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Editing, Grammar and Accuracy
Quick questions on Spelling and word form errors explained: O-Level English
9short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What are high-frequency spelling traps?Show answer
Some words are misspelled far more often than others, so they repay direct learning. Common traps include double letters ("necessary", "accommodate", "beginning"), the "-ed" ending after a final "y" ("studied", "carried"), irregular plurals ("children", not "childrens"; "women"; "feet"), and silent letters ("knowledge", "rhythm"). You cannot learn every word, but a short personal list of the words you keep getting wrong, reviewed regularly, fixes most of your individual errors.
What is confused word pairs (homophones)?Show answer
Words that sound the same but are spelled and used differently are a favourite of the Editing task:
What is choosing the right word form?Show answer
The same root word changes form for its job in the sentence:
What is their / there / they're mixed up?Show answer
Decide by meaning: possession, place, or "they are". They sound the same but are not interchangeable.
What is adjective where an adverb is needed?Show answer
"She sang beautiful" should be "beautifully"; an adverb describes the verb.
What is advice / advise swapped?Show answer
The "c" word is the noun ("advice"), the "s" word is the verb ("advise"); choose by the job the word is doing.
What is q1?Show answer
Correct this sentence: "Your going to love there new house." [2 marks]
What is q2?Show answer
Give the noun, verb, adjective and adverb forms of "beauty/beautiful". [2 marks]
What is q3?Show answer
Explain a quick test for choosing between "its" and "it's". [2 marks]