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Twenty More CSS-Favourite Word Pairs

7 min read

This lesson supplements the first with twenty more pairs that show up regularly in CSS papers. Read them in order, write your own example sentences for each, and you'll cover almost every pair the examiner can reasonably set.

The expanded table

1. averse / adverse

  • averse (adj) = opposed to, reluctant. He was averse to taking risks.
  • adverse (adj) = unfavourable, harmful. The drug had adverse side effects.

2. council / counsel

  • council (n) = an assembly that meets. The town council voted.
  • counsel (n/v) = advice, or to advise (also: a lawyer). She sought counsel from a senior.

3. dual / duel

  • dual (adj) = consisting of two. She holds dual nationality.
  • duel (n) = a fight between two persons. A famous duel was fought there.

4. desert / dessert

  • desert (n) = arid land; (v) = to abandon. He crossed the desert. / Don't desert your post.
  • dessert (n) = a sweet course after a meal. The dessert was excellent.

5. envelop / envelope

  • envelop (v) = to surround. Fog began to envelop the city.
  • envelope (n) = a paper sleeve for a letter. She sealed the envelope.

6. ingenious / ingenuous

  • ingenious (adj) = clever, inventive. An ingenious solution.
  • ingenuous (adj) = innocent, naive, frank. Her ingenuous reply charmed everyone.

7. lose / loose

  • lose (v) = to fail to keep. Don't lose the keys.
  • loose (adj) = not tight, not fixed. The screw is loose.

8. precede / proceed

  • precede (v) = to go before. A short prayer preceded the meal.
  • proceed (v) = to continue, to go forward. The meeting will proceed at noon.

9. respectable / respectful / respective

  • respectable = worthy of respect. A respectable family.
  • respectful = showing respect. A respectful tone.
  • respective = relating to each separately. They returned to their respective homes.

10. sensual / sensuous

  • sensual (adj) = relating to bodily pleasures, often with romantic or carnal overtones. A sensual poem.
  • sensuous (adj) = pleasing to the aesthetic senses. The sensuous music of the orchestra.

11. sometime / some time / sometimes

  • sometime (adv) = at an unspecified time. I will visit sometime next year.
  • some time (n phrase) = a duration. It took some time to finish.
  • sometimes (adv) = occasionally. He sometimes forgets.

12. ardour / arduous

  • ardour (n) = passion, enthusiasm. He spoke with great ardour.
  • arduous (adj) = difficult, demanding. An arduous journey.

13. bare / bear

  • bare (adj) = uncovered. Bare feet on the marble.
  • bear (v) = to endure / to carry; (n) = the animal. I cannot bear the noise. / A brown bear.

14. childish / childlike

  • childish = immaturely silly (negative). His childish tantrum was embarrassing.
  • childlike = innocent, charming (positive). Her childlike wonder at the snow.

15. credible / credulous

  • credible (adj) = believable. A credible witness.
  • credulous (adj) = easily deceived. Credulous viewers fell for the scam.

16. deference / difference

  • deference (n) = polite submission. He showed deference to his elders.
  • difference (n) = a distinction. The difference is small.

17. industrious / industrial

  • industrious (adj) = hard-working. An industrious student.
  • industrial (adj) = relating to industry. An industrial area.

18. peace / piece

  • peace (n) = absence of conflict. They signed a peace treaty.
  • piece (n) = a part of a whole. A piece of cake.

19. prosecute / persecute

  • prosecute (v) = to bring legal action. He was prosecuted for theft.
  • persecute (v) = to harass or oppress (often for beliefs). Religious minorities were persecuted.

20. quiet / quite

  • quiet (adj) = silent, calm. A quiet evening.
  • quite (adv) = completely, very. Quite a remarkable performance.

How to study these pairs

Key Points
  • Don't memorise definitions in isolation. Memorise the example sentence — the meaning will follow.
  • For each pair, write two of your own sentences in a notebook. The act of creation cements the distinction.
  • Review weekly. After three reviews, the pair becomes automatic.
  • Pay special attention to three-word groups (respectable/respectful/respective; assure/ensure/insure; cite/site/sight) — these are the highest-difficulty traps.

Quick self-test

Cover the right-hand column and supply the right word.

SentenceRight word
The decision will _______ the village permanently. (affect / effect)affect
Each scientist worked in their own _______ laboratory. (respectable / respectful / respective)respective
She raised her _______ in protest. (voice / vice)voice
The minister was widely _______ for his honesty. (cited / sighted / sited)cited
He gave the speech with great _______. (ardour / arduous)ardour
The witness's account was entirely _______. (credible / credulous)credible
Refugees often _______ to safer countries. (emigrate / immigrate)immigrate
The two roads diverged at the _______ entrance. (principal / principle)principal

Score yourself, mark the pairs you missed, and put them on top of your daily revision list.

A practical exam tip: when you encounter a pair you've never seen, write two short sentences anyway. Examiners give partial credit for a clear attempt that's almost right — much more than for a blank space. Confidence on paper matters.

Twenty More CSS-Favourite Word Pairs — English (Precis & Composition) CSS Notes · CSS Prepare