Part of Speech Questions V.S. Vocabulary Questions
Let's clarify the difference between Part of speech and Vocabulary questions using two examples:
Example 1: Banks _____ require small businesses to submit their financial statements before lending money.
(A) typical
(B) typically
(C) typed
(D) type
In the first example, each option represents a different part of speech, which makes it a Part of speech question. Your job is to find the word that fits the sentence grammatically. Here, the word "require" following the blank is a verb, so we need an adverb in the blank. The only adverb is “typically”. Hence, (B) typically is the correct answer.
Example 2: The project manager needs to understand the scope of the project ahead of time and _____ tasks accordingly based on each team member's strengths and weaknesses.
(A) resign
(B) assign
(C) sign
(D) signify
The second example, however, is a 'Vocabulary' question. All options are verbs, so you need to select the one that makes sense in the context of the sentence. In this case, the project manager needs to "assign" tasks based on each team member's abilities, making (B) assign the correct answer.
To efficiently answer test questions, it's important to distinguish between Part of speech questions and Vocabulary questions. This will allow for a strategic approach in answering, subsequently reducing the time taken.
For Part of speech questions, the focus is on understanding different components of grammar, including nouns, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, and conjunctions. Being able to quickly and accurately answer these questions can save time for other types of questions.
Vocabulary questions are pretty straightforward. They test your vocabulary. Generally, you'll receive four options, all being the same part of speech but differing in words, to choose from. Your task is to select the most appropriate word.
(1) Choose nouns that are semantically correct (2) Choose verbs with correct semantics (3) Choose adjectives with correct semantics (4) Choose adverbs with correct semantics |
Example: Winter appliances such as heaters should undergo regular testing to ______ the life of the equipment.
(A) prolong
(B) enlarge
(C) endure
(D) persist
The correct answer is (A) prolong.
In the context of the sentence, the word "prolong" makes sense as it means to extend the duration of something. Therefore, regular testing would indeed help to "prolong" or extend the life of the heaters.
(B) 'Enlarge" is incorrect because it implies increasing the physical size of something, which is not applicable in this context.
(C) "Endure" means to suffer patiently or to remain in existence, which doesn't make sense in the context as equipment can't endure or suffer.
(D) "Persist" means to continue firmly or obstinately in an opinion or a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition. This does not fit in the context of the sentence, where the aim is to increase the lifespan of the equipment, not for it to stubbornly continue without change. |