Author name: Umar

Correct answer: Are used to. “Be used to + -ing” means to be accustomed to something, so “are used to living” is correct.

Background: Compare “I used to live here” (past habit).

• Used to: “Used to” (without be) shows a past habit.
• Were used to: “Were used to” refers to the past, but “now” needs the present.
• use to: “Use to” is incorrect.

Did you know? “Used to” + base verb = past habit; “be used to” + -ing = accustomed.

Memory trick: Now accustomed → are used to.

Correct answer: Noun. “Honesty” names a quality, so it is a noun (and it is also the subject of the sentence).

Background: Abstract nouns name qualities or ideas, such as honesty or courage.

• Verb: “Honesty” is not a verb.
• Subject: “Subject” is a role in the sentence, not a part of speech.
• Object: “Object” is a role in the sentence, not a part of speech.

Did you know? A noun can be the subject or object depending on its position.

Memory trick: Honesty = abstract noun.

Correct answer: Gentle. Truculent means aggressive and ready to fight, so “gentle” is the opposite.

Background: The word comes from the Latin truculentus, “fierce”.

• Flattering: “Flattering” means praising too much.
• Facile: “Facile” means easy or superficial.
• Submissive: “Submissive” is a weaker choice than “gentle” for the opposite of truculent.

Did you know? A truculent person is quarrelsome.

Memory trick: Truculent ↔ gentle.

Correct answer: Woods. A glade is an open space in woods, just as a moat surrounds a castle. Each pair shows a feature and its surroundings.

Background: A glade is a clear, open space in a forest.

• Royalty: “Royalty” does not complete the relationship.
• Water: “Water” does not complete the relationship.
• Greenish: “Greenish” does not complete the relationship.

Did you know? A moat is a deep ditch filled with water around a castle.

Memory trick: Glade in the woods.

Correct answer: Nonsense. Folderol means nonsense, just as benevolence means charity. Both pairs are synonyms.

Background: Folderol can also be spelled “falderal”.

• Cash: “Cash” is not a synonym of folderol.
• Greed: “Greed” is not a synonym of folderol.
• Event: “Event” is not a synonym of folderol.

Did you know? It is used for silly or worthless talk.

Memory trick: Folderol = nonsense.

Correct answer: To. “A party to a crime” means a person who is involved in it.

Background: “Party to” is a legal expression.

• through: “Party through” is not a correct phrase.
• Like: “Party like” is not a correct phrase.
• For: “Party for” does not mean involved in a crime.

Did you know? A “third party” is someone not directly involved.

Memory trick: Party TO a crime.

Correct answer: Adjective. “Heavy” describes the noun “table”, so it is an adjective.

Background: Adjectives describe nouns.

• Verb: A verb shows action or state, but “heavy” does not.
• Adverb: An adverb describes a verb, an adjective, or another adverb.
• Noun: A noun names a person, place, or thing.

Did you know? “Is” is the verb in this sentence.

Memory trick: Describes a noun → adjective.

Correct answer: Home. The proverb is “Charity begins at home”, meaning we should first look after our own family.

Background: It suggests that kindness should start with those closest to us.

• School: “School” does not complete the proverb.
• Work: “Work” does not complete the proverb.
• Church: “Church” does not complete the proverb.

Did you know? People sometimes use it to say that family comes first.

Memory trick: Charity → home.

Correct answer: Could. In indirect speech with a past reporting verb, “can” changes to “could”.

Background: This tense change is called backshift.

• Will: “Will” changes to “would”.
• Shall: “Shall” changes to “should”.
• May: “May” changes to “might”.

Did you know? “Will” → “would”, “can” → “could”, “may” → “might”.

Memory trick: Can → could.

Correct answer: When did your friends come?. In a past-tense question with “did”, the main verb stays in its base form: “When did your friends come?”

Background: The helping verb “did” already carries the past tense.

• When have your friends come?: “Have … come” does not fit a question about a specific past time.
• When did your friends came?: “Did … came” wrongly puts the verb in the past tense after “did”.
• When your friends have come?: This is not in correct question form.

Did you know? The same rule applies to “Did he go?” (not “Did he went?”).

Memory trick: Did + base verb.

Correct answer: Fragrant. Malodorous means foul-smelling, so “fragrant” (sweet-smelling) is its opposite.

Background: “Mal-” means bad, and “odorous” means smelling.

• Rotten: “Rotten” describes decay and often a bad smell.
• Stinking: “Stinking” means having a bad smell.
• Smelly: “Smelly” means having a bad smell.

Did you know? The opposite can also be “aromatic”.

Memory trick: Mal = bad; opposite = fragrant.

Correct answer: Consider. To smear is similar to libel (to defame), and to heed is similar to consider (to pay attention to). Both pairs are synonyms.

Background: In synonym analogies, both pairs of words have similar meanings.

• Ignore: “Ignore” is the opposite of heed.
• Forget: “Forget” is not a synonym of heed.
• Avoid: “Avoid” is not a synonym of heed.

Did you know? To heed advice means to pay attention to it.

Memory trick: Heed = pay attention = consider.

Correct answer: Dreads. The proverb is “A burnt child dreads the fire”, meaning a person who has suffered avoids the cause.

Background: It teaches that bad experiences make us careful.

• Loves: “Loves” does not fit the meaning.
• Touches: “Touches” does not fit the meaning.
• Ignores: “Ignores” does not fit the meaning.

Did you know? A similar saying is “Once bitten, twice shy”.

Memory trick: Burnt child → fears fire.

Correct answer: Solemn. Droll means amusing in an odd way, and “solemn” (serious) is its opposite.

Background: The word comes from the French drôle.

• Funny: “Funny” is a synonym of droll.
• Witty: “Witty” is similar in meaning to droll.
• Humorous: “Humorous” is a synonym of droll.

Did you know? A droll remark is a quietly funny one.

Memory trick: Droll ↔ solemn.