Many of the quizzes on this page came from:
Many Things Org
ELC Study Zone
The English Club
Activities for ESL Students (a4esl)
Houghton Mifflin English
(the home of Grammar blast!
Vocabulary Fun and Punctuation Punch
Last Update: September 2009
Grammar can drive you crazy enough, but so can all sorts of things about vocabulary:
- confusing words (they sound really similar so people mix up the meanings, e.g affect and effect),
- words that sound exactly the same, but are spelled differently (homophones)
- words that are spelled and sound exactly the same, but mean different things (homonyms)
- words that are spelled exactly the same, but sound different and, of course, mean different things (homographs)
- words that are opposites (antonyms) ,
- words that mean the same (synonyms).
- .... and much, much more.
Do you know the relationship between "flammable" and "inflammable?"
Studying all this takes years...but it is fun and really enriches your vocabulary! (Of course, some of this is really basic!)
| Synonyms and antonyms | Synonyms mean the same (good, great, wonderful). Antonyms are opposites (hot/cold; good/bad; yummy/awful) Knowing lots of synonyms helps you become a GREAT writer! To find synonyms for words, you use a "Thesaurus" or go to www.thesaurus.com. |
Antonym Quiz B1-1 Synonym Quiz B1-2 |
| Homonyms | There is a lot of confusion over the word "homonym." Coming from "homo" = same and "nyme" = name, homonyms are actually words that are named (that is SPELLED and PRONOUNCED) the same, but are different in meaning and origin.(The same as two kids might be named the same, but are two different children, with different parents.) Examples: bear (animal)/bear (to carry); bank (where you put money)/ bank (the side of river); swallow (a type of bird)/ swallow (to move from your mouth to your tummy). However, for some reason, many people use the term "homonym" when they really mean "homophone." So, if that is what you want, go to the next section! |
Quiz B3 |
| Homophones | "Homo" = same, "phone" = sound. Words that SOUND the same but are spelled differently. There are zillions of these to make you crazier! To name but four: two/to/too; their/they're/there; knight/night; flower/flour. (Do I need to mention that homophones have different meanings? I guess that's pretty obvious!) Here is a list of HOMOPHONES that someone made up. It is pretty comprehensive! (Note: the quiz says "homonyms," but the words are actually homophones! As I said, many people use the wrong term. Remember, the words SOUND the same in both cases, but homophones are spelled differently, and homonyms are spelled the same.) |
Quiz B4 (15 more!) (Scroll down) |
| Homographs | "homo" = same, "graph" = writing. Words that are spelled the same but are pronounced differently. Impossible to teach without sound! You can see examples here, but if you don't know how to pronounce the different versions of each word, it won't make sense! One example that you probably know is bow and arrow, and bow what actors do at the end of their performance. |
Quiz B5 |
| "The Word Confused" | Here are eight quizzes on a hodgepodge of the above. There are many "classic" confusables that you simply MUST know: it's and its; there, their, and they're;(Quiz B7-a) and others whose and who's; and even more (quiz B7-b and quiz B7-c...which is actually links to six more quizzes.) Keep your dictionary handy! |
Quiz B7a Quiz B7b Quiz B7c |
| Contractions | Quiz B8 | |
| Commas in a list. | info | Quiz B9 |
| Quotation marks. | Quiz B10 | |
| Apostrophes | Used for possession, contractions. | Quiz B11 |