Word Choice and the Use of Idioms (errors in the choice of words and in the use of idiomatic

expressions)
Answer

With all of his acne pits, in the dark his face resembled a cratered moon on a cloudy night.

It was a strenuous tennis match, but after a hot shower and a cool glass of iced tea he felt completely enervated and ready to join the party.

I thoroughly enjoyed our interview last Thursday and hope that you will give careful thought to the benefits that might accrue for McIntosh Springs if you opt to take advantage of my expertise in data management.

I asked whether they were planning to attend the concert, but they're going to their grandmother's house tonight instead.

Interesting examples. I had to read some several times to find a problem

1. On a cloudy night, the craters of the moon would not be seen. So that is a bad simile.

2. "enervated" is the wrong word choice. It means "weakened".

3. In a followup to a job interview, this would be a terrible thing to write. It is pompous and pretentious. I especially do not like the use of the work "opt" instead of "choose".

4. "whether" should be "if". "Whether" is usually presented with an option, such as "or not".

C is the answer. Don't understand why people are so complicated and won't just answer the damn question. If you take the time to respond, at least answer the question.

In the given sentences, there are some errors in word choice and the use of idiomatic expressions. Let's analyze each sentence and identify these errors:

1. "With all of his acne pits, in the dark his face resembled a cratered moon on a cloudy night."

Error: The word "acne pits" does not accurately convey the intended meaning. The more appropriate term would be "acne scars" to describe the marks left by acne on the face.

Correction: "With all of his acne scars, in the dark his face resembled a cratered moon on a cloudy night."

2. "It was a strenuous tennis match, but after a hot shower and a cool glass of iced tea, he felt completely enervated and ready to join the party."

Error: The word "enervated" is used incorrectly in this sentence. "Enervated" means to feel drained of energy or weakened, whereas the intended meaning seems to be the opposite.

Correction: "It was a strenuous tennis match, but after a hot shower and a cool glass of iced tea, he felt completely invigorated and ready to join the party."

3. "I thoroughly enjoyed our interview last Thursday and hope that you will give careful thought to the benefits that might accrue for McIntosh Springs if you opt to take advantage of my expertise in data management."

Error: There is no specific error in this sentence. However, it is worth noting that the word "accrue" might be a bit formal for this context. It means to accumulate or grow over time. Depending on the tone and context of the conversation, a simpler word like "gain" or "receive" could be more appropriate.

4. "I asked whether they were planning to attend the concert, but they're going to their grandmother's house tonight instead."

Error: The use of the contraction "they're" is incorrect in this sentence. "They're" is a contraction of "they are," but it should be "they're" in this case.

Correction: "I asked whether they were planning to attend the concert, but they are going to their grandmother's house tonight instead."

By understanding the correct meanings of certain words and idiomatic expressions, we can identify and correct these errors in word choice and idiom use.