Question

stationary
sta-tion-ar-y stey-shuh-ner-ee
middle english, from latin stationarius,
from statio
adjective

1. standing still; not moving
2. having a fixed position

stationery
sta-tion-er-y stey-shuh-ner-ee
middle english, from latin constans
noun

1. writing paper
2. writing materials, pens, pencils, paper

which sentence uses stationery correctly?
○ the car remained stationery with the engine running.
○ triathletes often train using stationery bicycles.
○ i received a gift set of personalized stationery.
○ the doctor said grandpa’s condition was stationery.

Explanation:

To determine the correct sentence, we analyze the meaning of "stationery" (noun: writing paper, materials like pens, pencils, paper) and "stationary" (adjective: standing still, not moving).

• "The car remained stationery with the engine running" – "stationery" is incorrect here; it should be "stationary" (describing the car not moving).
• "Triathletes often train using stationery bicycles" – "stationery" is incorrect; "stationary" (bicycles that don't move) is needed.
• "I received a gift set of personalized stationery" – "stationery" (writing materials) fits here as the gift is personalized writing items.
• "The doctor said Grandpa’s condition was stationery" – "stationery" is incorrect; "stationary" (describing a condition as unchanging) would be wrong too, but the key is "stationery" refers to writing materials, so this is incorrect.

So the correct sentence is "I received a gift set of personalized stationery."

Answer:

I received a gift set of personalized stationery.