Question

In the question below are given two sentences numbered I and II. In these sentences, two homonyms are given in italics type, which may be either mis-spelt or inappropriate in the context of the sentence. Read both the sentences carefully and decide on their correctness on the basis of the italicized words.
I. The tenur of his speech was not clear.
II. His teneur of office is drawing to a close.

A. only sentence I have is correct.
B. only sentence II is correct.
C. both the sentences I and II are correct.
D. I as well as II are incorrect, but both could be made correct by interchanging the italicized words.
E. neither I nor II is correct, and the sentence could not be made correct by interchanging the italicized words.

Answer 1

Hint: Homonyms are words having the same pronunciation and spelling but different meanings and origins. For example, bark (the bark of a dog; the bark of a tree).


Complete answer
We want to find out whether the homonyms given in the statements are used correctly or is it mis-spelt.
I- The word ‘tenur’ doesn’t exist in English. It’s an incorrect word having no existence in the English language. So, this sentence doesn’t mean anything. The word should be ‘tenor’ which means course of thought.
II- the word ‘teneur’ too doesn’t exist in the English language. So it becomes an invalid sentence. The correct word is ‘tenure’ which means the term period of holding a position or office.

Option A) only sentence I is correct- this is an incorrect answer. Sentence I is not correct because there doesn’t exist any word as ‘tenur’. The correct sentence would have been, ‘The tenor of his speech was not clear’ meaning his course of thought while delivering that speech was not clear. Hence, incorrect option.
Option B) only sentence II is correct- this is an incorrect answer. Sentence II is not correct because there doesn’t exist a word like ‘teneur’ in the English language.
The correct sentence would have been, ‘His tenure of office is drawing to a close’ meaning his term of holding the office has come to an end. Hence, incorrect option.
Option C) both the sentences I and II are correct- this is an incorrect answer. The use of words ‘tenur’ and ‘teneur’ makes both the sentences incorrect. Hence, incorrect option.
Option D) I as well as II are incorrect, but both could be made correct by interchanging the italicized words- this is an incorrect answer. The use of non-existent words like ‘tenur’ and ‘teneur’ makes both the sentences incorrect. Also if we interchange it, the sentences still won’t make any sense. It will remain incorrect. Hence, incorrect option.
Option E) neither I nor II is incorrect, and the sentences could not be made correct by interchanging the italicized words- this is the correct answer. Both the sentences are incorrect because non-existing words have been used which make no sense. Also if we interchange it, they will still remain nonsensical.

Neither I nor II is incorrect, and the sentences could not be made correct by interchanging the italicized words. (Option E)

Note:Homonyms is a wide field which can be divided into two categories. You should be aware of both the categories.
>Homographs are words having the same spelling but different meanings. For example: Tear. Tear can refer to the tear of the eyes and also can mean to tear a sheet into pieces.
>Homophones are words having the same pronunciation but different meanings. For example: eye and I. Eye is a part of our body and I mean oneself.