Word Usage & Vocabulary Flashcards
7 cards from real CEC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Word Usage & Vocabulary flashcards as text
Which sentence correctly uses 'affect' and 'effect'?
Answer: The rain affected our plans, and the effect was disappointing.
'Affect' is typically a verb meaning to influence, while 'effect' is typically a noun meaning the result, making B the only sentence that uses both correctly.
In which sentence is 'whom' used correctly?
Answer: To whom should this invoice be sent for approval?
'Whom' is correct as the object of the preposition 'to'; the other options misuse 'whom' where 'who' (a subject form) is required.
Which sentence correctly uses the verb 'lay' or 'lie'?
Answer: She laid the report on the editor's desk yesterday morning.
'Laid' is the past tense of 'lay' (to place something), and B correctly uses it with a direct object (the report); the other sentences confuse 'lay' and 'lie'.
Which sentence correctly uses the verb 'comprise'?
Answer: The committee comprises five experienced members.
'Comprise' means 'to consist of,' so the whole (committee) comprises the parts (five members); 'is comprised of' is widely considered an error in formal edited English.
Which of the following phrases is redundant and should be edited out?
Answer: All of the above are redundant
'Advance warning,' 'brief summary,' and 'past history' are all redundant because the modifiers repeat what the nouns already inherently imply.
Which sentence correctly uses 'fewer' or 'less'?
Answer: The project requires fewer resources than originally expected.
'Fewer' is used with countable nouns (resources, errors, meetings), while 'less' is reserved for uncountable or mass quantities; B correctly uses 'fewer' with the countable noun 'resources'.
Which sentence correctly applies the American English rule for 'that' versus 'which'?
Answer: The style guide that editors rely on most is the Chicago Manual.
In American English, 'that' introduces a restrictive (essential) clause without commas, as in C; the other options either use 'that' with commas or 'which' without commas for restrictive clauses.