Content Sandbox
You can suggest a new "Which Is English?" test item!
Once we receive a submitted item, our team will review it.
If we decide to use it, we will import it into the "Which Is English?" game and let you know.
Feel free to submit as many items as you like!
Guidelines
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Keep it simple. The best items are words, phrases, or short sentences
(10-12 words in length). Stick to the language you want the player to focus on.
For instance: "She taught him algebra." | "She conveyed him algebra.";
no need to add "on Tuesday afternoon" if that will be the same in both.
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Use brackets. It's often helpful to put brackets around words that differ;
those words will be highlighted, saving the player time
(e.g. "I [went] to the store." | "I [goed] to the store.").
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Provide hints. When both examples are technically correct or one is
incorrect but still commonly used, add a hint or category to help players understand
what's being asked of them (e.g. "American Dialect" or "Formal Register").
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Explain why the better choice is better. Players want to learn as they play.
Try to provide a clear, concise explanation of why the better choice is the better choice.
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Have fun! Make items you enjoy making. Focus on aspects of English
you find interesting or tricky. Language is dynamic and personal!
Each "Which Is English?" challenge contains:
- A correct or "better" English word or phrase
- An incorrect or "not as good" English word or phrase
- An explanation
- A category or hint
Examples
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An item that focuses on the usual order of adjectives:
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Better choice: the big brown house
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Other choice: the brown big house
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Explanation: Native speakers will say "the big brown house".
The rule is that adjectives of size come before adjectives of color.
Few native speakers explicitly know that rule,
but they know "big brown house" sounds right and "brown big house" sounds odd.
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There is no category or hint for this item, which is the usual case.
Brackets are used to highlight the area of difference between the two choices,
which saves time for those playing the game:
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Better choice: Employees have [unfettered] access to the health center.
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Other choice: Employees have [untrammeled] access to the health center.
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Explanation: "Unfettered" means without any restrictions or limitations.
If you have unfettered access to something,
you can go there as often as you like, whenever you like.
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Brackets ("[ ]") are used to highlight the area of difference between
the two choices, which saves time for those playing the game:
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Better choice: I left her to [suss] it out on her own.
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Other choice: I left her to [sink] it out on her own.
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Explanation: To suss something out is to figure it out,
learn how it works, or discover the truth about it.
Mostly used in informal British English.
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Category or Hint: British, informal
Now you try!
