ords that sound the same but are spelled differently are ... · pdf filecoarse—course...
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Name _________________________________________ Date _____________________________
● Words that sound the same but are spelled differently are called homonyms.
Examples: to — toocent — senthear — here
● For each word in Column A there is a homonym in Column B. Write the number of itshomonym next to each word in Column A.
A B
wait 1. sighed
ceiling 2. whether
piece 3. weight
side 4. choose
threw 5. sealing
vain 6. eight
weather 7. peace
no 8. heard
chews 9. break
brake 10. pear
ate 11. through
herd 12. know
hire 13. vein
pair 14. higher
bare 15. bear
Homonyms—There, Their, They’re
there: a place (It is over there.)used with are—there are (There are two bikes.)
their: possessive form of they (Their books are red.)they’re: means they are (They’re going home.)
Fill in the blanks with the right word (their, there, or they’re).
1. two chums were running fast.
2. looking for the lost dog.
3. are two houses for sale.
4. planning to go sailing.
5. What did you see over ?
6. They wanted to visit aunt.
7. late every day.
8. Is your book at house?
9. were five coats in the closet.
10. going to friend’s house.
Name __________________________________________________ Date________________________
Homonyms—Two, To, Too
Review the definition of a homonym.
A homonym is a word that sounds the same as another word orwords but has a different meaning and is spelled differently.
two: a number (I have two cats.)to: (She ran to school.)too: also (I am going too.)
more than is needed (I ate too much.)
Fill in the blanks with the right word (two, to, or too).
1. I like skate.
2. We were scared dive.
3. I want play a game.
4. Do you want play ?
5. I have pets.
6. He walks school.
7. It is hot run.
Name __________________________________________________ Date________________________
Homonyms
Read, copy, and learn.A homonym is a word that sounds the same as another word or wordsbut has a different meaning and is spelled differently.
Read this list of homonyms. Then your teacher will tell you which homonyms towrite in original sentences on a separate sheet of paper. Be sure yoursentences tell the meaning of the homonym. Look up in a dictionary the mean-ing of any word you do not know.
air—heir ate—eight balI—bawl
be—bee bear—bare blew—blue
break—brake bury—berry by—buy
capital—capitol ceiling—sealing cereal—serial
coarse—course dear—deer desert—dessert
die—dye due—dew—do fair—fare
feet—feat flew—flue—flu flower—flour
foul—fowl four—for fur—fir
groan—grown guessed—guest hair—hare
hall—haul heal—heel heard—herd
here—hear hoarse—horse hour—our
I—eye kernel—colonel knew—new
knot—not know—no lesson—lessen
lone—loan made—maid mail—male
main—mane—Maine meet—meat minor—miner
night—knight nose—knows one—won
Name __________________________________________________ Date________________________
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Name __________________________________________________ Date________________________
pain—pane
pause—paws
piece—peace
presence—presents
red—read
road—rode—rowed
sale—sail
sense—cents
so—sew—sow
stationary—stationery
son—sun
taught—taut
toe—tow
waste—waist
week—weak
pale—pail
peak—peek
plain—plane
principal—principle
right—write
roll—role
seen—scene
sent—cent—scent
some—sum
steak—stake
straight—strait
threw—through
vane—vain—vein
way—weigh
whole—hole
passed—past
pear—pair—pare
pole—poll
rain—reign—rein
ring—wring
route—root
sees—seas—seize
shown—shone
stair—stare
steel—steal
tale—tail
thrown—throne
wait—weight
wear—ware
wrote—rote
Common Homonyms
Use each word below in a short sentence.
1. to _________________________________________________________________________________
2. two ________________________________________________________________________________
3. too ________________________________________________________________________________
4. there _______________________________________________________________________________
5. their _______________________________________________________________________________
6. they’re ______________________________________________________________________________
7. threw ______________________________________________________________________________
8. through _____________________________________________________________________________
9. wear _______________________________________________________________________________
10. where ______________________________________________________________________________
11. right ________________________________________________________________________________
12. write _______________________________________________________________________________
13. no _______________________________________________________________________________
14. know _______________________________________________________________________________
15. fair _________________________________________________________________________________
16. fare ________________________________________________________________________________
Fill in the blanks with the right words.Remember these homonyms:
cents She only had fifty cents left.sense Don’t you have any sense?
1. The boy found seventy-five _______________________ on the ground.
2. She told him to use his common _______________________ in making the decision.
3. If you had any ___________________ you would know it costs more than ten ___________________to get a cone.
Fill in the blanks with the right words.Remember these homonyms:
hole They dug a hole in the ground.whole I can’t believe I ate the whole thing!
1. Look out! There is a ________________________ in the road up ahead.
2. They painted that ________________________ room in just five hours.
3. The dentist filled up the ________________________ ________________________ with silver.
Name ________________________________________________ Date____________________________
Review Test
Circle the correct homonyms in the sentences below.
1 We had lunch over at (there / their / they’re) house.
2. Her little sister was just (to / two / too) slow on a bike.
3. The new jet streaked (threw / through) the clouds.
4. “You don’t have the (right / write) to say that!” shouted the man.
5. I (no / know) what you want, and the answer is (no / know).
Circle the correct homonyms in the following sentences.
1. (There / Their / They’re) grandmother lived over (there / their / they’re).
2. It is much (to / two / too) early to know whether she won (to / two / too) prizes.
3. (There / Their / They’re) not very interested in dating.
4. The (to / two / too) of them had (to / two / too) much to eat and went (to / two / too) bed.
5. It’s not sensible (to / two / too) drink (to / two / too) much.
6. (There / Their / They’re) not thinking about (there / their / they’re) future plans.
Name_________________________________________________ Date ___________________________
Name:___________________
Homophones / Homonyms and other commonly misused words
1. affect/effect
2. ate/eight
3. be/bee
4. blew/blue
5. brake/break
6. cent/scent/sent
7. dear/deer
8. flour/flower
9. grate/great
10. hear/here
11. hole/whole
12. hour/our
13. its/it’s
14. knew/new
15. threw/through
16. than/then
17. know/no/now
18. lay/lie
19. loose/lose
20. one/won
21. pail/pale
22. pair/pare
23. passed/past
24. plain/plane
25. read/red
26. right/write
27. road/rode
28. sail/sale
29. sea/see
30. sew/so/sow
31. some/sum
32. stair/stare
33. tail/tale
34. theirs/there’s
35. their/there/they’re
36. to/too/two
37. weak/week
38. which/witch
39. who’s/whose
40. your/you’re
Homophones “ate” and “eight”
1. I _________ too much at dinner.
2. The movie starts at _________ o’clock sharp!
3. An octopus has _____________ legs.
4. The monkey __________ four bananas!
Homophones “be” and “bee”
1. A ___________ stung me at recess today.
2. She is supposed to _______ at work today.
3. I laughed when Mom said I was “Busy as a _________.”
4. Hurry! I don’t want to ______ late.
Homophones “blew” and “blue”
1. My favorite color is ________.
2. The wind _________ the tree over.
3. He huffed and puffed and __________ the house made of hay.
4. The Pacific Ocean is a deep _________ color.
Homophones “brake” and “break”
1. We had a quick _____________ for lunch.
2. The ______________ on her back tire didn’t work.
3. Mom had to hit the _____________ so we wouldn’t run the red light.
4. The doctor said the fracture on my arm was a clean ___________.
Homophones “dear” and “deer”
1. Be a _________ and get me a drink please.
2. The _________ jumped right into the road in front of us.
3. My letter started, “___________ John.”
4. My Grandpa hunts ______________.
Homophones “flour” and “flower”
1. We needed to borrow a cup of ___________ to make our cookies.
2. My favorite _________ is the daisy.
3. My Grandma is always in her ___________- garden.
4. __________ is the main ingredient in bread.
Homophones “cent” and “scent” and “sent”
1. Tracy ___________ her mom flowers for her birthday.
2. Vanilla is my favorite _________________.
3. A penny is worth one __________.
4. The ____________ from her perfume was strong.
5. She was one ____________ short to pay for ice cream.
6. The scary movie ___________________ shivers down my spine!
Homophones “grate” and “great”
1. I had to __________ the cheese for the nachos.
2. My brother wants to be a __________ golfer.
3. My __________ grandma is 100 years old!
4. The truck is coming to ____________ our dirt road today.
Homophones “hear” and “here”
1. I can’t ____________ you!
2. Come over _________!
3. We could _________ the band leading the parade.
4. My Aunt Valerie is flying ________ today.
Homophones “hole” and “whole”
1. She ate the ________ pizza.
2. Every bagel has a __________ in the center.
3. I spent my __________ allowance on baseball cards.
4. My favorite shirt has a ____________ in the armpit!
Homophones “sew”, “so” and “sow”
1. My Grandma likes to _______ quilts.
2. Farmers ___________ seeds in the dirt.
3. She ran __________ fast, she set a new record.
4. “You reap what you ____________.”
5. That roller coaster was ________ fast, my hat blew off!
6. My mom is teaching me how to __________.
Homophones “knew” and “new”
1. She got mud on her __________ shoes.
2. She ____________ she was in trouble.
3. I _______ the answer to the question first.
4. My mom is making a ________ recipe for dinner.
Homophones “threw” and “through”
1. He ______________ a rock ____________ the window.
2. Stars shine ____________ the darkness.
3. They ____________ rice at the bride and groom.
4. She ____________ away his pictures because she was ____________ with him.
Misused Words “than” and “then
1. I rather ride in the car _________ ride my bike.
2. You can ride your bike to my office and _________ I will drive you the rest of the way. 3. Let’s go to a movie and _________ go get ice cream. 4. Snowboarding is more fun _________ skiing.
Homophones / Misused Words “know” and “no” and “now”
1. I _________ where you live.
2. He said “______ onions” on the pizza.
3. She did not __________ how to sing.
4. I want to go to the movie __________.
5. ________ is the time to act if we want to get anything done!
6. My mom said, “_________, you cannot go.”
Homophones “one” and “won”
1. My Uncle Tom ___________ the game.
2. I have ____________ pair of baseball cleats.
3. We never heard who __________ the game.
4. Our baseball team was ahead by __________ point.
Homophones “pail” and “pale”
1. The ___________ was full of water when it spilled.
2. She became ___________ when the doctor said she needed a shot.
3. She wore a _____________ blue dress for Easter.
4. My ___________ had the most berries in it.
Homophones “pair” and “pare”
1. The recipe said to _________ an apple.
2. A ________ of geese live in our pond.
3. My new ________ of shoes were dirty.
4. I didn’t know how to ____________ the potato.
Homophones “passed” and “past”
1. She ____________ the house twice before she found it.
2. Her grandmother liked to remember the ____________.
3. He ____________ the spelling test.
4. The bird flew right _____________ the nest.
Homophones “plain” and “plane”
1. Mitchell only eats __________ yogurt.
2. The ________ was two hours late.
3. A pilot flies a _____________ for a living.
4. I wanted my ice cream _________, with no extra toppings.
Homophones “read” and “red”
1. I wore a bright ________ dress to the party.
2. I ________ twenty pages in an hour.
3. Tomatoes are bright ___________ in color.
4. The teacher ____________ out loud to her class.
Homophones “right” and “write”
1. Her aunt forgot to turn __________ on Elm Street.
2. I have to ___________ a four-page paper.
3. I bat with my ______________ hand.
4. I love to ___________ stories!
Homophones “road” and “rode”
1. The _________ was bumpy and curvy.
2. Alex _________ his bike to Grandma’s house.
3. We didn’t know which ___________ to take.
4. I __________ a motorcycle last week.
Homophones “sail” and “sale”
1. Every video game was on ___________ today.
2. The ___________ on the boat was stuck.
3. We used a _________ to make our boat go faster.
4. My mom made cupcakes for the school bake _________ today.
Homophones “sea” and “see”
1. The fog was so thick we couldn’t ___________.
2. The Caribbean is a ________ in the tropics.
3. Some day I’m going to sail the seven __________!
4. I love to _____________ you smile.
Homophones “some” and “sum”
1. That was ___________ movie!
2. The ________ of two plus two is four.
3. We wanted ________ more pizza.
4. Our teacher had us figure the _______ of the equation.
Homophones “hour” and “our”
1. __________ school is the best!
2. Lunch will be ready in an ___________.
3. I have to wait an _________ before I can swim.
4. My dad thinks ________ basketball team is the best.
Homophones “stair” and “stare”
1. The basket was on the bottom _____________.
2. All he could do was _________ at the ugly dog.
3. My legs were so tired I couldn’t climb one more __________.
4. My friend and I liked to ______________ each other down.
Homophones “tail” and “tale”
1. The lemur has a long ___________.
2. The story of Paul Bunyan is a tall __________.
3. I didn’t believe my Grandpa’s fairy _______.
4. That cat has no __________!
Homophones “theirs” and “there’s”
1. ____________ ice cream in the freezer.
2. __________ popcorn on the floor.
3. I don’t know where ____________ went, but ours is here.
4. How did ______________ end up on the table
Homophones “weak” and “week”
1. There are seven days in every ___________.
2. I get to see my dad next ___________.
3. My muscles were ________ after I was sick.
4. Baby kittens are born very ____________.
Homophones “which” and “witch”
1. We didn’t know __________ road to choose.
2. The girl dressed up as a ___________ for Halloween.
3. My favorite character in The Wizard of Oz is Esmeralda,
the Good __________.
4. I knew ________________ pumpkin I was going to pick.
Homophones “who’s” and “whose”
1. I didn’t know __________ shoes they were.
2. ___________ book is missing?
3. _________ going to the park with us?
4. _______ our teacher talking about?
Focus Words
A homophone is a word that sounds like another word but has a different meaning and
spelling. They are also called homonyms.
A. Look up and write down the meaning of the following words.
1. its:
2. it’s:
3. they’re
4. their
5. there
6. to
7. two
8. too
9. effect
10. affect
11. your
12. you’re
13. lose
14. loose
15. farther
16. further
17. lie
18. lay
19. through
20. threw
B. On the back, write an ORIGINAL sentence using each of the words in exercise A.
You will have 20 sentences.
Make your own sentences using the given word.
1. its: ______________________________________________________________
2. it’s: _____________________________________________________________
3. they’re: __________________________________________________________
4. their: ____________________________________________________________
5. there: ___________________________________________________________
6. to: ______________________________________________________________
7. two: _____________________________________________________________
8. too: _____________________________________________________________
9. effect: ___________________________________________________________
10. affect: ___________________________________________________________
11. your: ____________________________________________________________
12. you’re: __________________________________________________________
13. lose: ____________________________________________________________
14. loose: ___________________________________________________________
15. farther: __________________________________________________________
16. further: __________________________________________________________
17. lie: _____________________________________________________________
18. lay: _____________________________________________________________
19. through: _________________________________________________________
20. threw: ___________________________________________________________
AFFECT / EFFECT
Two very confusing words often misused are affect and effect … a spelling nightmare. Let's look at basic definitions and parts of speech.
AFFECT – verb – to act upon, to change or to cause a change
AFFECTED – adjective – influenced by an outside force
EFFECT – noun – result; consequence
(Note: there is one exception to this rule. When effect is used to indicate a scientific "cause and effect" instance, then it may be used as a verb. An example is: Do you know the name of the doctor who effected a cure for rabies?)
EXERCISES:
1. The applause showed how deeply the presentation had _____________ the audience.
2. His attitude was _________________ by his upbringing.
3. What ____________ do you think the news will have on her?
4. No matter what he does, it will have no _____________ on me.
5. No matter what he does, it will not __________________ me.
6. What do you think the _______ of the decision will be?
7. How did her son's departure _________________ Mrs. Sanago?
8. How was the team _______________ by the loss of their coach?
9. I was impressed by the _______________ of Churchill's words on Britain during that time.
10. Do you know what ____________ that medicine will have on you?
FARTHER / FURTHER
Two words often confused are farther and further. Is it farther down the road or further? Do you have to read further in the book or farther? Do you further your education? Yes! Let's take a look at the meanings for these two words.
FARTHER denotes physical advancement in distance.
FURTHER denotes advancement to greater degree, as in time.
The correct answers to the above examples follow:
It is farther down the road. (For distance physically traveled.)
You read further in the book. (To a greater degree than where you are now.)
You further your education. (To a greater degree than what you have now.) Exercise: Fill in the correct form of farther or further for each blank.
1. How much __________ do you plan to drive tonight?
2. I've reached the end of my rope with this dog chewing up the carpet. I just can't go any _____________.
3. Do you have any _______________ plans for adding on to the building?
4. That's a lot _____________ than I want to carry this machine and tripod!
5. The _____________ that I travel down this road, the ____________ behind schedule I get.
6. How much ___________ do you intend to take this legal matter?
7. I want to ___________ my career by taking some management courses.
8. It's not that much ____________ to the gas station.
9. How much ____________ do I have to read in this text?
10. How much __________ do I have to run, Coach?
It's / Its It's This is short for 'it is' or 'it has'. It's going to be a nice day. or I don't know whether it's arrived yet. If you can replace the word by 'it is' or 'it has' and the sentence still makes sense, then use it's. Write a couple of sentences using it’s. 1. 2. Its This is used when something belongs to or is associated with something. The lorry spilled its load onto the road. or Life has its ups and downs. Write a couple of sentences using its. 1. 2. Exercise: Use the correct form of it’s or its.
1. ______ a pity you can't be there. 2. The car lost ______ front wheel. 3. ______ been a long time. 4. ______ too big to go through the door. 5. ______ too late to stop now. 6. ______ been a difficult week. 7. Do you know where ______ come from ? 8. My dog has injured ______ front leg. 9. I won't pretend that ______ easy. 10. This government doesn't know what ______ doing. 11. The government has lost ______ way. 12. The government must change ______ policy on taxation. 13. I don't think ______ a good idea. 14. I don't know what ______ effect will be. 15. ______ a revolutionary new product. 16. The company launched ______ revolutionary new product. 17. I'm not sure whether ______ been paid for. 18. We watched the bird building ______ nest. 19. The Titanic sank on ______ maiden voyage. 20. ______ a long way to Tipperary.
LIE / LAY
These are two of the hardest words to get straight! Or is it strait?
LIE -To lie down is an act that can be attributed to the subject. There is no object of this verb, as the subject is doing the action without a receiver.
Conjugation of LIE:
I lie down today. (present tense)
The money lay there yesterday. (past tense)
Sarah will lie down there tomorrow. (future tense)
The book has lain here many times before. (use perfect tense with have, had, has)
LAY - Lay must have a direct object. One lays something down. (Hint: substitute "put." If "put" works, then "lay" is also correct.)
Conjugation of LAY:
I lay the book down. (present tense)
I laid it down yesterday. (past tense)
I will lay it down again tomorrow. (future tense)
I have laid it here many times before. (use perfect tense with have, had, has)
Exercise A:
Choose the lie or lay for each of the blanks below. (Be sure to use the correct tense.)
1. He _____ on the hard pavement this morning, gasping for breath. 2. How long did he _____ there? 3. I don't know how long he had ______ there. 4. He picked up the wounded bird and _____ it gently on the table. 5. She _____ her sewing aside and went to the door. 6. Are you going to _____ there all day? 7. The three puppies ______ in the basket. 8. Linda _____ her coat on the couch.
9. Not feeling well, he _____ in his bed all day. 10 He decided to just _____ around the house all summer. 11 Someone _____ the dictionary on my glasses. 12 The money _____ there all day in plain sight. 13 She had _____ the book on the ground under the tree. 14 Ginny _____ down on a beach towel. 15 I saw the hat that you _____ on the hall table. 16 She had just _____ down for a nap when the phone rang. 17 The two teenagers _____ in the sun all day. 18 Have they _____ the cornerstone of the building yet? 19 She had _____ the coverlet over the child at midnight. 20 He should not ____ the blame for the accident on the other driver.
Exercise B:
Choose the lie or lay for each of the blanks below. (Be sure to use the correct tense.)
Ann _____ the baby on the bed and then ____ his stuffed bear beside him. I wondered how long the baby would _____ there without crying. Aunt Marge said that she remembered one day when he had _____ in the same position for an hour. She said another time when she was there, the puppy had _____ next to the baby on the bed. She remembered picking up the puppy while it was still asleep. Then she ____ the puppy on the rug. When Aunt Marge left, the puppy was still there. It had _____ there for nearly two hours sound asleep! Meanwhile, the baby woke up and _____ quietly for fully half an hour just watching the puppy snore. Finally, neither the puppy nor the baby could _____ there any longer, so the baby _____ on the old sympathy play and started whining pitifully until Ann was forced to _____ aside the sweater that she had hoped to finish knitting while the baby _____ down.
LOSE /LOOSE
Lose ten pounds or loose ten pounds? What is it that you really want to do? If you lose the ten pounds, then we won't be able to find them. That would be a good thing. But if you loose the ten pounds, you set them free to roll about like tumbleweed. Ten pounds on the loose would not be a good thing.
LOSE means to lack the possession of, to come to be without.
LOOSE means not tight.
LOOSEN means to unfasten something or make it less constraining.
Examples:
The hockey team doesn't want to lose the game.
The girl had such a bad sunburn that she could only wear loose clothes.
Set the dog loose. Don't tie him up again.
I am so frustrated! I always seem to lose my keys.
Loosen your hold on the bat. You are gripping it much too tightly!
Try writing your (or is it you’re?) own examples – one for each use.
LOSE
LOOSE
LOOSEN
Exercise:
Choose lose, loose, or lossen for each of the blanks below.
1. The shoes were so big that they were ___________ on the little boy's feet.
2. I turned a corner to __________ the guy who was tailing me.
3. Our football team hasn't done so well this year. We are sure to _______ every game.
4. After the bad weather, the penned up dogs were set ____________ to run outside again.
5. The pet store manager was told to __________ the dog's collar as it was much too tight around his neck.
6. Those rules are much too ______________! You need to tighten up security around here.
7. Her husband had to work on her necklace for over an hour before he could ________________ the hung clasp.
8. She wanted her hair fixed in soft ___________ curls.
9. It is a terrible thing to _________ one's self respect.
10. You will _______________ out if you don't get there before the sale ends.
THERE / THEIR / THEY’RE
There -this word talks about a place Ex. The sign says to go over there. Their -describes something belonging to more than one person Ex. The girls held their diplomas tightly. They’re -a contraction of the words “they” and “are” Ex. They are skating in a straight line. They’re skating in a straight line.
Exercises: Fill in the correct word for each blank. 1. Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal are best known for ___________ basketball careers. 2. Sharonda and Yasheeka always sit over ____________. 3. Reese and Monte wonder where they have left ___________ notebooks. 4. My students know _____________ very smart. 5. We will buy our tickets for the movie when we get _____________. 6. Ms. Bond and Ms. Smith really care about _____________ students. 7. My parents think _____________ lucky to have such a smart daughter. 8. The children shook the snow from ___________ boots before they came inside. 9. The keys are on that table right _______________. 10. The DJs on the radio say ___________ happy to work so early in the morning. 11. Carey and Quanta always do _____________ assignments on time. 12. Put your backpacks ___________ on the floor.
13. My mother told me to put the newspaper _______________. 14. My dogs always beg for _____________ food in the morning. 15. I don’t understand dogs. It seems like _______________ always happy.
TWO / TO / TOO
Two is a number. She counted, "One, two, three." Too is an adverb that can mean also. He wanted to go too. Too is an adverb that can mean more than enough. This is too much for me!
To plus a noun or noun phrase is a preposition. Take me to the ball game. I went to bed early that night. To plus a verb is an infinitive. She wanted to go. He decided to run away.
Exercise: Choose the correct two, too, or to for each of the blanks below.
1. Many students read _____ quickly and _____ carelessly. 2. I was _____ scared _____ say a word to her! 3. I am going _____ the store now. 4. They are building _____ new houses on our block. 5. May I go _____? 6. Do you think it is _____ late _____ do that now? 7. I have _____ new shirts that I can't wait _____ wear. 8. My dental appointment lasted _____ hours and that was _____ long! 9. This room is _____ cold _____ stay in very much longer. 10. After I played racquetball for _____ hours, I was _____ tired _____ walk home. 11. It is not good _____ put _____ much salt on your food.
12. My next dental appointment is for tomorrow at _____ o'clock. 13. I am not _____ excited about going _____ the dentist again. 14. My brother flew _____ Alabama earlier this week. 15. We have planted _____ rose bushes in pots on the patio. Two, to, and too As you know, the ____ little pigs, Curly and Wurly, pushed Flo out of the window and were sent ____ live with Uncle Oscar Meyer. If they had _____ do it again, these ____ little pigs might have made a different decision. You see, many rumors had circulated about him and the boys weren’t sure which ones were true. Whenever they had ____ clean the stable or feed the chickens, they were afraid that the ____of them would be put in a pen ____. One day, Mama and Flo came two visit them. Flo showed off her new bracelet. She had gotten it with the extra allowance money that was left after the ____ boys were sent away. "I bought ____ new earring ____!" said Flo. "So what? I don’t have ____earrings because I only have one hole in my left ear, "replied Curly. "Me -____," said Wurly. Before Mama and their sister left, the ____little pigs had something ____ show them. They had worked very hard ____impress Mama so that they could come back home and not live with Uncle Oscar Meyer. Wurly had made a dollhouse made out of sticks. He was very proud of his creation. Curly had made one ____. His was made of straw that he had found lying around the barn. Flo wasn’t impressed. "I have a doll house made out of brick already. It has windows and doors ____. It also has ____lamps inside so that you can see better. What would I do with ____more? What a dumb idea!" Mama said, "Flo, that’s not very nice. Just because they made ____more doesn’t mean that you can’t use them ____. What has happened ____your manners? I think maybe it is time ____let the ____boys come home. They have been punished enough. Boys, I’ll come back and pick you up next week." With that, Mama and Flo drove back ____the apartment. When they got home, Flo pleaded her case. "Mama, they were mean ____me. They tried ____throw me out the window so they could get my allowance. Besides, I like having the ____extra allowances. They shouldn’t get ____have another chance. I think that the ____of them will have ____learn how ____share before we can all get along." Mama replied, "Why Flo, I don’t think I have ever seen how selfish you can be. I love the ____boys ____. I don’t think I have ____wait; I’m going ____go back ____the farm and get those ____boys right now. You go ____your room and think about what I should do ____you ____." Mama rushed out the door ____get the boys from the farm. As she was driving back, Curly told Wurly, "Flo will convince Mama ____leave us here. We’d better think of a plan ____keep Flo from changing her mind." "I know, we can set up a trap ____catch Flo and make it look like an accident. Then we will have the apartment and her allowance ____." "I like your idea, Curly. Let’s do it!" The ____boys went off ____set up the trap. Mama arrived and asked where the boys were. "Oh, they’re over in the barn finishing their chores," replied Uncle Oscar Meyer. "I’ll go get them," stated Mama. The boys talked softly ____each other. "I heard the car, they’re coming. Quick, set up the trap."
As Mama walked in ____the dark barn Wurly yelled, "Now!" and Curly threw the lever. Unfortunately, his foot got caught up in the net and he was flung toward the sausage machine. "Oh no, I’m coming ____get you!" shrieked his brother. Mama couldn’t see anything, but she heard shouts and screams. "Where is that stupid light? I can’t believe that I have ____wander around in the dark out here ____". Just as Mama found the switch, the screams stopped. Mama looked all around the barn, but all she could find were ____big sausages next ____a machine that was turned on. "Oscar ought ____turn the machines off when he’s done with them," said Mama as she turned it off. "I wonder where those ____scamps have gone." No one was ever able ____find the ____boys. Oscar found that he had extra sausages that winter and had Mama and Flo over for Christmas dinner to share the feast with him. The dinner was so good, that Oscar decided ____go into business and he made ____billion dollars in only ____years.
You're / Your You're is short for you are. So if you can replace the word with 'you are', then you need to put you're. You're not coming, are you? or You're getting in the way Write your own sentences 1. 2. Your means belonging or associated with you. Is this your house? or You must be out of your mind. Write your own sentences 1. 2.
Exercise: Use the correct form of You’re / Your
1. _______ wife is on the phone.2. What's _______ name?3. Are these _______ books?4. _______ looking a lot better than you did.5. If _______ passing, call in and see us.6. Janet wants to know if _______ coming to see her.7. If you do it again _______ certain to get the sack.8. Was it _______ brother I saw last week?9. This is _______ last week before you move to head office.10. It's _______ turn to pay for the drinks.11. I hope that _______ happy in your new job.12. _______ not going out looking like that.13. I'm coming round to _______ office to sort this out.14. I hope you get lots of presents on _______ birthday.15. Do you know where _______ going?16. Do you know _______ way?17. _______ better off without it.18. _______ life will be better without it.19. Let me see _______ ticket, please.20. This is _______ home from now on.
Homophones
Often the terms homonym, homophone and homograph are used interchangeably. The following definitions should help clarify the differences between the three.
Definitions Homophone: One of two or more words pronounced alike, but different in
spelling or meaning (e.g. to, too, two). Homonyms and homographs are both types of homophones.
Homonym: One of two or more words spelled and pronounced alike, but different in meaning (e.g. cleave, which can mean to cut and to adhere).
Homograph: One of two or more words spelled alike but different in meaning or pronunciation (e.g. the bow of a ship, a bow and arrow).
Here is a list of common homophones.
already, all ready Already is an adverb that tells when. All ready is a phrase meaning “completely ready.”
ant, aunt An ant is an insect. An aunt is a female relative, the sister of a mother or father. Regional dialect can change the pronunciation of aunt.
bare, bear The adjective bare means “naked.” A bear is a large animal with shaggy hair.
base, bass Base is a foundation or the lower part of something. Bass (pronounced “base”) is a deep sound or tone or an instrument having a deep sound or tone. Bass (rhymes with “mass”) is a fish.
board, bored A board is a piece of wood. Board also refers to a group or council that helps run an organization. Bored means “to become weary or tired of something.” It can also mean “a hole made by drilling.”
brake, break A brake is a device used to stop a vehicle. The verb break means “to crack, split or destroy”. The noun break refers to a gap or interruption.
by, buy, bye By is a preposition meaning near or not later than. Buy is a verb meaning to purchase. Bye is the position of being automatically advanced to the next round of a competition without playing. Bye is also a clipped version of “good-bye.”
capital, capitol Capital can be either a noun, referring to a city or money, or an adjective, meaning “important” or “major.” Capitol is used when talking about a building.
cent, sent, scent Cent refers to money (1/100th 0f a dollar), sent is past tense of the verb “send”, and scent is a smell.
complement, Complement means “to complete or go with.” compliment Compliment is an expression of admiration or praise.
counsel, council Counsel as a noun means “advice” and as a verb, means “to advise.” A council is a group that advises.
die, dye Die is a verb meaning “to stop living”, while dye is used to change the color of something.
for, four For is a preposition meaning “because of” or “directed to.” Four is the number 4.
hear, here Hear is a verb meaning to recognize sound. Here is the opposite of there and means “nearby.”
heard, herd Heard is the past tense of the verb “to hear.” Herd is a group of animals.
hole, whole Hole is a hollow place. Whole means “entire or complete.”
it’s, its It’s is the contraction of “it is.” Its is the possessive form of “it.”
knew, new Knew is past tense of the verb know. New means “recent” or “modern.”
know, no Know means “to recognize and understand” while no means “the opposite of yes.”
lead, led Lead /lēd/ is a present tense verb meaning “to guide.” Led /lĕd/ is past tense of the verb lead. The noun lead /lĕd/ is the metal.
loose, lose Loose /lüs/ means “free or untied”. Lose /lōōs/ means to “misplace” or “fail to win.”
morning, mourning Morning refers to the first part of the day. Mourning means “showing sorrow.”
pair, pare, pear A pair is a couple, pare is a verb meaning “to peel”, and pear is the fruit.
past, passed Passed is always a verb, the past tense of pass. Past can be used as a noun, an adjective, or as a preposition.
A motorcycle passed our car. (verb) I cannot forget the past. (noun) In my past life I was a dog. (adjective) He drove right past the house. (preposition)
peace, piece Peace means “harmony” or “free from war.” Piece is a section or part of something.
peak, peek, pique Peak is the highpoint of a mountain. Peek means “a quick look.” The verb pique means to “create interest” as in “The movie poster piqued my curiosity.” The noun pique means “a feeling of resentment” as in “In a pique, she marched away from her teasing sisters.”
principal, principle Principal is an adjective meaning “primary” or a noun referring to a school administrator or sum of money. Principle is an idea or doctrine.
red, read Red is a color; read pronounced the same way, is the past tense of the verb meaning ”to understand the meaning of written words and symbols.
right, rite, write Right is the direction opposite of left, and is used to refer to a legal claim. Right also means “correct or proper.” It is
Homophones-May 2007 4
also the opposite of wrong. Write is a verb meaning “to record in print.” Rite is a ritual or ceremonial act.
sew, so, sow Sew is the verb meaning “to stitch.” So is a conjunction
meaning “in order that.” Sow is the verb meaning “to plant. sight, cite, site Sight means “the act of seeing.” Cite means “to quote or
refer to.” A site is a location or position. stationary, stationery Stationary means “not moveable.” Stationery refers to
paper and envelopes use to write letters. than, then Than is used to make a comparison. Then tells when. their, there, they’re Their is a possessive pronoun indicating ownership.
There is an adverb that tells where. They’re is the contraction for they are.
to, too, two To is the preposition that can mean “in the direction of.”
Too means also or is an adverb meaning “very or excessive.” Two is the number 2.
vary, very Vary means “to change.” Very can be used as an adjective
meaning “in the fullest sense” or “complete.” Very can also be used as an adverb meaning “extremely.”
waist, waste Waist is the part of the body just above the hips. Waste is
the verb meaning “to wear away” or “use carelessly.” Waste is also a noun referring to unusable or left over material.
ware, wear, where Ware means “a product to be sold. Wear means “to have on
or carry on one’s body.” Where asks the question “in what place or in what situation?”