1
The new policy will _____ thousands of students.
Correct answer: B. affect
"Affect" is usually a verb meaning to influence. "Effect" is usually a noun meaning a result, as in "the effect of the policy".
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Commonly Confused Words MCQs
Solved English MCQs on commonly confused words: affect/effect, principal/principle, stationary/stationery, advice/advise, fewer/less and more, with examples.
25 MCQsUpdated 27 October 2026
Words such as affect and effect, principle and principal, stationary and stationery, and lose and loose sound alike but mean different things. These fill-in-the-blank MCQs show how to choose correctly from context.
Each explanation gives the meaning and part of speech of both words in the pair. Learning them as pairs, with one example sentence each, is the most reliable way to avoid these errors in exams and in your own writing.
- 2
The rain had no _____ on the match.
Correct answer: B. effect
Here a noun meaning "result" or "influence" is needed, so "effect" is correct.
medium - 3
The _____ of the college addressed the students.
Correct answer: C. principal
A "principal" is the head of a school or college. A "principle" is a rule or belief.
easy - 4
Honesty is an important _____ in life.
Correct answer: A. principle
A "principle" is a basic rule or value, such as honesty.
easy - 5
Please buy some _____ (pens, paper and envelopes) for the office.
Correct answer: D. stationery
"Stationery" means writing materials. "Stationary" means not moving. Tip: stationEry has E for Envelopes.
medium - 6
The bus remained _____ at the signal.
Correct answer: D. stationary
"Stationary" means not moving.
medium - 7
My teacher gave me some useful _____.
Correct answer: C. advice
"Advice" (with c) is a noun. "Advise" (with s) is the verb: "I advise you to revise daily."
easy - 8
I _____ you to start revising early.
Correct answer: C. advise
A verb is needed here, so "advise" is correct.
easy - 9
Be careful not to _____ your admit card.
Correct answer: B. lose
"Lose" means to misplace or fail to keep. "Loose" means not tight.
easy - 10
The company announced _____ results yesterday.
Correct answer: B. its
"Its" is possessive (belonging to it). "It's" is short for "it is" or "it has".
medium - 11
The students left _____ bags in the classroom.
Correct answer: B. their
"Their" shows possession. "There" refers to a place, and "they're" means "they are".
easy - 12
We had ice cream for _____ after dinner.
Correct answer: B. dessert
"Dessert" is a sweet dish. A "desert" is a dry, sandy region. Tip: dessert has two s's, like "sweet stuff".
easy - 13
There were _____ candidates this year than last year.
Correct answer: D. fewer
Use "fewer" with things you can count (candidates) and "less" with things you cannot count (time, water).
medium - 14
Can you _____ me your notes for the weekend?
Correct answer: A. lend
You "lend" something to someone. You "borrow" something from someone.
easy - 15
Please tell me _____ you will attend the meeting.
Correct answer: A. whether
"Whether" introduces alternatives. "Weather" refers to conditions like rain or sunshine.
easy - 16
She thanked him for the kind _____.
Correct answer: D. compliment
A "compliment" is praise. A "complement" is something that completes or goes well with something else.
medium - 17
The construction _____ was surrounded by a fence.
Correct answer: A. site
A "site" is a location. "Sight" is the ability to see, and "cite" means to quote a source.
medium - 18
The department's _____ were asked to submit their records.
Correct answer: A. personnel
"Personnel" means the staff of an organization. "Personal" means private or relating to a person.
medium - 19
Allama Iqbal was an _____ poet and philosopher.
Correct answer: D. eminent
"Eminent" means famous and respected. "Imminent" means about to happen, as in "an imminent storm".
hard - 20
Please _____ that all doors are locked before leaving.
Correct answer: D. ensure
"Ensure" means to make certain. "Insure" means to protect financially with insurance.
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