Trinity ISE English Usage Practice — All Questions

The volunteers made a real ___ to the lives of local families. Which word fits best?

• a.change
• b.effect
• c.difference✓
• d.result

The fixed expression is 'make a difference', meaning to have a positive impact. 'Make a change' has a different meaning, and 'effect' and 'result' do not pair with 'make' in this idiom.

I completely lost ___ of time while reading and missed my bus. Which word fits best?

• a.track✓
• b.sight
• c.way
• d.sense

The idiom is 'lose track of time', meaning to fail to notice how much time has passed. The other nouns do not form this fixed expression with 'lose ... of time'.

The instructions were brief but very ___, so the task was easy to complete. Which word fits best?

• a.vague
• b.wordy
• c.complicated
• d.clear✓

If the task was easy to complete, the instructions must have been 'clear'. 'Vague', 'wordy', and 'complicated' would make a task harder, contradicting the sentence.

After weeks of practice, the routine finally became second ___ to her. Which word fits best?

• a.mind
• b.nature✓
• c.sense
• d.thought

The idiom 'second nature' means something done so easily it feels automatic. The other nouns do not complete this fixed phrase.

The charity relies ___ donations from the public to fund its work. Which word fits best?

• a.on✓
• b.at
• c.for
• d.with

The verb 'rely' is followed by 'on' when naming what someone depends on. 'Rely on donations' is the correct pairing; the other prepositions do not follow 'rely'.