4.3  Odd One Out

In this exercise, you'll see four example sentences for each word. Only three of them are correct. Try to click on these three correct sentences and avoid the 'odd one out'.

vary

Performance may vary depending on a number of factors, such as temperature and humidity.

Although sales varied from week to week, looking at the bigger picture, there was a clear downward trend in the first six months of the year.

He varied his decision when he heard about the much higher costs involved.

Prices vary according to the season, reaching their highest figure in winter when demand is at its highest.

adapt

Humans have managed to adapt to a wide range of conditions since moving from Africa millions of years ago.

The new legislation forced the company to adapt its working practices and created an opportunity for wider reforms.

The company was forced to adapt its name completely after a challenge from an existing company trading under the same name.

Working overseas was a huge challenge. I had to adapt to a whole new way of doing things.

stable

Business has been worryingly stable since the rise in interest rates.

The President remains in hospital, but his condition is described as stable.

The principal objective of this government has been to create a healthy and stable economy which allows both individuals and companies to plan confidently for the future.

The elements combine to form a molecule which is stable over a surprisingly wide range of temperatures.

phase out

 Please note that the existing locks will be phased out over the next year and replaced with the latest voice and eye recognition security systems.

The city council has announced the gradual phasing out of traditional rubbish bins over the next year and their replacement by new ‘wheelie-bins’ which are said to offer greater efficiency, size and ease of use. 

The Air Force is committed to phasing out the current generation of jet fighters over the next five years.

The company decided to phase out the contract with immediate effect as it believed it had been misled by its business partner.

accrue

In most cases, deposits will continue to accrue interest until the withdrawal date.

A number of benefits may accrue from a period spent working overseas, both to the employee and to the company.

The company decided to accrue salaries by 20 % in a desperate attempt to reduce the loss of so many of its best staff.

The original sum may be withdrawn after 12 months without penalty, together with whatever interest will have accrued on your account.

alter

Unfortunately, Professor Paulin has been forced to alter his plans and will no longer be able to attend the conference as originally agreed.

It is possible to get there by public transport but this will mean altering buses twice, so it isn’t a very practical alternative.

There’s growing evidence that human activity has altered the climate significantly over the last 200 years.

A small error in entering the data altered the final result significantly and led to a conclusion that was seriously misleading.

modify

The company has modified from a specialist local firm to a large national player.

In my research, I used a modified form of Maslow’s well-known model of human needs.

People with eating disorders may need to modify their whole lifestyle, not just the way they eat.

The motor was modified in order to run on battery power alone.

revise

After this new report, doctors may need to revise their opinions about the drug 

You should spend the two weeks of your study break revising for your final exams.

Our budget plans will have to be revised now that petrol prices have risen so much.

It’s a waste of time trying to revise new material before an exam when you should be looking back at what you’ve already studied.

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