13.6 – Working with Words: End-of-Chapter Exercises

Learning Objectives

  • Use the skills you have learned in the chapter.
  • Work collaboratively with other students.

Exercise 1

Proofread the paragraph and correct any commonly confused words and misspelled words.

Grunge, or the Seattle sound, is a type of rock music that became quiet popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It began in Seattle, Washington. Grunge musicians rejected the dramatic an expensive stage productions that were trendy at the time. There music was striped down with an emphasis on distorted electric guitars. Grunge musicians did not ware makeup or sport extravagent hairstyles like many of the day’s rock musicians and bands. Many grunge musicians would by they’re clothes from secondhand stores. The lyrics too grunge songs were also quit different compared two what was populer at the time. Grunge lyrics are charecterized by dark or socially conscience themes. Grunge music is still admired today buy music lovers of all ages.

Exercise 2

Exercise 2 (Text Version)

Complete the following sentences by filling in the blank line with the correct homonym or frequently misspelled word.

  1. Kevin asked me a serious question and                  (then, than) interrupted me when I attempted to answer.
  2. A hot compress will                  (lessen, lesson) the pain of muscle cramps.
  3. Jason was not a graceful                  (looser, loser) because he knocked his chair over and stormed off the basketball court.
  4. Please consider the                  (effects, affects) of not getting enough green vegetables in your diet.
  5.                  (Except, Accept) for Ajay, we all had our tickets to the play.
  6. I am                  (threw, through) with this magazine, so you can read it if you like.
  7. I don’t care                  (whose, who’s) coming to the party and                  (whose, who’s) not.
  8. Crystal could                  (sea, see) the soaring hawk through her binoculars.
  9. The                  (principal, principle) gave the students a very long lecture about peer pressure.
  10. Dr. Frankl nearly lost his                  (patience, patients) with one of his                  (patience, patients).

Check Your Answers: [1]

Activity Source: Exercise 2 is adapted from “13.5 – Working With Words: End-Of-Chapter Exercises” In Writing for Success by University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing, licensed under CC BY-NC- 4.0.

 

Exercise 3

Rewrite the following personal essay by replacing the slang, clichés, and overly general language with stronger, more precise language.

My biggest regret happened in high school. I had always felt like a fish out of water, so when I started grade 9 I was determined to fit in with the cool people. Man, was that an uphill battle. I don’t even know why I tried, but hindsight is 20/20 I guess. The first thing I did was change the way I dressed. I went from wearing clothes I was comfortable in to wearing stuff that was so not me. Then I started wearing a ton of makeup, and my brother was all like, “What happened to your face?” Not only did my looks change, my personality changed a lot too. I started to act all stuck up and bossy with my friends, and they didn’t know how to respond to this person that used to be me. Luckily, this phase didn’t last more than a couple of months. I decided it was more fun to be me than to try to be someone else. I guess you can’t fit a square peg in a round hole after all.

Exercise 4

Exercise 4 (Text Version)

Write the correct synonym for each word.

  1. lenient                  (relaxed, callous)
  2. abandon                  (vacate, deceive)
  3. berate                  (criticize, encourage)
  4. experienced                  (callow, matured)
  5. spiteful                  (malevolent, mellow)
  6. tame                  (subdued, wild)
  7. tasty                  (savory, bland)
  8. banal                  (common, interesting)
  9. contradict                  (deny, revolt)
  10. vain                  (boastful, simple)

Check Your Answers: [2]

Activity Source: Exercise 4 is adapted from “13.5 – Working With Words: End-Of-Chapter Exercises” In Writing for Success by University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing, licensed under CC BY-NC- 4.0.

Attribution & References

Except where otherwise noted, this chapter is adapted from “4.7 Working with Words: End-of-Chapter Exercises” In Writing for Success by University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing, licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.

    1. then
    2. lessen
    3. looser
    4. effects
    5. Except
    6. through
    7. who's
    8. see
    9. principal
    10. patience
    ↵
    1. lenient - relaxed
    2. abandon - vacate
    3. berate - criticize
    4. experienced - matured
    5. spiteful - malevolent
    6. tame - subdued
    7. tasty - savory
    8. banal - common
    9. contradict - revolt
    10. vain - boastful
    ↵

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Communication Essentials for College Copyright © 2022 by Jen Booth, Emily Cramer & Amanda Quibell, Georgian College is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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