Words Frequently Confused Part C Notes and In-class exercises

Exercise C Personal – individual –The manager gave the customer his personal attention. Personnel –a group of people employed in the same place –The management added four new employees to the personnel. Personal Trainer

Exercise C Principal – head of a school –main or most important –The principal job of the principal is to represent the school. Principle –rule of conduct –main fact or law –Her principles are very high. –On what principle did you base your argument?

Exercise C Quiet – silent, still –To study properly, one should make sure there is complete quiet. Quite –very –Are you quite sure the studio is soundproof?

Exercise C Shone – past tense of shine –The sun shone in the sky. Shown –revealed or demonstrated –The movie was shown after dinner.

Exercise C Stationary – in a fixed position –One of the desks is movable; the other is stationary. Stationery –writing paper –That purple and perfumed stationery is in bad taste. Stationary guard

Exercise C Than –a conjunction used for comparisons –She is smarter than I am. Then –at that time –next –We swam for an hour; then we went home. –They didn’t know me then.

Exercise C Their – possessive of they –Their new apartment has a view of the river. There –a place –an expletive or place holder –There are three rats over there. They’re - they are - They’re singing off key.

He doesn’t understand any of the (principals, principles) of physics. Exercise C, #1

The sun (shone, shown) all day. Exercise C, #2

The rabbit suddenly stopped and remained (stationery, stationary) for a few minutes. Exercise C, #3

He acts much older (than, then) he really is. Exercise C, #4

She spoke in a (quite, quiet) voice which was (quite, quiet) different than her usual noisy chatter. Exercise C, #5

You ask too many (personnel, personal) questions. Exercise C, #6

A collection of his paintings was (shone, shown) to the public last week. Exercise C, #7

You should never bother the animals when (their, they’re, there) eating. Exercise C, #8

In school we study the (principals, principles) on which our country was founded. Exercise C, #9

(Quite, Quiet) soon after the strange uproar, all became (quite, quiet) again. Exercise C, #10

The bookstore is having a big sale on (stationery, stationary). Exercise C, #11

We are going to (there, their, they’re) house. Exercise C, #12

All the (personal, personnel) in the store received a bonus at Christmas. Exercise C, #13

If you see the (principle, principal) in the hall, tell her she is wanted in the main office. Exercise C, #14

I don’t care what (their, they’re, there) parents let them do; you’re not going to the rap concert. Exercise C, #15