Civil Service Test

'To accept' most commonly means 'to receive willingly'. Except usually means 'apart from' or 'excluding'. -----------------------------------------------------------The difference between adopted and adoptive is best explained with a simple example: Mr Smith says, "Sarah is my adopted daughter." Sarah says, "He is my adoptive father." -----------------------------------------------------------Advice is a noun. It means 'a suggestion for a beneficial course of action'. Advise is a verb. It means 'to give advice'. ----------------------------------------------------------Adverse means hostile. Averse means unwilling Effect is a noun meaning outcome, consequence or appearance. To affect is a verb meaning 'to transform' or 'to change'. ------------------------------------------------------------

Effect is a noun meaning outcome, consequence or appearance. To affect is a verb meaning 'to transform' or 'to change' --------------------------------------------------------Aid means help or assistance. (To aid means to help or to assist.) Aide means helper or assistant. ----------------------------------------------------------The word alot does not exist. 'A lot' means a large extent or to a large extent (more below). 'To allot' means to apportion something (more below). ---------------------------------------------------------Aloud means 'out loud'. Allowed means 'permitted'. --------------------------------------------------------Allude means 'to refer to indirectly'. Elude means 'to avoid' or 'to evade'. ----------------------------------------------------------

Altar - area of religious worship Alter - to change something ----------------------------------------------------------Immoral means morally wrong. Amoral means not related to morality. -----------------------------------------------------------Appraise means 'to assess'. Apprise means 'to inform'. ----------------------------------------------------------Bare means exposed (e.g., without clothes). For everything else, use bear.
Bear
The word bear has many meanings: To carry (in many senses of the word). We come bearing gifts for your chief. Our camels do not mate regularly, but we are expecting Tsu Tsu to bear her first baby next season. This small tree bears hundreds of apples every year. Who will bear the responsibility for this vandalism? My auntie is the tall lady bearing the green hat. (Bear means 'to wear' as opposed 'to carry' in this example.) He bears himself with utmost dignity. Bear also mean 'to carry' in an even looser sense (i.e., to have) You bear a resemblance to your mother. Does this document bear your signature? I bear bad news, I'm afraid.

To endure or to tolerate. Mrs Taylor cannot bear the constant drone of the generator. I have learnt to bear the cold. It is very easy to endure the difficulties of one's enemies. It is the successes of one's friends that are hard to bear. (Oscar Wilde) To maintain a direction. Bear left at the next two Y junctions. This track bears north for the next 10 miles and then bears east as far as the lake.

Use 'been' after the verb 'to have'. Use 'being' after the verb 'to be'. -----------------------------------------------------------Beside means 'next to'. Besides means 'apart from' or 'and another thing'. ----------------------------------------------------------Breath (rhymes with death) denotes the air inhaled or exhaled during breathing. To breathe (rhymes with seethe) means to inhale and expel air from the lungs. ----------------------------------------------------------Capitol is the building where the US Congress meets.
Capital
The word 'capital' has numerous meanings. As a noun, it denotes: (1) a city that is the seat of the government for a country or state (2) an amount of money or property. As an adjective it denotes (1) an

uppercase letter (3) first rate, excellent (3) main, principal. Examples: The Capitol is the main building of the US Congress. (Capitol is also known as the Statehouse.) The capital of England is London. That was a capital speech you made from the Capitol. (capital = first rate, excellent) Do you have any capital invested in her business? (...any money or property invested) Our capital concern is that everyone gets fed during the electricity failure. (...main or principal concern) In German, all nouns start with a capital letter. (Ich habe eine Katze = I have a cat.)

Use 'may' for permission. Use 'can' for ability. ---------------------------------------------------------'Canvas' is heavy cloth. (The noun 'canvas' (with one 's') 'To canvass' means 'to survey opinion' or 'to solicit votes'.
Canvass
The verb 'canvass' has several closely related meanings. It can mean: To collect opinions. Can you canvass the local area to determine the support for the bypass? To electioneer (i.e., to collect votes through persuasion of voters in a political campaign). Mr Millar will arrange for Joan's team to canvass High Street and Bond Street on Saturday. We need as

much support from the west side of town as possible. To examine closely. Penny canvassed every shop in Wigan before she found the right shoes. To ask around. The investigation team will canvass the neighborhood to see whether there were any witnesses to the crash.

----------------------------------------------------------To censor means to forbid. A sensor is a detector. Censure is displeasure.

Censor
The verb 'to censor' means 'to forbid public distribution of something' (usually a film or a newspaper). Example: How did that statement end up on the streets? I censored the article myself.

Sensor
The noun sensor denotes a detector of a stimulus (such as heat, light, motion, pressure). Example: An infrared sensor designed to detect movement triggered the roadside bomb.

Censure
The noun censure denotes a formal rebuke or official displeasure. Example: He has received two letters of censure from the commandant.

Cite means 'to mention' or 'to quote'. Sight relates to vision. Site means a piece of land or 'to assign a position to'.
The words 'cite', 'sight' and 'site' have different meanings, but they sound identical. As a consequence, some writers fail to differentiate between them.

Sight
'Sight' relates to vision. It is the power of seeing (i.e., perception by the eyes). It can also be something that is seen (e.g., What a beautiful sight.) Examples: The newborn foal was an emotional sight for all of us. After the laser treatment, her sight was perfect.

Site
The noun 'site' refers to a piece of land (e.g., building site). As a verb ('to site'), it means 'to position in a place' (e.g., I will site the slide near the swings.) Examples: There are three landfill sites in the local vicinity. Mr Dodds claimed his tools had been stolen from the archaeological site.

Cite
The verb 'cite' means 'to quote', 'to refer to', 'to summon to appear before a court of law' or simply 'to mention'. Examples: The lecturer cited several instances of illegal behaviour. The young inspector was cited for his outstanding achievements. Remember to cite expert opinion to support your points.

Climactic pertains to the highest point.

Climatic pertains to the weather.

Climactic
The adjective climactic derives from the noun climax. It pertains to a peak, a decisive moment or the point of greatest tension. Examples: In the climactic scene of the movie, the aliens emerge from the capsule and start zapping the onlookers. Who would have thought that the season would have ended in such a climactic way?

Climatic
The adjective climatic derives from the noun climate. It pertains to the weather. Examples: Climate change is defined as the long-term significant change in the expected patterns of weather. His assessment on the eco-climatic system over Africa is based solely on satellite data.

'Coarse' means rough or crude. Most commonly, 'course' means: (1) a series of educational lessons (e.g., a French course). (2) A direction (e.g., That's an odd course to take.)
Course
The word course has many meanings. It can be an adjective, noun or verb. Education delivered in a series of lessons English course. Also, the students who attend

You have been an excellent course. A direction. A southerly course. The river changed course. A series of events. The government took an unexpected course. A course of action. To move (of liquids and ships). The German ships coursed the Baltic. The stream coursed through the peat bog. Part of a meal. We're having a three-course meal. The first course is white bait or mussels. To hunt with dogs. Hare coursing. To course after hares. Naturally. of course Area of land (or water) for sport. Golf course. Skiing course.