Wrong word and right words

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• Right Word Wrong Word

  Words and structures confused and misused by learners of
  English

  L. G. Alexander

  LONGMAN

• Addison Wesley Longman Limited Edinburgh Gate, Harlow Essex CM20
  2JE, England and Associated Companies throughout the world.

  © Longman Group UK Limited 1994 All rights reserved; no part of
  this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,
  or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
  photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written
  permission of the Publishers.

  First published 1994 Fifth impression 1997 Illustrated by Chris
  Ryley

  British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Alexander, L.
  G.

  Right Word Wrong Word: Words and Structures Confused and Misused
  by Learners of English. — (Longman English Grammar Series) I. Title
  II. Ryley, Chris III. Series 428.24 ISBN 0-582-21860-8

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Alexander,
  L.G.

  Right word wrong word: words and structures confused and misused
  by learners of English/L.G. Alexander.

  p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN
  0-582-21860-8 1. English language-Usage. 2. English language-Errors
  of usage. I. Title.

  PE1460.A48 1993 428.2’4-dc20 93-11963

  CIP

  We have been unable to trace the copyright holder of the text
  for Exercise 52 Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, Nobody and would
  appreciate any information that would enable us to do so.

  Set in Times New Roman, TrueType Produced through

  Longman Malaysia, ETS ISBN 0 582 21860 8

• Acknowledgements

  I would express my sincere thanks to the following people who
  supplied extremely useful data while this work was being
  developed:

  Julia Alexander Mohamed Eid, Cairo, Egypt Professor Jacek
  Fisiak, O.B.E., Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland Cristina
  Germanis, Verona, Italy Jurgen Kienzler, Ludwigsburg, Germany Roy
  Kingsbury Professor Hanna Komorowska, University of Warsaw, Poland
  Gottfried Kumpf, Vaihingen, Germany Chris Lynch, Tokyo, Japan
  Penelope Parfitt Professor T. Takenaka, Kagawa University,
  Japan

  Longman English Grammar Series by L. G. Alexander

  Longman English Grammar: a reference grammar for English as a
  foreign language Step by Step 1-3: graded grammar exercises
  (beginners’ to pre-intermediate level) Longman English Grammar
  Practice: reference and practice (intermediate level) Longman
  Advanced Grammar: reference and practice (advanced level) The
  Essential English Grammar: a handy reference grammar (all
  levels)

• Contents Introduction viii

  Reference Section 1-201

  Test Yourself 203

  Up to Intermediate Level 1 Social exchanges 204 2 Cars and
  driving 205 3 Adjectives: opposites 206 4 Adjectives and noun
  modifiers 206 5 Asking, requesting, commanding 207 6 Telephoning
  207 7 Appearance, etc., of people and things 208 8 Descriptions,
  etc. 208 9 Containers 209

  10 Countable and uncountable nouns 210 11 Time and frequency 211
  12 Health 212 13 Holidays 212 14 ‘Be’,’get’,’go’,’make’, etc. 213
  15 Work and jobs 214 16 Buildings and parts of buildings 214 17
  Verbs/verb phrases with and without prepositions 215 18
  Occupations, etc. 216 19 Words easily confused, misspelt, etc. 217
  20 Prepositional phrases 218 21 Only one negative 218 22 -ed/-ing
  218 23 Addressing people 219 24 Names of places 219 25 Doing things
  for people 220 26 Movement to and from 220 27 The human body 221 28
  Furniture 221 29 Money 222 30 Adverbs 223 31 Comparatives and
  superlatives 223 32 Four topics: 224

  1 The weather 2 The news 3 Luck and misfortune 4 Keeping
  clean

  33 Questions and exclamations 225 34 Quantities and amounts 226
  35 Travelling by train 227 36 Outside 228 37 ‘Do’, ‘make’ and
  ‘have’ 229

  v

• 38 Dressing and clothes 230 39 Food and drink 231 40 Countable
  and uncountable nouns 232 41 Education 233

  Upper Intermediate to Advanced Level 42 Greetings, conventional
  social utterances and exchanges 234 43 Comparing and contrasting
  235 44 Socializing, entertainment, etc. 236 45 What goes with what?
  236 46 Phrasal verbs 237 47 Adjective + preposition 237 48 Verb
  +’to’or verb +’-ing’? 238 49 Approval and disapproval 239 50 Red
  tape 240 51 Character and reputation 241 52 Everybody, Somebody,
  Anybody, Nobody 242 53 Regular and irregular verbs which are easily
  confused 242 54 Animals, birds and plants 243 55 Shopping 244 56
  Counting and measuring 245 57 Verbs with and without prepositions
  246 58 Household equipment, power, etc. 247 59 Expressing feelings
  of approval 248 60 Writing, literature, language 249 61 Items of
  clothing, etc. 250 62 Nouns ending in’s’ 251 63 Food 252 64 Health
  253 65 Behaviour 254 66 Two topics 255

  a) War and peace b) Geography, natural phenomena

  67 Adjectives and -ly adverbs 256 68 Communicating 257 69
  Reflexive pronouns after verbs 258 70 Food and drink 259 71 Two
  topics 260

  1 Entertainment, leisure 2 Games, sports, outdoor activities

  72 What comes after the verb? 261 73 Newspapers, broadcasting,
  publishing 262 74 ‘Do’, ‘make’, ‘have’ and ‘take’ 263 75 Education
  264 76 Buildings, parts of buildings, surroundings 265 77 Countable
  and uncountable nouns 266 78 Fear, worry, embarrassment, etc. 267
  79 Crime and punishment 268 80 Clothes, materials, etc. 269 81 Are
  you a hypochondriac? 270

  vi

• 82 Housework, gardening, maintenance 271 83 Degree and
  intensifying 272 84 -ic/-ical 272 85 Inversion after negative
  adverbs 273 86 Adjective + preposition 273 87 Words easily
  confused, misspelt, etc. 274 88 Experiences, perception, thought
  275 89 What sort of person are you? 276 90 Politics and government
  277 91 Stative and dynamic uses of certain verbs 278 92 Travelling
  279 93 Prepositional phrases 280 94 Cars, driving, maintenance,
  traffic 281 95 Referring to facts, the truth 282 96 A campaign
  against litter 283

  Answer Key 284

  Technical Terms 289

  Index 291

  VII

• Introduction About Right Word Wrong Word Little green men In
  1877 the Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli (1835-1910)
  observed some markings on the planet Mars which he referred to as
  canali. This was mistranslated into English as canals, suggesting
  man-made structures and the existence of intelligent life on Mars,
  instead of channels, which occur naturally. The idea of canals
  appealed to the imaginations of scientists and novelists alike. The
  astronomer Percival Lowell used it as the basis for his ‘scientific
  observations’, recorded in such works as Mars and its Canals
  (1908). The novelist H.G. Wells was inspired to write his powerful
  story about the invasion of the earth by Martians, The War of the
  Worlds (1898). In 1938, a simulated newscast of this novel was
  broadcast, describing the Martian invasion of New Jersey, which
  reduced millions of listeners to a state of near panic. The idea of
  Martians was not exploded till 1965 when the US spacecraft Mariner
  4 sent back close-up pictures of Mars, which proved conclusively
  that there were no canals and no little green men! The story shows
  how powerfully mother tongue interference can affect our
  understanding of a foreign language, with unpredictable
  consequences. It also shows how we have to suppress our own
  language if we want to acquire a foreign language.

  What is Right Word Wrong Word? Right Word Wrong Word is a
  Reference and Practice Book based on common errors in English. It
  covers items like the following: • Words often confused, where the
  student’s native language interferes with

  English (false friends): for example, benzine/petrol. •
  Word-confusions that exist within English itself: for example,
  rob/steal/burgle. • Structures in the student’s language that
  interfere with English structures: for

  example, it has compared with there is/it is. • Confusions of
  structures within English itself: for example, must/had to. •
  Particular words and structures which are a well-known source of
  error: for

  example, get and enjoy. Right Word Wrong Word is therefore a
  comprehensive usage book that provides answers to students’
  questions that are not easily available from any other source.

  Who is the book for? The book is suitable for students of
  English as a foreign or second language at intermediate level and
  above, whether they are preparing for examinations or not. It is
  also suitable for teachers. It extends the knowledge of non-native
  teachers by clarifying the meanings and uses of related items; it
  sensitizes native-speaking teachers by making them aware of
  mistakes that students really make. For both kinds of teachers, it
  is a handy reference for dealing with awkward questions on the
  spot.

  The basis of the selection I have been collecting ‘right word
  wrong word’ items since the early 1960s and my collection has grown
  into a large database. This database was checked against the
  Longman Learners’ Corpus (drawn from 70 countries) and then
  filtered through a

  VIII

• representative spread of languages, including Arabic, European
  (Germanic, Romance, Greek, Slavonic) and Asiatic (Japanese). The
  words in this collection are the survivors of the original database
  that followed this investigation and number more than 5,000
  items.

  A description of the material The material consists of the
  following sections: • A reference section (pages 1-201) • Test
  Yourself (pages 203-283) • Answer Key (pages 284-288) • Technical
  Terms (pages 289-290) • Index (pages 291-308)

  How to use Right Word Wrong Word Index If you are in doubt about
  the use of a word, look in the index to find it, then go to the
  reference section. You may have to do this more than once to locate
  the meaning you are looking for. When you find the word you want,
  check whether the mistake listed is one you are likely to make
  yourself and which you must train yourself to suppress. The
  reference section The ‘wrong word’ is generally listed first,
  followed by the ‘right word’. For example:

  block * pad — I’ve brought this nice new pad to take notes

  during the meeting. (Not *block*) (pad/writing pad = sheets of
  paper held together, used for writing or drawing)

  — How did the ancient Egyptians cut and move such huge stone
  blocks ? (= stone, wood, etc., cut with straight sides)

  Some words appear in different places. For example, mark has its
  own entry, but is also listed under grade/mark/degree, note
  down/mark and speck/spot/mark. The reference section focuses
  sharply on particular problems of contrast or use. It is not a
  dictionary and so does not deal with every possible meaning of a
  particular word.

  Technical terms The terms used in the reference section are
  briefly explained on pages 289-290.

  Test Yourself Exercises 1-41 are suitable for students of all
  levels, but especially for intermediate; exercises 42-96 are upper
  intermediate and advanced. The exercises deal with topics (e.g.
  health), functions (e.g. doing things for people) or grammar (e.g.
  phrasal verbs). You may work through the exercises in the order
  they occur, or pick and choose, according to level. 1. Attempt an
  exercise, then check your answers in the answer key. 2. Look up any
  item or items you aren’t sure of in the index, which will refer you
  to

  the reference section. Practise using the items you have learned
  in your own speech and writing.

  ix

• a* an — Kirsty’s got an MA. in history.

  (Not *a MA. in history*) — She’s got a Master’s degree.

  (Not *an Master’s degree*) (a + consonant sound; an + vowel
  sound)

  a/an * one — I need a screwdriver to do this job properly.

  (Not *one screwdriver*) — It was one coffee I ordered, not
  two.

  (Not *a coffee*) (a/an = ‘any one’, ‘it doesn’t matter which’;
  one, two, etc., when we are counting)

  a/an • some — Please bring me a glass/an envelope. — I want some
  glasses/some envelopes. — I want some water. (Not *a water*) — I’d
  like a coffee please.

  (some = an unspecified number or amount is the plural of a/an
  where the reference is to quantity; we normally use a/an only with
  countable nouns. We also use a/an for all drinks seen as a complete
  measure: a coffee, a beer, but use some for fluids of which there
  is more in the tap, bottle, etc.: some water, some wine)

  a/an • (-) — Lucy wants to be a doctor.

  (Not *wants to be doctor*) — Kevin wants to be an
  electrician.

  (Not *wants to be electrician*) (a/an + singular countable
  noun)

  ability to — I wasn’t happy at school until I found I had

  the ability to make people laugh. (Not *ability of/on making*)
  (from able to)

  able • possible — It will be possible to see you on Friday.

  (Not *It will be able*) — I’ll be able to see you on Friday.

  (Not*I`ll be possible*) (It + possible; human subject +
  able)

  about•around — Few people can afford to go on a cruise

  (a)round the world. (Not *about*) ((a)round for circular
  movement)

  — They’ve built a motorway (a)round London. (= surrounding,
  encircling)

  — The fax was received at around/about 8 pm. (= approximately;
  but approximately in place of around and about is very formal)

  — The journey took about/around an hour. (Not *an hour about*
  *an hour around*) (preposition + object)

  about • on • over — Have you read this article on the Antarctic?
  — There’s an article about tourism in today’s

  paper. (preferable to on) (on for serious and specific
  information; about for general interest)

  — Let’s agree to differ. Let’s not have an argument over/about
  it. (Not *on*) (over after argument, concern, dispute)

  abroad — John has gone/is abroad on business.

  (Not *has gone to abroad/is at abroad*) (abroad is an adverb,
  not a noun; be/live/go abroad are fixed phrases, otherwise we have
  to say come/return from abroad, where abroad is used as a noun)

  absent oneself * absent — Where’s Jane today? — She’s absent. I
  think

  she’s ill. (Not *She has absented herself*) — The soldier
  absented himself without leave

  for three weeks and was arrested. (be absent from = ‘not
  present’; absent oneself implies deliberate rule-breaking)

  absent • away — I’m going on holiday and I’ll be away for a

  fortnight. (preferable to absent) — How many students were
  absent from your

  class today? (Not *away*) (away = elsewhere; absent = not
  present)

  abstracted • absent-minded • distracted — Professor Boffin is
  generally very absent-

  minded. (Not *abstracted* *distracted*) (= not paying attention
  to present reality)

  — Sorry, I didn’t hear what you said. I was abstracted for a
  moment. (= thinking about something else)

  — Sorry, I didn ‘t hear what you said. I was distracted by the
  telephone. (i.e. something claimed my attention)

  abuse • insult • swear at • curse — The sergeant major abused
  the soldiers

  unmercifully. (= shouted at them and called them names)

  — Mrs Tomkins insulted the bride’s family by refusing to attend
  her son’s wedding. (= behaved in a way that caused offence)

  1

• — Traffic wardens rightly ignore motorists who swear at them. (=
  use foul language)

  — Before he died, the religious leader cursed all enemies of the
  faith. (= asked God to do them harm)

  — Don’t curse/swear under your breath. accede to • comply with —
  You’ll get into trouble if you don’t comply

  with the planning laws. (Not * accede to*) (= obey, go along
  with)

  — I acceded to his request for a reference. (Not *complied
  with*) (= agreed to, consented to; formal)

  accept • agree to/with — They invited me to their wedding and
  I’ve

  agreed to go. (Not *accepted to go*) (agree to do something)

  — She offered me some clothes her children had grown out of and
  I accepted them, (accept + object = take what is offered)

  — I don’t accept your opinion/agree with your opinion that we
  can’t control inflation. (agree with an opinion)

  accept • allow • admit — They won’t admit anyone to the
  theatre/

  allow anyone into the theatre after the performance has started.
  (Not *accept*) (= give someone the right to go in)

  — If the performance has started, they just won’t allow you
  in/admit you. (Not * admit you in* *allow you* * accept you*) (=
  let you go in)

  — I applied to join the club, but they won’t accept me. (Not
  *admit* *allow*) (= let me join)

  accessories • spare parts • reserve • spare tyre — My car hasn’t
  been repaired yet because the

  garage is still waiting for spare parts. (Not *accessories*
  *reserves*) (= essential replacement parts to keep a machine in
  running order)

  — My new car has a whole lot of accessories, including a roof
  rack. (Not *reserves*) (= additional, but not essential parts)

  — Where is the spare tyre kept in this vehicle? (Not *reserve*
  *reserve tyre*)

  — Does this motorbike have a reserve fuel tank? (Not * spare*)
  (i.e. which could be used if needed)

  2

  accident * incident * episode — Someone rammed the back of my
  car. It was

  an unfortunate accident. (Not *episode*) (= an unplanned
  happening, often bad)

  — There was an unpleasant incident on the train this morning
  when a drunk attacked one of the passengers. (Not * episode*) (= a
  single happening, good or bad)

  — That was an episode/incident in my life which I’m not proud
  of. (episode — one part of a continuing story)

  accidentally • unfortunately — I knocked on your door, but
  unfortunately

  you were out. (Not *accidentally*) (= unluckily)

  — I’ve accidentally dialled the wrong number. (= by chance, by
  mistake)

  accommodation — While touring Britain, we found (some)

  excellent accommodation in old inns. (note the spelling, not
  *accomodation* *acommodation*; uncountable: not *an accommodation*;
  the plural form accommodations is AmE only)

  accomplish • perform — Soldiers must perform their duties
  without

  asking questions. (Not *accomplish*) (= do a task, a
  service)

  — Churchill accomplished a great deal while he was Prime
  Minister. (Not *performed*) (= succeeded in doing)

  accomplishment • achievement • completion — The re-unification
  of Germany was a great

  achievement. (preferable to accomplishment) (= something
  successfully done)

  — She has many accomplishments, including a command of three
  foreign languages. (= acquired skills)

  — Did the completion of the Eurotunnel go according to plan ?
  (Not *achievement* * accomplishment*) (= finishing)

  accord • behalf • account • part — We ‘re acting on behalf of
  our client/on our

  client’s behalf. (Not *accord* *part*) — Don’t go to all that
  trouble on my behalf/on

  my account. (Not *on my accord*) (= for me)

  — That was a mistake on my part. (= by me)

  — I didn’t ask her to do the washing-up. She did it of her own
  accord. (Not *of/on her

• own behalf* *on her own accord*) (= without being asked)

  according to • by • in my opinion — It’s 4.30 according to/by
  the station clock.

  (= as shown by; both possible when referring to clocks and
  watches)

  — According to many scientists, the level of the oceans is
  rising. (Not *By*) (= as stated by other people)

  — In my opinion, scientists take a pessimistic view. (Not *
  According to my opinion/To me* *To/After/By my opinion*)

  account: on any/no account — You mustn’t disturb him on any
  account.

  On no account must you disturb him. (Not *with no account/in any
  account*)

  account • deposit — They won’t accept an order for goods

  without a deposit. (= part payment in advance)

  — I’ve opened an account with Westland Bank. (Not *a
  deposit*)

  — I’ve just transferred money to my (current) account from my
  deposit account. (a bank account = where money is paid in or out; a
  deposit at a bank or anywhere else is a sum of money held by
  someone who is not the owner)

  accusation — I want to know who made this accusation

  against me. (Not *did this accusation*) (some other nouns that
  combine with make: an agreement, an announcement, an apology, an
  application, an appointment, an attempt, a change, a choice, a
  claim, comments, a criticism, a difference, an effort, an escape,
  an exception, an experiment, a fortune, a gesture, a habit of
  something, a law, love, a mistake, a name for oneself, an offer,
  peace, plans, progress, a proposal, room for someone, a start, a
  success of something, a suggestion, war, a will, a wish)

  accused: the accused — The accused have nothing to say for

  themselves. — The accused has nothing to say for

  himself/herself. (the accused is used in formal legal contexts
  to refer to one person or more than one, but we have to say
  he’s/she’s accused, not *he’s/she’s an accused* * they’re
  accuseds*)

  ache • hurt • pain — My head hurts. (Not *pains*)

  (intransitive use: you feel pain, possibly from injury)

  — I hurt my foot. (Not *ached* *pained* *hurted*; irregular
  verb: hurt — hurt — hurt) (transitive use = injured)

  — My head aches. (Not *pains*) (intransitive; you feel dull,
  constant pain)

  — It pains me to recall my schooldays. (= makes me feel sad)

  acoustics — The acoustics in ancient Greek theatres are

  amazing. (Not *acoustics is* *acoustic is*) (plural form +
  plural verb for specific references)

  — Acoustics is a branch of physics. (Not *The acoustic is*)
  (plural form + singular verb to refer to the academic subject)

  acquire • gain/increase in value — Property has gained/increased
  in value

  considerably over the last ten years. (Not *acquired (in)
  value*)

  — As our company is expanding, we’ve had to acquire more office
  space. (Not *gain*) (= obtain, e.g. by buying or renting)

  across • over • through — They’re laying a pipeline across
  Siberia.

  (Not *over* *through*) (across = from one side to the other of a
  surface area)

  — We skated over the frozen lake. (over = on or above a surface,
  not necessarily from one side to the other)

  — Water flows through this pipe. — It was difficult to cut
  through the forest.

  (through = movement within a solid or enclosing medium)

  act * action * deed — The situation requires immediate
  action.

  (Not *act* *deed*) (= doing something, often as a response)

  — I shall always remember her many acts of kindness to me. (Not
  *actions* *deeds*) (act of+ noun phrase, not *action*; act =
  specific thing done; action = a move to do something; act/action
  are interchangeable after adjectives: It was a kind
  act/action.)

  — Visiting Mrs Hollis in hospital was a good deed that had to be
  done. (Not * act/action*) (deed is only used in a context where an
  action is being judged: a good/evil deed)

  3

• act • take effect — Has the medicine taken effect yet?

  (Not *acted*) (= had a specific effect)

  — This drug acts/takes effect quickly in the system. (= has a
  general effect on) (Compare: This drug acts on/affects the central
  nervous system.)

  action • campaign — The government is launching a campaign

  against smoking. (Not *an action*) (= a planned series of
  actions)

  — The government’s action to control interest rates has been
  very prompt. (= a move to do something)

  actual • news — Have you seen the news report on malaria?

  (Not *actual report*) (= the one reported in the news)

  — I’ve read the actual report on malaria. (= that report, the
  real thing)

  actual • real • topical • up-to-date — Public transport is a
  highly topical issue at

  present because of the row over the new bypass. (Not *actual*)
  (i.e it’s in the news)

  — The real/actual problem is the civil war. (= true, the one we
  are concerned with)

  — I can’t comment before I have read the actual report. (Not
  *real report*) (= the report itself)

  — Magazines in doctors’ waiting rooms are never up-to-date. (Not
  *actual* *topical*)

  actualities • the news • current events — You should take a
  daily paper if you want to

  keep track of the news/of current events. (Not * actualities*)
  (= facts that are reported)

  — Before you pass judgement, you should consider the actualities
  of the case. (= the true conditions, circumstances)

  actually • at present/for the present • at the moment — Frank’s
  been travelling for a month now. At

  present/For the present/At the moment, I have no idea of his
  whereabouts. (Not *Actually* *To the present*) (= now, for the time
  being)

  — Do you realize that Martin has actually been off work for a
  month now? (= as a matter of fact, really)

  4

  adapt (to) • adopt • adjust (to) — We have adopted the same sort
  of assembly

  methods they use in Japan. (Not * adapted*) (= taken and
  used)

  — We have adapted the assembly system they use in Japan to suit
  our circumstances here. (Not * adopted*) (= changed it to suit our
  needs)

  — I have found it difficult to adapt to/adjust to living in the
  country after living in a large city. (Not * adjust myself to*;
  preferable to adapt myself to) (= become used to)

  — The picture is out of focus. Could you adjust it slightly
  please? (Not *adapt*) (= change it in order to correct it)

  addition • bill • account — Would you bring me the bill please
  ?

  (Not *addition* *account*) (= the account for immediate
  payment)

  — I’ve just received a bill/an account from my solicitors. (Not
  *an addition*) (= a formal application for payment)

  — Old-style grocers were good at addition. (= adding numbers
  together)

  adieu • goodbye — It’s time to say goodbye. (Not *adieu*) — We
  bade them adieu/goodbye and left.

  (bid adieu is old-fashioned, literary) admire — I admire
  Mozart’s music more than anyone

  else’s. (Not *I’m admiring*) (stative use: my admiration is
  involuntary)

  — Where’s Fred? — He’s admiring your garden. (Not *He admires*)
  (dynamic use = at this moment he’s looking at your garden with
  admiration)

  admire • wonder • admiration — I wonder why she’s left. (Not
  *admire*)

  (= I’m puzzled) — I admire the Pompidou building in Paris.

  (Not *wonder* *wonder at*) (= I look at it with
  approval/pleasure)

  — Rowland Emmet’s creations fill me with wonder/admiration. (Not
  *admire*) (wonder, noun = astonishment; admiration = strong
  approval)

  admit (to) — Sally admits to using your computer.

  (admit to = confess) — Sally admits using/that she used your

  computer. (Not *admits to use*) (admit + object = agree
  something is true)

• — The man admitted his guilt to the police. (Not *’admitted the
  police his guilt* *admitted to the police his guilt*)

  admittance • admission — What’s the admission ? — £3 a head.

  (Not *admittance*) (= the cost of entry)

  — You need to be accompanied by a member to gain
  admission/admittance to the club. {admission = being allowed in;
  admittance — being allowed in by the authorities; note No Admission
  = ‘you won’t be allowed in’ and No Admittance = ‘the authorities
  won’t allow you in’; compare entry/entrance, which don’t refer to
  the idea of permission)

  adore • worship — At which church do you worship ?

  (Not *adore*) — 1 adore staying in Rome. (Not *worship*)

  {= I really love it) — As far as Sylvia is concerned, her son
  is

  perfect. She adores/worships him. {adore and worship with
  reference to people are usually interchangeable)

  advance•progress — Now that we’ve mastered this step, we can

  progress to the next one. (preferable to advance)

  — We began our new course book in May and advanced/progressed
  rapidly.

  — Advance two squares. (Not *Progress*) (both advance and
  progress mean’go forward’, but advance is usually physical/
  concrete, while progress means go forward in the sense of
  ‘improve’)

  advantage: take advantage of — Take advantage of our offer of a
  50%

  reduction in package tours. — If you’re having to work every
  weekend, your

  boss is taking advantage of you. {take advantage of something =
  make the most of; take advantage of someone = make unfair use of;
  it can also mean ‘exploit sexually’ as in: Doctors are forbidden to
  take advantage of their patients.)

  adventure • by chance • incidentally — We met by
  chance/incidentally at an office

  party. (Not *by adventure*) (= without expecting to: by
  accident)

  — I’ve just opened the back door, which, incidentally, was
  unlocked all night. (Not *by chance*) (= by the way)

  — When we rowed out to sea in our dinghy, we didn’t expect to
  have such an adventure. (= an unusual, dangerous experience)

  adventure • experience — People who have been tortured can’t
  forget

  the terrible experience. (Not *adventure*) (= what happened to
  them)

  — Jim had many adventures in the jungle but lived to tell the
  tale. (Not * experiences*) (= unusual, exciting experiences)

  advertisement • warning — I haven’t paid my gas bill and have
  received

  a final warning. (Not * advertisement*) (i.e. bringing attention
  to a possible penalty)

  — How much does it cost to place a large advertisement in the
  paper? (= an announcement that makes it known that something is for
  sale, etc.)

  advice • advise • opinion — She gave me (some) good advice about
  jobs.

  (uncountable noun spelt -ice, pronounced /ais/; not *an advice*
  *(some) advices* * advice for*)

  — She advised me about applying for jobs. (verb spelt -we,
  pronounced /aiz/; not *adviced me*)

  — Mr Foley advised me to apply to your company. (preferable to
  advised me I should; and note: He advised (me) against applying. =
  He advised me not to apply.)

  — I took your advice and applied for promotion. (Not *took your
  opinion*)

  — I don’t know whether my essay is good or bad and I’d like to
  have your opinion. (advice = what you think I should do; opinion =
  what you think about something)

  affair • case * liaison — Even Inspector Wiley couldn’t solve
  the

  case. (Not *affair*) (= an event or events that the police are
  looking into)

  — What I do in my spare time is entirely my own affair. (= a
  matter that concerns me, my business)

  — Their (love) affair became known after his death. (Not *case*;
  liaison here would mean ‘improper relationship’) (= a sexual
  relationship, outside marriage)

  — There’s always been a close liaison between our two
  organizations. (Not * affair*) (= a link, relationship)

  5

• affairs • business — Business hasn’t been doing very well
  lately.

  (Not *Affairs haven’t*) (= work to do with buying and
  selling)

  — You can keep your nose out of my affairs. (= matters connected
  with my private or professional life)

  affect • (have an) effect (on) • come into/take effect — This
  hay fever is having a serious effect on

  my work. (Not *affect*) {effect is the noun relating to the verb
  affect: have an effect on something)

  — This hay fever is seriously affecting my work. (Not
  *effecting*) (affect is the verb relating to the noun effect)

  — The new law comes into effect/takes effect next Monday. (Not
  *has an effect/affect*) (= will be in operation)

  — Mr Court effected numerous changes while running this company.
  (Not *affected*) (= brought about, put into effect)

  affection • affectation • infection — Ann is much nicer now that
  she’s lost her

  silly affectations. (Not *affections*) (= unnatural behaviour to
  impress others)

  — Don’t come near me. I’m suffering from a nasty throat
  infection. (Not * affection*) (= disease caused by germs or
  virus)

  — His affection for his family is obvious. (= love, deep
  fondness for)

  affirm • maintain — Despite the statistics, you still maintain
  that

  inflation is falling. (Not *affirm*) (= claim, whether it’s true
  or not)

  — The witness affirmed it was the same man. (i.e. said he/she
  believed it)

  afford: can/can’t afford • have the means — We can/can’t afford
  an exotic holiday this

  year. (Not *We afford/don’t afford*) (can/can’t afford is
  preferable to have/don’t have the means for/the means to buy)

  afloat * floating — The raft was afloat/floating on the river. —
  The pilot quickly spotted the floating raft.

  (Not *afloat*) (we cannot use afloat in front of a noun, only
  after a noun + be, seem to be, etc.)

  afraid (of) • frightened (of/by) — The children were afraid
  of/frightened

  of/frightened by the wicked witch. — We did all we could to
  comfort the

  frightened children. (Not *afraid*)

  6

  (we cannot use afraid in front of a noun, only after a noun +
  be, seem to be, etc.)

  after • afterwards • after that • behind — Come and see me after
  work.

  (Not *afterwards work*) (after as a preposition + object;
  afterwards is an adverb and cannot govern a noun)

  — We’II discuss the programme after you arrive. (Not *afterwards
  you arrive* *after you will arrive* *after that you arrive* *after
  to arrive*) (after as a conjunction + present tense)

  — We made the house tidy and our guests arrived soon
  afterwards/after. (both possible, but afterwards is generally
  preferable; after is used as an adverb only after soon and not
  long)

  — We had dinner first. After that/Afterwards, we went to a show.
  (Not * After, we went to a show* *After from that*)

  — Stand behind me in the queue. (Not *after* *behind of*)
  (behind for position)

  — You’re after me in the queue. (after for next in turn,
  sequence)

  after • in — /’// see you in a week. (Not *after a week*)

  (= within, before the end of) — I’ll see you in a week’s
  time.

  (Not *after a week’s time*) — It’s hard to get back to work
  after a week on

  holiday! (= at the end of)

  after • later — / arrived at the party first, and my husband

  arrived later. (Not * arrived after* to refer to time, though we
  could say arrived after me to refer to sequence) (= at a later
  time)

  — / can quote the first line of ‘To be or not to be’, but I
  don’t know what comes after. (Not Hater*) (after as an adverb, for
  sequence)

  afternoon: this afternoon — They’re arriving this afternoon.

  (Not * today afternoon*; compare tomorrow afternoon, yesterday
  afternoon; similarly morning, evening)

  again • back — Sue invited us to dinner last month; it’s
  time

  we invited her back. (Not *again*) (i.e. returned her
  hospitality; compare phone someone back = return their call)

• — We enjoyed having our neighbours to dinner and we must invite
  them again. (= on another occasion; compare phone someone
  again)

  age • epoch • era • period • century — The whole period was
  marked by important

  changes in the earth’s surface. {period is the best word to
  refer to geotime)

  — Satellite TV brought in an epoch of worldwide communication.
  (an epoch is a period of time beginning with an important
  event)

  — We live in an age/era where fast food is the norm. (Not
  *epoch*)

  — There’s no way of knowing exactly when the Iron Age really
  began. (Not * Epoch*) (The Iron Age is a fixed phrase; compare in
  the age of Shakespeare, etc. = at that time)

  — The Industrial Revolution began in the 18th century. (Not
  *age*)

  age • get old — Have you noticed how Mrs Briggs is getting

  old/is ageing? (Not *is aiding*; note the spelling of ageing,
  though aging is often seen, especially in AmE)

  age • old — How old is he ? (Not *age* *big*) — What age is he?
  (Not *old* *has he*)

  (How old… ? is generally preferable) — How old are you? — I’m
  ten (years old).

  (Not *I’m ten years. * *I have ten years.*) — How old is your
  car? — It’s ten years old.

  (Not *It has ten years.* *It’s ten.*) (we can’t omit years old
  when referring to the age of a thing)

  aged • elderly — Who will look after us when we’re elderly?

  (Not *aged*) (= in or near old age)

  — / was approached by an elderly man who asked me for
  directions. (Not *an elderly*) (we cannot use elderly on its own to
  mean ‘an elderly person’; an elderly man is preferable to an aged
  man, which is literary, and is more complimentary than an old
  man)

  — Monica devotes a lot of her spare time to helping the aged/the
  elderly. (Not *the ageds* *the elderlies*) (the + adjective for the
  group as a whole)

  — Constance looks after her aged parents. (= very old; aged can
  be used in front of a few nouns: e.g. my aged parents, an aged
  aunt, an aged friend of mine, etc.)

  agenda • diary — I’ve made a note of your birthday in my

  diary. (Not *agenda*) (= a book with spaces for days of the
  year)

  — What’s the first item on the agenda? (= schedule of business
  at a meeting)

  — We had to work through three agendas! (Not *agenda*)

  agent • representative — Who’s our company’s
  agent/representative

  in Tokyo? (agent: usually someone self-employed who works on a
  commission; representative: usually an employee of a company)

  ages • years — Children are so carefree in their younger

  years, before they start school. (Not *ages*) (= at that time,
  during those years)

  — A child’s basic personality is formed between the ages of one
  and five. (referring to how old children are)

  aggravated • annoyed — / got really annoyed/aggravated by the
  bad

  behaviour of Karen’s children. (many native speakers don’t
  accept the widespread use of aggravate to mean annoy)

  — The bad situation was further aggravated by the reinforcement
  of troops at the border. (Not *annoyed*) (= made worse)

  agitate • shake • move — / could feel the earth move/shake as
  the

  earthquake began. (Not *agitate*) (move suggests a single large
  movement; shake = rapid movements from side to side)

  — We got really agitated when our daughter didn’t return from
  school at the usual time. (Not *shaken* *moved*) (= very anxious,
  worried)

  — After the break-in, we felt really shaken. (i.e. we were in a
  state of shock)

  — Shake the bottle well before you take any of that medicine.
  (Not *Agitate* *Move*)

  agony • anxiety — He’s in a state of anxiety waiting for the

  result of his blood test. (Not *agony*) (= fear of what may
  happen)

  — I’ve twisted my ankle and I’m in agony. (= extreme pain; in
  agony is a fixed phrase)

  agree — / agree with you.

  (Not * agree to you* *agree you*) 7

• (agree with someone: agree is not an adjective: not */ am agree
  with you.*)

  — I agree to the proposal. (Not * agree with*) (agree to
  something)

  — Surely we can agree on this. (on = about)

  — We live in difficult times. -I agree. (Not *I’m agreeing.*)
  (stative use in ‘declarations’)

  agreeable • in agreement (with) — I’m entirely in agreement with
  your

  proposal. (Not *agreeable with*) — / enjoy the company of the
  Robinsons.

  They’re very agreeable. (= nice; the opposite is
  disagreeable)

  — I’ve discussed the idea with her and she agrees/she’s in
  agreement/agreeable. (in agreement is preferable to agreeable)

  ahead (of) • in front (of) — In most cars, the engine’s in
  front.

  (Not *ahead*) — Right up to the end of the race. College Boy was
  just ahead of/in front of Red Fur. — College Boy was ahead/in
  front.

  (in front (of)/behind/at the back for absolute position; compare
  ahead (of)/behind for position relative to others)

  aid • help — Please help me. (Not *aid*)

  (aid as a verb is unusual; help is preferable) — Do you know
  anything about first aid? (Not * first aids* *first help* *first
  helps*) (first aid is a fixed phrase) —They heard our cries and
  came to our

  aid/help. (nouns) air • expression — The colonel had an odd
  expression on his

  face as he listened to the news. (Not *air*) (= facial
  appearance at a specific moment)

  — Colonel Fawcett has the air of someone who has travelled
  widely. (Not * expression*)

  (= general appearance) * air • tune • melody — The main theme of
  the symphony is based on

  a well-known air/tune/melody. (an air often suggests ‘an old
  melody’)

  — Hum ‘Yesterday’ to me. I can’t remember the tune. (Not *air*
  *melody*) (melody has a narrower meaning than tune, suggesting ‘a
  sweet tune’)

  8

  air • wind • breeze — There’s a lot of wind today.

  (Not *air* *breeze*) (= moving currents of air)

  — I love to walk in a nice sea breeze. (= a pleasant, gentle
  wind)

  — Is it warm enough to sit out/to sit in the open/to sit in the
  open air? (Not *in the fresh* *in the full air*)

  — Open the window. I need some fresh air. (air is what we
  breathe)

  — / want to send this letter by air. (Not *with air* *via/per
  air* * by plane*)

  air-conditioning/air-conditioner • air-conditioned — Turn off
  the air-conditioning/the air-

  conditioner. I’m freezing! (Not * Close the air-condition.*)

  — The whole building is air-conditioned/has air-conditioning.
  (Not * air-condition*)

  alarm • alert • alarmed — In case of fire, alert the hotel
  guests.

  (Not *alarm*) (= warn them of the danger)

  — Don’t alarm us with awful tales about the dangers of air
  travel. (= make us feel anxious)

  — This door activates an alarm. (Not *This door is alarmed.
  *)

  — We got alarmed when we found the door wide open. (Not *We
  alarmed*)

  alight • burning — The bonfire was alight/burning and could

  be seen for miles around. — / can smell burning rubber. (Not
  *alight*)

  (we cannot use alight in front of a noun, only after a noun +
  be, seem to be, etc.)

  alike • similar • same — We’ve received two similar offers.

  (Not *alike offers* *same offers*) — The two offers are
  similar/alike.

  (= nearly the same; we cannot use alike in front of a noun)

  — The houses in this street are all the same/are all
  similar.

  — Yours is the same as mine/similar to mine. (Not *the same
  with* *similar with*) (the same = exactly alike; similar = they
  resemble each other)

  alive • living • live — Everything that is alive/living (that
  lives)

  needs air and water. (Not *live*)

• — Are your grandparents still alive/living? (Not *Do your
  grandparents live?* *Are they alives/livings?*) (= not dead)

  — All living creatures need air and water. (Not *alive* *
  live*)

  — Careful! It’s a live lobster./That lobster is alive. (Not
  *living*)

  — After midnight, there’s a cabaret show and dancing to live
  music. (Not *alive* *living*) (living and alive both mean ‘not
  dead’, but we cannot use alive in front of a noun; live, pronounced
  /laiv/, can also mean ‘happening now/active’)

  — Careful! That wire is live! (Not *alive* Hiving*) (adjective =
  electrically charged)

  all • everyone • everything • every — Everyone wanted Marilyn’s
  autograph.

  (Not *All* *Every people* * Every person* *All (the) people*)
  (we rarely use all to mean ‘all the people’, preferring
  everyone/everybody)

  — All/Everything 1 have belongs to you. (it’s possible, but
  unusual, to use all to mean ‘all the things’; everything is the
  normal word; all things to mean everything occurs only in poetic
  language)

  — We all agree/All of us agree. (Not *All we* *All us*)

  — The company entertained us all/all of us. (Not *all us*)

  — Everyone/Every person over the age of eighteen must fill in
  this form.

  — Everything/Every thing in this flat is up for sale. (every
  (single) person and every (single) thing are emphatic)

  all ready • already — / tried to get her on the phone, but she
  ‘d

  already left. (Not *all ready* *allready*) (i.e before that
  time)

  — We ‘re all ready. (Not * already*) (= all of us are ready)

  all right — I feel all right. (preferable to alright)

  (alright is a common alternative spelling, sometimes considered
  to be less correct)

  all that • what • all — / didn’t catch what you said.

  (Not *all what* *all which* *that which*) — I didn’t catch all
  that you said.

  (Not *all what* *all which* *which*) (= everything, the thing(s)
  which)

  — All we want/What we want/All that we want is to prevent waste.
  (Not *All what/All which/That which we want*)

  all these things • all this — Who’s going to pay for all this ?
  — Who’s going to pay for all these things ?

  (preferable to all these) (all these + noun)

  all ways • always — They always win.

  (Not *all ways* *allways*) (position: before a main verb or
  after be, have, can, etc.: She’s always late.)

  — We’ve looked at the problem all ways. (= from all sides)

  allowance • permission • pocket money — The farmer gave us
  permission to camp in

  his field. (Not *allowance*) (i.e. he allowed us to)

  — We receive an allowance from the state for each of the
  children. (= a regular payment of money)

  — How much pocket money do your children get? (generally refers
  to spending money given regularly by parents to their children)

  almost • nearly — / think there’s almost/nearly enough food

  here to feed a dozen people. — Almost all cars/Nearly all cars
  use unleaded

  petrol these days. — There’s not nearly enough food here to
  feed

  twenty people. (Not *not almost*) (nearly and almost are only
  interchangeable in the affirmative)

  already • still • yet — We must hurry. It’s already 5
  o’clock,

  (already = sooner than expected) — There’s no hurry. It’s still
  early.

  (still is often used in the affirmative) — There’s no hurry. It
  isn’t 5 o’clock yet.

  (yet is often used in the negative) — Has he arrived yet? (Not *
  still*) — No, not

  yet. (Not *not still*) (yet in questions = up to this point in
  time)

  — Is he still angry? (Not *yet*) (still in questions, pointing
  to continuity)

  — He hasn’t arrived yet. (Not * still* in this position) (= up
  to this point in time)

  — He still hasn’t arrived. (Not *yet* in this position) (still
  in negatives, pointing to continuity)

  9

• also • thus/so — We went by bus and thus/so saved the price

  of a taxi. (Not *also*) (= consequently; thus is more
  emphatic)

  — The bus is cheaper, but also slower. (= in addition)

  alternate • alternative • possibilities — We must choose from
  several possibilities.

  (preferable to alternatives) (i.e. a choice between more than
  two)

  — We must choose between alternatives. (noun = choice between
  two)

  — That’s what we should do — unless you have an alternative
  suggestion. (Not *alternate*) (adjective: i.e. a different
  suggestion)

  — / visit my parents on alternate weekends. (adjective: i.e.
  every second weekend)

  altogether • all together — Let’s sing it again. All together
  now!

  (Not * Altogether*) (= everyone together)

  — As far as I’m concerned, Frank’s proposal is altogether
  nonsensical. (adverb of degree = entirely)

  am I not * aren’t I — Aren’t I invited? (Not *Amn’t I*)

  (the usual negative question form) — Am I not invited?

  (a formal negative question: full form) am/is/are • have/has
  been — / have been in Rio since May. (Not */ am*) — / am in Rio at
  the moment. — I am in Rio for two weeks.

  (this could mean ‘I am in the middle of spending two weeks in
  Rio’, or ‘I will be visiting Rio soon and will stay two
  weeks.’)

  amazed • amazing — I’m amazed at you. (Not * amazed with*) — I
  was amazed by what they told me.

  (Not *amazing* *amazed with/from*) (-ed endings describe
  people)

  — / heard an amazing story. (Not *amazed*) (-ing endings
  describe things, events, etc.)

  — Hemingway is an amazing writer. (a number of -ing endings can
  also be used to describe people, suggesting the effect they have on
  others) (some other pairs of -ed/-ing adjectives are:
  alarmed/alarming, amused/amusing, annoyed/annoying,
  appalled/appalling, astonished/astonishing, bored/boring,
  confused/confusing, depressed/depressing, distressed/distressing,
  embarrassed/

  embarrassing, enchanted/enchanting, excited/exciting,
  exhausted/exhausting, frightened/frightening, horrified/horrifying,
  interested/interesting, moved/moving, pleased/pleasing,
  relaxed/relaxing, satisfied/satisfying, shocked/shocking,
  surprised/surprising, terrified/terrifying, tired/tiring; and note:
  delighted/delightful, impressed/impressive, and
  upset/upsetting)

  American — I’m learning/doing English/American

  English. (Not *making American English* *american english*) (=
  the language: proper noun, capital letter)

  — He’s/She’s American. (preferable to an American) (we generally
  prefer to use an adjectival complement; the noun form is an
  American)

  — They’re American. (adjectival form)

  — They’re Americans. (noun form)

  — / was just speaking to an American/two Americans. (their sex
  is not stated, though a pronoun will often show whether they are
  male or female)

  — (The) American people/(The) Americans are wonderfully
  hospitable. (= the group as a whole) (similarly to refer to people:
  African, Chilean, Costa Rican, Cuban, Korean, Latin American,
  Libyan, Mexican, Paraguayan, Ugandan, Venezuelan, Zimbabwean)

  among/amongst • between — There are quite a few talented
  artists

  among/amongst the people I know. (among many; among is always
  preferable to amongst)

  — It’s hard to choose between these two pictures. I like them
  both. (between two)

  amount • number — A large number of our students are

  American. (Not *amount*) — A large amount of our time is taken
  up with

  administration. (amount + uncountable noun; careless speakers
  often say e.g. *a large amount of students*)

  amuse • occupy — Looking after the children occupies a great

  deal of our time. (Not * amuses*) (= uses up)

  10

• — My children can amuse/occupy themselves for hours without
  getting bored. (= spend their time pleasantly)

  ancient * old — You have to remember Mrs Briggs is very old/a
  very old lady now. (Not *ancient*) — Property developers often have
  little regard for old/ancient buildings.

  {old in terms of time; ancient = old in terms of history as in
  the ancient Greeks)

  — Mr Briggs is an old friend of mine. (Not *an ancient friend*)
  (= one I’ve known for a long time)

  and • and so — John can speak French and so can I. (Not *and me
  too*) — John speaks French and so do I. (Not *and me too*) — John
  brought a present for my sister and (for) me (too). and * to — Go
  and buy yourself a paper. (Not *to*) — Come and see the goldfish.
  (Not *to*) But: Try and/to see my point of view. (imperatives with
  go, come, wait, etc., are followed by and where we might expect to;
  go buy is also possible, especially in AmE) anger • get angry

  — Don’t get angry every time someone asks you a question. (Not *
  anger (yourself)*) — Even the smallest things anger him/make hint
  angry. (Not *make him to anger*)

  bend’ ‘ corner

  angle • corner • bend — /’// meet you on the corner under the
  clock,

  just as we’ve arranged. (Not *angle*) — An isosceles triangle
  contains three angles,

  each of 600. — Be careful when you drive along this road.

  There are lots of sharp bends. (Not *corners*)

  angry with • angry at/about — People in our town are very angry
  at/about

  the new parking charges. (Not *angry with*) (angry at/about
  something)

  — It’s no good getting angry with the waiter because the food is
  badly cooked. (angry with — sometimes at — someone)

  anniversary • birthday — How clever of you to remember my

  birthday! (Not *anniversary*) (= the date of birth of a
  person)

  — How on earth did you know it is our wedding anniversary ? (=
  the date of an event, such as a wedding)

  announcement • advertisement • small ad * commercial

  — / saw the announcement of his death in the paper. (Not
  *advertisement*) (i.e. it was made known in the press)

  — Here’s an advertisement/a small ad for a two-room flat that
  might interest you. (classified advertisements or small ads are
  placed in newspapers by people buying and selling things; note the
  spelling with an ‘e’: not *advertisment*)

  — I turn the sound off during TV commercials. (more usual than
  advertisements) (= advertisements on TV)

  annoy • bother * disturb — There are quite a few unexplained
  matters in

  this case that bother me. (Not *annoy*) (= make me
  uncomfortable)

  — Don’t disturb your father now. He’s busy. (Not *annoy*) (=
  interrupt while he’s working, etc.)

  — If you want to annoy Mr Flint, just ring his front doorbell.
  (= make him angry)

  annoyed (with/at/about) — / think she’s annoyed with/at me. —
  Passengers are annoyed at/about the recent

  increase in rail fares. (in broad terms, annoyed with someone
  about/over something)

  — The lecturer got annoyed when he was asked the same question
  again and again. (Not *The lecturer annoyed*)

  another — Do you need another chair?

  (= an additional one, one more) — Give me another cup. This
  one’s cracked.

  (Not *an other* *one more*) (= a different one)

  answer (to) — When can you give me an answer?

  (Not *make me an answer*)

  11

• — Will you please answer my question. (Not *answer to my
  question*, though we can use answer as a noun and say: That’s the
  answer to your question.)

  — The police have picked up a boy who answers (to) Rupert’s
  description. (= fits; corresponds with)

  antenna • aerial — / think the TV aerial needs adjusting.
  {antenna: AmE only; plural: antennas) — How does an ant use its
  antennae ?

  (- feelers; the plural is antennae when antenna is used as a
  biological term)

  antiquity • antique — It must cost you a fortune insuring all
  these

  valuable antiques. (Not * antiquities*) (= furniture and objects
  made in the past; often rare and valuable)

  — Much of the work of the great writers of antiquity has not
  survived. (= ancient times, especially the Greek and Roman
  classical periods)

  — There’s an excellent display of antiquities in the local
  museum. (= items surviving from the distant past)

  anxious about — Jackie’s very anxious about her exam

  results. (Not *for*) any

  — This isn’t just any cake. (i.e. it’s special)

  — He’ll need any help he can get. (= a/I the)

  — Give me a plate please. Any plate will do. (i.e. it doesn’t
  matter which; any has special uses in addition to its normal use as
  a quantifier)

  any one • anyone — There wasn’t anyone at the party whom I

  knew. (Not *any one*) (= not any person)

  — / don’t think any one of these plants will be suitable in a
  small garden. (Not *anyone*) (= one of)

  apart • separate — The two houses are quite separate; each

  house has its own separate entrance. (Not *apart*; note the
  spelling, not *seperate*) (adjective = different, distinct)

  — Jill and Ben separated years ago. (Not *aparted*)

  (= parted)

  — They’ve lived apart for years. (Not * lived separate*, but we
  can say lived separately) (apart = at a distance from each
  other)

  apart from • except for • except (+ object) — Everyone has
  helped in some way apart

  from you/except for you/except you. (Not *apart you* *apart for
  you*) (all three prepositions are possible)

  — Apart from you/Except for you, everyone has helped in some
  way. (Not *Except you*) (we cannot begin a sentence with except +
  object; we need except for/apart from)

  apartment/flat — We live in a small apartment/flat.

  (flat is more usual in BrE, apartment in AmE; note the spelling:
  not *appartment* *apartement*’, in AmE a flat is often used to mean
  ‘a flat tyre’ or a puncture)

  apology • defence — The accused had nothing to say in his
  own

  defence. (Not *apology*) (i.e. to protect himself; AmE
  defense)

  — Lynn isn’t prepared to speak to you unless she receives an
  apology for what you said. (i.e. unless you say you are sorry)

  appear — She appears to be aware of what’s going on.

  (Not * She’s appearing*) (stative use)

  — She’s appearing in ‘Showboat’. (dynamic use = she is or will
  be taking part in it as a performer)

  appear • arise — Problems should be solved as they arise.

  (Not *appear*) (= occur)

  — You should be able to spot a mistake when it appears. (= can
  be seen)

  appear • present • show • present myself — You’II have to
  show/present your passport at

  the frontier. (Not *appear*) (present = show is very formal)

  — Our new washing machine hasn’t presented any problems. (Not *
  shown* *appeared*) (= given)

  — / can’t appear in pyjamas. I must get something on.
  (preferable to present myself) (= be seen)

  — Take great care how you present yourself at tomorrow’s
  interview. (Not *appear*) (= look and behave)

  12

• appear • seem — You appear to/seem to think that nothing

  matters so long as you get what you want. — It appears/seems odd
  that he hasn’t written.

  (Not *appears oddly*) (= it is odd, strange)

  — This seems wrong. (Not *is seeming*) (stative use only)

  — He appeared from nowhere. (Not *seemed*) (= arrived within
  view)

  applause * a round of applause — When she finished speaking the
  audience

  responded with a round of applause. (Not *an applause* *a round
  of applauses* *applauses*)

  — There was loud applause at the end of the performance. (Not
  *were … applauses*) {applause is uncountable)

  appoint • hire — Farms always hire additional workers at

  harvest time. (Not *appoint*) (= employ, usually for a short
  period)

  — They’ve just appointed a new manager at my bank. (Not *hired*)
  (= chosen for a position or job)

  appreciate — We appreciate your help.

  (Not *We are appreciating*) (stative use: appreciate + object =
  a person recognizes the value of)

  — Houses are appreciating in value. (dynamic use, intransitive =
  a thing increases/is increasing in value)

  — We appreciate having such good friends at this difficult time.
  (Not *to have*)

  — I would appreciate it if you could help me. (Not *appreciate
  if you could help*) (= be grateful)

  — Thank you for your help. I appreciate it. (Not */ appreciate.
  *) (appreciate + object after a personal subject)

  — We appreciate John’s/his offering us a temporary loan. (Not
  *John/him*)

  — Her kindness was appreciated by everybody. (Not *very
  appreciated*) (appreciated is part of the passive, not an
  adjective)

  approach • come here • go near — ‘Come here!’ she said. (Not
  *Approach!*) — If a stranger calls to you from a car, don’t

  go near him/keep away from him. (the use of don’t makes approach
  too formal in this context)

  — As we came out of the cinema, a beggar approached us asking
  for money. (Not *approached to/from us*) (= came up to) (no
  preposition after approach)

  approve (of) — Most people don’t approve of smoking these days.
  (Not *approve smoking*) — Smoking is still allowed in restaurants,
  but a lot of people don’t approve (of it).

  (we always need of after approve = ‘like’ if an object follows;
  compare approve = ‘give formal consent to’, which is transitive:
  The Board has to approve the appointment.)

  archives • filing system • files — You must have my details
  somewhere in your

  filing system/files. (Not *archives*) (= a system used for
  storing information)

  — A lot of the material in this documentary film was found in
  the British Museum archives. (Not *archive*, but we can say It’s
  archive material.) (= a filing system for documents, etc., of
  historical importance)

  argument/row • quarrel • discussion • dispute

  — Some married couples seem to spend a lot of time
  quarrelling/having arguments/having rows. (Not *disputing*
  *discussing*) (= disgreeing, often with strong feeling; have a row
  is informal)

  — We’re having a big discussion about/ argument about the date
  of the next election. (Not *making/doing a discussion about/an
  argument about*) (a discussion = a talk, exchange of information or
  opinions; an argument contains the idea of disagreement)

  — We’re having a dispute with our neighbours over our property
  boundaries. (= a serious disagreement, often legal)

  arise • rise • raise — The whole audience rose to cheer the

  soloist. (Not *arose* *raised*) (rise — rose — risen:
  intransitive = stand up)

  — If you’d like to ask a question, raise your hand. (Not *rise*
  *arise*) (raise — raised — raised: transitive = lift up)

  — A serious problem has arisen which will take time to solve.
  (Not *risen* *raised*) (arise — arose — arisen = come into
  being)

  13

• arm • hand — This glove won’t fit my hand. (Not *arm*)

  The best basketball players have long arms. (Not *hands*)

  aroma • flavour • taste • scent • perfume — What flavour do you
  want, strawberry or

  vanilla? (Not *aroma* *perfume* *taste*) (i.e. that has this
  taste)

  — Few things can beat the aroma of freshly- ground coffee. (Not
  *perfume*) (= a strong appetizing smell)

  — The room was filled with the scent of roses. (Not *flavour*
  *aroma*) (= a delicate smell, e.g. of flowers)

  — Dorothy wears too much perfume/scent. (Not *aroma*) (=
  manufactured, sweet-smelling liquid; perfume is now the commoner
  noun) / love the sharp sour taste of lemon. (= experience of
  flavour)

  arrange • settle • sort out — We’ve settled/sorted out our
  differences and

  there won’t be any more arguments. (Not *arranged*) (i.e. we’ve
  come to an agreement)

  — We’ve arranged a meeting to settle/sort out our differences.
  (= set up)

  arrange • tidy — It’s time you tidied your room.

  (Not *arranged*) (= put everything in it in order)

  — I’ve arranged these books in alphabetical order. (Not
  *tidied*)

  arrangement(s) — I’ve come to/made an arrangement to leave

  early on Fridays. (Not *done an arrangement*) (= agreed)

  — I’ve made arrangements for my holiday next month. (Not *done*)
  (= sorted out how something will be done)

  art • skill • technique • craft — / don’t think I’ll ever master
  the art/skill of

  public speaking. (Not *technique*) (= a skill is the knowledge
  and ability to do something; art is the same, but ‘higher’)

  — Some drivers never master the technique/skill of reversing
  into a parking space. (art would be a bit overstated here) (=
  specific method)

  14

  — Everyone should be taught a craft. (= the knowledge and skill
  involved in making something by hand)

  artistic • art — A lot of art treasures were lost in the
  floods

  of 1966 in Florence. (Not *artistic*) (art treasures is a
  compound noun)

  — / hope my daughter can find work which suits her artistic
  inclinations. (= concerned with art, literature, etc.)

  as • than • else — You can wear clothes like that because you’re
  taller than I am. (Not *as* *else*) (comparative + than) — As
  parents, we’re responsible for our children’s actions. (Not
  *Else*)

  (= in the capacity of) — We made the injured man comfortable,
  but

  there was little else we could do for him. (= more,
  additionally)

  as • when — Nina started playing the piano when she

  was a child. (Not *as*) (when + clause of time)

  — As Nina is a child, you can’t expect her to practise for more
  than half an hour. (as + clause of reason)

  as if to • as if/as though — Henry always looks as if/as though
  he’s

  angry. (Not *as if to be* *as though to be*) — Eleanor shrugged
  her shoulders as if to say

  she couldn’t care less. (= in such a manner)

  as soon as — We’ll discuss the matter as soon as he

  arrives. (Not *as soon as he will arrive*) (as soon as as a
  conjunction + present tense form when referring to the future;
  also: after, before, directly, immediately, the moment, when)

  ashamed (of/about) — I feel really ashamed. (Not */ ashamed* *I
  ashamed myself* *I have shame*) — I feel really ashamed of myself.
  It was my mistake and I’m ashamed about it.

  (Not */ ashamed for/from myself. * *I ashamed for/from it.*)
  (the verb phrase is be ashamed of oneself/ someone, be ashamed
  about something)

  ask — ‘When does the train arrive ?’ he asked.

  (direct question with ask)

• — / asked my teacher when I would get my exam results. (Not
  *when would I get*) (indirect question with ask)

  — Mr Foley asked me to call him today. (neutral) He asked that I
  call him later. (formal) (Not *asked me that I should*)

  — Guests are asked to vacate their rooms by 12.00 on the day of
  departure. (formal) (Not *It is asked the guests to vacate*)

  — I asked a question. (also: ask a favour, the price, the
  time)

  ask for • ask about — Mrs Wilmot asked me about the
  children.

  (Not * asked me for*) (= enquired after)

  — The school is asking for contributions towards a new swimming
  pool. (= hopes to receive, is requesting)

  asleep * sleeping — The children are asleep/sleeping. — The cat
  curled up beside the sleeping

  children. (Not *asleep*) (we cannot use asleep in front of a
  noun, only after a noun + be, seem to be, etc.)

  ass • ace — What are your cards 1 — An ace and two

  queens, a jack and a ten. (Not *ass*) — Do you know Aesop’s
  story ‘The Miller, his

  Son, and the Ass’? (ass is an old-fashioned word for donkey)

  ass • pig — Morley has appalling manners and always

  behaves like a pig, especially when he’s been invited to a
  party. (Not *an ass*) (pig is an extremely derogatory and offensive
  description of a person)

  — Alan can be a silly ass at times, but he’s quite likeable.
  (Not *pig*) (ass, donkey and bone head are all familiar for ‘silly
  fool’, sometimes friendly)

  assist in • be present at/attend — / was present at/attended
  their wedding.

  (Not *assisted at* *attended at*) — I’d like to thank everyone
  who assisted in the

  making of this film. (= helped; formal)

  association * club • organization — / used to be a member of the
  School Film

  Club. (Not *Association* *Organization*) (a club consists of a
  number of people who enjoy a particular activity)

  — If you buy such an old car, you’d better join the Automobile
  Association.

  (Not *Organization*) (an association looks after the interests
  of the people who are its members)

  — As one of the biggest US companies, General Motors is a huge
  organization. (= a business structure)

  assorted • matching — We chose a flower-patterned wallpaper
  with

  matching curtains. (Not *assorted*) (i.e. curtains which match,
  that is, have the same or a similar colour and pattern)

  — During the film, the woman beside me opened a big box of
  assorted sweets. (i.e. different sweets packed together)

  assume — / assume/I’m assuming our new assistant

  can write French as well as speak it. (stative and dynamic use =
  believe)

  — While the boss is away, I’ll be assuming responsibility for
  her workload. (dynamic use = having, taking on)

  assurance • insurance — I’ve taken out an insurance policy.

  (Not *assurance*) — I’m insured with a big life insurance/

  assurance company. (assurance is the old term to refer to
  protection against misfortune)

  — He gave me his assurance that the bill would be paid on time.
  (Not *insurance*) (= promise)

  assure (oneself) • insure (against) — Most offices are having to
  insure themselves

  against computer theft. (Not *assure*) (= pay money to an
  insurance company to cover theft)

  — Mr Biggs agreed to resign after he had assured himself that
  he’d be compensated. (assure oneself = make certain)

  assure (oneself) • make sure • check • verify — I’ve checked the
  tyres and the pressures are

  OK. (Not *assured*) (= examined)

  — / went back to assure myself/check/make sure/verify that I
  really had locked the door. (= make certain)

  — So far there’s been no evidence to verify the theory that
  there might be life on Mars. (= confirm, show it to be true)

  asylum • old people’s home — When she could no longer look after
  herself,

  Aunt Alice went to live in an old people’s 15

• home. (Not *asylum*) (= accommodation and care for old
  people)

  — You can’t turn away refugees who seek political asylum. (=
  protection, shelter)

  — The term ‘psychiatric hospital’ has now replaced the
  old-fashioned word asylum. (= a hospital for mentally-ill
  people)

  at • against • into • to — In the bad old days, the border
  guards had orders to shoot at people trying to cross the border
  illegally. (Not *against*) — The bull ran straight at me. (Not
  *against*) (i.e. deliberately in that direction)

  (at can sometimes have the sense of ‘against’, but cannot be
  replaced by it; at combines with other verbs to suggest
  ‘aggression’: e.g. aim at, shout at, shoot at, stare at, throw
  at)

  — We ran to our car to escape the rain. (to = direction towards;
  compare shout to, throw to; no aggression is implied)

  — Who’s for the idea or against it? (Not *at*) (= opposed to) —
  He drove into a tree. (Not *against*) (i.e. he accidentally crashed
  into it; into combines with other verbs to suggest collision: bump
  into, crash into, run into) at • in • on (place and time) Place —
  We waited at the door. (Not *in* *on*) (at a point) — There was an
  unpleasant atmosphere in the dentist’s waiting room. (Not *at*
  *on*)

  (in an area or volume) — Don’t leave your dirty laundry on the
  floor.

  (Not *in* *at*) (on a surface)

  — I’ll meet you at/in the airport. (at refers to a meeting
  point; in suggests inside the building)

  — He’s at school/his aunt’s house/a wedding. (at refers to
  location, for events, addresses, or to mean ‘attending’) — They’re
  in Paris/the Mediterranean/the kitchen/hospital. (Not *at*) (in for
  towns, large areas, rooms and particular nouns like bed, hospital)
  Time — I’ll see you at 10. (Not *in* *on*)

  (at 10, at lunch, at noon, at Easter, etc.) — /’// see you on
  Monday. (Not *in* *at*) (on Monday, on May 1st, on that day, etc.)
  — I’ll see you in March. (Not *on* *at*) (in March, in 2020, in the
  morning, etc.)

  at* to — Jim’s gone to London Airport. (Not *at*)

  (to: direction towards) — Jim’s at London Airport. (Not
  *to*)

  (at: destination or position after movement) at last • in the
  end • finally — It was impossible to guess who had done the

  murder. In the end it turned out to be the cook. (Not *At last*;
  preferable to Finally) (= ‘when the story ended’)

  — We searched everywhere for accommodation and at
  last/finally/in the end a farmer offered us his barn for the night.
  (at last = after a long time; finally = after effort; in the end =
  ‘when the story ended’)

  — During the meeting we always have sales reports, production
  reports, work in progress, and finally any other business. (Not *in
  the end* *at last*) (i.e. as the last thing in a series.)

  — / wonder whether Mallory finally got to the summit of
  Everest/Mallory got to the summit of Everest in the end. (Not *at
  last*)

  at once • immediately ■ coming — ‘Waiter!’ — ‘Coming, sir. I
  won’t be a

  moment.’ (Not *At once* *Immediately*) — When a restaurant is so
  crowded, you can’t

  expect to be served at once/immediately. (= without any
  delay)

  ate * eat — / ate too much last night. (Not *eat*) — I eat too
  much; I’m too fat. (Not *ate*)

  (eat — ate — eaten) athletics — The athletics (events) are
  nearly over.

  (Not *The athletics is* *The athletic is*) (plural form + plural
  verb for specific references)

  — Athletics is an important part of physical training. (Not *The
  athletic is*) (plural form + singular verb to refer to athletics as
  a subject to be studied)

  attached to * connected with — There’s nothing coincidental
  about these

  events. They’re all connected with each other. (Not *attached
  to*) (= related to)

  — The lamp is attached to the ceiling by means of a hook. (Not
  *connected with*) (= fixed in position, fastened physically)

  attack — It’s criminal to attack civilian populations

  during a war.

  16

• (Not *attack against civilian populations*, though attack used
  as a noun can be followed by on or against: It’s time we launched a
  serious attack against/on this policy.)

  attend • visit • wait for • go/come to — You must visit the
  Louvre, (Not *attend*)

  (= go to, spend time at) — I’ll wait for you in the bar. I’ll be
  there at 6.

  (Not *attend you* *attend for you*) (i.e. stay in that place
  till you arrive)

  — I’d like to attend a service at St Paul’s. (Not *attend to/at
  a service*) (= go to, be present at an event)

  — I’d love to come/go to your party. (Not *attend* *attend to*)
  (attend is too formal here)

  attention (to) • care (for) • caution — Pippa held the
  photographs by the edges,

  with great care. (Not *attention*) (i.e. very carefully)

  — Could I have your attention for a moment? (Not *care*) (=
  concentration)

  — Notice the attention to/care for detail in this painting.

  — Caution! Roadworks! (Not *Attention!*) (= warning, danger)

  attract • attractive — Flowers attract bees. (Not *are
  attracting*)

  (stative use = draw) — The latest model of this sports car
  is

  attracting a lot of attention. (dynamic use = inviting
  interest)

  — It’s a very attractive car. (Not * attracting*) (adjective =
  good-looking)

  audience — The audience was/were applauding wildly.

  (collective noun + singular or plural verb; audience can also be
  used as a countable noun with a normal plural: audiences are; also:
  class, club, committee, company, congregation, council, crew,
  crowd, family, gang, government, group, jury, mob, staff, team,
  union)

  audience • auditorium — The auditorium was packed for the
  first

  performance. (Not *audience*) (= that part of the theatre in
  which the audience sits to watch a performance)

  — The audience packed the auditorium for the first performance.
  (= the people watching the show)

  austere • strict • severe — My old headmaster was very
  strict/severe in applying the school rules. (Not *austere*) (=
  stern in his behaviour) — My old headmaster was very austere. (i.e.
  had a stern appearance, manner) — There were severe/strict
  penalties for misbehaviour. (Not *austere*) author/authoress —
  Catherine Cookson is the author of ‘The

  Black Velvet Gown’, (rather than authoress) (author applies to
  both sexes; similarly manager is preferable to manageress,
  etc.)

  autumn • autumnal — It was a typical autumn day: clear, with
  a

  slight frost. (Not *autumnal*) (an autumn day = a day in
  autumn)

  — It’s theoretically spring, but it’s rather autumnal today. (=
  like autumn) (also: summer/summery, winter/wintry; and note
  spring/spring-like)

  avenue • alley — The shop is located in an alley that runs
  off

  Oxford Street. (Not *avenue*) (= a very narrow street)

  — Brasilia is a modern city with wide tree- lined avenues. (Not
  *alleys*) — There was a victory march down the Grand Avenue. (Not
  *Alley*)

  (= a wide street in a town or city, often with trees along the
  sides)

  awake — As soon as Samantha’s awake she has to

  start thinking about work. (we cannot use awake in front of a
  noun, only after a noun + be, seem to be, etc.)

  B baby — Ivy had a baby yesterday. (Not *made/did*) back •
  backside • behind (nouns) — Some people need a kick in/up the
  backside/a kick in/up the behind before they’ll do any work. (Not
  *in the back*) (backside/behind are very informal words for the
  part of the body which you sit on) — John has a continual pain in
  the back. (the back of the body is the opposite of the front of the
  body) — Let me show you the back of the house. (Not *backside*)

  17

• back • backwards * backward — / drove my children to school and
  then drove

  back (home). (= returned)

  — / engaged reverse gear and drove backwards. (= in that
  direction; opposite: forwards)

  — He left without so much as a backward glance. (Not *back*
  *backwards*) (backward as an adjective, not backwards)

  back • behind * at the back (of) — We have a nice garden behind
  the house/at

  the back of the house. (Not *back the house* *backfrom the
  house*) (behind/at the back of. prepositions + noun object)

  — There’s a paved area in front and a garden behind/at the back.
  (Not *back*)

  — I wish you’d put things back in their places. (Not *behind*
  *at the back*)

  (put things back = return them; behind and (at the) back are
  adverbs)

  backache — / have/I’ve got a backache/I’ve got

  backache. (Not */ have my back.*) bad -/ know she’s annoying,
  but 1 don’t think she’s

  bad/a bad person. (Not *a bad*) -I know they’re infuriating, but
  they’re not

  really bad/bad people. (Not *bads*) (never bad on its own to
  mean ‘a bad person’)

  -We can’t ever be sure that the bad will be punished. (Not *the
  bads*)

  (the + adjective for the group as a whole) — / enjoy the work.
  The bad thing is the pay.

  (Not *The bad is*) (also the awful/the extraordinary/the

  interesting/the strange thing is …) bad: go bad — Those apples
  will go bad if you don’t keep

  them in a cool place. (Not *bad* *badden*) bad • badly — I play
  tennis badly. (Not *play bad*) (badly is an adverb modifying the
  verb play) — Business is slow and things look bad. (Not *things
  look badly*)

  (bad is an adjective describing things; compare
  taste/seem/smell/sound bad)

  bad at — Lots of people claim to be bad at maths.

  (Not *bad to* *bad in*) (also awful at, clever at, good at,
  quick at, slow at)

  badly • very • very much — None of us was hurt in the crash, but
  we

  were all badly shaken/upset. (badly is preferable to very/very
  much here) (= to a serious degree)

  — You badly need a haircut. (Not *very*: badly is preferable to
  very much here; badly often combines with want/need)

  baggage/luggage • a case/suitcase • valise • coffer

  — I’m travelling light. I’ve got a small case/suitcase with me
  and that’s all. (Not *a baggage* *a luggage* *coffer*)

  — I’ve brought a lot of baggage/luggage and can’t manage on my
  own. I need a porter. (Not *a lot of baggages/a lot of luggages*)
  (baggage and luggage are uncountable)

  — You don’t need more than a small valise if you’re going away
  for the weekend. (= a small suitcase: old-fashioned,
  self-conscious/literary)

  — You’d have to be mad these days to keep your money at home in
  an old coffer. (= a strong box: old-fashioned)

  bake • cook • roast — /’// cook supper tonight. (Not *bake*)

  (cook is the general verb for ‘prepare food by heating’)

  — / bake all our own bread. (Not *cook*) (= bake any made-up
  dish in the oven, especially one made with flour)

  — It says in the recipe that you cook/bake it in a hot oven for
  twenty minutes. (referring to a dish of some kind, not necessarily
  bread or cakes)

  — I’ve just had a look in the oven and the beef is
  roasting/cooking nicely. (Not *baking*) (roast = oven-cook any
  large piece of meat: roast chicken, sometimes with vegetables in
  the same dish: roast potatoes)

  balance • scales — / don’t know what this chicken weighs. Put
  it

  on the scales. (Not *balance*) (= a weighing machine; always
  plural in BrE, but singular — scale — in AmE)

  — We still use a fine balance in our laboratory to weigh small
  amounts of substances. (= a precise weighing instrument)

  band • gang — / don’t approve of that gang of friends he

  goes around with. (Not *band*) (= an informal group, especially
  of young people, who do things together)

  18

• — My son plays in a band. (Not *gang*) (= a music group)

  band• tape — I’ve still got a lot of music on tape.

  (Not *on bands*) (= magnetic tape for recording sound)

  — The security man put a nylon band round my case to show that
  it had been examined. (= a strip of metal, plastic, elastic,
  etc.)

  bank • bench • form — Let’s sit on this bench and watch the
  world

  go by. (Not *bank* *form*) (= a long wooden seat, with or
  without a back, especially out of doors)

  — When I was at school, we sat on hard wooden forms/benches.
  (Not *banks*) (forms = long schoolroom seats without a back, now
  old-fashioned)

  — A river bank is a fine place for a picnic, especially on a
  sunny day. (= the side of a river)

  bankrupt: go bankrupt — They went bankrupt. (Not *
  bankrupted*)

  (= were forced by debt to close a business) — We’re bankrupt!
  (Not * bankrupted*) — The sudden fall in demand for our
  products

  bankrupted us/made us bankrupt. barely — They have barely enough
  to live on.

  (Not *don’t have barely enough*) (only one negative in any one
  clause; also hardly, scarcely)

  barracks • shack • hut • shed — Severino’s family lived in a
  shack outside

  Rio. (Not *a barracks/a shed*) (= a rough dwelling of local
  materials)

  — If you want the foreman, you’ll find him in his hut. (Not
  *barracks/shack/shed*) (= a temporary building, often made of wood,
  e.g. on a building site)

  — We need a shed to store our garden tools. (Not
  *barracks/hut/shack*) (= a simple permanent building, often made of
  wood, and used as a storeroom)

  — The soldiers have been confined to barracks the whole weekend.
  (Not *barrack*) (= military buildings for housing soldiers; with a
  singular verb when regarded as a single unit: the barracks is; with
  a plural verb when used as a collective: the barracks are; also
  crossroads, headquarters)

  barred • closed • shut — We’re going to have to turn off soon.
  The

  road ahead is closed. (Not *shut* *barred*, but we can say
  barred to traffic) (we use closed on its own for roads; we can only
  use barred if we add more information)

  — The shop is all shut up. Look, the windows are barred. (=
  closed with bars)

  — / was sure she was watching me from behind her closed window.
  (Not *shut*) (we don’t use shut before a noun)

  — Most shops are closed/shut on Sundays. (interchangeable)

  barrier • fence — There’s a high fence right round the
  estate.

  (Not *barrier*) {a fence is rather like a wall, but made of
  wood, or wire on wooden or concrete posts)

  — The police have put up a barrier to keep people away. (Not
  *fence*) (= a line of metal, wood or rope, which people may not
  cross)

  barrier • frontier — You have to have your passport checked
  at

  the frontier. (Not *barrier*) (= the division between two
  countries)

  — They won’t let us through the barrier until they’ve checked
  our luggage. (= a wooden or metal ‘arm’ used to control the
  movement of people and vehicles)

  base • basis — What’s your basis for making such a

  decision? (Not *base*) (= basic principle, foundation:
  pronounced /’beisis/; plural bases, pronounced /’beisi:z/)

  — The base of the Memorial is engraved with the names of those
  who died. (Not *basis*) (= the lowest part that supports what is
  built on it; plural bases, pronounced /’beisəz/)

  basin • swimming pool — /’// check the temperature, before I
  dive into that (swimming) pool. (Not *basin*) — Please fill this
  basin with water.

  (= a deep bowl-shaped object for holding liquids, etc.)

  bath • bathe • swim — / think I’ll have/take a bath. (noun) (Not
  *do/make a bath* *bath myself*) — I’m going to give the baby a
  bath. (noun) (Not *do/make the baby a bath*)

  (we can also say bath the baby, not *bathe the baby*)

  19

• — / don’t think many people bath more than once a day. (verb) (=
  have a bath in a bathtub/in a bath)

  — / can’t bear to bathe if the sea temperature is under 15°C.
  (Not *bath*) (bathe = have a swim, now becoming old-fashioned; AmE
  also = have a bath in a tub; also note to sunbathe, or have a
  sunbathe)

  — What’s she doing? — She’s bathing. (= having a bath /’ba:θiŋ/
  or a swim /’beiflirj/: both spelt the same)

  — I’m going down to the beach for a swim/a bathe. (Not
  *bath*)

  — Let me bathe those scratches for you before you put on any
  ointment. (Not *bath*) (= wash gently, especially a wound)

  bazaar • bargain — We’ve made/struck a bargain and we’re

  going to keep to it. (Not *done a bargain* *made/done a
  bazaar*)

  — How long will you go on bargaining for a better price ? (Not
  *bazaaring*) (= negotiating a price)

  — We’re having a bazaar next Saturday to raise money for the
  hospital. (= an event where things are sold to raise money for a
  good cause) (bazaar can be used only as a noun)

  bazaar • market/market place — We do the shopping at the
  market/market

  place every Friday. (Not *bazaar*) (= a place where people buy
  and sell goods)

  — We’re having a bazaar next Saturday to raise money for the
  hospital. (= an event where things are sold to raise money for a
  good cause)

  — / love visiting bazaars when I’m travelling in the Arab World.
  (= street markets, especially in Eastern countries)

  BC * AD — Pompey died in 48 BC. (or B.C.) — Tiberius died in AD
  37. (or A.D.)

  (BC = Before Christ; AD = Anno Domini, ‘in the year of Our
  Lord’. AD is not usually necessary, except in the early centuries
  to avoid confusion: Rome was sacked in AD 410, the 11th to the 21st
  centuries will always be taken to mean AD. Note the position of
  BC/AD in dates.)

  beam • ray — A ray of sunshine streamed into the room.

  (Not *beam*, but we can say a sunbeam) (= a thin bar of light,
  especially sunlight)

  20

  — / was blinded by the beam of the car’s headlights. (Not *ray*)
  (= a strong stream of light, often from an artificial source)

  bear • bare — The table was bare. (Not *bear*) (= with nothing
  on it; pronounced /beər/) — Imagine meeting a bear in the
  forest!

  (= a large animal; pronounced the same way) bear: can’t bear — /
  wish she wouldn’t eat so fast. I can’t bear

  to watch her. (i.e. now) — / wish she wouldn’t eat so fast. I
  can’t bear

  watching her. (i.e. now or in general) (-ing or to after
  bear)

  bear • carry — We had to carry the baby. (Not *bear*)

  (= lift and move) — / don’t think your car suspension will
  bear

  such a heavy load. (= support the weight of; bear in the sense
  of ‘carry’ is old-fashioned)

  bear • suffer (from) • put up with — Isobel suffered terrible
  pain after her

  operation. (Not *bore*) (= experienced pain)

  — This place is so untidy. I don’t know how you can bear
  living/how you put up with living in it. (Not *suffer*) (= endure
  without protest)

  — If you eat so fast, no wonder you suffer from stomach-ache.
  (Not * suffer of/by*)

  beat • hit • bang • strike — Jimmy was rude to his mother and
  she

  hit/struck him. (Not *beat/banged*) (i.e. once; strike is more
  formal than hit)

  — You can’t teach children by beating them. (Not
  *hitting/banging/striking*) (= hitting repeatedly)

  -If we play music, the people downstairs bang (on) the ceiling.
  (Not *hit/strike*) (= strike sharply; hit the ceiling = lose one’s
  temper, is an idiom)

  — / banged/hit/struck my head against the low doorway and hurt
  myself. (Not *beat*)

  beat • win • conquer — Tottenham won the Cup Final. (Not
  *beat*)

  (you win something: e.g. a match) — What was the result of the
  Cup Final?

  Tottenham won. (Not *beat*) (win can be used intransitively)

  — Who won the war? (Not *beat/conquered*) (= defeated/beat the
  enemy)

• — Tottenham beat Liverpool in the Cup Final. (Not *won
  Liverpool*) (you beat someone in a match; beat someone at e.g.
  tennis)

  — Alexander the Great conquered half the world before he was 33.
  (Not *won/beat*) (= took land by force of arms)

  beautiful • handsome • good-looking • pretty • attractive —
  Boris is a handsom

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