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WorksheetYear 10Level 2 · Standard

Free Year 10 Commonly Confused Words: affect or effect, principal or principle Worksheet

Students sort out pairs of words that are often confused in senior writing: affect and effect, imply and infer, complement and compliment, principal and principle, stationary and stationery, discreet and discrete, elicit and illicit, accept and except, and lose and loose. They learn a memory trick for each pair, choose the right word in context and proofread a paragraph for errors.

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Year
Year 10
Subject
English
Topic
Vocabulary
Difficulty
Level 2 · Standard
Estimated time
25 minutes
Curriculum
New Zealand Curriculum
Questions
20
Answers
Included, with working
Format
PDF (A4), print or complete online

Students will practise

  • distinguishing commonly confused word pairs
  • choosing the correct word from context
  • using memory tricks to remember spelling and meaning
  • proofreading for word-choice errors

Curriculum: New Zealand Curriculum. We show specific outcome codes only where they have been verified against the official curriculum document.

What's next?

Completed: Commonly Confused Words: affect or effect, principal or principle

  1. 1Analysing Persuasive Techniques in Advertising
  2. 2Is Social Media Doing More Harm Than Good? — Persuasive Writing
  3. 3Language Features: Imagery, Tone and Mood

How to use this worksheet

  1. Print the PDF or complete it on screen. Write the student's name and date at the top.
  2. Read the instructions for each part together before starting. Encourage working to be shown.
  3. Mark with the answer sheet. Use the model answers and success criteria as a guide rather than a single right answer.
  4. Record the score, celebrate what went well, then follow the "What's next" suggestion.

Common questions

Who is this worksheet for?

Year 10 students (typically ages 14–15) working on vocabulary. It is pitched at level 2 · standard.

Are the answers included?

Yes. The PDF includes a full answer sheet with model answers and success criteria where there is more than one good answer. You can also view the answers online.

How long does it take?

About 25 minutes for 20 questions. Short, regular sessions work best: two or three a week beats one long one.

Do I need to sign up to download?

No. Click Download Free PDF and it opens immediately. It is free for personal, classroom and homeschool use.

What should we do next?

Try Analysing Persuasive Techniques in Advertising.

Preview

Success TutoringWorksheetsYear 10 · English · Vocabulary

Commonly Confused Words: affect or effect, principal or principle

Name

Date

Score /

If you are unsure, say the sentence with the meaning in place of the word: an influence or a result? a rule or the head?

Part A: Choose the right word

Circle the correct word for each sentence. Read the memory trick in each answer.

1.The lack of sleep began to ___ her concentration.
  1. Aaffect
  2. Beffect
2.The new law had an immediate ___ on traffic.
  1. Aaffect
  2. Beffect
3.The writer ___ that the plan would fail, without saying it directly.
  1. Aimplied
  2. Binferred
4.From the clues, the detective ___ that the thief knew the family.
  1. Aimplied
  2. Binferred
5.The red scarf is a perfect ___ to her coat.
  1. Acomplement
  2. Bcompliment
6.He blushed when his teacher paid him a ___.
  1. Acomplement
  2. Bcompliment
7.The school ___ spoke at the assembly.
  1. Aprincipal
  2. Bprinciple
8.Honesty is an important ___ in her life.
  1. Aprincipal
  2. Bprinciple
9.The bus remained ___ while the driver checked the engine.
  1. Astationary
  2. Bstationery
10.We bought pens, paper and envelopes from the ___ shop.
  1. Astationary
  2. Bstationery

Part B: Fill the gap

Write the correct word from the pair given in parentheses.

11.Please be (answer space) (discreet / discrete) and keep the surprise party a secret.
12.The data was sorted into five (answer space) (discreet / discrete) categories.
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Preview — the PDF contains the full resource and answer sheet.

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About this resource

Created by
Success Tutoring
Last reviewed
1 October 2026
How it was made
Written by our team

Free to print and share for personal, classroom and homeschool use. Please don't resell. Spotted an error? Let us know.