Commonly Confused English Words Simplified for Banking Exams Appearing for a banking exam or any other competitive exam is pressurizing and stressful. With the various confusions caused by the grammar of English as a language, no doubt it is a tough section to comprehend. Bank coaching classes cannot stress upon the importance of having mastered this section as well. Here is a list of some words that are commonly mistaken for another term-
A Lot and Allot The term ‘a lot’ signifies the abundance of something where as the term ‘allot’ means to assign something to a particular category or allocate tasks as well. Example I have a lot of work. I have allotted the homework to be completed by them. Biannual and Biennial The term ‘Biannual’ stands for twice in a single year where as the latter term conversely means once in every two years.
Example While I visit my grandmother biennially, she visits us biannually. Canvas and Canvass A cloth or a piece of fabric, made from strong yarns such as hemp, is referred to as canvas. They make for a sturdy and durable material and can often be found used in shoes, bags and to paint on. The term Canvass means to thoroughly examine, hold surveys as well as to seek out votes. Example The Canvas I painted on was destroyed. I had to canvass the entire store to find the same tee shirt. Connote and Denote The first word, Connote simply means to imply or suggest something such as associating words with memories or feelings. Denote is a lot more firm as it means to specifically indicate. The British connote display of emotions with weakness. X denotes the spot where the treasure was buried. Illicit and Elicit These close sounding words can confuse the best of is. While the first one stands for any object or activity that may unlawful or illegal by nature, the first one means to draw out or evoke a reaction or response from someone. He was caught with illicit drugs on him. The cops had a tough time eliciting any answers from him. Overdue and Overdo
When a particular event should have taken place a long time ago, one may use the term overdue to describe the situation. Overdo on the other hand means to go over the board with something. A trip to the hills is a long overdue vacation. You must not overdo it at the gym. Raise and Raze Since both these words are pronounced in the exact same manner, it can be confusing to understand. The term raise means to build or grow things. Ironically enough raze means to destroy. Example She was raised by them as their own child. They razed the shops in order to build another mall. Cognates or words that may sound similar but have different meanings can be confusing to decipher. With the expertise of bank exam coaching centers you can ace your competitive exam with ease. Source: http://www.vidyaguru.in/