CEC Word Usage & Vocabulary 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which sentence correctly uses 'affect' and 'effect'?
- The rain effected our plans, and the affect was disappointing.
- The rain affected our plans, and the effect was disappointing. (Correct answer)
- The rain affected our plans, and the affect was disappointing.
- The rain effected our plans, and the effect was disappointing.
Correct 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.
Question 2: In which sentence is 'whom' used correctly?
- Whom is going to present the findings at the meeting?
- The editor whom revised the manuscript was very thorough.
- To whom should this invoice be sent for approval? (Correct answer)
- Whom do you think deserves the award this year?
Correct 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.
Question 3: Which sentence correctly uses the verb 'lay' or 'lie'?
- Please lay down and rest for a while after the procedure.
- She laid the report on the editor's desk yesterday morning. (Correct answer)
- The documents have been laying on the table all week long.
- He will lay in bed if he is feeling unwell.
Correct 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'.
Question 4: Which sentence correctly uses the verb 'comprise'?
- The committee is comprised of five experienced members.
- The committee comprises five experienced members. (Correct answer)
- Five members are comprised in the standing committee.
- Five members comprise into the standing committee.
Correct 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.
Question 5: Which of the following phrases is redundant and should be edited out?
- 'Advance warning' only
- 'Brief summary' only
- 'Past history' only
- All of the above are redundant (Correct answer)
Correct 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.
Question 6: Which sentence correctly uses 'fewer' or 'less'?
- There are less errors in this draft than in the previous version.
- The project requires fewer resources than originally expected. (Correct answer)
- She has less meetings to attend now that the campaign has ended.
- We received less applications this cycle than last year.
Correct 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'.
Question 7: Which sentence correctly applies the American English rule for 'that' versus 'which'?
- The manuscript, that needed heavy revision, was returned to the author.
- The guidelines which apply to all submissions are posted online.
- The style guide that editors rely on most is the Chicago Manual. (Correct answer)
- Any article which contains factual errors must be corrected immediately.
Correct 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.
CEC Word Usage & Vocabulary 1
Which sentence correctly uses 'affect' and 'effect'?