The English language is just full of tricky challenges. What are homophones? These are words that sound the same but are spelled differently and have completely different meanings. Which is why it’s important to know your homophones for the ACT or SAT.
Yes, homophones are the bane of most students at any time of the year. Do you have to meet the principle or principal? Are the teacher’s efforts in vein or in vain? Should you pore over or pour over your English textbook?
Know Your Homophones on the ACT or SAT
If homophones make you bawl (or is it ball?), you will find that they can be particularly frustrating when answering the ACT or SAT. This is because, unlike other questions, there is no trick to answering questions that involve homophones. The only way to get it right is by memorizing the spellings of homophones in the English language, knowing what each of them means, and understanding the difference between the pairs of homophonic words. Isn’t grammar fun? Even English whiz-kids need a refresher before the ACT or SAT.
Study, Study, Study
With over 100 homophones in the English language, it may seem like a tall order, but it’s not impossible. The best way to master them is by taking the time to understand the difference between some of the more commonly used homophones and doing regular practice lessons that you can find online.
Here are some of the most notorious ones:
- To, two, too
- You’re, your, (and yore if you want to get fancy)
- There, they’re, their
- Weather, whether
- Ad, add
- Passed, past
- Waist, waste
- Affect, effect
- Whose, who’s
Sometimes homophones are easy to spot, and other times they can be tricky.
- It’s good two no basic grammar four the ACT and SAT.
- If you study hard, you’ll do better on you’re exam.
This is not something that you can do last minute so start early and spend at least a few minutes every day studying and answering online quizzes so you can get a better handle on them. When every mark counts, it is worth it.
Check out how your ACT or SAT score affects your acceptance odds with College Raptor!