led to his cell.
(v) Please write on alternative/alternate lines.
(vi) I am loath/loathe to interfere.
(vii) They live in desperately straitened/straightened circumstances.
(viii) It's the principal/principle which counts.
(ix) He was sent to the shop to buy some stationery/stationary.
(x) He told the dog to lay/lie down at once.
(xi) A full pack comprises/is comprised of fifty-two cards.
(xii) The men are equally/equally as stupid.
(xiii) Between you and I/me there can never be misunderstanding.
(xiv) It was as if/like she was flying.
(xv) There are fewer/less applicants than there were last year.
(xvi) Anyone who sees this film will find their/his/her hair standing on end.
(xvii) Neither was/were present yesterday.
(xviii) Each of them have/has strong points.
(xix) He would have/of done better to seek advice.
(xx) The crew were/was working hard.
3. Apostrophes
Add apostrophes where needed in the following sentences:
(i) Im sure I said its a four oclock start.
(ii) In two weeks time they intend to set off on an hours hike.
(iii) Weve always enjoyed both the local Womens Institutes parties.
(iv) Its time the cat was given its food, isnt it?
(v) For pitys sake, remember its only a game!
(vi) Whos going to be deterred by a few drops of rain?
(vii) The sheeps wool hung in snags on the hedge which enclosed them.
(viii) The childrens delight was greater than ours.
(ix) St Marys steeple is its crowning glory.
(x) Ones need for wealth decreases as times winged chariot draws near.
4. Further punctuation
Write a comma or a full stop beneath the *:
(i) MY MAIN HOBBY IS FISHING * MY SECOND HOBBY IS PLAYING THE TROMBONE.
(ii) WILLIAM * PLEASE COLLECT IN THE WORK.
(iii) SHE SANG WELL * THIS WAS SURPRISING.
(iv) JOHN SWIMS WELL * HOWEVER, MARY HATES THE WATER.
Add full stops and capital letters to:
(v) George was quite clear that he needed to work harder if he was going to achieve the grades he required it was quite possible to get three A grades his sister had got two As and a B and she was far dimmer than he was
Add commas to:
(vi) For lunch the school offered lamb chops pasta baked potatoes yogurt trifle and fresh fruit.
(vii) James the talented but lazy cricketer never seemed to score as highly as the others.
(viii) Henry walked up to his room opened the door ripped off his clothes and dived into bed.
(ix) Sally however always wanted to watch television rather than do her homework.
Add semi-colons to:
(x) I have porridge for breakfast every day it sees me through to lunch.(xi) The boy's mother wrote to the Head Master to complain about table manners Harrovians ought to know how to hold a knife and fork.
(xii) At Harrow Winston Churchill was dreadful at Latin but he learnt to write English properly we sometimes forget that he won the Nobel Prize for Literature
5. Proof reading
Write out the following statement, correcting any mistakes in spelling, punctuation and grammar and organising it into paragraphs:
I belive that phisical fittness is crucialy important and I devote a great deal of time to playing different sports at School. I used to play in the sunningdale First XV at rugby, First XI in cricket and first VIII for Tennis. This ment that, after my arival at Harrow, I was able to make a usful comitment to all these variuos activitys. Its vital to contribute to your boarding house in many different ways: akademic culturel and artistic as well as sporting. If you have a quite personallity or are somthing of a walflower, then becoming involved will help you acheive greater self conferdence. The affect of that will be to incraese your ability to settle into the enviroment of Harrow School. The Harrow Cadets provide another oportunity to contribute to life here, I think. You can join the Royal navy or the Royal air Force Sections, the Army or the Royal marines. Although becoming a Comando may have a romantic dashing ring to it, there are also many other oppertunities in the Corps: equestrianism, shooting (full and small boor), climing, sking and sailing, for instance. In the end, though, I would advice you that how well you do in exams will decide which University you will go to after the Sixth Form. Youll be expected to work hard and do the best you can in youre As and A levels. Youll find that study at this level requires a strong personnal committment to managing youre own time. Whatever youre subject at University, though, I wish you luck in fullfilling your ambition, be it to become a high court judge, the archbishop of Cantarbury or to score a hat trick for England.
The answers
1 professor, committed, accommodation, unnecessary, embarrass, iridescence, similes, pusillanimous, privilege, vicissitude
2 lose, licence, practice, led, alternate, loath, straitened, principle, stationery, lie, comprises, equally, me, as if, fewer, his/her, was, has, have, was
3 (i) I'm sure I said it's a four o'clock start.
(ii) In two weeks' time they intend to set off on an hour's hike.
(iii) We've always enjoyed both the local Women's Institutes' parties.
(iv) It's time the cat was given its food, isn't it?
(v) For pity's sake, remember it's only a game!
(vi) Who's going to be deterred by a few drops of rain?
(vii) The sheep's wool hung in snags on the hedge which enclosed them.
(viii) The children's delight was greater than ours.
(ix) St Mary's steeple is its crowning glory.
(x) One's need for wealth decreases as time's winged chariot draws near.
4 (i) MY MAIN HOBBY IS FISHING. MY SECOND HOBBY IS PLAYING THE TROMBONE.
(ii) WILLIAM, PLEASE COLLECT IN THE WORK.
(iii) SHE SANG WELL. THIS WAS SURPRISING.
(iv) JOHN SWIMS WELL. HOWEVER, MARY HATES THE WATER.
(v) George was quite clear that he needed to work harder if he was going to achieve the grades he required. It was quite possible to get three A grades. His sister had got two As and a B and she was far dimmer than he was.
(vi) For lunch the school offered lamb chops, pasta, baked potatoes, yogurt, trifle and fresh fruit.
(vii) James, the talented but lazy cricketer, never seemed to score as highly as the others.
(viii) Henry walked up to his room, opened the door, ripped off his clothes and dived into bed.
(ix) Sally, however, always wanted to watch television rather than do her homework.
(x) I have porridge for breakfast every day; it sees me through to lunch.
(xi) The boy's mother wrote to the Head Master to complain about table manners; Harrovians ought to know how to hold a knife and fork.
(xii) At Harrow Winston Churchill was dreadful at Latin but he learnt to write English properly; we sometimes forget that he won the Nobel Prize for Literature.
5 I believe that physical fitness is crucially important and I devote a great deal of time to playing different sports at school. I used to play in the Sunningdale First XV at rugby, First XI in cricket and First VIII for tennis. This meant that, after my arrival at Harrow, I was able to make a useful commitment to all these various activities.
It's vital to contribute to your boarding house in many different ways: academic, cultural and artistic, as well as sporting. If you have a quiet personality or are something of a wallflower, then becoming involved will help you achieve greater self-confidence. The effect of that will be to increase your ability to settle into the environment of Harrow School.
The Harrow Cadets provide another opportunity to contribute to life here, I think. You can join the Royal Navy or the Royal Air Force Sections, the Army or the Royal Marines. Although becoming a Commando may have a romantic, dashing ring to it, there are also many other opportunities in the Corps: equestrianism, shooting (full and small bore), climbing, skiing and sailing, for instance.
In the end, though, I would advise you that how well you do in exams will decide which university you will go to after the Sixth Form. You'll be expected to work hard and do the best you can in your AS and A levels. You'll find that study at this level requires a strong personal commitment to managing your own time. Whatever your subject at university, though, I wish you luck in fulfilling your ambition, be it to become a High Court judge, the Archbishop of Canterbury or to score a hat-trick for England.
