In the previous High English grammar quiz we looked at sentences in which certain words or phrases are repeated and whether those repetitions were acceptable or not acceptable. If not acceptable, we found ways of avoiding repetitions. In this quiz we look at using substitutions of words to avoid repetitions.
Take a look at these sentences:
‘ANAMIKA went to the TOY STORE with her mother. SHE found IT full of dolls.’
Here the words in capitals in the first sentence are replaced by those in capitals in the second sentence.
Pronouns, such as SHE and IT, help to link two sentences, avoiding repetition. Note in this sentence there are two persons, Anamika and her mother, and we have used the pronoun for the first person (Anamika). It is important to note the pronouns used are in the right context and for the right persons, places or things. For instance, in the example above we find that ‘Anamika’ and ‘mother’ are referred to in the first sentence and in the second sentence ‘she’ refers only to Anamika and not mother.
We can also make substitutions by using words such as 'former' and 'latter', which are adjectives. Look at this example:
‘The BCCI President and the IPL Commissioner were the distinguished guests at the cricket tournament. The FORMER gave away the prize to the winning captain and the LATTER gave away the prize to the man of the match.’
Here the words in capitals in the second sentence replace the personalities mentioned first and second respectively in the first sentence.
It is to be noted that avoiding repetitions is more useful in written English than in spoken English. In spoken English it is imperative that communication is understood and hence repetition may be necessary to ensure clarity. However, in written English, the reader can refer to the sentences if in doubt and clarify.
Using substitutions of words to avoid repetitions helps in making your communication more attractive. Read the small passage given below and then take the quiz that follows and learn to avoid repetitions with substitutions. Note that the first six questions refer to the passage.