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-spelled 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. Sudden lightening and the rumble of thunder frightened the baby.
II. Mercury lamps are used for lighteng the roads.

A. only sentence I 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 have to find out whether the homonyms given in the statements are used correctly or is it mis-spelt.
Option A) the only sentence I is correct - is an incorrect answer because the spelling of lightening is wrong. Instead of lightening ‘lightning’ should be used. So, this is an incorrect answer.
Option B) only sentence II is correct - is an incorrect answer because the italicized word lighteng is misspelled in the sentence. So, instead of lighteng ‘lighting’ should be used. Thus, this is an incorrect answer.
Option C) both the sentences I and II are correct – is an incorrect answer because both the italicized words are wrong. Thus, we will not consider this as the correct answer.
Option D) I as well as II are incorrect, but both could be made correct by interchanging the italicized words - Yes, as stated above both the sentences are incorrect, but both could not be made correct by interchanging the italicized words. Thus, this is an incorrect answer.
Option E) neither I nor II is correct, and the sentence could not be made correct by interchanging the italicized words – Yes, both the sentences are wrong, and the sentence could not be made correct by interchanging the italicized words. Thus, this is the correct answer.
Neither I nor II is correct, and the sentence could not be made correct by interchanging the italicized words – Option E

Note:
A homonym is a wide field that can be divided into two categories. You should be aware of both categories.
Homographs are words having the same spelling but different meanings. For example: Tear. The 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.