Confusing Words

Above or over?
When we use above as a preposition, it means higher than. Its meaning is close to that of the preposition over. In the following
sentences, over can be used instead of above:
The waves came up above her head and she started screaming. (or came up over her head )
She is a nervous flier. But once the plane got above the clouds, she started to relax. (or got over the clouds )
We use above, but not over, to refer to things that are at an upper or higher level:
[a chalet is a small wooden building usually found in mountainous areas]
Do they live in that chalet above the village?
Not: Do they live in that chalet over the village?
We usually use above, but not over, when there is no contact between the things referred to. Over or on top of have a more general
meaning, and can be used when one thing touches or covers another:
They made her comfortable and put a blanket over her.
Not: They made her comfortable and put a blanket above her.
We normally use over not above with numbers:
I get over sixty emails a day.
Not: I get above sixty emails a day.
If you weigh over 100 kilograms, then you may need to start a diet.
Not: If you weigh above 100 kilograms
Warning:
When we talk about temperatures in relation to zeroor (the) average, we use abovenot over:
It was three degrees abovezero.
Not: It was three degrees over zero.
When we refer to temperatures in other contexts, we can normally use above orover:
The temperature is already above 30 degrees. (or over 30 degrees.)

Typical errors
We dont use over to mean higher level.
Most of the race is 500 metres abovesea level.
Not: Most of the race is 500 over sea level.
We dont use above when one thing touches or covers another.
Pour some cream over the tart and serve it warm.
Not: Pour some cream above the tart
We dont use above with numbers.
Over 100 people complained about the programme.
Not: Above 100 people complained
Across
We use across as a preposition (prep) and an adverb (adv). Across means on the other side of something, or from one side to the
other of something which has sides or limits such as a city, road or river:
We took a boat [PREP]across the river.
[PREP]Across the room, she could see some old friends. She got up and went to join them.
My neighbour came [ADV]across to see me this morning to complain about our cat.
The road was so busy that we found it difficult to get [ADV]across.
We also use across when something touches or stretches from one side to another:
The Ponte Vecchio is a beautiful old bridge across the river Arno in Florence.
She divided the page by drawing a red line across it. Then she cut it in two.
Especially in American English, across from is used to refer to people or objects being opposite or on the other side:
The pharmacy is across from the Town Hall.

Helens office is just across frommine.
We use across to emphasise that something is happening at the same time in many places, e.g. within an organisation, a city or a
country:
Shes opened coffee shops acrossthe city and theyre very successful.
Across the country, people are coming out to vote for a new president.
We also use across to refer to the width or diagonal measurement of something:
The size of a television screen is measured from the higher corner of one side to the lower corner of the ot her side, that is, from one
corneracross to the opposite corner.
Across comes after measurements when we talk about diameter or width:
The building is 157 metres long, 92 metres across and the faade is 68 metres wide.
Over
We use over as a preposition and an adverb to refer to something at a higher position than something else, sometimes involving
movement from one side to another:
From the castle tower, you can see [PREP]over the whole city.
We toasted marshmallows [PREP]over the fire.
We drove high up [PREP]over the mountains on a narrow dangerous road.
Suddenly a plane flew [ADV]over and dropped hundreds of leaflets.
Come over often means to come to the speakers home:
You must come [ADV]over and have dinner with us some time.
Especially when we use them as adverbs, over can mean the same asacross:
We walked over to the shop. (or We walked across to the shop the shop is on the other side of the road)
I was going across to say hello when I realised that I couldnt remember his name. (or I was going over to say meaning to the
other side of the street or room)

Across or through?
Movement
When we talk about movement from one side to another but in something, such as long grass or a forest, we use throughinstead
of across:
I love walking through the forest.(through stresses being in the forest as I walk)
Not: I love walking across the forest.
When my dog runs through long grass, its difficult to find him. (throughstresses that the dog is in the grass)
Not: When my dog runs across long grass
Time
When referring to a period of time from start to finish, American English speakers often use through where British English speakers
say from to/till :
The office is open Monday throughFriday, 9 am5 pm. (preferred British form: from Monday to Friday)
Warning:
We use over, not through, to refer to periods of time from start to finish when a number is specified (of days, weeks, etc.):
Over the last few days, I have been thinking a lot about quitting my job.
Across, over and through: typical errors
When moving from one side to another while surrounded by something, we usethrough not across:
We cycled through a number of small villages.
Not: We cycled across a number of small villages.
When we talk about something extending or moving from one side to another, we use across not on:
The papers were spread across the table.
Not: The papers were spread on the table.
We dont use through when were talking about periods of time from start to finish and we mention a specific number of days,
weeks, etc:
We havent seen each other muchover the last four years.
Not: We havent seen each other much through the last four years.
Advice or advise?
de English Grammar Today
Advice /dvs/ is a noun and means a suggestion about what someone should do. It is uncountable:
Let me give you some advice: stay away from Margaret.
Not: Let me give you an advice
She gave him a lot of advice, but I dont think he listened.
Not: a lot of advices
If we want to use advice in a countable way, then we use the phrase a piece of advice:
I have two pieces of advice for you about the holiday.
We use the verb advise /dvz/ to mean to give someone advice:
I strongly advise you to lose weight.
They finally did what we advised.
Affect or effect?
Affect is a verb meaning influence or cause someone or something to change:
The cold weather has really affectedher health.
New technologies continue to affecthow we live.
Effect is a noun that means the result of an influence:
The pollution in the city had a badeffect on me.

Most people these days understand the serious effects of smoking
All or every?
All and every are determiners.
We use both all and every to refer to the total number of something. All refers to a complete group. Every refers to each member of
a complete group:
The questionnaire was sent to all employees.
The questionnaire was sent to every employee.
We can use every to focus on each individual member.
Compare
All passengersmust turn refers to the
off their mobile phones. whole group
Every passengermust turn
off their mobile phone. focuses on
(We use theirinstead each
of hisor her to refer back to individual
a singular noun (passenger) member of
because we are referring to the whole
both male and female group
passengers.)
We can use all, but not every, on its own without a noun. We useeveryone/everybody/everything instead:
The meeting is at Oriel Hall. It begins at 8 pm and all are welcome.
Not: every is welcome
Everyone is welcome to join the village social club.
See also:
Every
All and every + nouns
The meaning of all and every is very similar but we use them in different ways. We use all with plural and uncountable nouns
and every with singular nouns:
All donations will be sent to the earthquake relief fund.
All equipment must be returned by the end of June. (uncountable)
Every donation is appreciated.
We can use all and all of before determiners, but we dont use everybefore determiners:
I invited all (of) my friends.
Not: every my friends
All (of) the
We can use all and all of before articles (the, a/an), demonstratives (this, that) and possessives (our, his) but we cant
use every before them:
[talking about a library]
It has got all (of) the books that have ever been published.
Not: It has got every the book or It has got the every book
Shes gone to all (of) their concerts this year. She hasnt missed one.
Not: every their concerts
See also:
All of
All without of
All day, every day
We use all day, all week, all month to mean one entire day/week/month:
We spent all day at the beach yesterday.

Every day (week/month) focuses on each individual day (week/month):
We spent every day at the beach in the holidays.
Not: We spent all days at the beach
Fuel prices are rising every week.
Not: Fuel prices are rising all weeks.
All or every: typical errors
We dont use every before determiners:
He sold all (of) his books.
Not: every his books.
We dont use every with uncountable nouns:
All (the) information can be saved in the computer memory.
Not: Every information can be saved
We dont use every with plural nouns:
We should organise a trip for all students.
Not: for every students
We dont use every on its own without a noun; we use everyone, everybodyor everything instead:
He suggested cancelling the trip andeveryone agreed.
Not: every agreed
All or whole?
All and whole are determiners.
We use them before nouns and with other determiners to refer to a total number or complete set of things in a group.
Compare
All the cast had food
all +
poisoning. They were
determiner +
forced to cancel the
noun
show.
The whole cast had food

determiner
poisoning. They were
+ whole +
forced to cancel the
noun
show.
All my family lives abroad. or My whole family lives abroad.
We often use all and the whole with of the:
She complains all of the time. or She complains the whole of the time.
We use a/an with whole but not with all:
I spent a whole day looking for that book and eventually found it in a little old bookshop on the edge of town.
Not: all a day
All or whole for single entities
We use the whole or the whole of to refer to complete single things and events that are countable and defined:
The whole performance was disappointing from start to finish. (orThe whole of the performance was disappointing )
When we can split up a thing into parts, we can use either whole or all with the same meaning:
You dont have to pay the whole (of the) bill at once.
You dont have to pay all (of) the billat once.
She ate the whole orange.
She ate all of the orange.
We often use the whole of with periods of time to emphasise duration:

We spent the whole (of the) summer at the beach.
All the with uncountable nouns
We use all the and not the whole with uncountable nouns:
She was given all the advice she needed.
Not: She was given the whole advice
All the equipment is supplied.
All and whole with plural nouns
We usually use all the and all of the with plural nouns:
Its funny when all the actors come in dressed up in their costumes.
She opens all the cupboard doorsand doesnt close them after her.
You have to try all of the activities.
When we use whole with plural nouns, it means complete or entire.
Compare
Whole familiesnormally
entire
shared one room in the
families
nineteenth century.
All familiesnormally shared each and
one bedroom in the every
nineteenth century. family
All and whole: typical errors
We dont use all before a and an:
She ate a whole bar of chocolate in one go.

Not: She ate all a bar
We cant omit the before whole with a singular noun:
We travelled throughout the whole country.
Not: throughout whole country.
Allow, permit or let?

Allow, permit and let are verbs that all have a similar meaning: give permission or make it possible for somebody to do or have
something.
Permit is more formal than allow. Allow is more formal than let:
The University has established a Museums Committee to permit more formal discussion of common problems amongst its museums.
The plan for Heathrow will allowairport operator BAA to build a third, shorter runway.
Will you let me pay for the meal?
Let me show you how to open it. Its a bit tricky.
Permit/allow someone + to do something
We use a direct object + to-infinitive afterpermit and allow:
[from a newspaper report about a rugby player]
He has not decided yet whether his leg injury will permit him to play this weekend.
I would not allow a child to have a TV or a computer in their room.
Let someone + do something
We use an infinitive without to after let:
[child to parent]
Why dont you let me go? All my friends are going.

We dont let employees use the office telephone for personal calls.
Passive with permit and allow
We often use the passive with permit andallow. Permit is often used for official public notices:
Photography is permitted for non-commercial use only.
[talking about a diet]
Youre allowed to eat as much fruit as you like.
Were not allowed to put posters on the walls.
Warning:
We dont usually use the passive with let:
The children were allowedto do whatever they wanted.
Not: The children were let do
Almost or nearly?
We use almost and nearly to refer to the progress of things, especially if we are measuring and counting things. In these
examples, almost and nearly can both be used:
[someone has been running five miles on a running machine in a gym]
Dont give up! Youre almost there.
Its time for bed. Its nearly 10 oclock.
Their CD has sold almost 90,000 copies in the last week.
Nearly all my friends were in the photograph.
We also use almost and nearly with extreme adjectives such as perfect,impossible or frozen:
That guy is almost impossible.
The chicken is still nearly frozen. I thought youd taken it out of the freezer.
We use almost (but not nearly) to soften statements:
I almost wish I hadnt offered to pay his fine.
We use almost before any and before negative words such as no, none, never,nobody, nothing. We dont use nearly in this way:
[describing computer software which traces the history of towns]
Using this special software, you can find the history of almost anybuilding.
Theyve almost no confidence that they can use the new phone properly.
She almost never raises her voice.
Not: She nearly never raises her voice.
Alone, lonely, orlonesome?

Alone or lonely?
Alone is an adjective and an adverb meaning that no other person is with you. When we use alone as an adjective, it never comes
before the noun (predicative adjective):
She was alone when she heard the sad news. (adjective)
Its impossible to discuss as a committee. The chairman alone will decide. (adverb)
Did they travel alone or did they take the children with them? (adverb)
Do you live alone? (adverb)
Lonely means that no other person is with you and that you are sad and unhappy as a result. We may choose to be alone but
generally we do not choose to be lonely:
Without her friends, it was a long andlonely journey.
She says she feels very lonely and depressed living in that big house.
We dont use lonely as an adverb:
I prefer going to lunch alone.

Not: I prefer going to lunch lonely.
Lonesome
In American English, lonesome means the same as lonely:
If theyre away from home, they getlonesome. (If theyre away from home, they get lonely).
Along or alongside?
Along and alongside are prepositions or adverbs.
Along
As a preposition, along means in a line next to something long and thin, e.g. a road, a path:
There were lots of shops along the main street.
I saw three different boats along the bank of the river.
We use along as an adverb with verbs of motion meaning together with:
Why dont you come along with us to the party?
They said theyd bring the bikesalong and we can ride to the swimming pool.
Alongside
As a preposition, alongside means close beside, next to or together with:
The trees alongside the fence have all been damaged by the wind. (near)
Put your bike alongside mine. (next to)
I find it difficult to cope with this illnessalongside all my other problems.(together with)
We also use alongside as an adverb, meaning along the side of or next to something:
I parked my car in the drive and William parked his alongside.

Already, still or yet?
Already or yet?
We use already to refer to something which has happened or may have happened before the moment of speaking. Already can
sometimes suggest surprise on the part of the speaker, that something is unexpected:
Is it seven oclock already? (The speaker didnt expect it to be so late.)
We use yet most commonly in questions and negatives, to talk about things which are expected but which have not happened:
Is it seven oclock yet? (The speaker thinks that probably its almost seven oclock.)
A:
Where will you be staying?
B:
I havent decided yet, but somewhere in the city centre.
Already refers to things which have happened or which people think may have happened. Yet refers to things which have not
happened or which people think may not have happened.
Already, yet or still?
We use still not yet or already to refer to the continuation of a situation:
I still meet my friends from my schooldays now and then. (I continue to meet my friends)
Not: I already meet my friends or I yet meet my friends
Compare
A:
Is your sister stillat I know she was at
university? university. Does that

B: continue to be true?
Yes. Shes got one more
year to do.
A:
Is your sister at
I expect that she will go
universityyet?
to university. Is she
B:
there now?
No. Shes only 17. Shell go
next year.
A:
Is your sisteralready at
Im surprised if your
university? Shes only 17!
sister is at university. I
B:
did not expect it to
Yes. She started this year.
happen until later.
Shes so clever they let her
enter a year early.
Negatives with already, still,yet
Negatives with yet mean that something has not happened up to now:
I havent spoken to Henry about the car yet.
Negatives with still suggest that the situation should have changed, but it has not:
I still havent found my passport. I know its here somewhere. (Ive been looking for it for a long time. I should have found it by now)
Warning:
We usually put yet after the main verb, whereas we usually put stillafter the subject.
Compare
I havent I stillhavent
finishedyet. finished.
You know, its dark

You know, its dark
now and
now and she hasnt
shestillhasnt
arrivedyet.
arrived.
Negatives with already are far less common than negatives with yet and still. They usually refer to things which should have
happened before they did happen:
If youve already registered, the price is 50 pounds. If you havent alreadyregistered, its 75 pounds for late registration.
I was surprised that they hadnt already told me the news.
Also, as well or too?

Also, as well and too are adverbs and mean in addition.
Also
Also is commonly used in writing, but is less common in speaking. Also occupies different positions in a sentence.
We use also in front position to emphasise what follows or to add a new point or topic:
Its very humid. Also, you can easily get sunburnt.
[on the telephone]
OK, Ill phone you next week and we can discuss it then. Also, we need to decide who will be going to Singapore.
We use also in the normal mid position for adverbs, between the subject and main verb, or after the modal verb or first auxiliary
verb, or after be as a main verb. In this position, the meaning of alsousually connects back to the whole clause that comes before:
She works very hard but she also goes to the gym every week.
Ive been working in the garden this week, and Ive also been reading a lot.
In end position, also normally connects two phrases. We use as well and tooinstead of also, in end position, especially in speech:
She contacted him in the office but he didnt answer the phone. His mobile phone was silent also. (or His mobile phone was
silent too. or was silentas well.)
As well
Spoken English:
As well is much more common in speaking than in writing, and is more common in speaking thanalso.
As well almost always comes in end position:

[In a restaurant. Customer (A) is ordering from a waiter (B)]
A:
Ill have steak please.
B:
Yes.
A:
And Ill have the mixed vegetables as well.
See also:
As well (as)
Too
We usually put too in end position:
Gills having chicken. Ill probably have chicken too.
She looks really tired and she must be really hungry too.
Too can occur immediately after the subject, if it refers directly to the subject. It does not normally occur after a modal or auxiliary
verb. We sometimes write commas before and after too:
I too thought she looked unwell.
We, too, have been very pleased to receive the prize on her behalf.
Not: We have too been very pleased
Too is especially common in responses to fixed expressions such as giving good wishes, and in responses consisting of a single
object pronoun:
A:
Enjoy the play.
B:
Thanks. You enjoy your eveningtoo. (preferred to You enjoy your evening as well. or You alsoenjoy your evening.)
A:
I need to go to the gym.
B:
Yeah, me too. (preferred toYeah, me also. or Yeah, me as well.)

In imperative clauses, as well and too are normally preferred to also:
[customer in a post office, buying books of first and second class stamps]
Give me a book of ten first and a book of ten second as well then please. (preferred to and a book of ten second also then please.)
Linking negatives
We use either not also, as well or too to connect two negative ideas:
Bills not here. I dont think Dave iseither, is he?
Not: I dont think Dave is also/as well/too.
A:
Thats not in paperback yet. Itsnot been in any book clubseither, has it?
B:
No.
Not: Its not been in any book clubs also/as well/too, has it?
Also, as well and too: typical error
We dont use as well at the beginning of a clause. As well usually comes at the end of a clause:
I just ignored it. I think everybody else did as well.
Not: As well I think everybody else did.
Alternate(ly),alternative(ly)
Alternate(ly)
The adjective alternate and the adverbalternately mean first one thing, then another thing and then the first thing again. When
we refer to time, we can also use the phrase every other day, every other week, etc.
The trouble is you can only park in the hospital on alternate days. (or in the hospital every other day.)
Not: on alternative days
She was alternately pleased and angry.

See also:
Every
Alternative(ly)
Alternative(ly) means something that is different and unusual and offers a possible choice:
We cant use that room for meetings. Theyll have to find us an alternativeroom.
Not: an alternate room
Alternatively, we could just stay in.
Not: Alternately, we could
Although orthough?
Although and though meaning in spite of
Although and though both mean in spite of something. They are subordinating conjunctions. This means that the clause which
they introduce is a subordinate clause, which needs a main clause to make it complete:
[main clause]Everyone enjoyed the trip to the finalalthough [subordinate clause]we lost the match!
[subordinate clause]Though it was rainy, [main clause]we put on our jackets and went for a walk.
Spoken English:
Though is more common thanalthough in general and it is much more common thanalthough in speaking. For emphasis, we often
use evenwith though (but not withalthough).
Warning:
When the though/althoughclause comes before the main clause, we usually put a comma at the end of the clause. When the main
clause comes first, we dont need to use a comma:
Even though I earn a lot of money every month, I never seem to have any to spare!
I still feel hungry even though I had a big lunch.
See also:
Even if
Although and though with -ing clauses
In formal situations, we can use althoughand though to introduce an -ing clause:
[a teacher talking about a student]
Peter, although working harder this term, still needs to put more work into mathematics.
[a doctor talking about a patient]
The patient, though getting stronger, is still not well enough to come off his medication.
Although and though with reduced clauses
In formal speaking or writing, we can usealthough, though and even though to introduce a clause without a verb (a reduced clause):
Raymond, although very interested, didnt show any emotion when she invited him to go for a walk.
[referring to a car]
Though more expensive, the new model is safer and more efficient.
Although and though meaning but
When the although/though clause comes after a main clause, it can also mean but it is also true that :
Karen is coming to stay next weekalthough Im not sure what day she is coming.
We didnt make any profit thoughnobody knows why.
Though meaning however
Spoken English:
Especially in speaking, we can use though (but not although oreven though) with a meaning similar to however ornevertheless. In
these cases, we usually put it at the end of a clause:
A:
You have six hours in the airport between flights!
B:
I dont mind, though. I have lots of work to do. Ill just bring my laptop with me.
A:
Its expensive.
B:
Its nice, though.
A:
Yeah, I think Ill buy it.
As though
As though has a meaning very similar toas if. As if is much more common than as though:
You look as though/as if you have seen a ghost!
He looks as though/as if he hasnt slept.
Altogether or all together?

Altogether
Altogether means completely or in total:
In 1997 the sales tax was lowered to 4%, then in 2001 it was abolishedaltogether.
The book was 13.50 and the magazine was 5.25, so it was 18.75altogether.
All together
All together means with each other, and is similar to together:
Put your clothes all together in one pile and Ill wash them for you.
Not: Put your clothes altogether in one pile
[a group of five people are waiting at the entrance to a restaurant]
Waiter:
Are you all together?
Customer:
Yes. Can you do a table for five?
Amount of, number of or quantity of?

Amount of or number of?
We use amount of with uncountable nouns. Number of is used with countable nouns:
We use a huge amount of paper in the office every day.
The amount of time it took to finish the job was very frustrating.
A great number of studentsvolunteer each year for environmental projects.
Not: A great amount of students volunteer
I have a number of things I want to talk to you about.
A quantity of or quantities of?
Quantity is more formal than amount ornumber. A quantity of or quantities ofcan be followed by a countable noun or an
uncountable noun. They are most commonly used with an adjective such ashuge, big, large, small:
The soldiers discovered a largequantity of weapons hidden under the floor of a disused building.(countable)
You only need a very small quantity of cement to mix with the sand.(uncountable)
Large quantities of illegal drugs had been discovered. (countable)
Aid workers have delivered hugequantities of food to the refugee camps. (uncountable)
Any more oranymore?

Any more as a determiner
We use any more as a determiner to describe an indefinite quantity of something. Any more is similar to some more. Some more is
more common in affirmative statements; any more is more common in questions, in clauses with ifand in sentences with negative
words such as hardly, never, scarcely:
Would you like any more tea?

If you find any more books, please let us know.
She doesnt want any more contact with him.
There are hardly any more people here than last month.
Yes, Id like some more information about trains to Berlin, please.
Not: Yes, Id like any more information about
See also:
Any
Some
Some and any
Any more as an adverb
Any more is also an adverb and has the meaning of no longer or in the past but not now. In this meaning, we use it in end
position:
We dont go to Cornwall on holidayany more. (We used to go in the past but not now.)
The cost of electricity is not cheapany more.
Especially in American English, any more, as an adverb, can be written as one word, anymore:
He doesnt cycle anymore.
Anyone, anybody oranything?

Anyone, anybody and anything are indefinite pronouns. We use anyone,anybody and anything to refer to both an open, unlimited
set of things or people and specific things or people. We use them with a singular verb:
Has anyone got a dictionary?
Anybody is welcome to join. There arent any rules.
Can I do anything to help?
I dont know anybody who speaks Portuguese.

We often use the plural pronoun they to refer back to (singular) anyone when we do not know if the person is male or female:
If anyone would like further information about the dogs, theyshould call Canine Rescue on 0502 75257. (The same
as If anyone would like further information about the dogs, he or she should call Canine Rescue on 0502 75257.)
Anything, anyone, anybody dont have a negative meaning on their own:
We stayed in Sevilla for the rest of our holidays. No one wanted to come back, but we had to.
Not: Anyone wanted to come back.
See also:
Any
Anyone and anybody
Anyone and anybody have no difference in meaning. Anybody is a little less formal than anyone. Anyone is used more in writing
than anybody:
I didnt know anybody at the party.
[talking about the New Zealand rugby team, the All Blacks]
It is hard to find anyone who thinks that the All Blacks will face a stronger team.
Apart from orexcept for?

Apart from and except for are multi-word prepositions. Apart from can mean either including or excluding:
Apart from Germany, they also visited Italy and Austria. (including Germany, in addition to Germany)
I like all vegetables apart fromtomatoes. (excluding tomatoes)
Apart from Friday, Ill be in London.(excluding Friday)
Except for or except only mean not including or excluding:
I like all vegetables except fortomatoes. (excluding tomatoes)
Except for Jim, who is unwell, they are all ready to leave for America tomorrow.
She enjoys all sports exceptswimming.

Arise or rise?
Arise means happen or occur. We use it with abstract nouns (e.g. problem). The three forms of arise are arise, arose,arisen. It is
used in formal contexts:
An opportunity arose and he decided to take the job in Brussels.
A problem has arisen with my passport.
Rise means go up. The three forms ofrise are rise, rose, risen:
The sun rises in the east and sets in the west.
Food prices have risen a lot in the last few months.
Around or round?
Around and round are prepositions or adverbs. We use around and round when we refer to movements in circles or from one place
to another. Around and roundcan both be used. Around is more common in American English. Round is a little more common in
speaking:
The earth goes round the sun.(movement in circles)
We spent a very pleasant day walkinground the town. (movement from one place to another)
Now they are retired, they are planning a trip around the world.
We also commonly use around andround in phrasal verbs:
Can you pass these application formsaround to all the people present?
We spent the whole day movinground some furniture in the bedroom.
Around and round also mean in different places and here and there:
People were panicking and runninground and shouting.
A:
Wheres Jill?
B:
I know shes around somewhere in the office.

Around can also mean approximately:
A:
How old do you think the castle is?
B:
Id say around 500 years.
Arouse or rouse?
Rouse and arouse are both used in formal contexts. Arouse means make someone have a particular feeling:
Both lecturers aroused a lot of interest in the subject of geology.
Rouse means wake someone up or make someone active:
The goal roused the supporters and they began to really get behind the team. (get behind means support)
We also use rouse as a reflexive verb:
She finally roused herself at lunchtime and got out of bed.
As or like?
As and like are prepositions or conjunctions. The prepositions as andlike have different meanings. As + noun means in the role
of, like + noun means similar to or in the same way as.
Compare
Asyour father,
The speaker is the
Ill help you as
listeners father.
much as I can.
The speaker is not the

Likeyour father,
father but wishes to
Ill help you as
act in a similar way to
much as I can.
the father.
We use like (but not as) to compare two things:
Shes got a headache like me.
Not: Shes got a headache as me.
Like the other students, he finds it a bit difficult to get to lectures early in the morning.
Not: As the other students, he finds it
When we compare appearance or behaviour, we use like, not as:
That house looks like a castle.
Not: That house looks as a castle.
As is commonly used to talk about jobs:
He worked for a long time as a teacher in Africa.
Not: like a teacher in Africa.
The conjunctions as and like have the same meaning when used in comparisons. Like is a little more informal.
Nobody understands him as I do.
Nobody understands him like I do
As, because orsince?

As, because and since are conjunctions.As, because and since all introduce subordinate clauses. They connect the result of
something with its reason.
result reason
He decided to go to the as he was in Spain
conference in Barcelona, anyway.
Are you angry with me because I opened the

result reason
letter?
Bilardo coaches his team by
telephone, since half of them play
(Bilardo was the coach of the in Italy, France or Spain.
Argentinian football team)
Because
Because is more common than as andsince, both in writing and speaking. When we use because, we are focusing on the reason:
She spoke quietly because she didnt want Catherine to hear.
Well come over on Sunday becauseDavids got to work on Saturday.
We often put the because-clause at the beginning of a sentence, especially when we want to give extra focus to the reason. We use
a comma after the because-clause:
Because breathing is something we do automatically, we rarely think about it.
We can use a because-clause on its own without the main clause in speaking or informal writing:
A:
Would you like to go to school there?
B:
Yes.
A:
Why?
B:
Because my best friend goes there. (I would like to go to school there because my best friend goes there.)
Warning:
We dont use a because-clause on its own in formal writing:
In 1998, the government introduced a new import taxbecause people were importing cars from abroad.
Not: a new import tax. Because people were importing cars from abroad.
Cos
We often shorten because to cos /kz/ or/kz/ in informal speaking and writing:
Im laughing cos Im so happy.
See also:
Because, because of and cos, cos of
As and since
We often use as and since when we want to focus more on the result than the reason. As and since are more formal than because.
We usually put a comma before since after the main clause:
[result]I hope theyve decided to come as [reason]I wanted to hear about their India trip.
[result]Theyre rather expensive, since [reason]theyre quite hard to find.
We often use as and since clauses at the beginning of the sentence. We use a comma after the as- or since- clause:
Since everything can be done from home with computers and telephones, theres no need to dress up for work any more.
As everyone already knows each other, theres no need for introductions. Well get straight into the business of the meeting.
We use because, not as or since, in questions where the speaker proposes a reason:
Are you feeling unwell because you ate too much?
Not: Are you feeling unwell since you ate too much? or as you ate too much?
As, when or while?

As, when and while are conjunctions. In some uses as, when and while can mean the same, but they can also have slightly different
meanings. We use them to introduce subordinate clauses.
We can use as, when and while to mean during the time that, to connect two events happening at the same time:
Another coach-load of people arrivedas we were leaving.

We often use them with the past continuous to refer to background events:
When the men were out working in the field, I helped with milking the cows, feeding the calves and the pigs.
While he was working, he often listened to music.
We can put clauses with as, when andwhile before or after the main clause. When they come before the main clause, we use a
comma:
As she was leaving the court, a crowd of photographers gathered around her. (before the main clause, followed by a comma)
Steven was very unhappy whenthings werent going well for him.
Lucy came into the room while he was waiting.
As
We can use as to introduce two events happening at the same time. After as, we can use a simple or continuous form of the verb.
The continous form emphasises an action that interrupts or occurs during the progress of another action:
As she walked to the door, she thanked them for a lovely dinner.
As they were signing the contract, they noticed that a page was missing.
When
We can use when to introduce a single completed event that takes place in the middle of a longer activity or event. In these cases,
we usually use a continuous verb in the main clause to describe the background event:
He was walking back to his flat whenhe heard an explosion.
Depending on the context, when can mean after or at the same time.
Compare
When you open the

whenmeaning
file, check the second
after
page.
I eat ice
whenmeaning at
creamwhen I am on
the same time
holiday.
See also:
Conditionals
We often use just with when or as to express things happening at exactly the same time:
The phone always rings just whenIm closing the front door.
She was a brilliant gymnast, but she had a terrible accident in 1999, just as her career was taking off.
While and as
We can use while or as to talk about two longer events or activities happening at the same time. We can use either simple or
continuous verb forms:
We spent long evenings talking in my sitting-room while he played the music he had chosen and explained his ideas.
We were lying on the beach sunbathing as they were playing volleyball.
See also:
As
While
When and while without a subject
We can use when and while without a verb, or without a subject + auxiliary verbbe:
Go past the village signpost and you get to a church. When there, take the next turning right. (formal)
He read his book while waiting for the bus. (while he was waiting)
Warning:
We cant use as in this way:
We ate our sandwiches as we walked around the park.
Not: as walking around the park.

Been or gone?
We often use been to, instead of gone to, when we refer to completed visits to a place:
Have you ever been to Budapest?
Not: Have you ever gone to Budapest?
If the visit is not complete, we use gone.
Compare
Joans justgone to the Joan has not
shop. Shell be back in yet returned
about ten minutes. from the shop.
Joans justbeen to the

Joan has
shop. She bought some
returned from
cakes. Would you like
the shop.
one?
Begin or start?
We can use the verbs begin and start to mean the same thing but begin is more formal than start. Begin is an irregular verb. Its past
simple form is began and its -ed form is begun:
When did you begin learning English?
The meeting didnt start until 9 pm.
We use start, but not begin, to talk about machines:
Press this button to start the printer.
Not: to begin the printer.
The lawnmower wont start. (this means that it doesnt work)

Not: The lawnmower wont begin.
Start, but not begin, is used to talk about creating a new business:
She started a new restaurant and its been going really well.
Not: She began a new restaurant
Beside or besides?
Beside
Beside is a preposition. It means at the side of or next to. It is rather formal:
He would like to take a photograph of us. Would you come and sit besideme?
There was a small table beside the bed, on which there was a book.
Besides
Besides is a preposition or a linking adverb. It means in addition to or also:
What other types of music do you likebesides classical?
As a linking adverb, we usually put a comma before and after besides in writing:
I dont think going for a walk is a good idea. Its quite cold, and, besides, its getting late and we dont want to be out in the dark.
Between oramong?
Between and among are prepositions.
Between, among: meaning and use
We use between to refer to two things which are clearly separated. We useamong to talk about things which are not clearly
separated because they are part of a group or crowd or mass of objects:
Our holiday house is between the mountains and the sea. (the mountains are on one side and the sea is on the other)
The ancient fountain was hiddenamong the trees. (surrounded by trees)
Between and prepositional phrases
Between is most often used to introduce a prepositional phrase which contains two singular or plural noun phrases:
There was a cyclist [prepositional phrase]between the car and the lorry.
I didnt see any difference [prepositional phrase]between the real bags and the imitation bags.
We can also use between + pronoun when referring to two people or things:
I gave Yolanda and Lynn some money and told them to share itbetween them.
We can also use between, but notamong, to connect times or numbers:
They lived in New York between1998 and 2004.
Not: They lived in New York among 1998 and 2004.
What were you doing between 5.30 pm and 7.00 pm?
Nouns and verbs followed bybetween
The most common nouns often followed by between are: connection, difference,distinction, link, relationship:
Is there a connection between his arrival and her disappearance?
Theres a strong link between clean drinking water and reduced infant mortality.
The most common verbs often followed by between are: choose, differentiate,distinguish, divide:
[talking about judging a competition]
I didnt want to have to choose between the singers.
Her money was divided between her son and her daughter.
Among meaning surrounding, part of or included in
We use among to suggest a sense of being a part of or surrounded by or included in something else. It is typically followed by a
plural noun phrase:

She wanted to be among friends.
Among his books, we found some rare first editions.
Among others and among other things
In the phrases among others and among other things, among means as well as:
Her parents, among others, were worried about her travelling alone.
Among other things, I still have to pack.
Born or borne?
Born
We use born in the phrase be born to indicate that a child has entered the world:
They say that in China a new baby is born every five minutes.
Warning:
We use was/were born when we talk about when or where someone started their life:
I was born in 1988.
Not: I am born in 1988. or I born in 1988.
Bear, bore, borne
Bear means to tolerate something, usually something that you dislike. It is most commonly used in the expression cant bear. The
past form is bore and the -ed form is borne:
I cant bear so much football on television.
She has borne all her problems with great courage.
The verb bear is sometimes used to describe the act of giving birth. It is most commonly used in the past tense and in rather formal
situations. Have is more common when talking about giving birth:
She bore twelve children in twenty-two years. (or, more commonly, Shehad twelve children )
Bring, take andfetch
Bring
Bring means moving something or someone. The movement is either from where the listener is to where the speaker is, or from
the speaker to the listener.
Bring is an irregular verb. Its past tense and -ed form are both brought.
In both of the following examples, the speakers are seeing things from As viewpoint things will move to the place where A is:
A:
Are you going to the bedroom?
B:
Yes.
A:
Can you bring me my grey sweater? Its on the bed.
B:
Yeah. (B will return with the sweater to the place where A is.)
Not: Can you take me my grey sweater?
A:
Are you coming to our place on Friday night?
B:
Yes. Do you want me to bring my guitar? (B will carry the guitar to the place where A will be.)
Bring can also mean moving with something or someone from another place to the speakers or listeners location:
[on the telephone]
A:
Did Laura bring you anything for your birthday?
B:
Yes. She brought me some flowers and a CD. (Laura is C, another person, in a different place from A or B. She moved with
something to where B, the listener, was.)
Take
Take means movement with something or someone from where the speaker or listener is to a different place:
[university assistant at a central faculty office, speaking to a student]
You have to fill in this form and thentake it to the English Department to get it stamped. (the assistant and the student are at the
central faculty office the English Department is a different place)
Not: and then bring it to the English Department
A:
I can take you to the station tomorrow. What times your train?(Neither A nor B is at the station; it is a different place.)
B:
Thanks. Its eight-thirty.
Bring or take?
Compare
seen from
She visits her father every
the
morning
viewpoint
and shealwaystakes him
of the doer
the days newspaper.
she
seen from
She visits her father every the
morning and she viewpoint
alwaysbrings himthe days of the
newspaper. receiver
him
Fetch
Fetch means to go to another place to get something or someone and return with the thing or the person. We use it for people and
things that are not here but that we need or are due to be here. We can usually use get instead of fetch:
If youre going to the garage, can youfetch that green bag with the paintbrushes in it? Or Can you get that green bag
Right. Its five oclock. Id better go andfetch my mother from the station.
See also:
Come or go?
Bring, take and fetch: typical errors
We dont use take when something is seen from the receivers viewpoint:
A:
Are you and Josh coming to our party?
B:
Yeah. Sheila invited us.
A:
Good. Can you bring some CDs? Were a bit short of music.
Not: Can you take some CDs?
Brought is the past tense of bring.Bought is the past tense of buy:
Angela was in Morocco and shebrought us back a beautiful wooden tray.
Not: and she bought us back
Can, could or may?

Possibility
When we talk about possibility, we usecan, could and may, but they are different in meaning.
Compare
This expresses what
It can be the speaker believes is
dangerous to cycle a general truth or
in the city. known fact, or a strong
possibility.
This does not express
Itcould/maybe a general truth. The
dangerous to cycle speaker is only
in the city. expressing a weak
possibility.
This expresses a real
fact using the present

Its dangerousto
simple. The speaker is
cycle in the city.
certain and no
modality is used.
See also:
Could
May
Permission
We use can, could and may to ask for permission. We use can and may, but not could, to give permission. May is less common:
Compare
asking for permission formal/polite? giving permission formal/polite?
Can I ask you a question? informal informal
Yes, you can.
Could I use your phone? more formal/polite Yes, you may.
Yes, you could. formal/polite
May I use your phone? even more formal/polite
See also:
Might
Requests
When we make requests, we can use canor could (but not may). Could is more polite than can:
Can you call back later? Im busy now.
Could you call back later? Im busy now.
Teachers and parents often use can andcould in requests:
Can you open you books at page 34, please.
Can you please refrain from chewing gum.
Could you just sit down and listen!
See also:
Requests
Politeness
Can, could or may: typical errors
Could in the present only expresses weak possibility. Can expresses strong possibility:
I can travel in July because my exams will definitely be finished at the beginning of that month. (strong possibility)
I could travel in July because my exams will probably be finished at the beginning of that month. (weak possibility)
We dont normally use could to talk about general truths which refer to the present time. We use can instead:
Not everyone can afford to buy organic food.
Not: Not everyone could afford
We use could, not can, to express future possibility. Can expresses that we are certain of something:
Working in London next summercould be a great experience. (The speaker thinks this is possible, in particular circumstances)
Not: can be a great experience.
Classic orclassical?
Classic: adjective
Classic means high quality. In particular, we use it to mean something that is valued because it has a traditional style:
She was wearing a classic dark blue skirt.
Its a classic motorbike from the 1940s.
Classic also means a perfect or most typical example of something:
The show is a classic example of TV made for children.
Classic: noun
We can use a classic and the classics to refer to the greatest and most famous works of literature from the past:
Tolstoys War and Peace is a classic.
I never read modern novels. I always prefer the classics, such as Dickens and Jane Austen.
Classics without an article means the academic subject which includes the study of Ancient Greek and Latin:
My sister is studying Classics at Manchester University right now.
Classical: adjective
We use classical to refer to the culture of the past and to art forms which belong to a long formal tradition:
Mozart is probably the best-knownclassical composer.
Shes only eight years old and she has learned to dance both classicaland modern ballet.
Come or go?
We use come to describe movement between the speaker and listener, and movement from another place to the place where the
speaker or listener is. We usually use go to talk about movement from where the speaker or listener is to another place.
When we talk about another person (someone who is neither the speaker nor the listener), we can use either come orgo,
depending on whether the speaker sees things from the receivers viewpoint (come) or the doers viewpoint (go).
[doer]Yolandacame to[receiver]her We
motherfor help. use come when
we see things
from the
receivers
viewpoint (in this
case the mother).
We use go when
we see things
[doer]Melissawent to [receiver]her
from the doers
motherfor help.
viewpoint (in this
case Melissa).
See also:
Go
Come in, go in
Come in and go in both mean enter:
[dentists assistant to a patient who is waiting]
Will you come in now, please.
[at a beach on a cold day]
Its so cold! I dont want to go in the water.
Consider orregard?
Consider and regard can both mean believe or realise or understand. When they mean believe or realise or understand, we
dont often use the continuous forms.
Consider
Consider takes several different patterns.

Consider + that-clause
When you consider that she was very scared, her story is even more remarkable.
Consider + object + to be
They consider him to be the best chef in the country.
Consider + object + to have
The ministry of trade considered the company to have the best vision for exports.
Warning:
We dont use as with consider:
We consider this to be a very serious issue.
Not: We consider this as a very serious issue.
Regard
We often use regard in the phrase regard as: regard (+ object) + as + noun phrase or adjective phrase:
The United Nations regard human rights as their main priority.
Alexander Graham Bell is regardedas the inventor of the telephone.
Do you regard their behaviour as good or bad?
Typical error
We dont usually use the continuous forms of consider and regard:
When you consider that he was too young, you have to blame his parents.
Not: When you are considering that he was too young
The government regards the economy as a main priority.
Not: The government is regarding the economy
Consist, compriseor compose?

Consist, comprise and compose are all verbs used to describe what something is made of. We dont use them in continuous forms.
Consist
Their diet only consisted of fruit and seeds.
The whole group consists ofstudents.
We only use the active form of consist of:
Their flat consists of two bedrooms, a kitchen and a bathroom.
Not: Their flat is consisted of two bedrooms
Comprise
Comprise is more formal than consist:
The USA comprises 50 states.
We can also use it in the passive voice in the form be comprised of:
The course is comprised of ten lectures and five seminars on the theory of economics and banking.
Comprise, but not compose, can be used with the parts that make up something as the subject:
Oil and coal comprise 70% of the nations exports.
Compose of is even more formal thanconsist of and comprise. Compose of is only used in the passive voice:
Muscle is composed of different types of protein.
Typical errors
We dont use consist, comprise andcompose in a continuous form:
The whole group consists ofstudents.
Not: The whole group is consisting of students.
Content orcontents?
Content and contents are nouns.
Content (uncountable)
Content as a singular noun is uncountable. It means the ideas that are contained in a piece of w riting or a film or a speech:
This film has adult content; it is not suitable for children.
His speech was very flowery, but it lacked content and was quite superficial.
Content can also mean the amount of a particular substance contained in something:
These hamburgers have a high fatcontent; theyre not good for you.
Contents (plural)
The contents of a book is the list of chapters or articles or parts that are in the book, with the number of the page they begin on:
If you look at the contents, youll see theres a chapter on Japanese folk music.
Different from,different to ordifferent than?

The adjective different means not the same. When we compare two or more items, it is usually followed by from. We also
use different to, especially in speaking:
Adam is so different from/to his brother.
This house is very different from/toyour last one.
In American English it is also common to say different than:
This tea tastes very different thanthe one I usually drink. (or verydifferent from/to the one I usually drink)
In British English, people often saydifferent than before a clause, but many speakers consider this to be incorrect:
His accent is different now thanbefore he went to Australia. (or different now from before he went to Australia.)
Do or make?
When we use do and make with noun phrases, do focuses on the process of acting or performing something, makeemphasises
more the product or outcome of an action:

When I was [action]doing the calculations, I [outcome]made two mistakes.
I [action]did some work for her last summer; I [outcome]made a pond in her garden.
Examples of nouns used with do andmake
Nouns which combine with do
activity damage favour job task
business drawing gardening laundry test
cleaning duty harm ones best washing (up)
cooking exam(ination) homework painting work
course exercise ironing shopping
I do the shopping on Fridays usually.
Could you do a job for me next week?
Who does the cooking in your house?
Nouns which combine with make
apology coffee excuse love offer remark
assumption comment friends lunch phone call sound
bed complaint guess mess plan soup
breakfast dinner law mistake profit speech

cake effort list money progress statement
change error loss noise promise tea
They made me an interesting offer of a job in Warsaw.
Not many building firms will make a profit this year.
I have to make a phone call.
Down, downwardsor downward?

Down
We use down mostly as a preposition or adverb. It means in or moving to a low or lower position or level:
We ran down the hill like two little children.
Jamie, put that vase down! Youll break it!
We can also use down to mean towards the south, generally in the south, or towards the place where a river meets the sea:
When you were living in Spain, did you ever go down to Granada?
We went on a cruise down the Nile for seven days. It was fantastic.
In informal situations, we can use down to talk about a quick trip to a destination which we consider to be less central than where
we are. In this meaning, we can use it with or without to. Without to is less formal:
Im just going down (to) the shop. Do you want anything?
Are you going down (to) the golf club tonight?
Down can also mean along. We can use it with from:
Milas office is just down the corridor, second door on the left.
They live just down the street fromour house.
A good dictionary will tell you more meanings of down, especially when it is used as part of a phrasal verb.
Downwards, downward
Downwards is an adverb. It means movement towards a lower position:
The garden slopes gentlydownwards in the direction of the river.
Could you point the reading lampdownwards? Its shining in my eyes.
In American English, downward (with no final -s) is used as an adverb:
Since the nineteen seventies, our country has really taken some stepsdownward.
In British English, downward (with no final-s) is normally only used as an adjective:
The statistics for violent crimes have shown a downward trend in the last two years. (The numbers have gone down.)
During or for?
We use during to say when something happens, if it happens in or over a period of time. We use for to talk about the length of time
something lasts.
Compare
They went to They went at one
Floridaduringthe point in the
winter. winter.
They went from

They went to
the beginning to
Floridafor the
the end of the
winter.
winter.
She phoned me during the week to tell me that she was getting married.(referring to a point in the week)
We were in the cinema for three and a half hours.
Not: during three and a half hours.
Our flight to New York was delayedfor seven hours.

Not: during seven hours.
We went to Italy for a week.
Not: during a week.
We can also use for to refer to public holidays and seasons:
He always goes to his mothers housefor New Year.
Not: during New Year.
Each or every?
We use each to refer to individual things in a group or a list of two or more things. It is often similar in meaning to every, but we
use every to refer to a group or list of three or more things.
Compare
Eachstresses
individual
members of a
Each onetakes turns
group.
cooking dinner in
Eachrefers to two
the evenings.
or more people
who share the
work.
Everystresses all
the members of
Everyonetakes
the complete
turns cooking
group.
dinner in the
Everyrefers to
evenings.
three or more
people.
We use adverbs such as almost, practically and nearly with every, but not with each:
Almost every car in the car park was new.

Not: Almost each car
Practically every house now has at least two televisions.
Not: Practically each house
We can use each of + pronoun or each of+ determiner + noun, but with every we must use every one + pronoun or every one +
determiner + noun:
Each of us has a bicycle.
Every one of us has a bicycle.
Not: Every of us
Each of the children received a special gift.
Every one of the children received a special gift.
Not: Every of the children
East or eastern;north or northern?

North, south, east, west
We usually use north, south, east, west, not northern, southern, eastern andwestern, to refer to specific places or to direction of
movement. We can usenorth, south, east and west as adjectives or adverbs and occasionally as nouns:
More and more people are buying second homes on the south coast of Ireland. (adjective)
After Bangkok, we drove north for about six hours without stopping.(adverb)
Strong Atlantic winds are forecast in the west of Portugal. (noun)
We normally use capital letters in place names with north, south, east and west:
The conference is taking place inNorth Dakota.
[from an advertisement in a travel magazine]
Bargain flights to South America from London Gatwick from 350.

Northern, southern, eastern andwestern: larger areas
We commonly use northern, southern, eastern and western (without capital letters) to refer to larger areas or territory. We can
only use them as adjectives:
The northern parts of India have suffered severe flooding.
Houses are more expensive in mostwestern parts of the country.
Some names of specific places have capital letters for northern, southern,eastern and western:
We are holidaying in NorthernIreland next year. (name of a region)
Perth is the capital of WesternAustralia. (name of a state)
San Diego is my favourite place insouthern California. (a part or region of a state but not the name of a state)
Economic oreconomical?
Economic and economical are adjectives.
We use economic to mean related to trade, industry or money:
The economic forecast for next year is not good.
The President spoke mostly abouteconomic policy.
We use economical to mean not using a lot of money:
Hybrid cars are very economical.(They do not cost a lot of money to run.)
Solar energy for your home is expensive in the short term but it is more economical in the long term.
Efficient oreffective?
Efficient and effective are adjectives.
We use efficient to describe something or someone that works in a quick and organised way:
The new online banking system offers a convenient and efficient way to check your account.
[extract from a reference for someone applying for a job]

I have always known James to be highly competent and efficient in all aspects of his job.
We use effective to describe something that gives you the results you want:
Taking this tablet is a very effectivecure for travel sickness.
In this light, the camera is moreeffective if you use the flash.
Elder, eldest orolder, oldest?

Elder and eldest mean the same asolder and oldest. We only use the adjectives elder and eldest before a noun (as attributive
adjectives), and usually when talking about relationships within a family:
Let me introduce Siga. Shes myelder sister.
Not: Shes my sister. Shes elder.
Its Catherines eightieth birthday on Thursday and she is now the eldestmember of the family.
We also use elder and eldest as nouns:
Jack is the eldest of four brothers.
Older and oldest are used in similar ways:
My older sister is coming to stay with us at the weekend.
Matt is the oldest of our children and Simon is the youngest.
Older and oldest can be used to refer to the age of things more generally:
The town hall is by far the oldestbuilding in the whole region.
Not: The town hall is by far the eldest building
We can use older and oldest after a linking verb (as predicative adjectives):
I think her grandfather must be olderthan her grandmother.
Not: I think her grandfather must be elder than
End or finish?
We use the verbs end and finish in similar ways, to mean come to a stop:
I think that his contract ends this month.
What time does the film finish?
We use finish to say that we complete something that we are doing. It emphasises that the process stops within a specific period of
time. End would not normally be used in these examples:
He finished his meal in just three minutes.
If we had the right tools, we couldfinish the job by Friday this week.
Her brother finished last in the race.
We use end to say that stopping something is significant, and has a clear conclusion or shape. Finish wouldnt normally be used in
these examples:
The course of the river ended in a delightful harbour with small sailing boats everywhere.
Many historians agree that the medieval period in Europe ended in the mid-sixteenth century.
Verbs that end in -ed are usually in the past tense.
Finish can be followed by the -ing form, but not by a to-infinitive:
Theyve finished playing those computer games.
Not: Theyve finished to play
I havent finished drying my hair yet.
Not: I havent finished to dry
End cannot be followed by either a to-infinitive or the -ing form:
Call me when youve finished writingthe report.
Not: Call me when youve ended writing
Especially orspecially?
Especially and specially are adverbs.

Especially means particularly or above all:
She loves flowers, especially roses.
I am especially grateful to all my family and friends who supported me.
Not: Especially I am
We use specially to talk about the specific purpose of something:
This kitchen was specially designed to make it easy for a disabled person to use.
He has his shirts made specially for him by a tailor in London.
Especially can also be used to mean for a particular purpose:
I bought these (e)specially for you.
Every
Every is a determiner.
Every meaning each member of a group
We use every + singular noun to refer individually to all the members of a complete group of something:
Theres a photograph on the wall ofevery child in the school.
Try to answer every question.
When every refers to the subject of the clause, we use a singular verb:
Every player wants to be in a winning team.
Not: Every player want
Every cook needs good knives and a chopping board.
The negative of every is normally not every:
Not every noun has a plural form.

We use singular pronouns and possessives to refer back to every + noun, especially in more formal styles, and especially when what
we refer to is not human:
Every store has a manager in charge of it.
Every area has its own park.
In less formal styles, the pronoun or possessive may be plural:
Every student gets a laptop. They have to give it back at the end of the course.
Every user has their own password.
See also:
All or every?
Each or every?
Every: regular situations
We use every with a singular noun to refer to something that happens regularly:
The festival is held every August in Budapest.
I leave the house every morning at 6 am.
Not: I leave the house every mornings at 6 am.
We use every with a number and a plural noun to refer to regular intervals of time or numbers:
There are buses into town every ten minutes.
He now works from home, travelling to Amsterdam every two weeks.
Every day or everyday?
We write two words when every daymeans each day. The adjective everydayis one word. It means normal or usual:
The boys meet up every day in the park.
Not: The boys meet up everyday in the park.
In the Soviet Union, poetry was at the centre of everyday life.

Every single
We often use single with every to emphasise each member of a complete group of people or things:
He was the only player who played inevery single match last season.
Ive got to photocopy every singlepage.
Every one or everyone?
We use every one, written as two words, to refer back to a noun we have already mentioned:
I received more than a hundred letters from him while I was away and Ive kept every one.
Everyone, written as one word, means every person:
Everyone enjoyed themselves.
We use every one of before pronouns and determiners:
There are 107 two-letter words in the dictionary and John Catto, an Aberdeen lorry driver, knows every one of them.
When Jenkins joined the bank, one of his first acts was to make every one of the banks employees reapply for their jobs.
See also:
Everyone, everybody, everything,everywhere
Every other
We use every other to mean alternate:
We worked every other Sunday.(One Sunday he worked, the next Sunday he didnt work, the next Sunday he worked, etc.)
He works in Germany every otherweek. (One week he works in Germany, the next week he doesnt, the next week he does, etc.)
Every: typical errors
We dont use every on its own, without a noun or without one:
There were five rooms. Every roomwas decorated in a different style.

Not: Every was decorated in a different style.
We dont use every with a plural noun:
I go swimming every day.
Not: I go swimming every days
Except or except for?

We often use except and except for as prepositions to mean not including or excluding. They are followed by a noun or noun
phrase or a wh-clause. Bothexcept and except for are correct after a noun:
I like all fruit except (for) oranges.(excluding oranges)
Except for Louisa, whos away in Berlin this weekend, well all be at the party.
She likes going to most sports events, except cricket matches.
Except can also be used as a conjunction. We dont use except for in this way:
The brothers are very alike, except (that) Mark is slightly taller than Kevin.
Except and except for are used in similar ways to apart and apart from.
Expect, hope orwait?

Expect
We use expect to say that we believe that something will happen. We use expect in the following main patterns:
expect + object: Shes expecting a second baby.
expect +to- We expect to move into our new
infinitive: flat next week.
expect +that- We expected that the guest house
clause: would have much better rooms.

expect + object The companyexpects her to be
+to-infinitive: early.
Expect also means think or suppose. When expect has this meaning, we do not commonly use it in the continuous form:
A:
Will he have bought the necklace by now?
B:
I expect so.
Not: Im expecting so.
I expect that hell be wearing that bright blue shirt.
Not: I am expecting
When we expect that something will not happen or is not true, expect is most commonly used in a negative form:
I dont expect she will pass the exam.(preferred to I expect she wont pass)
Hope
We use hope when we do not know whether something will happen or not but we want it to happen. We use hope in the following
patterns:
hope +to- I think you werehoping to see your
infinitive: family next week.
I hope that your sister recovers

hope +thatclause:
quickly from the operation.
[parents discussing the birth of
their next child]

hope +for:
Weve already got two boys so
werehoping for a girl.
We use hope to express good intentions and wishes for the future:
I hope we can see each other soon.
Not: I wish we can see each other soon.
I hope you enjoy your stay in Greece.
Not: I wish you enjoy your stay in Greece.
See also:
Wish
Wait
We use wait when we refer to letting time pass because we are expecting that something is going to happen. We usewait in the
following main patterns:
Just wait here with the bags and Ill

wait(imperative):
go and get a taxi.
wait + for: Dont worry. Illwait for you.
When the band arrived at the
wait + to- concert hall, a large crowd of
infinitive: screaming fans were waiting to
greet them.
wait + for + object + to-infinitive:
Theyre waiting for him to make up his mind and wont do
anything until he does.
Expect, hope or wait: typical errors
We dont use wait or wait for to say that we believe that something will happen. We use expect:
People usually expect holidays to revive their spirits and renew their souls and they often succeed in achieving that target.
Not: People usually wait for holidays to

We dont use expect to refer to time passing when we are talking about something that we hope is going to happen:
I look forward very much to hearing from you soon, and I wait anxiously for a positive answer.
Not: and I expect anxiously a positive answer.
Experience orexperiment?
We use experience as a verb when something happens to us, or we feel it. It is rather formal:
I experienced a feeling of deep sadness as I entered the refugee camp.
Customers have experiencedproblems in finding parking places at the mall.
Warning:
We dont use live instead ofexperience:
How children behave when they grow up depends on what they experience during early childhood.
Not: what they live during early childhood.
Experiment as a verb means try something in order to discover what it is like or to find out more about it:
Scientists have experimented with liquids and gels in which plants can grow artificially.
I wish the government would stopexperimenting with new teaching methods for our kids every couple of years.
Warning:
We dont use experiment when we are talking about feelings or things which happen:
She suddenly experienced a sensation of homesickness.
Not: experimented a sensation
The companys Asia branchexperienced a sharp drop in profits in 2007.
Not: experimented a sharp drop
Fall or fall down?

We can use fall as a noun or a verb. It means suddenly go down onto the ground or towards the ground unintentionally or
accidentally. It can also mean come down from a higher position. As a verb, it is irregular. Its past form is fell and its -ed form
is fallen. Falldoes not need an object:
Mrs McGrath had a terrible fallyesterday. Shes in hospital now.(noun)
Four trees fell in the storm. (verb)
Oil prices have fallen recently.
Fall down is a phrasal verb. We use it when something falls to the ground from its normal position:
The picture keeps falling down. (from the wall to the ground)
He slipped and fell down.
Warning:
We use fall, not fall down, when trees drop their leaves during the autumn:
As autumn came and the leaves fell from the trees, she began to feel sad.
Not: the leaves fell down
We cant use fall down to mean come down from a higher position:
House prices have fallen a lot this year.
Not: House prices have fallen down a lot
Far or a long way?

Far and a long way both describe something at a great distance:
I cant see very far without my glasses on.
San Francisco is a long way from New York.
Far is used mostly in negatives and questions:
Theres a Thai restaurant not far from here.
How far is your house from the station?

A long way is used mostly in affirmative statements but we also use it in questions and negatives:
A:
How long did it take you to get here today?
B:
I left home at half past ten this morning.
A:
Six hours. Thats a long time, isnt it?
B:
Yeah. Its a long way.
Not: Its far.
A:
We have to go to Cathys place first to pick her up.
B:
Is it a long way from here?
A:
No, its not far.
Far is used in affirmative statements with words such as so, too, enough and as. These expressions can refer to time as well as
distance:
So far, we have sent four letters to the Council about the litter on the street.(time until now)
Six months is too far ahead. The restaurant only takes bookings for up to two months in advance.
Where we live is far enough away from the city. I dont want to move any further away.
From here, you can see as far as the ocean.
Far is also used in comparatives to mean much:
The roads here are far better than in our country.
Food costs far more in the UK.
We can use by far before a superlative adjective to add emphasis:
With more than seven million people, London is by far the biggest city in England the second city, Birmingham, has just over one
million.
We use the phrase has come a long wayto mean has improved or developed:
Our team has come such a long way. We lost our first game 5-0!
We can use the phrase to be a long way off (+ noun or -ing form) to refer to a long time:
The holidays are a long way off.
Were a long way off retiring yet, Marlene.
Farther, farthest orfurther, furthest?

Comparative forms
Farther and further are comparative adverbs or adjectives. They are the irregular comparative forms of far. We use them to talk
about distance. There is no difference in meaning between them.Further is more common:
We cant go any further; the roads blocked.
After this, I felt a little refreshed but as I came over the hill, my legs rebelled. I could walk no further.
How much farther are we going?
Farther, and, much less commonly,further can be used as adjectives to refer to distance away from the speaker:
He could see a small boat on thefarther shore.
At the further end of the village stood an old ruined house.
We often repeat farther or further to emphasise the distance:
I am just a little ship, Aunt Emily said, drifting farther and farther out to sea.
We often use along with farther andfurther:
Ben Gunn had told me his boat was hidden near the white rock, and I found that rock farther along the beach.
We often use a little, a bit or a lot beforefurther and farther:
[in an aerobics exercise class]
Now push and stretch that arm just a little further and count to ten.
Superlative forms
Farthest and furthest are superlative adjectives or adverbs. They are the irregular superlative forms of far. We use them to talk
about distance. There is no difference in meaning between them.Furthest is more common than farthest:
The furthest galaxies are about three thousand million light years away.
Go on, boys! Lets see who can runfurthest.
Viv took a corner seat farthest away from the door.
Further (but not farther)
There are some occasions when we can use further but not farther.
We use further before a noun to mean extra, additional or a higher level:
For further information, please ring 095-6710090.
A further door led off to the right, with a tiled passage taking her to the bathroom, and another large square room at the end, which
was probably the dining-room.
Shes gone to a college of furthereducation. (a place to study practical subjects from age 17)
We also use further to mean more:
I do not propose to discuss it anyfurther.
Before you look at your programme, let me explain a little further.
The expression further to is often used in formal letters and emails when someone writes as a follow-up to a previous letter or
email:
Further to my email of 22nd January, Im now writing to ask if you have considered our offer and whether you wish to proceed with
the contract
Fast, quick orquickly?

Fast and quick mean moving with great speed. Fast is both an adjective and an adverb. Quick is an adjective and the adverb form
is quickly.
Compare
It was afast train.
We need to have Fast andquick are
aquickchat before adjectives.
the meeting.
You walk very fast!
Not: very fastly.

Fast andquicklyare
We should do it
adverbs.
asquicklyas
possible.
We usually use quick to refer to something happening in a short time, or a shorter than expected time:
We stopped for a quick snack.
Not: a fast snack.
I just need a quick answer.
Not: a fast answer.
Fast refers to things that happen or go at high speed, e.g. a train, a person running:
She loves fast cars.
Not: She loves quick cars.
Note the common expression fast food to refer to food such as hamburgers, which are cooked and served in a very short time in
restaurants:
You shouldnt eat so much fast food. Its not good for you.
Fell or felt?
Fell is the past simple of the verb fall:
The snow fell all day in big white flakes.

He slipped and fell, hurting his leg quite badly.
She fell in love with him as soon as they met.
Not: She felt in love
Felt is the past simple of the verb feel:
I felt really sad that they had lost all their money.
They felt his forehead and it was very, very hot.
Female or feminine;male or masculine?

We use female and male to refer to the sex of humans and animals:
Female lions hunt for food more thanmale lions.
In some industries such as the clothing industry, only females are employed.
We use feminine and masculine when we refer to the qualities that we consider to be typical of women or men:
The bedroom was furnished in a veryfeminine style.
She had a very masculine voice.
We also use masculine and feminine to talk about features of languages:
He is the masculine form of the third person singular; she is the feminineform.
Finally, at last, lastlyor in the end?

Finally, at last, lastly and in the end all have a meaning of after a period of time. However, we use them in different ways.
Finally
We use finally to refer to something that happened after a long time and usually after some difficulties. In this meaning, finally most
commonly occurs in the normal mid position for adverbs, between the subject and the main verb, after the modal verb or the fi rst
auxiliary verb, or after be as a main verb:
There were no taxis and we finally gothome at 2 pm.

Shes had over twenty interviews but Jasmine has finally got a job as a journalist.
At last
We use at last when we have been impatient as a result of long delays. Likefinally, at last occurs in the normal mid position for
adverbs as well as in front and end position:
At last Ive discovered how to print envelopes on my printer!
She has at last given me the book she promised me.
Theyre here at last!! Weve been waiting half an hour.
Lastly
We use lastly to refer to something that comes at the end of a long list:
We need eggs, milk, sugar, bread and, lastly, we mustnt forget yoghurt for Dad.
Ive thanked my parents but lastly I must thank all my friends for their help.
In the end
We use in the end to refer to a conclusion after a long process, after a lot of changes or after a lot of discussion:
We were going to ski in Austria, then the South of France and in the endwe decided to go to Italy.
And then, in the end, after months of discussion they offered to buy our house.
First, firstly or at first?

First and firstly
First can be an adjective or an adverb and refers to the person or thing that comes before all others in order, time, amount, quality
or importance:
Whats the name of the first person who walked on the moon? (adjective)
Beth always arrives first at meetings.(adverb)
We often use first, especially in writing, to show the order of the points we want to make. When we are making lists, we can
use first or firstly. Firstly is more formal than first:

Dear Mr Yates
First(ly) I would like to thank you for your kind offer of a job
Not: At first I would like to thank you
First(ly) the sodium chloride is dissolved in the water and heated gently. Second(ly) a dye is added to the solution.
Not: At first, the sodium chloride
At first
At first means at the beginning or in the beginning and we use it when we make contrasts:
At first when I went to England to study English, I was homesick, but in the end I cried when it was time to leave.
He called for help. No one heard himat first, but eventually two young girls came to help him.
Fit or suit?
If something fits you or fits into a place, it is the right size or shape for you or for that place:
[trying on shoes in a shoe shop]
These fit perfectly. And I like the colour. I think Ill buy them.
Ive put on weight and my trousers dont fit me anymore!
Will this table fit into the space between the bookshelf and the wall?
If something suits someone or something, it is right for that person or thing or situation, or it makes that person or thing look more
attractive.
Wednesday at ten oclock for the meeting suits me perfectly.
That sofa suits the room really well the colours match the walls.
Black doesnt suit me; I look better in lighter colours.
Warning:
We dont use fit when we mean that something is right for a person or thing or situation:
This restaurant suits people who like simple food.

Not: This restaurant fits people
Following or the following?

We use following without the + noun phrase to mean after, in response to or as a result of:
Following the bad election results of May 8th, the Prime Minister has appointed three new ministers.
Following a general strike in 1933, he fled the country and went to South America.
We use the following with a noun. It means the next:
They only stayed at the hotel one night and left early the followingmorning.
We went out on the boat. The sea was really rough and the following hour was the worst in my short life.
We also use the following without another noun to introduce things or people which we then list:
Im afraid I cant eat any of the following: tomatoes, cucumber, onions and cabbage.
The following have helped me with this book of photographs: David Jones, Gill Farmer, Martin Weekes and Anthony Gray.
For or since?
We use for with a period of time in the past, present or future.
We use since with a point in time in the past.
Compare
He lived in Oxford for3
years and then he

For refers to
moved.(completed
periods of
past)
time, e.g. 3
Theyve lived in
years, 4 hours,
Oxford fora couple of
ages, a long
months.(began in the
time, months,
past and continues into
years.
the present)
Were going to stay in

Oxford forthree days
and then were going to
Londonfor a day.(future
plans)
Sincerefers to a
Theyve lived in
previous point
Oxfordsince2004.
in time.
Warning:
We dont use since with periods of time:
Shes been on the phone forhours.
Not: Shes been on the phone since hours.
Forget or leave?
We sometimes use forget when we dont remember to bring something with us:
Ill have to go back; Ive forgotten my car keys.
We use leave with this same meaning, but only if we mention the place where we left something:
Mia, youre always leaving your car keys on your desk.
Not: forgetting your car keys on your desk. or youre always leaving your car keys.
I left my homework at home.
Not: I forgot my homework at home.
We use leave when the action is deliberate:
We decided to leave the dog at home.
Full or filled?
Full is an adjective, and means containing a lot:

The theatre is completely full this evening.
The room was full of books.
Fill is a verb, and means make or become full. The -ed form is filled:
Can you fill this bottle with water for me?
She has filled my life with happiness.
We use the -ed form + with as an adjective especially in metaphorical contexts to refer to strong emotions:
She looked at him, filled with horror.
Not: She looked at him, full of horror.
Fun or funny?
Fun
Fun is an uncountable noun meaning pleasure and enjoyment:
We had such fun together.
It was fun to go to the beach with Ritas family.
I hope you have fun!
Spoken English:
In informal speaking, we also use fun as an adjective:
We did a lot of fun activities in groups and individually to learn, have a fun time, and to get to know each other better.
Funny
Funny is an adjective and it means amusing or causing laughter:
[an author is being interviewed about the main character in her book]
A:
How would you describe Lorna?
B:
Well. I think shes very self-confident and assertive. I think shes genuinely funny.
I think Jerry Springer is so funny. I just laugh so much when I watch his show.
Funny can also mean strange, surprising, unexpected or difficult to explain or understand:
A funny thing happened to me the other day. I was parking my car and a man came and knocked on my window (A
strange/surprising/unexpected thing happened )
Wasnt it funny the way Don just got up and left without saying goodbye to anyone? (Wasnt it strange )
Typical error
We dont use funny to mean enjoyable:
The week I stayed in your country was really fun and I found the city where you live very interesting and beautiful.
Not: in your country was really funny
Get or go?
Get and go have similar meanings, when talking about travel or motion. When we use get, we emphasise arrival:
Well phone you as soon as we get to Rome.
Not: Well phone you as soon as we go to Rome.
The thing is, he missed the bus andgot to school late and missed part of the match.
Not: and went to school late and
We use get on and get off not go on andgo off for buses, trains, planes:
When I got on the plane, there was someone sitting in my seat.
Not: When I went on the plane
Liam will be waiting for me when I get off the train.
Not: when I go off the train.
Warning:
Get up means leave your bed in the morning; go up means go to a higher place or position:
What time do we have to get up tomorrow?
Not: What time do we have to go up tomorrow?

Get and go are both used to mean become, but they combine with different adjectives. We often use get with words
like dark, light and late; we use go with colours and words with negative associations such as mad, bald, bad:
Its getting dark now so be careful.
Not: going dark
Hes only 30 and hes going bald.
Not: and hes getting bald.
We left the milk in the sun too long and its gone bad.
Not: and its got bad.
However, with some adjectives such asold, sick, tired and ill, we use get:
He got very tired walking to the match in such a large crowd.
Not: He went very tired walking
Grateful orthankful?
We use grateful to talk about how we feel when someone is kind to us or does us a favour:
[a message on a thank-you card]
Thank you so much for helping us move house. We are so grateful.
Love
Mark and Rose
[at the end of a formal letter]
I would be very grateful if you could send me more information about your company for my school project.
Not: I would be thankful
We usually use thankful when we are relieved that something unpleasant or dangerous didnt happen:
A:
I heard you were in an accident. Are you okay?
B:
Im fine. There was some damage to the car. Im justthankful that no one was injured
Hear or listen (to)?
Hearing is an event; it is something which happens to us as a natural process. Listening is an action; it is something we
do consciously.
Compare
hearing is an listening is an
event. action.
Suddenly
I heard a noise. I listenedvery
Someone was in carefullyto what she
the garden. said and wrote it all
down.
Did youhear the
thunder last Do youlisten tothe
night? radio in bed?
[on the phone] George!Listen tome!

I have something
The line is very important to tell
bad. I you.
cant hearyou.
Sometimes we can use either hear orlisten to, depending on whether we want to emphasise the event or the action:
Did you hear that interview with David Beckham on the radio yesterday?(emphasis on the event)
Did you listen to that interview with David Beckham on the radio yesterday? (emphasis on the action)
I love hearing/listening to the sound of falling rain.
We dont normally use hear in the continuous form. We often use hear withcan:
[on an internet phone call]
I can hear you really clearly.
Not: Im hearing you really clearly.
Warning:
We use to after listen before an object:
Every morning I listen to my Mozart CD while Im having breakfast. It prepares me mentally for the day.
Not: Every morning I listen my Mozart CD
We use listen without to if we do not mention the object, or if it is a discourse marker:
Meena, listen! I dont want you staying out late!
Listen, I was wondering if you could help me. (discourse marker beginning a new topic or phase of a conversation)
The music was beautiful. We just sat there and listened.

High or tall?
We use high for mountains and for things which are a long way above the ground:
There are some high mountains in the north of the country.
The light switch is too high for a child to use.
Warning:
We dont use high when we talk about people. We use tall:
Sally is very tall and slim she could get a job as a model!
Not: Sally is very high and slim
Tall people often get backache.
We use tall to describe things which are high and thin in their shape (e.g. buildings, trees):
The tall trees by the river give welcome shade on hot days.
You know that very tall, white building just where the motorway begins thats where I work.
Historic orhistorical?
Historic means important or likely to be important in history:
I feel that this is a historic moment for our country.
When the Berlin wall came down, it was a historic occasion.
Historical means related to the study of things from the past:
I love reading historical novels.
Archaeologists found a large number of historical objects when they excavated the field.
House or home?
We use the noun house to refer to a building:
Theyre building six new houses at the end of our road.
When we refer to being at someones house, we can leave out the word houseand use at + possessive or at + the
definite article + possessive:
We stayed overnight at Mikes. (at Mikes house)
Were going to be at the Jacksonsthis evening. Want to come with us?(at the Jacksons house)
We use home in a more personal and emotional way to refer to where someone lives. The noun home does not usually
refer to the building. We often use homewith the preposition at:
Its not very big but its my home.
Why dont you phone her now? I think shes at home.
When we talk about the building we live in, we use house not home:
Our dog stays in the house with us.
Not: Our dog stays in the home with us.
Warning:
We usually dont use an article or other determiner with home unless we are talking about homes in general:
A lot of energy can be saved in the home by making small changes such as turning off lights. (energy can be saved in all
homes)
We use home as an adverb with verbs of movement such as get, go, come, arrive, travel, drive. We dont use to:
Im going home now. Im really tired.
Not: Im going to home now.
Would you like me to drive youhome?
Not: Would you like me to drive you to home?
Home can be used as a countable noun to refer to the place where people or animals live and are cared for by people
who are not their relatives or owners:
Theres a home for the elderly at the end of our street.
We got our dog, Scotty, from the local dogs home.
How is ? or What is like?
How is ?
We use How is ? to ask about someones general health or about the condition or state of something, or how people
experience something:
A:
Hows your mother these days?(How is her general health?)
B:
Oh, shes fine, thanks.
[talking about an old house]

A:
How are the walls in the kitchen?(What is the condition/state of the walls?)
B:
Well, they need redecorating really.
A:
Hows your new car?
B:
Wonderful. Its so much easier to drive than the old one.
What is like?
We use What is like? to ask for a description of someone or something (e.g. their appearance, their character, their
behaviour):
A:
Whats her new house like?
B:
Its a modern one, quite big, with a nice garden.
A:
Whats your new teacher like?
B:
Hes nice. Hes very good-looking! But hes quite strict.
Warning:
We dont use How is like? to ask for a description of something:
A:
Have you ever had Korean kimchi?
B:
No. Whats it like?
A:
Well, its sort of spicy fermented vegetables, cabbage and things.
Not: How is it like?
If or when?
We use if to introduce a possible or unreal situation or condition. We usewhen to refer to the time of a future situation
or condition that we are certain of:
You can only go in if youve got your ticket.
When Im older, Id love to be a dancer.
Compare
The speaker does

IfGiles comes
not know whether
back to the
Giles is coming
office, can you
back to the office.
tell him Ive
It is possible, but
gone home.
not definite.
WhenGiles
The speaker is
comes back to
certain that Giles
the office, can
is coming back to
you tell him Ive
the office.
gone home.
To talk about situations and conditions that are repeated or predictable, we can use either if or when + present verb
form:
You can drive if youre 17.
If you dont add enough wood, the fire goes out.
When we go camping, we usually take two tents.
She gets out of breath easily whenshes jogging.
Typical error
We dont use when to introduce possible or unreal situations:
Unfortunately, if you arrive too late, you are not allowed to take the exam because they dont accept late enrolment.
Not: when you arrive too late
If or whether?

If and whether: indirect questions
We can use if or whether to report indirect yes-no questions and questions with or. If is more common than whether:
Call the bakeries around town and find out if any of them sell raspberry pies.
I rang Peter from the station and asked if I could drop in to see him before going back or if hed meet me.
We often prefer whether in more formal contexts:
The teachers will be asked whetherthey would recommend the book to their classes.
[from a business meeting]
John read a letter that hed written and the board discussed whether it should be mailed.
We prefer whether with or when there is more than one alternative in the indirect question:
After the election, we asked whetherthe parties should change their leaders, their policies, or both.
To express an alternative, we can use or not with if and whether. With whether we can use or not immediately
after whetheror in end position. With if we use or not in end position only:
I called Bill to find out whether or nothe really did go to Afghanistan.
I called Bill to find out whether he really did go to Afghanistan or not.
I called Bill to find out if he really did go to Afghanistan or not.
We use whether and not if before a to-infinitive, often when were referring to future plans or decisions:
I was wondering whether to go for a swim.
Some financial decisions, such as planning a pension, need to be taken as early as possible. Others, such aswhether to
move house, can probably only be made much later.
Whether not if
We use whether and not if after prepositions:
Later I argued with the doctor aboutwhether I had hit my head, since I couldnt remember feeling it.
Not: Later I argued with the doctor about if I had hit my head
The police seemed mainly interested in whether there were any locks on the windows.
Not: The police seemed mainly interested in if there were any locks
I doubt if, I dont know whether
We use if or whether to introduce clauses after verbs of doubting:
I dont know if I can drive. My foot really hurts.

I didnt prune the rose bush this year so I doubt if were going to have many flowers. (prune means cut back)
Well have plenty of photographs to show you but Im not sure whetherwell be able to learn very much from them.
See also:
If
If: reporting questions
If, whether: typical errors
We use whether, not if, before to-infinitives:
I dont know whether to buy the blue one or the red one.
Not: I dont know if to buy the blue one
We use whether, not if, directly beforeor not:
Can you tell me whether or notyoure interested in the job.
Not: Can you tell me if or not youre interested
We use whether, not if, after prepositions:
[talking about a trip to Australia for a year]
Were not interested in whether we get great jobs and that kind of thing, we just want to have a good time.
Not: Were not interested in if we get great jobs and that kind of thing
Ill or sick?
Ill and sick are both adjectives that mean not in good health. We use both ill andsick after a verb such as be, become,
feel, look or seem:
I was ill for a time last year, but Im fine now.
Nancy looks ill. I wonder whats wrong with her.
I felt sick and had to go home at lunchtime.
We can use sick before a noun but we dont normally use ill before a noun:
Shes been looking after a sick child this week, so shes not at work.
Not: an ill child
Note that to be sick means to vomit in British English. In American English it means more generally to be unwell.
Imply or infer?
We imply something by what we say. Weinfer something from what somebody else says. The main difference between
these two words is that a speaker canimply, but a listener can only infer.
When someone implies something, they put the suggestion into the message:
Are you implying that the team cheated?
When someone infers something, they take the suggestion out of the message. In order to underline this
difference, inferis used with the preposition from:
Then I think we must infer from what they said that they believe we should reapply for the job.
Typical error
We dont use infer to refer to what someone has said:
Are you implying that I cheated?
Not: Are you inferring that I cheated?
In the way or on the way?
In the way
If something or someone is in the way orin my/his/our way, it is in the space which someone needs for a particular
movement or action:
She cant do her dance because the table is in the way. Can you help me move it?
On the way
We use on the way or on my/his/our way (to) when we talk about the route, direction or path to somewhere:
We could leave early and have breakfast on the way. (during our journey to somewhere)
I was on my way to Peters house when I met him in the street. (I was going to Peters house when I met him)
We can use on the way to (plus a noun or an -ing form of a verb) to mean close to doing or completing something:
Brazil is on the way to becomingone of the worlds strongest economies.
Late or lately?
Late is both an adverb and an adjective; it means the opposite of early. Lately is also an adverb; it means
recently.
Late meaning not on time
Late as an adverb means not on time:
Well, I couldnt find my classroom, so I got to the classroom a bit late and then I had to sing a song in front
of the other students!
Not: I got to the classroom a bit lately
The programme started late.
Not: The programme started lately.
Late as an adjective means after the usual time:
We had a late breakfast.
Compare
We got the train describes when the
homelate. activity happened
I got
thelatetrain describes the train
home.
Lately meaning recently
We use lately for states or for repeated events, mostly with the present perfect:
She says shes been feeling tiredlately. I think shes working too much.
Hes been studying hard lately. Hes got exams at the end of the month.
Warning:
We dont use lately for single events that happened recently:
I had a strange experiencerecently.
Not: I had a strange experience lately.

Warning:
We dont use lately as an adjective:
We usually have a latelunch.
Not: a lately lunch.
Lay or lie?
The verb lay means to put something down carefully in a flat position. It must have an object. It is a regular
verb, but note the spelling of the past simple and -ed form: laid not layed:
Shall I lay the tray on the bed?
A wonderful wooden floor has beenlaid in the dining room.
Not: floor has been layed
Lie is a verb which means to be in or put yourself into a flat position. It is an irregular verb and it doesnt
take an object. The -ing form is lying and the past simple is lay. The -ed form, lain, is very formal and is
rarely used:
I love to lie on a beach and read.
She lay on the bed and gazed at the ceiling, daydreaming.
The dog was lying by the gate waiting for me to come home.
Lie can also mean say something which is not true. In this case, it is a regular verb:
I lied to my teacher about my homework.
Compare
base lay (put lie (be lie (say something
form something horizontal) that is not true)

down)
past
laid lay lied
simple
-edform laid lain lied
Typical errors
We dont use lay to talk about being in a flat position. Lay must have an object:
My mother hates when the cat lies on our beds.
Not: when the cat lays on our beds
The past form of lie is lay:
I lay on the grass and watched a plane fly overhead.
Not: I lied on the grass
Lend or borrow?
Lend means give something to someone for a short time, expecting that you will get it back. The past
simple and the -edform are lent:
I never lend my CDs to anyone.
I lent Gary 30. (I expect that Gary will return this to me)
Borrow is a regular verb meaning get something from someone, intending to give it back after a short time:
Could I borrow your pen for a minute, please?
Laura used to borrow money from me all the time.
Typical error
When you give something, you lend it; when you get or receive something, youborrow it:
Can I borrow your dictionary?
Not: Can I lend your dictionary?
Less or fewer?
We use the quantifiers less and fewer to talk about quantities, amounts and degree. Less and fewer are
comparative words.
Less is the comparative form of little.Fewer is the comparative form of few.
Less and fewer with a noun
We usually use less with uncountable nouns. We use fewer with plural nouns:
I do less work at weekends than I used to.
Better cycle routes would mean fewer cars and fewer accidents.
Warning:
You will often hear less used with plural countable nouns in informal spoken situations, but traditionally it is
not considered to be correct:
Weve got less pizzas than we need. Theres ten people and only eight pizzas.(traditionally correct usage:
fewer pizzas)
Less and fewer with of
When we use fewer or less before articles (a/an, the), demonstratives (this, that), possessives (my, your) or
pronouns (him, them), we need to use of. We use less of with singular nouns andfewer of with plural nouns:
It was funny to begin with, but as time went on, it became less of a joke.
In ten years time, more and more people will be demanding information twenty -four hours a day, from all
parts of the world. Fewer of them will be getting that information from newspapers which arrive hours after
the news has occurred.
Less and fewer without a noun

We can leave out the noun when it is obvious:
Every year in Britain about 5,000 people die on the roads. Fewer are killed at work. (fewer people)
Look at, see orwatch?

Look at
When we look at something, we direct our eyes in its direction and pay attention to it:
[the speaker is sitting at her computer]
Come and look at this photo Carina sent me.
Look at the rabbit!
Warning:
When look has an object, it is followed by at:
Look at the rain. Its so heavy.
Not: Look the rain.
See
See means noticing something using our eyes. The past simple form is saw and the -ed form is seen:
I saw Trevor at the shopping centre yesterday.
Has anyone seen my glasses?
See also:
See
Watch as a verb
Watch is similar to look at, but it usually means that we look at something for a period of time, especially
something that is changing or moving:
We watch television every evening.

I like to sit at the window to watchwhats happening in the garden.
Warning:
We use see, not watch, when we talk about being at sports matches or public performances, such as films,
theatre and dramas. However, we watch the television:
We saw a wonderful new film last night. Youll have to go and see it while its in the cinema.
Not: We watched Youll have to go and watch
Compare
I watchedPhantom of
I was at
the Opera last night on
home.
DVD.
I was at a
I sawPhantom of the
theatre or
Opera last night.
cinema.
When we look at something for a long time, we use watch, not see.
Compare
Watchfocuses
on the process
Wewatchedwhales
of seeing: we
jumping out of the
spent time
water.
looking at the
whales.
Seefocuses
more on the
We sawwhales
finished event.
jumping out of the
It doesnt
water.
suggest that we
spent much time
looking at the
whales.
Look at, see or watch: typical errors
When there is an object, we use at afterlook:
If you go for a walk by the river, you can look at the beautiful scenery.
Not: you can look the beautiful scenery.
We dont use watch to talk about things that we see without trying:
If you go to the forest, you might seesome deer.
Not: you might watch some deer.
We dont use watch when referring to a film in the cinema:
A:
Were going to the cinema tonight.
B:
What are you going to see? (Not:What are you going to watch?)
A:
Im not sure. I really want to seethe new Rocky movie but Nancy said shes not interested in that.
Not: I really want to watch the new Rocky movie
We use watch, not see, when we refer to something on the television:
At night, I like to watch the television.
Not: I like to see the television.
Low or short?
We use low for things which are not high, or which are close to the ground or to the bottom of something:
We have a sofa, two armchairs and alow table.

The wall is too low; we need to make it higher so the dog cant get out.
Warning:
We use short, not low, to describe peoples height:
Joseph is quite short but his brothers are both really tall.
Not: Joseph is quite low
Man, mankind orpeople?

Man and mankind
Traditionally, we use man to refer to all human beings, male and female, usually in contrast with other
animals. However, many people consider this to be sexist, so it is better to use a different expression, such
as human beings:
Human beings first emerged in Africa, some two million years ago.(preferred to Man first emerged )
Mankind can also refer to all human beings, male and female, usually in the sense of social or conscious
beings. Although people generally consider it less sexist than man, it is usually better to use a different
expression, such as human beings (with a plural verb) or humankind(with a singular verb):
Human beings have always dreamt of happiness and of a perfect world. orHumankind has always dreamt
of happiness (preferred to Mankind has always dreamt )
See also:
Sexist language
People
People can refer to all human beings, or to a group of persons in a particular situation. It is a plural noun
and it takes a plural verb:
People will always need food, so the food industry will never disappear. (all human beings)
Its difficult to sell an old computer.People dont want second-hand ones.(those typical persons interested in
buying computers)
People started coming into the hall at five-thirty, almost an hour before the start of the meeting. (those
persons who were attending the meeting)

Warning:
We dont use the with man, mankind, humankind or peoplewhen they are used with a general meaning to
refer to all human beings:
People / Human beings will always defend their territory against an attack from outside.
Not: The people/The human beings
Maybe or may be?

We use maybe and may be to talk about possibility. They are often confused because we use them both
when we think that something is possible but we are not certain.
Maybe as an adverb
Maybe /mebi/ is an adverb and it means the same as perhaps. It is written as one word:
Maybe no one will come to the party.
Not: May be no one will come to the party.
Spoken English:
In speaking, we sometimes usemaybe at the end of what we say when we are making a suggestion which
we are not very certain about:
A:
Theres something wrong with my PC. I cant load my photos.
B:
It could be a virus,maybe.
Spoken English:
In speaking, we can use maybeas a response when we agree that something is possible:
A:
Ronnie and Linda are going to leave New Zealand in January.
B:
Why? I thought they were very happy there.
A:
Im not sure. Perhaps they feel a bit lonely.
B:
Maybe.
We can also use maybe to express uncertainty in response to a suggestion:
A:
Would you like to have chicken curry for dinner?
B:
Maybe.
A:
You dont sound very enthusiastic.
B:
I just cant think about dinner right now. Ive just had breakfast.
May be
In the phrase may be /me bi:/ may is a modal verb and be is a main or auxiliary verb. Here may and be are
two separate words, whereas maybe is one word:
There may be a train at 10.00am.
Not: There maybe a train at 10.00am.
He may be waiting for us.
See also:
May
Typical error
We use may as a modal verb in the phrase may be. They are two separate words. We use maybe as an
adverb:
This may be the last match that he plays for Barcelona.
Not: This maybe the last match that he plays for Barcelona.
Maybe or perhaps?
Maybe and perhaps are adverbs that mean the same thing. We use them when we think something is
possible, but we are not certain. We use maybe mostly in front or end position whereas perhaps is used in
front, mid and end position:
A:
Have you seen my glasses? I cant find them anywhere.
B:
Maybe you left them at work.
A:
Do you think these shoes are too high?
B:
They are perhaps. (its possible but Im not certain)
As you perhaps remember, I worked as an interpreter for three years in the European Parliament.
Not: As you maybe remember
Perhaps is slightly more formal thanmaybe:
He was, perhaps, a little too smartly dressed for a holidaymaker.
Maybe Ill finish work early tomorrow and go shopping with you.
Nearest or next?
Nearest is the superlative form of near. It means the closest in distance or time:
We need to buy some food. Wheres the nearest supermarket? (There may be several supermarkets: which
one is the shortest distance from here?)
Not: Wheres the next supermarket?
Feeling very sick, she took a taxi to the nearest hospital.
Next means the first person or thing after the present one or after the one just mentioned:
We had the addresses of three restaurants. The first one we went to was closed. The next one was open
but full. Luckily, the last one had a table free.
A:
When is your yoga lesson?

B:
Next Wednesday at five.
Never or not ever?

We can use not ever instead of never, but never is much more common:
She has never been a friend of ours.(or, less common, She hasnt everbeen a friend of ours.)
Never forget where you came from, your family, your childhood friends.(or, less common, Dont ever forget
where you came from )
A:
Why dont you go to college and get a degree?
B:
I havent really ever thought about it. Im too old now anyway. (or, more common, Ive neverreally thought
about it.)
Warning:
We dont use not ever at the beginning of a statement (in front position):
Never had they seen so many strangers in their village all at the same time.
Not: Not ever had they seen so many strangers
Nice orsympathetic?
Nice is an adjective meaning pleasant, enjoyable or satisfactory:
Have a nice trip!
We had a really nice meal. Thank you.
When we use it to talk about someone, it means kind, friendly or polite:
It was really nice of you to call me.
Tanyas new boyfriend is so nice.
Sympathetic is an adjective used to describe a person who shows that they understand and care about
someones suffering or problems, especially by what they say:
My colleagues were so sympatheticwhen I was ill.
As a teacher, you have to besympathetic to the problems of your students.
Warning:
We dont use sympathetic to mean nice:
Our new teacher is reallynice.
Not: Our new teacher is really sympathetic.
His small house was niceand warm.
Not: His small house was sympathetic and warm.
No doubt or without doubt?

We can use no doubt when we think that what we are saying is likely to happen, or when we think it is true.
It is similar to I suppose or I imagine:
A:
No doubt youll want breakfast before you leave tomorrow.
B:
Yes, if thats okay.
A:
No problem.
We can use there is no doubt that when we are very certain about our opinion. We use it in formal
situations:
Hes never won Wimbledon, buttheres no doubt that he is a great tennis player.
Not: Hes never won a Wimbledon title but no doubt hes a great tennis player.
Without doubt is even more formal. We use it when we are absolutely certain about our opinion:
Paul McCartney is without doubtone of the greatest composers of popular music of all time.
Not: Paul McCartney is no doubt one of the greatest
No or not?
No and not are the two most common words we use to indicate negation. We use no before a noun phrase:
Theres no address on the envelope.
[parent to child]
No biscuits before dinner!
No decisions have been made.
We use not with any other phrase or clause:
Its not often that you stop and think about the way you breathe.
Not suitable for children under 15.
Not surprisingly, it was a tense match but eventually the more experienced Australians won.
A:
Do you go cycling all year round?
B:
Not in the winter.
Not: No in the winter.
No or not any?
There is very little difference in meaning between There is/are no + noun andThere isnt/arent any + noun:
Theres no reason to be afraid of her.(or There isnt any reason to be afraid of her.)
There are no eggs in the fridge. (orThere arent any eggs in the fridge.)
No + noun often makes the negative stronger. In speaking, we often stress no.
Compare
He
He paidnoattention to what
didntpay anyattention to
I was saying.(stronger)
what I was saying.
Ive decided that I Ive decided that I
havenoalternative.(stronger) donthave anyalternative.
No or Not a/an?
When a noun has an ungradable meaning (it is either something or it is not) we cannot use no + noun:
A potato is not a fruit.
Not: A potato is no fruit.
When a noun has a gradable meaning,no + noun means the same as not a/an + noun:
[a football manager talking about signing a new player]
Its no secret that we are interested. (= Its not a secret. A secret is gradable. Something can be more of a
secret than something else.)
Responding to a question
We often use no to respond to a yes-noquestion, or to agree with a negative statement. We dont use not on
its own in this way:
A:
Do you need anything from the shops?
B:
No. I went earlier, thanks.
A:
Hes not going to get any better.
B:
No. Youre right.
Not: Not. Youre right.
No problem, no good, not worth
We use no and not in some common fixed expressions:
A:
When you see Alan, can you give him this letter?
B:
Yes sure, no problem.
She had no idea what time they were arriving.
Its no good standing around watching. Do something!
Youve got no chance of getting a ticket now. Theyre all sold out.
Its not worth taking a taxi. We can walk.
Nowadays, these days or today?

We can use nowadays, these days ortoday as adverbs meaning at the present time, in comparison with the
past:
I dont watch TV very muchnowadays. Theres so much rubbish on. Its not like it used to be.
Young people nowadays dont respect their teachers any more.
Warning:
Take care to spell nowadayscorrectly: not nowdays.
These days is more informal:
These days you never see a young person give up their seat for an older person on the bus. Thats what I
was taught to do when I was a kid.
Pop singers these days dont seem to last more than a couple of months, then you never hear of them
again.
Today is slightly more formal:
Apartments today are often designed for people with busy lifestyles.
We can use today, but not nowadays orthese days, with the possessive sconstruction before a noun, or
with ofafter a noun. This use is quite formal:
Todays family structures are quite different from those of 100 years ago.
The youth of today have never known what life was like without computers.
Warning:
We dont use nowadays, these days or today as adjectives:
Cars nowadays/these days/today are much more efficient and economical.
Not: The nowadays cars / The these days cars / The todays cars
Open or opened?
We use open as an adjective to mean not closed:
I stopped the car when I realised that the door was open.
Not: that the door was opened.
Opened is the past form of the verbopen:
Can you open the window, please?(present)
She opened her eyes and immediately looked at the clock.(past)
Warning:
We dont use open to refer to turning on taps and switches:
Please turn on the taps separately.
Not: Please open the taps
Can you switch on the lights, please?
Not: Can you open the lights
Opportunity orpossibility?
We use opportunity to talk about a situation in which we can do something that we want to
do. Opportunity is most commonly followed by a verb in the to-infinitive form, or of + -ing form:
I had the opportunity to go to university when I was younger but I didnt. Now I wish I had gone.
Not: I had the possibility
A:
Ive been waiting for anopportunity to talk to you privately. Are you free now?
B:
Yes. What is it about?
Not: waiting for a possibility to
This walk provides the opportunity of seeing some beautiful countryside.
We use possibility to talk about something that may happen or be true.Possibility is normally followed by of
+noun phrase or of + -ing form, or by athat-clause:
I had never even thought of thepossibility of working in the USA until I was offered a job there in 1998.
Not: the possibility to work in the USA
The possibility that there is life on other planets in the universe has always inspired scientists.
Warning:
We dont say have the possibility:
I would love to have anopportunity to meet the Prime Minister.
Not: I would love to have the possibility to meet
Opposite or in front of?
Opposite as a preposition means in a position facing someone or something but on the other side:
Jake sat opposite Claire in the restaurant. (Jake and Claire are facing each other on different sides of the
table.)
Not: Jake sat in front of Claire
In front of as a preposition means close to the front of something or someone:
There was a woman in front of me in the bus queue who was crying. (I was standing behind the woman.)
Compare
We We parkedin
parkedoppositethe front of the
hotel. hotel.
Other, others, the other or another?

Other
Other means additional or extra, or alternative, or different types of.
Other as a determiner
We can use other with singular uncountable nouns and with plural nouns:
The embassy website has general information about visas. Other travel information can be obtained by
calling the freephone number.(additional or extra information)
Some music calms people; othermusic has the opposite effect.(different types of music)
What other books by Charles Dickens have you read, apart from Oliver Twist? (additional or extra books)
This ones too big. Do you have it inother sizes? (alternative sizes)
If we use other before a singular countable noun, we must use another determiner before it:
I dont like the red one. I prefer theother colour.
Not: I prefer other colour.
Jeremy is at university; our other son is still at school.
He got 100% in the final examination.No other student has ever achieved that.
Theres one other thing we need to discuss before we finish.
Warning:
Other as a determiner does not have a plural form:
Mandy and Charlotte stayed behind. The other girls went home.
Not: The others girls
See also:
Determiners (the, my, some, this)

Other as a pronoun
We can use other as a pronoun. As a pronoun, other has a plural form, others:
We have to solve this problem, more than any other, today.
Ill attach two photos to this email and Ill send others tomorrow.
The other
The other as a determiner
The other with a singular noun means the second of two things or people, or the opposite of a set of two:
This computer here is new. The othercomputer is about five years old.
A:
Dyou know the Indian restaurant in Palmer Street?
B:
Yes.
A:
Well, the gift shop is on theother side of the street, directly opposite. (the opposite side)
The other with a plural noun means the remaining people or things in a group or set:
Joel and Karen are here, but where are the other kids? (the remaining people in a group)
Where are the other two dinner plates? I can only find four. (the remaining things in a set here six plates)
The other as a pronoun
We can use the other as a pronoun, especially to refer back to something which has been mentioned
already in the sentence:
He had his hat in one hand and a bunch of flowers in the other.
She has two kittens, one is black andthe other is all white.
Another
When we use the indefinite article anbefore other, we write it as one word:another. Another means one
more or an additional or extra, or an alternative or different.
Another as a determiner
We use another with singular nouns:
Would you like another cup of coffee?
Youve met Linda, but I have anothersister who you havent met, called Margaret.
I dont like this place. Is there anothercaf around here we could go to?(alternative or different)
Another as a pronoun
We can use another as a pronoun:
The applications are examined by one committee, then passed on toanother.
Other, others, the other oranother: typical errors
When other is a determiner, it does not have a plural form:
These boxes are for books. Theother boxes are for clothes.
Not: The others boxes
When other as a pronoun refers to more than one person or thing, it takes the plural form, others:
Some scientists think we should reduce the number of flights to prevent global warming; othersdisagree.
Not: other disagree.
Other must have a determiner before it when it comes in front of a singular countable noun. If the noun is
indefinite (e.g. a book, a woman, an idea), we use another:
Ive posted the first package. What shall I do with that other package?
Not: What shall I do with other package?
After a month in Bolivia, I was ready to move to another country.
Not: to move to other country.
We write another as one word:
There is another car park a little further down the same street.
Not: There is an other car park
Another is singular. We dont use it with plural nouns:
Other interesting places to visit include the old harbour and the castle.
Not: Another interesting places to visit
Out or out of?

We use out and out of to talk about position and direction.
We use out as an adverb to mean not in a building or an enclosed space:
[the speaker is outside talking to someone inside]
Dont come out. Its too cold.
[a phone call]
A:
Is Billy there?
B:
No hes out. (not at home)
Whys the cake out? Put it back in the fridge or the chocolate will melt.
We use out of as a preposition to talk about movement from within somewhere or something, usually with a
verb that expresses movement (e.g. go, come). It shows where something is or was going:
You go out of the building and turn right.
He pulled a letter out of his shirt pocket, opened it and handed it to her to read.
When I reached the corner, I jumpedout of my car and ran across the road.
Out is the opposite of in. Out of is the opposite of into:
We use out as a verb particle in phrasal verbs:
Look out theres a car coming.

I thought Id phone and find out how you are.
Out of: all gone
We use out of to say that something is all gone:
The printer is out of ink. We need to get some soon.
[at a restaurant]
Im afraid, were out of soup.
You will find other meanings of out in a good learners dictionary.
Permit orpermission?
The countable noun permit (pronounced /p:mt/) refers to an official document that allows you to do
something or go somewhere. The uncountable nounpermission refers to when someone is allowed to do
something. It does not refer to a document:
You need to have a work permitbefore you can work.
Not: You need to have a work permission
I have a parking permit which allows me to park on the street outside my house.
Not: I have a parking permission
We use the word permission with an infinitive with to:
Could I have your permission to leave work early on Friday?
We applied for permission to build a house here but our application was refused.
Person, persons orpeople?

We use person in the singular to refer to any human being:
Joel is such a nice person.
Shes a person I have a lot of respect for.

Persons (plural) is a very formal word. We only use it in rather legalistic contexts:
[notice in a lift]
Any person or persons found in possession of illegal substances will be prosecuted.
To refer to groups of human beings or humans in general, we use people:
I saw three people standing on the corner.
Not: I saw three persons
Jim and Wendy are such nicepeople.
People are generally very selfish.
Three people were interviewed for the job, but only one person had the right qualifications and experience.
Pick or pick up?

Pick means remove small pieces of something from something else, usually with your hands:
Lets go into the garden and picksome flowers for the dinner table.
Not: pick up some flowers
She earned money during the summer picking fruit on local farms.
Pick can also mean choose:
Have a look at these photos of the walking trip. Pick the ones you want and give me back the rest.
Pick up means lift something up using your hands:
Im tired of picking up your clothes from the floor! Cant you hang them up properly in the wardrobe?
We can also use pick up to mean go to a place and bring something or someone back:
Let me know what time your flight arrives. I can pick you up at the airport and take you to your hotel.
You will find other meanings of pick andpick up in a good learners dictionary.
Play
Play as a noun means a piece of dramatic writing for the theatre or radio or television:
The students performed a play by Shakespeare and sang some folk songs.
Radio plays are always much better than TV plays you can use your imagination more.
Warning:
We use play as a verb when we talk about individual roles in a dramatic production, but we say that
someone acts in a play(noun):
Who played Hamlet?
Not: Who acted Hamlet?
McBride acted in over 40plays.
Not: McBride played over 40 plays.
We use play as a verb to talk about doing sports, music and other leisure activities. We usually dont use an
article (a/an, the) when we talk about sport or leisure activities. We usually use an article when we talk
about musical instruments:
I played rugby as a child; we neverplayed soccer.
Can you play the piano?
Ive never played poker. Have you?
We usually dont use an article (a/an, the) when we talk about sport or leisure activities. We usually use an
article when we talk about musical instruments.
See also:
A/an and the
Game
Game is a noun. We use it to talk about sports or other entertaining activities:
Would you like a game of tennis? (orWould you like to play tennis?)
Not: Would you like a play of tennis?

The children invent some fantasticgames to occupy themselves.
Politics, political,politician or policy?
Politics
Politics means the activities of the government or people who try to influence the way a country is governed.
We use a singular verb with it:
A lot of young people just dont seem interested in politics these days.
Not: interested in policy
Politics is power in action.
Politics also means the study of the ways in which a country is governed:
He studied Politics at university then got a job with the United Nations in New York.
Political
The adjective form related to the nounpolitics is political:
My friends and I are always havingpolitical discussions late into the night.
Not: having politic discussions
If I did a degree, Id like to studyPolitical Science.
Politician
A person who is involved in politics (e.g. a member of parliament or a member of the government) is
a politician:
Politicians rarely give straight answers to questions from journalists.
Not: Politics rarely give straight answers
Policy
Policy means a plan of action or a set of rules agreed by a business, a political group or a government,
saying what they will do in a particular situation:

Its not company policy to sell goods to persons under the age of 18.
The economic policy of the government is in ruins because of the global credit crisis.
Not: The economic politics of the government
Price or prize?
Price /pras/ and prize /praz/ are nouns.
Price means the amount of money you pay to buy something:
The price of a hotel room includes breakfast in some countries.
Prize means something you win in a competition or game:
The first prize in the competition was a weeks holiday in California.
Principal or principle?
Principal as an adjective means most important:
The principal reason for the failure to take action was poor communication between government
departments.(the most important reason)
We can use principal as a noun to mean the head of a school or college (especially in American English):
The college principal made a speech congratulating all the students who were graduating in that year.
Principle is a noun. It means a rule or theory which explains how something is or works or a moral rule or
guideline:
The scientific principles behind even the most complicated computer are relatively simple.
He seems to have no principles at all, and is only interested in money.(He has no moral rules or
guidelines.)
Quiet or quite?
Warning:
Quiet /kwat/ and quite /kwat/are spelt and pronounced differently, and have different meanings.
Quiet is an adjective meaning making very little noise or having little activity or excitement:
The children are very quiet. I wonder what theyre doing? Shall I go and see?
Its a very quiet, peaceful village and we love living there.
Quite is an adverb which usually means a little or a lot, but not completely:
Ive been quite busy this week. I hope things are not so busy next week.
Raise or rise?
Raise must have an object, as it is a transitive verb. It is a regular verb; its three forms are raise, raised,
raised:
Raise your hand if you know the answer.
Our favourite restaurant has raised its prices again. Its getting very expensive.
Rise does not take an object, as it is an intransitive verb. It is an irregular verb; its three forms are rise, rose,
risen:
The sun rose at 5.30 this morning.
Rents have risen sharply in this part of town.
Remember orremind?
Remember
If we remember someone or something, we keep that person or thing in our mind or we bring that person or
thing back to our mind:
I will always remember you. You have helped me so much.
Not: I will always remind you.
Suddenly I remembered that I had promised to ring my mother.
Remember + to-infinitive means that we dont forget to do something:
Remember to save your work often, just in case your computer crashes.
Remember + the -ing form of a verb means have a memory of something we did or of something that
happened in the past:

I remember meeting her once. It must have been about five years ago.
Not: I remember to meet her once
She said she didnt remembergetting an email from him.
We can also use remember + object + towhen we ask someone to give regards to or say hello to
someone:
A:
Remember me to your parents when you see them.
B:
I will. They always ask about you.
Remind
If a person or thing reminds you ofsomeone or something, they make you think of that person or thing, or
they resemble that person or thing:
That song always reminds me of the time I fell in love with an Italian girl.
Not: always remembers me of the time
Jason reminded me of my father. They had the same eyes and the same way of talking.
Not: Jason reminded me my father.
If we remind someone to do something or about something, we make them remember it or help them not to
forget it:
Hes probably forgotten he was supposed to be here at 6. Shall I ring him and remind him?
Remind me to email Tony today; otherwise Ill probably forget.
Not: Remember me to email Tony today;
Right or rightly?
We use both right and rightly as adverbs, but they are used in different ways and with different meanings.
Right is an adverb of manner. It means correctly or well:

The calculation was wrong first time, but I did it right the second time.
Not: I did it rightly
When everything goes right, no one says thank you, but when things go wrong, they start complaining
immediately.
We use rightly to give an opinion or viewpoint on something. It usually comes in the normal mid position for
adverbs (between the subject and the main verb, or after the modal verb or first auxiliary verb, or after be as
a main verb). It means in the opinion of the speaker, in a morally correct way, and is more subjective
thanright:
He rightly took the money he had found straight to the nearest police station. (In the speakers opinion, this
was the morally correct thing to do.)
Climate change is rightly seen as the greatest threat to the world at the present time.
Rob or steal?
Rob and steal both mean take something from someone without permission.
Rob focuses on the place or person from which the thing is taken:
The gang robbed three banks over a period of six months, but were finally caught.
Our local post office was robbedearly on Tuesday morning.
A young woman was attacked androbbed as she walked home from work last night.
Warning:
When we are talking about a house, we use burgle:
The house was burgledwhile they were all sleeping.
Not: The house was robbed
Steal focuses on the thing that is taken:
The thieves entered the museum through the roof and stole three paintings worth more than two million
euros.
Our car was stolen from outside our house last week.
Warning:
We usually dont say rob + object stolen:
He stole my wallet.
Not: He robbed my wallet.
Say or tell?
Say and tell are irregular verbs. The past simple of say is said, the past simple oftell is told:
They asked if I was looking for work and I said yes.
Then he told me how he had got the job by lying about his age.
We use say and tell in different ways in reported speech. Say focuses on the words someone said
and tell focuses more on the content or message of what someone said:
Hello, she said.
Not: Hello, she told.
She told him they were going on holiday. (The focus is on the information.)
We use say with direct speech. We dont normally use tell in this way:
He said, Im not paying 50 for that.
See also:
Reported speech
Say and tell with objects
Both say and tell take a direct object. The object is most commonly the reported clause (the report of what
someone said).
reporting clause reported clause (direct object)
Shesaid I dont know what you mean.

reporting clause reported clause (direct object)
I toldher why it had happened.
Tell normally takes an indirect object (one or more people = io) and a direct object (the reported clause =
do):
The boy told [IO]us [DO]he didnt want any money.
However, we use tell without an indirect object with words such as the truth, a lie, a joke, a story:
You should never tell a lie.
Not: say a lie.
Come on Kevin. Youre good attelling jokes.
Say does not take an indirect object. Instead, we use a phrase with to:
And then she said to me, Im your cousin. Weve never met before.
Not: And then she said me
Tell + indirect object + to-infinitive
We use tell with an indirect object and ato-infinitive to report a command or an instruction. We dont normally
use say in this way:
They told us to come back the next day.
Not: They said us to come
They told her to wait till the doctor arrived.
Spoken English:
But in informal speaking, we sometimes use say + to-infinitive to report a command or an instruction:
I asked him if he wanted it today but he said to leave it till tomorrow.
Typical errors
We dont use an indirect object withsay:
Im in a hurry, he said to me.
Not: he said me.
We dont use tell without an indirect object when we report someones words:
Then a loud voice said, Hello.
Not: a loud voice told, Hello.
She said she would wait for us outside.
Not: She told she would wait
ingls britnico esencialespaol-inglsinglsingls americano esencial

Sometimes orsometime?
Sometimes means not always or not often:
We usually played football at school, but sometimes we played hockey.
I sometimes wonder whether I should give up my job and just travel.
Sometime means at an unknown or undecided time in the future or the past:
Why dont you come over and have dinner with us sometime? (at an undecided time in the future)
I knew I had met her sometime, but I couldnt remember when.
Sound or noise?
Sound and noise are nouns. We can use them both as countable or uncountable nouns. Both refer to
something which you can hear, but when a sound is unwanted or unpleasant, we call it a noise:
There were lots of sounds in the forest. (countable)
It travels faster than the speed ofsound. (uncountable)
She made a lot of noise.(uncountable)
There were some funny noisescoming from the engine. (countable)

Speak or talk?
Speak and talk: uses
The verbs speak and talk both generally mean say words, but there are some small differences in how they
are used.Speak is more formal than talk.
Compare
Formal. It is possible that:
1. the speaker does not know
I need you very well.
tospeakto 2. this is in a formal setting,
you. such as work.
3. what the person has to say
is important/serious.
Informal. It is possible that:
1. the speaker is your friend.

I need
2. the speaker is someone
to talkto
you dont know very well,
you.
but what they have to say is
informal.
We usually use speak for more formal presentations and lectures, and talk for more informal ones:
Dr Graham Foster will speak about the history of the region.
Kyle is going to talk us through the benefits of the software and then Liz will talk about the marketing plan.
When we refer to languages, we usespeak:
How many languages do you speak?
Not: How many languages do you talk?
I wish I could speak Italian.
Not: talk Italian.

Speak usually only focuses on the person who is producing the words:
He spoke about the importance of taking exercise and having a good diet.
Talk focuses on a speaker and at least one listener, and can mean have a conversation:
I hope I can meet you to talk about my plans for the company.
Not: I hope I can meet you to speak about my plans
Compare
The focus is on his
use of his voice to
produce
He always looks down
words.Speakfocuses
when heisspeaking.
only on the person
who is producing
the words.
The focus is on the
use of words as part

I wastalking toMariayesterday.
of a conversation
with someone else.
We use speak on the telephone:
A:
Is Rita there?
B:
Whos speaking?
A:
My names Anna. I work with her.
Not: Whos talking?
Hello, can I speak to Laura, please?
Speak and talk with prepositions

We usually use to after speak and talk. In more formal situations, people sometimes use with:
I need to speak to you about this conference next week.
I was talking to Richard Moss the other day about the golf club.
May I speak with you for a moment?(rather formal)
Typical errors
We dont use talk when referring to foreign languages:
I can speak German and Spanish.
Not: I can talk German and Spanish.
We dont use speak to focus on conversation:
They can talk and get to know each other over dinner.
Not: They can speak and get to know each other
Such or so?
Such is a determiner; so is an adverb. They often have the same meaning of very or to this degree:
Those are such good chocolates.
Those chocolates are so good.
We use such + noun phrase and so + adjective or adverb phrase:
She is such a great cook.
Not: She is so great cook.
That was so unpleasant. (so + adjective)
Not: That was such unpleasant.
Why do you drive so fast? (so + adverb)
Not: Why do you drive such fast?

Compare
so + adjective such + noun phrase
Hes such a kind

Youre sokind.
person
It was sohot
Novemberwas such a
we couldnt
cold month.
work.
So but not such can also be used in front of much, many, little, few to add emphasis:
So much food was wasted every day.
Not: Such much food was wasted
In those days there were so fewdoctors in our area.
Not: there were such few doctors
See also:
So
Such
Typical errors
We use such, not so, before a noun, even if there is an adjective before the noun:
Theyre such snobs! They wont speak to anyone else in the village.
Not: Theyre so snobs
Those are such cool shoes. Where did you get them?
Not: Those are so cool shoes.
We use such, not so, before a noun phrase with the indefinite article a/an:
This is such a wonderful kitchen!

Not: This is a so wonderful kitchen!
We use so, not such, before adjectives:
Thank you. Youre so kind.
Not: Youre such kind.
We use so, not such, before adverbs:
She always dresses so elegantly.
Not: She always dresses such elegantly.
Towards or toward?
Towards and toward are prepositions. We can use both forms, but towards is much more common
than toward.
Toward(s) most often means in the direction of something:
The oil pollution is now movingtowards the shore, and could threaten beaches and wild life.
He stood up and moved toward the door.
We use toward(s) to mean in relation to someone or something. We dont useagainst or about when we
talk about peoples attitudes, feelings and behaviour in relation to one another:
Shes always been very friendlytowards me.
He felt very angry towards her when she refused him.
Not: angry against her or angry about her
Toward(s): position
We use toward(s) to mean near to or just before a time or place:
Toward the late afternoon I always get sleepy and cant work so well.
We sat towards the back of the room but we could still hear the speakers very clearly.
Toward(s): purpose
Toward(s) can mean for the purpose of buying or achieving something:
Would you like to make a contributiontowards our new childrens playground? (Would you like to give some
money to help pay for it?)
The essays you do during term counttowards your final grade.
Wait or wait for?

Wait means stay in the same place or not do something until something else happens. We can use it with
or withoutfor:
Put a tea bag into the cup, then add water and wait (for) a minute or two before taking it out.
I phoned the head office but I had towait (for) five minutes before I spoke to anyone.
We waited (for) hours to get the tickets.
Warning:
When we use a direct object after wait, we have to use wait for:
Wait for us outside the cinema. Well be there at seven oclock.
Not: Wait us
I waited for the postman every day last week hoping that your present would arrive.
Not: I waited the postman
Wait with the to-infinitive
Wait can be followed by the to-infinitive:
All right, Ill wait to hear from you, Adam, then Ill ring Simon.
By 9 pm there were about 20 people still waiting to vote.
Cant wait
When we are very excited about something that is going to happen, we use the phrase cant wait for + noun
phrase or cant wait + to-infinitive:
I cant wait for tonight. Im having a party! (Im really looking forward to tonight.)
We cant wait to go to Barcelona in June. (Were really looking forward to going.)
Wake, wake up orawaken?

Wake and wake up are verbs which mean stop sleeping or end someone elses sleep. They are used in
everyday language.
Compare
I woke(up)
I woke(up) the
suddenly
children.(or Iwokethe
when the
childrenup.) They had
alarm clock
to be in school early.
went off.
The children were

I stopped
asleep; then I stopped
sleeping.
them sleeping.
Wake up has a similar meaning to wake. It is sometimes used as a stronger form of wake. It can mean stop
sleeping and make someone feel more awake:
The noise of the traffic wakes me (up) every morning.
She likes to wake up with a cup of coffee. (It makes her feel more awake.)
We use wake up! as a command:
Wake up! Its time to get going.
Not: Wake!
The verbs waken, awaken and awakehave a similar meaning but are used in more literary contexts, often to
refer to emotions or things as well as people:
Cautiously, trying not to waken him, Caroline stepped quietly out of the room.
Different images can awaken new emotions within us.
I awoke next morning to a brilliant pearly light, but when I went to the window, no sea was visible.
Worth orworthwhile?
Worth and worthwhile are adjectives.
Worth is only used after verbs such asbe, seem, look (as a predicative adjective). It means having a
particular value, especially in money:
A:
I wonder how much the house isworth?
B:
About half a million, probably.
To be worth doing something is a common expression. It means that something is useful or important
enough to do:
A:
I havent had a reply to my email to Jane. Is it worth phoning her, do you think? (Would it be useful to
phone her?)
B:
You could try, I suppose.
We decided it wasnt worth going all the way to London to buy books we could get on the Internet.
To be worth it means to be of reasonable or good value for the price:
A business class ticket cost 2,000, but it was worth it for such a long flight. It was very comfortable.
We use worthwhile before a noun (as an attributive adjective) or after verbs such as be, seem, look (as a
predicative adjective). It means useful, important or good enough to be a suitable reward for the money or
time spent or the effort made:
Do you think working in a supermarket is a worthwhile career for a highly intelligent person?
We had thought of buying a bigger car, but we didnt think it wasworthwhile, since theres just the two of us.

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Above or over?

sentences, over can be used instead of above:

[a chalet is a small wooden building usually found in mountainous areas]

Do they live in that chalet above the village?

Not: Do they live in that chalet over the village?

They made her comfortable and put a blanket over her.

We normally use over not above with numbers:

I get over sixty emails a day.

Not: I get above sixty emails a day.

Not: If you weigh above 100 kilograms

It was three degrees abovezero.

Not: It was three degrees over zero.

The temperature is already above 30 degrees. (or over 30 degrees.)

We dont use over to mean higher level.

Most of the race is 500 metres abovesea level.

Not: Most of the race is 500 over sea level.

We dont use above when one thing touches or covers another.

Pour some cream over the tart and serve it warm.

Not: Pour some cream above the tart

We dont use above with numbers.

Over 100 people complained about the programme.

Not: Above 100 people complained

We took a boat [PREP]across the river.

The road was so busy that we found it difficult to get [ADV]across.

The pharmacy is across from the Town Hall.

We also use across to refer to the width or diagonal measurement of something:

corneracross to the opposite corner.

Across comes after measurements when we talk about diameter or width:

movement from one side to another:

We toasted marshmallows [PREP]over the fire.

We drove high up [PREP]over the mountains on a narrow dangerous road.

Suddenly a plane flew [ADV]over and dropped hundreds of leaflets.

Come over often means to come to the speakers home:

other side of the street or room)

Not: I love walking across the forest.

Not: When my dog runs across long grass

say from to/till :

Across, over and through: typical errors

We cycled through a number of small villages.

Not: We cycled across a number of small villages.

The papers were spread across the table.

Not: The papers were spread on the table.

Let me give you some advice: stay away from Margaret.

Not: Let me give you an advice

She gave him a lot of advice, but I dont think he listened.

Not: a lot of advices

I have two pieces of advice for you about the holiday.

We use the verb advise /dvz/ to mean to give someone advice:

I strongly advise you to lose weight.

They finally did what we advised.

Affect is a verb meaning influence or cause someone or something to change:

The cold weather has really affectedher health.

New technologies continue to affecthow we live.

Effect is a noun that means the result of an influence:

The pollution in the city had a badeffect on me.

All and every are determiners.

The questionnaire was sent to all employees.

The questionnaire was sent to every employee.

We can use every to focus on each individual member.

All passengersmust turn refers to the

off their mobile phones. whole group

Every passengermust turn

off their mobile phone. focuses on

(We use theirinstead each