Question

Which sentence contains an error in word usage?

A. The entire church winced when the organist started the song on the wrong chord.

B. Jon was surprised when it did not take him long to learn three cords on the guitar.

C. In the interview, the person trying out for the job did not strike the right chord with the CEO.

D. Franciscan monks in medieval times did not wear belts, but a simply ropes or cords tied around their waist

Answer 1

The correct answer is B. Jon was surprised when it did not take him long to learn three cords on the guitar.

Step-by-step explanation:

The words "chord" and "cord" might seem similar but these have different meanings and therefore should be used in different contexts. In the case of the word "cord", this refers to a thin rope or string; on the other hand, the word "chord" refers to a set of musical notes.

In this way, the sentence "Jon was surprised when it did not take him long to learn three cords on the guitar" contains an error in word usage because in instruments including guitars you learn the "chords" (set of notes) but instead the word "cord" has been added which does not fit in this context, as the sentence refers to the musical notes rather than to the strings on the guitar.