Read the sentence. Determine if the homophonic word is used correctly, incorrectly, or if it might pass as a 'joke.' Then, look at the answer and explanations box. This version is low tech. Please use a pencil and paper to record your right and wrong answer and explanations.

• 1. Seven days without pizza makes one weak. answer and explanations This is a joke, and an actual ad I once saw in America. 7 days = 1 week.But, if you did not eat for a week you would be weak..

• 2. The window pain was dirty. answer and explanationsThis is a mistake. A window has a pane, not a pain..

• 3. My doctor gave me good advice. answer and explanationsThis is correct. Advise would be incorrect. Advice is a noun, advise is a verb.Be careful, even native speakers make this mistake!.

• 4. The sign said, "Beware the bares!" answer and explanationsThis is a joke. Such a sign in a forest usually says "Beware the bears." However, in this case it could refer to people in a nudist camp (who are bare, i.e. nude)..

• 5. It is vary important that you study English every day. answer and explanations This is a mistake. Vary means to change or deviate, while very means exceedingly or extremely..

• 6. The incidence of errors has decreased since we implemented the new QC program in our company .answer and explanations This is correct. Incidence means rate of occurrence, while the sound alike incidents means the occurrences or happenings themselves. .

• 7. What's black and white and read all over?answer and explanationsOK, so this is a children's joke.You may not understand it in print but if you 'ask' someone, they will think you saidWhat's black and white and red all over?Remember, read (past tense of read) is pronounced the same as red.The answer and explanations a child would have given many years agocould include things like a cop car or an ice cream sundae with a cherry on top..

• 8. Marriage isn't a word, it's a sentence.answer and explanationsThis is taken from a ball cap seen in America with that saying.It is a joke (OK a bad joke), based on the idea of word / sentencecombined with the idea that the word 'sentence' refers to a punishment..

• 9. The bible says, "We are not called to morality but immorality." answer and explanationsOK, this is a mistake, and one which I accidentally read in a Catholic church many years ago. Paul said that Christians are not going to die, but live forever. He wrote, "we are not called to mortality but immortality." My slip of the tongue meant Christians are not called to live a moral live, but a life of evil and sin. Oops! .

• 10. Any one in the company may come to the party. answer and explanationsThis depends. Any one means one person from the group. But, if ALL members of the company are invited, we should use anyone, which means anybody or even everyone..

• 11. The government forbids miners from drinking alcohol in this country. answer and explanationsI sure hope not! Those hard working men and women in mines need their leisure, too. But, perhaps the writer means minors, who are people under a certain age..

• 12. "Once a king, always a king, but once a night's enough." answer and explanationsThis is a quote from a James Bond Book.It is a joke, and a naughty one at that (sorry!). It is based on the word knight/night.The former is a kind of noble person, the later is the time between days..

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See notes for information on navigating, links, copyright (my own as well as any possible inadvertent infringement on my part) and photo usage, etc.
Note: The ad (item 1), sign (item 4) and brief quote (item 12) from the James Bond book are used for educational purposes only.