Some Common Errors of Misusing English Words (Part 2)

  1. Below/Under

                Below the table there were some empty wine bottles.*
                Under the table there were some empty wine bottles.

When you borrow something (from someone), you are allowed to use it: ‘Can I borrow one of your pencils?’ When you lend something (to someone), you let them use it: ‘He asked me to lend him one of my pencils.’

2.  Beside/besides

                We need to discover another source of income, beside oil.*
                We need to discover another source of income, besides oil.

beside = next to: ‘She walked over and sat down beside me.’ besides = in addition to; also: ‘Who did you invite besides Tom and Mary?’ ‘Besides tennis, what other games do you play?’ ‘I’m too old to apply for the job. Besides, it would mean moving house.’

3. Borrow/lend

                I asked my friend to borrow me some money.*
                I asked my friend to lend me some money.

When you borrow something (from someone), you are allowed to use it: ‘Can I borrow one of your pencils?’ When you lend something (to someone), you let them use it: ‘He asked me to lend him one of my pencils.’

4. bring/take 

                Would you like me to bring you home?*
                Would you like me to take you home?

Bring means 'come with sb/sth' (NOT 'go'): 'Could you bring me a glass of water, lease?' '1'1/ see you tomorrow at the club, and remember to bring your tennis racket!' Take means 'go with sb/sth' (NOT 'come'): 'You take the shopping indoors and I'll put the car away.' 'When I go on holiday, I like to take a good book with me.

5. broken/not working

                The car could not stop because its brakes were broken.*
                The car could not stop because its brakes were not working.

broken = physically damaged: 'a broken windscreen'. not working = not functioning properly: 'I can't ring him because his phone's not working.'

6.  calm/peaceful 

                If you prefer a calm environment, try the countryside.*

                If you prefer a peaceful environment, try the countryside.

Calm is usually used to describe situations where there has recently been violence or noisy activity: 'After yesterday's fighting, the streets of Jerusalem are reported to be calm again this morning.'

7. catch./understand

                The dialogue in this video is very difficult to catch.*

                The dialogue in this video is very difficult to understand.

Catch (= hear and/or understand) is used only in connection with what someone has just said: 'I'm afraid I didn't quite catch the last point. Could you go over it again?' 'Did either of you manage to catch her name?'

8. cause/reason

                The cause why I want to change my job is as follows.*

                The reason why I want to change my job is as follows.

cause = an action, event, situation etc that makes something happen: The cause of the fire is still being investigated.' These outbreaks of violence will continue to occur until the causes have been eliminated.' reason = something that provides an explanation: 'I'm sure that they must have good reasons for wanting to live abroad.' 'The reason why there is only one applicant is that the job wasn't advertised.'

9. cheap/low

                The wages in Taiwan are very cheap.*

                The wages in Taiwan are very low.

When you talk about costs, payments, rents, wages, salaries, incomes, expenses, taxes, fees etc, use low/high (NOT cheap/expensive): 'During the recession, prices stayed low.' 'People on low incomes have been severely hit.' 'Rents in Helsinki are very high compared to the rest of Finland.' Note that price is sometimes used with cheap/expensive, but not in formal styles.

10. choose/prefer

                If you choose to see a film, we can go to the cinema instead.*

                If you prefer to see a film, we can go to the cinema instead.

prefer = like something more than something else: 'Which do you prefer, black coffee or white coffee?' 'Peter prefers classical music to rock.' 'I'd prefer to stay here, if you don't mind.'

11.claiming/demanding

                The public are claiming stricter laws.*

                The public are demanding stricter laws.

claim = ask to be given something that belongs to you or that you think you are entitled to: 'People on a low income are able to claim legal aid.' demand = ask strongly for something: 'The laboratory was surrounded by demonstrators demanding an end to animal experiments.' Note also clamor for = repeatedly ask for something in a noisy or angry way: 'In response to the increase in domestic violence, people are clamoring for stricter laws that will help to protect wives and children.'

12. closed/locked

                They closed the man in a room until the police came.* 

                They locked the man in a room until the police came.

lock/shut sb in a room, house, etc (NOT close): 'He was picked up by the police and locked in a cell for the night.' Compare: 'She closed the door and then locked it so he couldn't escape.'

13. colour/coloured

                At Hari Raya we hang colour lights around the house.*
                At Hari Raya we hang coloured lights around the house.

 colour = showing people and things in their natural colours: a colour television’, ‘a colour photograph’

coloured = having one or more colours (not white or black), especially in order to look attractive: ‘Do you want plain envelopes or coloured ones?’ ‘Each book is full of brightly-coloured full-page illustrations.’

14. come back/go back

                He was afraid of his father and didn't want to come back home.*
                He was afraid of his father and didn't want to go back home.

Come is used for movement towards the place where the speaker is, was, or intends to be, or towards the person being talked about: ‘Come and look at this.’ ‘Why didn’t he come to see me?’ ‘He was just about to go out when his wife came into the office in tears.’ Go is used for movement in other directions: ‘I wish those noisy children would go away.’ ‘Let’s go to London for a few days.’

15. in common/in general

                I think that people in common have good sides and bad sides.*
                I think that people in general have good sides and bad sides.

If you have the same background, interests, tastes etc as someone, the two of you have a lot in common: ‘I’m sure the marriage won’t last. They’ve got nothing in common.’ When you mean that something happens or is true ‘in most situations’, use in general: ‘In general, parents care more about their children’s health than about their own.’ ‘Students in general have very little money to spend on luxuries.’

Concerning your accommodation, there are several possibilities . With regard to your accommodation, there are several possibilities.

16. control /inspect

                I was surprised that nobody wanted to control my luggage.*
                I was surprised that nobody wanted to inspect my luggage.
 

control = make people or machines do what you want them to do: ‘Who will control the aircraft if the pilot has a heart attack?’ ‘The police were unable to control the crowd.’ inspect = carefully check or examine something: ‘The building is regularly inspected by fire-safety officers.’ ‘I got out of the car to inspect the damage.’

17. critics/reviews

                The entertainment page usually contains one or two critics on films                         being shown in local cinemas .*

                The entertainment page usually contains one or two reviews of films                        being shown in local cinemas.

critic = a person who writes reviews of new books, films etc: ‘For five years she was theatre critic for the New Yorker.’ review = a short article in a newspaper or magazine which describes the good and bad qualities of a new book, film, play etc: ‘According to the reviews, the film is definitely worth seeing.’ Compare critique = an article, book, speech etc which carefully explains the weaknesses of a theory, policy, philosophy etc: ‘The speech was a devastating critique of Reagan’s economic policy.’

 

18. cure/heal

                The wound took several weeks to cure.*
                The wound took several weeks to heal.
 

Cuts, wounds, injuries, etc heal: 'Cuts generally take longer to heal in humid climates.

19. cure/recover

                Those who are seriously ill take a long time to cure.*

                Those who are seriously ill take a long time to recover.
 

When people who have been ill or injured return to their normal state of health, they recover or get better: ‘Some of the flood victims are still recovering in hospital.’ ‘It takes a long time to recover from glandular fever.’ ‘Within a month of the heart attack, he had fully recovered.’

20. Day after day/Day by day 

                Day after day the world is becoming a better place.*
                Day by day the world is becoming a better place.

day after day = repeatedly or continuously, especially in a boring or unpleasant way: ‘I get fed up with listening to their complaints day after day.’ ‘I’m not prepared to sit here day after day doing nothing.’ day by day = gradually: ‘Day by day the weather is getting warmer.’ Their love grew day by day.’

 
 21. dead/died

                My father is dead when I was still a baby.*
                My father died when I was still a baby.

Dead is an adjective and describes a state: ‘I can’t tell whether that plant is dead or alive.’ ‘Some of the fish were dead and were floating on the surface.’ Died is the past tense and past participle of die: ‘I think she died from a heart attack.’ ‘He died on the way to hospital.’

 

22. denied/refused

                He asked his parents to help him, but they denied .*
                He asked his parents to help him, but they refused.

deny sth = say that it is not true: ‘He has been accused of stealing a car, but he denies it.’ ‘Both companies denied that they had been discharging toxic waste.’ refuse (to do sth) = say that you will not do it: Employers are refusing to discuss a pay settlement until the staff return to work.’ ‘The students were told to leave the building, but they refused.’

 

23.desired/wanted 

                Despite all my money, I desired to live in an ordinary house .*
                Despite all my money, I wanted to live in an ordinary house.

In the meaning ‘want/wish’, desire is usually used as a noun (not as a verb): ‘His one desire was to live to see his three grandchildren again.’ ‘I have no desire to go there again. Once is enough.’ Note however that this usage is fairly formal. As a verb meaning ‘want/wish’, desire is used mainly in literary styles: ‘For the first time in her life, she had everything her heart desired.’ In other styles, use verbs such as want, would like, hope, wish, intend,

24. destroyed /spoilt 

                This unpleasant man with his endless complaints destroyed my journey.*

                This unpleasant man with his endless complaints spoilt my journey.

25. make a difference/ make a distinction

                You have to make a difference between women who have to
                 work and women who choose to work.*

                You have to make a distinction between women who have to
                 work and women who choose to work.

make/draw a distinction (between A and B) = not regard or treat A and B in the same way: ‘Sometimes it is difficult to make a clear distinction between qualifications and experience.’ ‘Most societies draw a distinction between the status of an unmarried woman and a married one.’

 

26. disagreed/refused 

                Those who disagreed to join the army were put in prison.*
                Those who refused to join the army were put in prison.

disagree = not have the same opinion: ‘He disagreed with nearly everything I said.’ ‘Why did she disagree with you?’ ‘We tended to disagree about politics, but we were still good friends.’ refuse (to do sth) = say that you will not do something that someone has asked you to do: ‘The students were asked to leave the building but they refused.’ ‘If anyone refuses to pay their bill, send for the manager.’ 

27. discuss/talk 
                When I discuss with them, I cannot say the things that I want to
                 say because of my English.*

                When I talk to them, I cannot say the things that I want to
                say because of my English.

Discuss is a transitive verb and needs an object: ‘I’d like to discuss my homework with you.’ ‘The two sides will discuss further arms reductions.’

 

28. discussion/argument 

                He ran away from home after a discussion with his father.*
                He ran away from home after an argument with his father.

discussion = a talk about something, especially one which allows different points of view to be expressed: ‘After further discussion, the government has decided to reject the American offer.’ argument = a quarrel or disagreement: ‘The couple next door are always having arguments.’ ‘I hate arguments. They upset me.’

29.. dishes/courses

                Dinner usually consists of three dishes.*

                Dinner usually consists of three courses.

A dish is (1) food prepared in a particular way and served as a meal or part of a meal: ‘My favorite Italian dish is lasagne.’ ‘For the main course there were six different meat dishes to choose from.’ (2) a (usually shallow) container that food is placed in and then cooked or served: ‘I hope this dish is ovenproof!’

A meal may be served in separate stages. Each stage is called a course: ‘The main course was disappointing, but the dessert was excellent.’ ‘I’m not hungry enough to eat a three-course meal.’

30. a long distance/a long way

                It was a long distance between the hotel and the beach.*

                It was a long way from the hotel to the beach.

When you want to say that two places are far apart, use a long way (NOT a long distance): ‘My flat is quite a long way from the university.’ ‘We’re nearly half-way there, but there’s still a long way to go.’ Compare: ‘I hate driving long distances.’ ‘Computers can talk to each other, even over long distances.’ Trains are excellent for long distance travel.’

Reference

Turton and Heaton. 1996. Longman Dictionary of Common Errors. England: Pearson Education Limited

Read More

Some Common Errors of Misusing English Words (Part 1)

Knowing a word meaning  is not guarantee that we can use it correctly. It always happens  when we used a word  based on meaning,  it produces error. so the best way to learn a new word is by looking at the native speaker use it. So when  you check up the dictionary, pay attention to example of using the words. Here some words that incorrectly used (*)/confused.

1. able/capable

                 One man is able to destroy the whole world* .
                 One man is capable of destroying the whole world.

If someone is able to do something, they can do it and it is not unusual or surprising if they do it: 'The doctor said that after a few days I'd be able to get out of bed.' 'Will you be able to play on Saturday?'

If someone is capable of (doing) something, they do not usually do it, but it is possible for them to do it if they want to: 'I'm sure he's quite capable of getting here on time, but he can't be bothered.' 'The power station is capable of generating enough electricity for the whole region.'

People are able to do things, but things are not able to be done.

2. above/over

                There were above a hundred people in the crowd* .
                There were over a hundred people in the crowd.

Do not use above with numbers (unless referring to points on a scale 'He is over eighty years of age.' 'I receive over twenty letters a day.' Compare 'Don't let the temperature get above thirty degrees.'

3. absent/miss

                It's a pity that you were absent from the training session .
                It's a pity that you missed the training session .

be absent = not be present at something that you are officially supposed to attend: 'Her teacher wanted to know why she'd been absent.' miss = not be present at something: 'She's missed a lot of classes this term because of illness.' 'I wouldn't miss Sandro's party for the world!' (= I really want to go to it). be at = be present at something: 'John won't be at the meeting. He's had to fly to Rome on business.'

4. accept/agree

                The company will not accept to buy new machines.*
                The company will not agree to buy new machines.

You accept someone's advice, opinion, or suggestion BUT you agree (=say you are willing) to do something. Compare: 'I accepted her suggestion and agreed to see the doctor that evening.'

5. big accident/fatal accident

                Her car was involved in a big accident.*
                Her car was involved in a serious accident.

a bad/dreadful/nasty/serious/fatal accident (NOT  big or great)

6. accomplish/achieve

                To accomplish world unity, we need peace.*
                To achieve world unity, we need peace.

When you accomplish something, you manage to do it or complete it, especially something that gives you satisfaction: 'She felt that she could accomplish more through journalism.' 'During his five years as President, he accomplished very little.'

When you achieve something, you manage to do or obtain what you have planned to do or obtain, especially after a lot of effort: 'The company intends to achieve all these goals within the next five years.' 'By the age of twenty, she had already achieved her ambition.'

Note that achieve is also used to mean 'accomplish': 'By the end of the course, you will feel that you've really achieved something.'

7. according to/in my/our opinion

                According to me, we should spend more money on education.*
                In my opinion, we should spend more money on education.

according to + the writer/Or Owen/her teachers/them etc. (NOT me/us): 'According to Charles Anderson, the government should pay closer attention to public opinion.' To introduce your own opinion, use in my/our opinion: 'In my opinion, he didn't deserve a prison sentence.'

8. accurate/exact

                I cannot give you the accurate date of my arrival yet.*
                I cannot give you the exact date of my arrival yet.

Accurate is mainly used (1) to describe something said or written that contains no errors: 'Her novels are always historically accurate.' 'These figures can't be accurate, surely.' (2) to describe something that produces no errors: 'Are you sure the bathroom scales are accurate?' 

When you mean 'correct and as detailed as possible', use exact: 'The exact time is three minutes to seven.' 'Do you remember his exact words?' 'They'll be arriving next week - on Friday at three, to be exact.'

9.  act/behave

                I am interested in the way people act towards each other.*
                I am interested in the way people behave towards each other.

When you are talking about what someone does on a particular occasion, act and behave are interchangeable: 'Passengers who left the flight in Rhodes said that they had seen two men acting/behaving very suspiciously.'

When you are talking generally about what someone does or what people do, use behave: 'You can't expect all babies to behave the same.' 'From the way he behaves, anyone would think that he doesn't get paid.'

10. actual/present

                We'd like to know more about the actual crisis..*
                We'd like to know more about the present crisis.

actual = real (as opposed what is believed, planned or expected): 'People think he is over fifty but his actual age is forty-eight.' 'Although buses are supposed to run every fifteen minutes, the actual waiting time can be up to an hour.' present/current = happening or existing now: 'No one can drive that car in its present condition.' 'Her current boyfriend works for Shell.'

11. affect/effect

                The programme is about computers and their affect on our lives.*
                The programme is about computers and their effect on our lives.

To affect something (verb) is to have an effect on it (noun): 'Smoking affects your health.' (= smoking has an effect on your health)

12. Afterwards/later on

            We started going out together just to have fun, as friends. Afterwards we                 both realized that there was more than just friendship.*

            We started going out together just to have fun, as friends. Later on we both             realized that there was more than just friendship.

Afterwards suggests that the next thing happens as soon as the last thing has finished: 'On Saturday morning I went to see Adrian in hospital. Afterwards I drove into town to do some shopping.'

When there is a long interval or delay between two actions or events, use later on: 'I couldn't understand why she hadn't answered my letters. Later on I discovered that she had moved to a new address.'

13. again/back

                It's time I gave you your photographs again.*

                It's time I gave you your photographs back.

If you give something to the person who gave it to you, you give it back to them. When you mean 'to the person who had it before', 'to the place where something was before' etc, use back (NOT again): 'He took the camera back to the shop and asked for his money back.' 'Shall I put these books back on the shelf?'

14. all/whole

                He spent all the journey talking about accidents.*
                I He spent the whole journey talking about accidents.

Before the singular form of a countable noun we usually use whole or entire: 'We spent the whole lesson singing songs.' 'The entire document will have to be  rewritten.' Note that sometimes both all and whole/entire are possible: 'It rained the whole/all the afternoon.' In these cases, whole/entire provides greater emphasis and often expresses a feeling of surprise, disappointment, satisfaction etc: 'I read the whole book in just two evenings.'

15. alone/lonely

                I was very alone at first but then I made some friends.*
                I was very lonely at first but then I made some friends.

alone = without other people around you: 'I've thought about getting married, but I prefer living alone.' lonely = sad because you are alone and feel that nobody loves you or cares about you: 'I didn't know anyone in Boston and felt very lonely.' 'Sarah hated the long lonely days in the empty house.'

16. among/between

            The main purpose of the visit is to develop a closer relationship among the             two countries.*

            The main purpose of the visit is to develop a closer relationship between                 the two countries 

Use among when you are talking about three or more people or things. For two people or things, use between.

17. amount of/number of

                The amount of accidents is steadily increasing.*
                The number of accidents is steadily increasing.

amount of + uncountable noun

number of + plural countable noun

Compare: 'an amount of money', 'a number of coins'

18. annoy/irritates

                  The noise of the traffic outside all day annoys me.*
                  The noise of the traffic outside all day irritates me.

Something unpleasant that happens repeatedly or continuously over a  long period of time tends to irritate or frustrate people, especially because they know that they can do nothing to stop it: 'I felt so tense that even the ticking of the clock began to irritate me.' 'I am constantly frustrated by all the niggling little jobs I have to do.'

19. anxious/nervous

                  I always feel anxious when I have to make a speech .*
                  I always feel nervous when I have to make a speech.

anxious = worried because you fear that something bad may happen or may have happened: 'Their daughter hadn't come home from school and they were anxious about her safety.' 'I knew it was just a minor operation, but I couldn't help feeling anxious.'

nervous = worried because you are in or about to enter a stressful situation: 'I was so nervous about the exam that I couldn't sleep.' 'It was our first television appearance and we were all feeling nervous.'

20. ashamed/embarrassed

                   I always feel ashamed when I have to speak in public,*

                   I always feel embarrassed when I have to speak in public.

ashamed = guilty and disgusted with yourself because of something (bad) that you have done: 'Anyone who steals from the poor should be ashamed of themselves:

embarrassed = feeling socially uncomfortable or anxious: 'You can imagine how embarrassed I felt when I couldn't pay the bill.'

21. aspect/point of view

                From a biological aspect, the two plants are very similar.*

                From a biological point of view, the two plants are very similar.

aspect = one of the parts or features of a situation, idea, problem, etc: 'Modern technology affects all aspects of our daily lives: 'The book concentrates on the cruel aspects of war.'

point of view = a particular way of looking at a situation, event, problem, etc: 'From a vegetarian's point of view, these new controls on meat preparation are of little interest: 'What does the process of getting old mean from a medical point of view?' 'I wish you'd try and see things from my point of view for a change.'

22. avoid/prevent

                    He put his hand over my mouth to avoid me to screaming.*

                    He put his hand over my mouth to prevent me from  screaming.

avoid (doing) sth = be careful not to do something: 'The best way to lose weight is to avoid eating fatty foods.' 'These drugs are dangerous and should be avoided.' 'Try to avoid subjects that can cause offence.'

prevent sb/sth (from doing sth) = stop someone or something from doing something; stop something from happening: 'The wall is supposed to prevent dogs from getting into the garden.' 'It is hoped that the new speed limit will help to prevent accidents.'

Reference

Turton and Heaton. 1996. Longman Dictionary of Common Errors. England: Pearson Education Limited

Read More

Check Your Vocabulary on Gardening Tools

 

Read More

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO ‘KNOW A WORD’?

Knowing a word (vocabulary) is important, even it is more important than knowing grammar. as stated  by Thornbury that 'without grammar very little can be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed.’ ‘If you spend most of your time studying grammar, your English will not improve very much. You will see most improvement if you learn more words and expressions. You can say very little with grammar, but you can say almost anything with words!’. But what does it mean to know a word? Knowing a word is knowing its 

1. Spelling

This first thing we must know on knowing a word is the spelling (its written form). This is important  as many  English  words can not easily predicted on its spelling. So we must know well how words are written. 

2. Meaning

Knowing the meaning of a word by consulting to dictionary actually is not easy, as usually one word has many different meanings. We must be able to choose the correct choices.

3. Pronunciation 

To be able to pronounce the word correctly when opening the dictionary, the knowledge of phonetics and phonology is needed. However todays dictionary software are facilitated by words pronunciation. 

4. Part of speech

Knowing  a word is also knowing whether it is noun, pronoun, adjective, determiner, verb, adverb, preposition, conjunction, or interjection. 

5. Derivational form

The form of English word can be changed by adding suffixes and prefixes.  Our knowledge on these will be very helpful in using the word receptively or productively.

6. Collocation

In English, we are not free to form words as we like. Some words need to be combined with a certain word (collocation), or our English  will be abnormal.

7. Connotation

Sometimes we need to be careful in using the word we know, as some words have different connotative meaning. 

8. Register

A register of English is a variety of the language as used in specific contexts, such as legal English, academic English, or technical English. In dictionary, it is not very easy to find the register of words. The knowledge of register of a word is not  very needed so much.

9. Frequency

Our knowledge of  degree of frequency of words in spoken and written English. may be important. however it is not needed so much. besides, it is not easy to know the word frequency in a dictionary.

At the basic level knowing a word is knowing its spelling and meaning.  Your knowledge about the word at this  level is receptive knowledge. It means your knowledge about this word only can be used in reading and listening activities. You can not used this knowledge in writing and speaking activities.

Your knowledge about a word will be productive if you know at least its spelling, meaning, pronunciation, and part of speech. And it is best if you all the above nine aspects. In writing activity for example, you need to know the part of speech. Its part of speech will determine its position in phrase or sentence. On speaking,  you need to know not only part of speech of the word but also its pronunciation.

Reference

Thornbury, Scott. 2002. How to Teach Vocabulary. Pearson Education Limited: England

Read More