How to Write a Sentence: #2

Posted on November 30, 2019 by

First, read How to Write a Sentence: #1

There are three types of sentences in English: SIMPLE, COMPOUND, & COMPLEX.

All sentences must contain a subject, a verb with tense, and they must have meaning.

You need to know which type of sentences you are writing, so that you can apply the appropriate rules. So, here we go …

♦ SIMPLE SENTENCES Simple Sentences have one subject and one main (complete) verb,

You are reading  this blog.   

Who is hugging that girl? 

OR   two subjects and one main verb,

The girl and the paper man love each other.

OR   one subject and two main verbs,

She is hugging him and smiling. (Verbs: is hugging & is smiling)

OR two subjects and two main verbs.

The paper man and the girl are hugging each other and smiling.

Look at the following sentence. It is a Simple Sentence because it has one subject and one verb. 

The beautiful tropical gardens across the road from my old school were destroyed in the earthquake last month.  

The sentence has a lot of ‘extra stuff’, but when you take out this ‘extra stuff’, what is left?

The gardens were destroyed.

** Don’t be confused by long sentences with lots of adjectives, adverbs and prepositions. To understand the structure of a sentence, you need to find the verb first. Then, find the subject.

♦ COMPOUND SENTENCES  Compound Sentences are formed when two or more Simple Sentences are joined (linked).

The gardens were destroyed and many houses were damaged.

The gardens were destroyed but my old school was not damaged.

The old school was not damaged so we are all relieved.

A Compound Sentence is composed of two or more sentences (independent clauses) which are joined by Co-ordinating Conjunctions. For a complete explanation of how Co-ordinating Conjunctions are used to make Compound Sentences, click here.

Click here for How to Write a Sentence: #3: COMPLEX SENTENCES

Click here for How to Write a Sentence: #1

 

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Posted in Grammar, IELTS, Intermediate (Level 4), TOEFL, TOEIC, Upper Intermediate (Level 5), Writing | Leave a comment

Song with Present Tenses for Opinions and Beliefs

Posted on November 3, 2019 by

We can use Present Simple Tense to talk about how we feel, what we believe in, and what we think about how we live in the 21st century.

We use Present Continuous Tense to explain or describe what is happening now or at this time in our lives.

The song Freedom (Fight For It) by rock singer Joy Villa, and rapper Flint Bedrock, is about what they think about free speech, freedom of religion and freedom of political beliefs. 

According to Joy Villa “Freedom is worth fighting for. No matter the cost, if we aren’t all free, none are free.”

Joy Villa was recently interviewed by Rita Panahi on Sky News Australia. Rita agreed that “Critical thinking is essential; don’t form an opinion based on herd mentality. Think for yourself.” https://joyvilla.com/

Click here for the Youtube video of the song. I have included the lyrics below with grammar corrections in brackets. Songwriters are not expected to be grammarians, but as this is an English website, I feel that I must provide corrections. Nonetheless, the lyrics convey very clear meanings. What do you think?

∗ By the way, I could not find the lyrics to this song on any of the usual platforms I check for song lyrics. I wonder why? I eventually found them on Joy Villa’s site.

Present Simple Tense: Pink
Present Continuous Tense: Bright Blue

Song: Freedom (Fight For It)

By Joy Villa and Flint Bedrock 

Flint: 
So many people try to stop me stop me from speaking. 
So many people (are) trying to keep me  from thinking, 
But I’m awake and I’m tired; I’m tired of sleeping. 

Joy: 
(There is)
No going back, no going back,
Mental prison, 
Slavery of the mind, 
Education (is)
Keeping us in line. 

Propaganda 
Controls our youth, 
stolen culture,
broken truth. 

Chorus
Freedom 
Do you really want to live free? 
Do you really want to be free? 
Then you ∗gotta fight for it.        ∗ (have to)           You ∗better  fight for it.                ∗ (need to)

Flint: 
Technology (is) in place of conversation. 
The system that we’ve got won’t solve the situation.
My thoughts ∗ain’t got nothing to do with my  persuasion.                                              ∗ (have nothing)
It’s more than just a “race relation”. 

Joy: 
Choose life. 
Freedom’s what you find.
Break chains.
Free thoughts (are) not a crime.
Propaganda 
controls our youth, 
stolen culture, 
broken truth. 

Chorus x 2

When fake news
Is like a game of thrones;
Info-wars,
We need Alex Jones.
Conspiracy activities (are) exposing the toxicities.
Who’s the truth?
You decide.

Chorus x 2

∀∀∀∀∀∀∀∀∀∀∀∀∀∀∀∀∀∀∀∀∀∀∀∀∀∀∀∀∀∀∀∀∀∀∀

 

Posted in Grammar, IELTS, Intermediate (Level 4), Listening, Pre-Intermediate (Level 3), Songs | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

English Words that are often Confused #3

Posted on October 30, 2019 by

First, read English Words that are often Confused #1 & #2.

Today, I’m continuing with English Words that are often Confused: words starting with ‘D’. Take note of prepositions (about, to, on, etc.) which often collate with the confusing words. Using the correct preposition is as important as using the correct word.

https://unsplash.com/photos/NDvvJWIcm3A

This baby is totally dependent on his parents.

Let’s have a look at some confusing words:

a) defective, deficient           

b) deny, refute

c) dependant, dependent         

d) desert, dessert  

e) disinterested, uninterested         

f) drank, drunk

 

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

 

a) defective, deficient 

♦ defective –  adjective: used to indicate a defect,  flaw or damage

Your watch is defective. You should take it back to the shop and get a refund.

 

♦ deficient – adjective: used to indicate a shortage or lack, especially of something which is important or necessary

Unfortunately, many students exist on a nutritionally deficient diet.

In many countries, people can obtain a driving licence despite being deficient in common sense and knowledge of road laws.

 

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

 

b) deny, refute

https://unsplash.com/photos/98DpohsPcCQ

They denied that they were vampires.

♦ deny – verb: to state that something is untrue

Ambrogio and Selene denied that they were vampires.

 

♦ refute – verb: to prove that a statement is false

They were able to refute the charge of murder as they had been performing at the annual policemen’s ball at the time of the alleged vampire attack.

 

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

 

c) *dependant, dependent   

♦ dependant – noun: a person, usually a child, who depends on or needs someone for support or financial aid.

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West have four dependants, aged from six months to six years.


♦ dependent – adjective: needing someone or something for support

    Many adult children are still financially dependent on their parents.

      Baby mammals are dependent on their mothers, often for years.

 

Note: To help you remember: the word ‘ant‘, which is in dependant, is also a noun.

* Dependant is British English spelling for the noun only. American English uses dependent for both the noun and adjective.

 

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

 

d) desert, dessert

♦ desert – noun: an area in which very little vegetation, if any, can grow because of lack of rainfall.  

The original meaning of the word desert is an abandoned or desolate area.

The Sahara Desert covers an area of about 3.5 million square miles.

                                                                                             

♦ dessert – noun: a sweet pie, icecream, cake, fruit salad etc. served at the end of a  meal. 

‘My favourite dessert is Pavlova with
passionfruit. Yours?’

‘I love icecream with chocolate sauce, icecream with fruit, icecream with cake; in fact, I love any dessert which has icecream!’ 

 

Note: My way of remembering which word has two ‘s’ might be helpful for you: at school, I had a friend, Andrea, who always wanted two scoops of icecream for dessert!

 

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

 

e) disinterested, uninterested 

♦ disinterested – adjective: impartial, unbiased
To describe a person as disinterested is to provide a great deal of information about that person. It means that he or she is not simply unbiased, but also is not motivated or influenced by selfish interests or personal gain. 

It is a growing concern that so many court judges hold strong political views which may affect their sentencing. All judges should be disinterested in every case in their courtroom.

 

♦ uninterested – adjective: not interested

My husband enjoys watching football, cricket, and golf on television, and would love me to join him but I am totally uninterested.

Note: It is not surprising that disinterested is often confused with  uninterested when the media, as well as some modern dictionaries, increasingly use them both to mean not interested. Languages change and evolve, and English is no different. However, my concern is that if disinterested ends up meaning not interested simply because people don’t know the difference, we will lose a concise, meaningful English word. Forever. 

 

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

 

f) drank, drunk

We drank a toast to our future together.

♦ drank: verb – past tense of the verb ‘to drink’

We drank a toast to our future together.

 

♦ drunk: verb – past participle of the verb ‘to drink’ – used with auxiliary verbs have,  has, and had

Have you ever drunk Cava? It’s a luscious sparkling wine made in Spain.

Who has drunk too much on New Year’s Eve? Not me. Never!

When I arrived at the office Christmas party, I was dismayed to learn that the new employees had drunk all the champagne!

 

♦ drunk: adjective 

We drank a lot of champagne at our wedding but we didn’t get drunk. No-one wants to see a drunk bride!

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

** If you would like to receive all my future posts explaining confusing words, as well as other helpful English information, just click on ‘Follow’.

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Posted in Advanced (Level 6+), Cambridge, IELTS, Intermediate (Level 4), Upper Intermediate (Level 5), Vocabulary | Leave a comment

How to Write a Sentence: #1

Posted on September 28, 2019 by

 What is a sentence?

There are three necessary parts to a sentence: SUBJECT (noun or pronoun) & VERB (finite) & the sentence must also have MEANING.

SUBJECT: There are several ways to make a subject, but for now, let’s look at the following:

♦ A subject can be one word; eg, sharks.    Sharks kill. (Yes, this is a sentence. It has a subject, a finite verb, and meaning.)

♦ A subject can be a phrase; eg, Sharks in Australia kill.

♦ A subject can be a noun clause; eg, Whatever sharks do scares people.

The third sentence above has an object  ‘people’. The verb ‘to scare’ must have an object. You need to know which verbs must have a direct object (transitive verbs), which verbs must not have a direct object (intransitive verbs), and which verbs have different rules. This sentence needs the object or the meaning is not clear.

♦ A subject can be a pronoun; eg, They are terrifying. They look dangerous.

The verbs in the two above sentences are followed by complements, not objects, because they are link (copular) verbs. Also, ‘terrifying’ and ‘dangerous’ can’t be objects because they are adjectives in these sentences.

Adrian's great white shark

This shark looks dangerous. It is terrifying! http://www.whalewatchsa.com-800 × 534-

VERB: Every sentence must have a verb with tense (tense = time: present, past, future). English verbs have very few forms. (forms = different spellings)

+ Present Simple Tense  positive – Sharks kill. It kills.
– Present Simple Tense negative – Sharks don’t kill whales. A shark does not kill jellyfish.
? Present Simple Tense question – Do sharks kill dolphins? Does that shark kill people?

+ Past Simple Tense positive – A shark killed the tourist.
– Past Simple Tense negative – The shark did not kill the tourist’s friend.
? Past Simple Tense question – Did the shark kill the lifesaver?

As you can see, in the positive sentences just three words: ‘kill’, ‘kills’, and ‘killed’, are complete (finite) verbs. They don’t need any help to show the tense (present or past). However, when you write a negative sentence or a question, you need a ‘helper’ (auxiliary) verb to show the tense: ‘do’ or ‘does’ for Present Simple Tense; ‘did’ for Past Simple Tense.

∗ This is the rule for ALL VERBS in English (except the verb ‘to be’). You cannot write:

Sharks not kill whales.

A shark not kill jellyfish.

The shark not killed the tourist’s friend.

The shark kill the lifesaver?   

∗ The auxiliary verb ‘helps’ with the ‘tense’ and the ‘person’.  

♦ ‘Do‘ is used with I, you, we, and they in Present Simple Tense, while

♦ ‘does’ is used with he, she, and it.

♦ ‘Did’ is used with I, you, we, they, he she, and it (all persons) in Past Simple Tense.

∗ All other tenses must use auxiliaries + participles (or base infinitives) to form a complete verb. For example, the following ‘sentence’ has no tense because ‘studying’ (continuous participle)has no tense. So it is not a sentence.

♦ The students studying a lot of grammar.

We don’t know if the students ARE studying, WERE studying, HAVE BEEN studying, or  WILL BE studying, etc. We need the auxiliary verbs to help us, to tell us ‘when‘.

  ∗ AUXILIARY VERB  +  PARTICIPLE (S) =  ONE COMPLETE VERB.

OR

  ∗ AUXILIARY VERB  +  BASE INFINITIVE + PARTICIPLE (S) =  ONE COMPLETE VERB.

For example:

    ♦ The students have been studying a lot of grammar.

    ♦ The students were studying a lot of grammar.

    ♦ The students will be studying a lot of grammar.

The same combination of auxiliary + (base infinitive) + participle(s) is used for positive sentences (above), negative sentences, and questions (below): 

    ♦ The students have  not been studying a lot of grammar.

    ♦ Have the students been studying a lot of grammar?

    ♦ The students were not studying a lot of grammar.

    ♦ Were the students studying a lot of grammar?

    ♦ The students will not be studying a lot of grammar.

    ♦ Will the students be studying a lot of grammar?

AUXILIARY VERBS follow a very logical pattern:

TENSE  AUXILIARY VERB(infinitive)        AUXILIARY VERB(infinitive) AUXILIARY VERB
Continuous (Base verb + ING) TO BE
Perfect TO HAVE
Future WILL 
Continuous & Future TO BE WILL 
Continuous & Perfect TO BE TO HAVE
Perfect & Future TO HAVE WILL 
Continuous & Perfect & Future TO BE TO HAVE WILL 

For a visual guide to all the forms of the 12 tenses, check out my book Understanding English Verbs available from Amazon.

Book cover - Fat Cows

There are three types of sentences in English: SIMPLE, COMPOUND, & COMPLEX.

You need to know which type of sentences you are writing, so that you can apply the appropriate rules.

I will explain these rules in my next post How to Write a Sentence: #2. If you would like to receive an  email when I write more posts, just fill out the Subscription Form below.

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Posted in Grammar, IELTS, Intermediate (Level 4), Pre-Intermediate (Level 3), TOEFL, TOEIC, Writing | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

A Must-Read Thriller for Advanced English Students

Posted on August 26, 2019 by

I have previously recommended the fascinating books written by author JC Ryan, not only for those studying English as a second language, but also native English speakers who enjoy a spellbinding mystery or thriller. Well, now there is a short video to whet your appetite!

Is there a better way to improve your knowledge and usage of English than reading fiction by a master storyteller? I don’t think so! Check out this short video promotion of JC Ryan’s thriller THE FULCRUM.

 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Posted in Advanced (Level 6+), Reading | 1 Comment

English Words that are often Confused #2

Posted on August 3, 2019 by

First, read English Words that are often Confused #1

Today, I’m continuing with English Words that are often Confused: words starting with ‘C’. I couldn’t find any common confusing words starting with ‘B’, so let’s move on to ‘C’. Take note of prepositions (about, to, on, etc.) which often collate with the confusing words. Using the correct preposition is as important as using the correct word.

https://unsplash.com/photos/udj2tD3WKsY

This wine is a perfect complement to your fabulous lunch!

Let’s have a look at some confusing words:

a) complement, compliment

b) comprise, consist

c) confidant, confident

d) contemptible, contemptuous

e) continuous, continual

f) credible, creditable

 

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

 

a) complement, compliment

♦ complement –  noun: something which completes 

This wine is a perfect complement  to the meal.

Your new blue bag is an ideal complement to your outfit.

♦ complement –  verb: to complete

This wine complements the meal perfectly.

Your new blue bag complements your outfit beautifully. 

 

♦ compliment –  noun: an expression of praise or admiration

Irina received a lot of compliments about her wonderful cooking.

♦ compliment – verb: to pay a compliment

We also complimented her on her excellent choice of wine.

Note: To help you remember – the spelling of complement is closer to the spelling of complete.


♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

 

b) comprise, consist

♦ comprise & consist – verbs with the same meaning; however, you should not use ‘of’ after ‘comprise’ 

Grammar point

     Our aerobics class comprises nine talented, enthusiastic members.

        Our aerobics class consists of nine talented, enthusiastic members.

 

♦ comprised – adjective used with ‘of’

        Our aerobics class is comprised of nine talented, enthusiastic members. (verb: is)

 

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

 

c) confidant, confident

♦ confidant – noun: a person, often a close friend, family member or trusted colleague with whom private matters or problems are discussed

We all need a confidant; someone we can trust with our secrets.

“…. Children need guidance. 
They need a parent  to help and guide them. They also need a friend. They need a confidant.”
‘Donny Osmond’

 

♦ confident – adjective 

I feel more confident about my abilities after doing the course.

 

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

 

d) contemptible, contemptuous

♦ contemptible – adjective: not deserving respect, worthy of contempt and strong dislike, usually describes actions

Stealing from a homeless person is a contemptible action.

 

♦ contemptuous – adjective: shows contempt, disapproval, lack of respect, usually describes people and their feelings or attitudes

People become contemptuous of politicians who are more interested in power than looking after their electorate.

Throughout the trial, it was obvious that the criminal was contemptuous of the police as well as his victims.

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

 

e) continuous, continual

♦ continuous – adjective: non-stop, without interruption

When my mobile phone is fully charged, I have continuous charge for eight hours. 

♦ continuously – adverb

When Lucy phones me, she talks continuously; it’s impossible to get a word in! 

 

♦ continual – adjective: happening regularly, often repeated

         Last night, I was kept awake by the continual barking of my neighbour’s dog. Every time I thought that it had stopped, it started barking again.

♦ continually – adverb,

       I feel sorry for that dog. It is continually left at home alone.

 

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

 

f) credible, creditable

♦ credible – adjective: believable, trustworthy

The police decided that the witnesses’ statements were credible.

   We must have transparency in all our business dealings if we are to remain credible.

     A: That street performer does a credible job as the Mad Hatter. He looks just like Johnny Depp, doesn’t he?

      B: His appearance is credible, but can he act?

 

Ashleigh Barty wins The 2019 French Open Tennis Championship.

♦ creditable – adjective: bringing or deserving credit or praise.         

Winning The French Open is a highly creditable achievement.

The Independent Candidate won a creditable 20% of the vote.

 

 

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

** If you would like to receive all my future posts explaining confusing words, as well as other helpful English information, just click on ‘Follow’.

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

 

Posted in IELTS, Intermediate (Level 4), Upper Intermediate (Level 5), Vocabulary | 1 Comment

Improve your English with a fun song: Old Town Road

Posted on July 16, 2019 by

Have you heard the song, Old Town Road, by Billy Ray Cyrus and Lil Nas X? It’s a mix of American Country and Hip Hop style.

While native English speakers are generally used to country-style lyrics, they can be quite confusing for English learners. I’ve noticed that my English students really enjoy this song so it would be helpful if they could understand the lyrics! Also, there are a lot of grammatical mistakes, which is not unusual in song lyrics, so I will correct them. After all, as an English learner, your English will improve even when you are listening to a song full of grammar mistakes and crazy lyrics!

Click here to see the official music video. Click here for the video with lyrics.

Billy Ray Cyrus and Lil Nas X
https://www.pressmask.com/2019/05/17/lil-nas-x-and-billy-ray-cyrus-old-town-road-video-filled-with-cameos/

I don’t know exactly what they are singing about but I can explain the words and phrases. However, I have no idea what ‘lean all in my bladder’ means! If you would like to read opinions on the song meaning, click here.

Original Lyrics

Song: OLD TOWN ROAD  

Yeah, I’m gonna take my horse
to the old town road
I’m gonna ride ’til I can’t no more

I’m gonna take my horse to the
old town road
I’m gonna ride ’til I can’t no more


I got the horses in the back
Horse tack is attached
Hat is matte black

Got the boots that’s black to
match
Ridin’ on a horse, ha
You can whip your Porsche

I been in the valley
You ain’t been up off that porch,
now

Can’t nobody tell me nothin’
You can’t tell me nothin’
Can’t nobody tell me nothin’
You can’t tell me nothin’

Ridin’ on a tractor
Lean all in my bladder
Cheated on my baby
You can go and ask her
My life is a movie
Bull ridin’ and boobies
Cowboy hat from Gucci
Wrangler on my booty

Can’t nobody tell me nothin’
You can’t tell me nothin’
Can’t nobody tell me nothin’
You can’t tell me nothin’

Yeah, I’m gonna take my horse to
the old town road
I’m gonna ride ’til I can’t no more

I’m gonna take my horse to the
old town road
I’m gonna ride ’til I can’t no more

I got the …

Lyrics licensed & provided by
LyricFind Lyrics © UniversalMusic
Publishing Group
Written by: Atticus Ross, Kiowa
Roukema, Montero Lamar Hill,Trent
Reznor    

    		Corrected Lyrics

Song: OLD TOWN ROAD  

Yeah, I’m going to take my
horse to the old town road.
I’m going to ride ’til I can’t ride any
more.
I’m going to take my horse to
the old town road.
I’m going to ride ’til I can’t ride any
more.

I’ve got the horses in the back.
The horse equipment is on the horses.
My hat is black.

I’ve got black boots to match my hat.

I’m ridin’ on a horse. Ha.
You can whip your Porsche.

I’ve been in the valley.
You haven’t been up off that
porch, now.

Nobody can tell me anything.
You can’t tell me anything.
Nobody can tell me anything.
You can’t tell me anything.

I’m riding on a tractor,
Lean all in my bladder,
I cheated on my girlfriend;
You can go and ask her.
My life is a movie:
Bull-riding and women,
Cowboy hat from Gucci,
Wrangler on my booty.

Nobody can tell me anything.
You can’t tell me anything.
Nobody can tell me anything.
You can’t tell me anything.

Yeah, I’m going to take my
horse to the old town road.
I’m going to ride ’til I can’t ride any
more.
I’m going to take my horse to
the old town road.
I’m going to ride ’til I can’t ride any
more.
I’ve got the …

 
   
Posted in Children, Elementary (Level 2), Grammar, Listening, Pre-Intermediate (Level 3), Songs | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

English Words that are often Confused #1

Posted on July 9, 2019 by

I have written two posts recently on Spelling Mistakes that Ruin your Writing. They are a small number of mistakes which are easily fixed as soon as you understand the grammar. Don’t worry! The grammar is basic and easily understood.

Today, I’m starting a much longer list of common mistakes. These are words that native speakers use incorrectly. This is the first of several posts on English Words that are often Confused. I hope you find my explanations helpful.

I will list the confusing words in alphabetical order. Today, I’m dealing with ‘A’. If you would like to receive all my future posts explaining confusing words, just click on ‘Follow’.

https://unsplash.com/photos/-9JAqVxg3vs

Looking at baby animals, especially baby elephants, usually has a positive effect on people.

Let’s have a look at some confusing words:                  

a) advice, advise           
     b) affect, effect
c) agree with, agree to, agree on
     d) alternate, alternative           
e) among, between
     f) anticipate, expect           
g) approve, approve of

 

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

a) advice, advise

♦ advice  –  noun

Do you think this is good advice?

My advice is to look at the spelling. The word ‘advice’ contains the word ‘ice’ which is also a noun.

We often need advice from an expert.

We sometimes receive the best advice when we least expect it.

     

         ♦ advise  –  verb

Did your parents advise you to save your money?

Who advises the football coach?

I advise you to keep reading.

 

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

 b) affect, effect


♦ affect –  verb (used with object: this means that the subject  affects something or someone)

In France, the extremely cold winter of 2018-2019 affected many vineyards
Do you believe that your thinking affects your actions?         樂 

 

♦ effect –  noun

Looking at baby animals, especially baby elephants, usually has a positive effect on people.

Were you impressed with the special effects used in the movie Avatar?

 

Note: ‘Effect’can also be used as a verb but take care. While ‘affect’ means ‘to change’, ‘effect’ means ‘to bring about/cause’ a change. It is usually used in formal speaking and writing. I advise consulting a dictionary if you wish to use ‘effect’ as a verb.

The President hopes to effect new laws to deal with drug trafficking.

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c) agree with, agree to, agree on

Do you agree with Satya Nani that a little progress each day adds up to big results?

♦ agree with  someone

I agree with – Satya Nani that “A little progress each day adds up to big results”.

♦ agree to  something, usually a plan or scheme.

I should never have agreed to look after his stupid dog!

♦ agree on a choice or result with other people

Sheldon and Amy agreed to get married but they couldn’t agree on when or where, nor could they agree on whom to invite to their wedding.

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d) alternate, alternative

♦ alternate – verb meaning to change first one, then the other; repeatedly and regularly

https://unsplash.com/photos/3TRdlKU-3II

LETHARGY

Many of us alternate between motivation and lethargy.

♦ alternate – adjective

I do shopping and housework on alternate weekends.

 

♦ alternative – noun which indicates a choice

There are many alternatives for when we are overcome with lethargy. We could follow Satya Nani’s advice and try to make a little progress each day.

♦ alternative – adjective

There are several alternative courses of action for when we lack motivation.  There is no shortage of advice online. 

People who want to escape the demands of modern life are often attracted to alternative lifestyles.

 

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e) among, between

♦ among – preposition which links more than two 

https://unsplash.com/photos/3jRGSA2IH0c

Is your favourite book among these?

I love wandering among the bookshelves in libraries.

Reading takes me to another world where I’m always among friends.

♦between – preposition which links two only

Can you see Errol the Peril? It’s between two blue books.

Between you and me, I don’t think children read enough books nowadays.

Note: Among and between must be followed by a plural noun or singular nouns which can be replaced by a plural pronoun. 

Reading takes me to another world where I’m always among friends. (among them)

Can you see Errol the Peril? It’s between two blue books. (between them)

Between you and me, I don’t think children read enough books nowadays. (between us)

Incorrect: I love wandering among each bookshelf in libraries. ‘Each bookshelf’ is a single unit so I cannot wander among one thing.

Incorrect: There is a famous quote between each chapter. Again, ‘each chapter’ is a single unit, so a quote cannot be between one thing. 

Correct: There is a famous quote between the chapters. (between 1 & 2,  2 & 3,  3 & 4 etc.)

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f) anticipate, expect 

♦ anticipate – verb meaning ‘to be aware of something that has not yet happened, or believe will happen, and (perhaps) to take appropriate action’ 

I recently booked into a highly recommended health retreat. Happily, they anticipated my every need.

A good public speaker anticipates the mood and bias of the audience.

https://unsplash.com/photos/7ixEp6004ts

Guess what? We’re expecting twins!


♦ expect – verb, to think or assume or predict that something might or should happen

We expect everyone to arrive before the soccer match starts.

Your employer naturally expects you to start work on time.

“We should not expect something for nothing—but we all do and call it Hope” (Edgar W. Howe).

 


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g) approve, approve of

♦ approve – to give permission for, accept

At last, after six months, the council approved our plans to renovate our house.

Your application for a Blue Card has been approved.

 

♦ approve of – to view positively

Juliet knew that her family would never approve of Romeo.

It was much more difficult in Shakespeare’s time for people to get married without the approval of their parents. 

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063518/videoplayer/vi2776891673?ref_=tt_ov_vi

Juliet knew that her family would never approve of Romeo.

Click here for English Words that are often Confused #2

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Posted in Advanced (Level 6+), Cambridge, IELTS, Intermediate (Level 4), Upper Intermediate (Level 5), Vocabulary | Leave a comment

The Visual Guide to English Prepositions Part 1/2 (Infographic)

Posted on June 24, 2019 by

Here is another excellent Infographic from Jenn at   https://www.grammarcheck.net/prepositions-place-direction/

Continue reading →

Posted in Beginner (Level 1), Elementary (Level 2), Pre-Intermediate (Level 3) | 1 Comment

Spelling Mistakes that Ruin your Writing #2

Posted on June 3, 2019 by

Today, I’m going to highlight more mistakes that ruin your writing.

First, check out  Spelling Mistakes that Ruin your Writing #1

https://unsplash.com/photos/kkmRtRQMIDk

These spelling mistakes are also serious because they indicate grammar issues.  Let’s have a look at the problem words:                  

a) to,  too,  two                                 

b) who,  whom,  whose,  who’s

c) threw,  through

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a) to, too, two

All have the same pronunciation: /ˈtuː/  

♦ to –  preposition (followed by a noun) 

I’m going to India next year.              https://unsplash.com/photos/11eY-tkB9VU
I went to that country four years ago and I’m looking forward to returning.
I’m travelling to India by myself.
I’m looking forward to my holiday to India.

♦ to – first word of infinitive (followed by base infinitive)

I’m hoping to see the incredible Indian stepwells.
I also want to visit Mahatma Gandhi’s home.
I’d like to try the Indian curries in Rajasthan.

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♦ too – adverb 

We can use too to add emphasis to an adjective, usually negative:

It is too hot in Delhi in summer for many tourists. = It is very hot, (in a negative sense).

We also use too to mean also:


I want to see as many cities in India as I can during my holiday. However, I’m really interested in meeting the local people too.

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♦ two – adjective

The two men in the photo are playing chess.

♦ two – noun

In card games, like 500, the two of spades is usually the lowest card in the pack.

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b) who,  whom,  whose,  who’s

♦ who – question word

Who are those men playing chess?
Who is that gorgeous Indian girl? 

♦ who – question word & subject (at the same time) 

Who is winning the chess game?

You know that ‘Who’ is the subject in the sentence above because you can replace it with a noun/subject:

Who is winning the chess game?   The old man is winning the chess game.
.
Who knows? He knows.                     

♦ who – noun clause marker

Do you know who won the chess game?                                 


♦ who – relative clause marker                        

           The old man won the chess game. He’s the guy who has beaten everyone in                           the city.  

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♦ whom – relative clause marker, object pronoun

Don’t worry too much about ‘whom’. Most native speakers use ‘who’ when speaking:

That’s the guy whom the old man beat at chess.
The old guy beat him.  ‘Whom‘ replaces ‘him’.

This may seem a little too formal. When speaking, most people would say:

That’s the guy who the old man beat at chess.

However, if you are writing for a publication or doing an exam, it is preferable to use ‘whom’. Sometimes it is unavoidable, especially after a preposition or when it is a relative clause marker, or both:

I have two sisters. Both of them live in Melbourne.
I have two sisters, both of whom live in Melbourne. 

The president gave the award to whom?

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♦ whose – question word showing possession 

   Whose idea was it to take that photo? My idea!

   Whose hand is holding the ice cream? Her hand

♦ whose – relative clause marker showing possession

    She’s the girl whose photos are all over the internet.

    The Leaning Tower of Pisa, whose history is  ….               f fascinating, receives over one million visitors a year.


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♦ who’s – contraction of ‘who is’ or ‘who has’https://unsplash.com/photos/8AsKha7aIvk

  Who’s that brave girl on the swing? 

  Who is that brave girl on the swing?

  That’s Jenny who’s always doing crazy.things.

..That’s Jenny who is always doing     crazy.things.things. 

  Who’s encouraged her to do such a dangerous           thing?

  Who has encouraged her to do such a dangerous thing?

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c) threw, through

Both have the same pronunciation: /ˈθruː/ 

♦ threw – past tense of verb ‘to throw’

    The basketballer threw the ball through the hoop.

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♦ through – adverb, preposition, adjective

    He opened the door and went through.

    The basketballer threw the ball through the hoop.

The old stadium was in a no-through street, but the new stadium is in a  through one.       

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Posted in Advanced (Level 6+), Grammar, Intermediate (Level 4), Pre-Intermediate (Level 3), Upper Intermediate (Level 5), Writing | 1 Comment