Mastering the Homophones | Confusing Pair of Words in English | Favorite Topic for Competitive Exams

Critical Words for Competitive Exams

These critical words are commonly asked in competitive exams and get confuse 

participants. Aspirants should practice them to clear their doubts. Keeping this in

 mind, here is a practice paper with answers. Homophones are generally asked in

 vocabulary words and error detection questions.

Here are some important homophones for competitive exams:

Tricky 'Verb' vs 'Noun' Homophones

It is difficult to ...... her as she is not ready to listen.

• Advice
• Advise

Ans: Advise

Explanation:

Regular ...... is needed to master any sport.  

• Practice
• Practise

Ans: Practice

Explanation:

The new security .... is necessary to avoid unauthorized access.

• Device
• Devise

Ans: Device

Explanation:

The heavy rain ...... the crop last year.

• affected
• effected

Ans: affected

Explanation

When I was working there, my boss gave me ........ .........  .

• a lot of, compliments
• a lots of, compliments
• a lot of, complements 

Ans: a lot of, compliments

Explanation:

 Pro Tips for Aspirants:

Use these Quick Mental Shortcuts in any competitions.

• Compliment has an ' i ' as everyone like to receive.
• Discreet hides its ' ee ' s in the middle to be quiet.
• Try to use it because it is the easiest way to avoid a " wrong elimination".

Critical words for Competitive Exams:

• Complaisant means willing to please others satisfaction 
•  Complacent means Smug or uncritical satisfaction with oneself.
• (often a negative trait)

• Aerie means lofty nest of a bird of prey like an eagle
• Airy means Delicate, light, or well-ventilated.

The difference between them is just like night and day.

Seine has two meaning:

Seine means (1)a large fishing net 

(2) It is a river in France

Sane means mentally sound

Its vs It's

Its means 'its ' is a possessive pronoun, similar to his, hers or theirs. It
indicates something belongs to an animal, an object, or a concept. 

It's means contraction form of ' it is ' or ' it has '.

Active Passive Voice -MCQs for Competitive Exams 2026 | Voice Change Exercises for SSC CGL| Rules to Change Interrogative & Imperative Sentences

Active and Passive Voice 

Quick Memory Trick:

Choose the correct option:

Don't play Minecraft all the time. 

1. Let Minecraft not be played all the time.
2. You are forbidden play Minecraft all the time.
3. Minecraft should not played all the time.

Ans: Let Minecraft not be played all the time.

Has the maid broken the bone china cup?

1. Has the bone china cup broken by the maid?
2. Has the bone china cup been broken by the maid?
3. Has been the bone china  broken by the maid?

Ans: Has the bone china cup been broken by the maid?

Please do join us for brunch.

1. You are requested to join us for brunch.
2. You are invited to come for brunch.
3. You are suggested to join us for brunch.

Ans: You are requested to join us for brunch.

Have you seen my charger?

1. Have my charger been seen by you?
2. Has my charger been seen by you?
3. Had my charger been seen by you?

Ans: Has my charger been seen by you?

Who wrote the novel," A Noble Name"?

1. By whom had the novel, " A Noble Name " written?
2. By whom was the novel, "A Noble Name" written?
3. By whom was the novel, "A Noble Name" wrote?

Ans: By whom was the novel," A Noble Name" written?

1. Whom are you going to invite to the housewarming party?
2. By whom is going to be invited to the housewarming party?
3. Who is going to be invited to the housewarming party?

Ans: Who is going to be invited to the housewarming party?

Note: 'Who ' changes into 'By whom' and 'Whom' into 'Who'.

May you live prosperous life!

1.  May you lived a prosperous life.
2. May a prosperous life be lived by you.
3. May a prosperous life be live by you.

Ans: May a prosperous life be lived by you.

Did the spectators cheer the T20 team?

1. Had the T20 team cheered by the spectators?
2. Were the T20 team cheered by the spectators?
3. Was the T20 team cheered by the spectators?

Ans:Was the T20 team cheered by the spectators?

Are you playing with the fidgets?

1. Are the fidgets being played with by you?
2. Is the fidgets being played with by you?
3. Have the fidgets being played with by you?

Ans: Are the fidgets being played with by you?

Where did you buy this gadget?

1. Where had this gadget bought by you?
2. Where was this gadget buy by you?
3. Where was this gadget bought by you?

Ans: Where was this gadget bought by you?

Is he still chatting with his friend on the mobile phone?

1. Was his friend still chatted with on the mobile phone by him?
2. Is his friend still chatted with on the mobile phone by him?
3. Is his friend still being chatted with on the mobile phone by him? 

Ans: Is his friend still being chatted with on the mobile phone by him?

How will you pack the return gifts for the function?

1. How will the return gifts to be packed for the function?
2. How will the return gifts be packed for the function (by you)?
3. How is the return gifts be packed for the function?

Ans: How will the return gifts be packed for the function (by you)?

Active Voice vs Passive Voice 

Let's know the rules:

 

List of Important Collective Nouns for Competitive Exams। Grammar Basics: Collective Nouns। Frequently asked in All Competitive Exams | Master Fill in the blanks questions for SSC, CGL Exam 2026

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Exam Favorite: Topic (Collective Nouns)

Acquiring proficiency in collective nouns is relatively straightforward,
with 4 to 5 questions consistently featuring in competitive exams.

 Examiners usually ask questions related to collective nouns which we are 

not supposed to use in our daily life. 

For example: 

Group of Animals and Birds:

• Living Being: Crow
• Collective Noun: A murder of crows
• We don't use this in our daily life.
• Generally, it is asked in competitive exam.

• Living Being: Geese
• Collective Noun: A gaggle of geese

In the above picture, the word 'skein' is used for geese in flight, in other words,
 we can say when geese migrate form a V shape line, so a group of geese in the sky is
called a skein. But when a group of geese is on the ground, is known as gaggle.

Groups of People and Occupations:

Collection of things:

Fill in the blanks with answers:

PYQ of Collective Nouns for Competitive Exams:

How do we learn collective nouns:

PYQ for SSC, CGL with answers:

Tip for the Aspirants:

Collective nouns usually take a singular verb when the group acts as one unit.

Let's clarify it by using the following example:

• The team are divided in their verdict.

Here the word 'team' is treated as plural noun for the verb(are) and plural pronoun

(their) to show team members as individuals.

• The team has given the verdict.

Here the word ' team' is treated as a whole unit, that is why, it takes a singular verb(has).

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