English Vocabulary for learners
CONFUSING WORDS-6
Words that are often confused or misused in English
from: 'shade/shadow'
to: 'your/you're'
- shade/shadow
- Shade refers to an area protected from the sun, a place without direct sunlight.
"We had lunch in the shade of a tree where it was cooler."
Shadow refers to the dark shape that appears when something stands between the light and the ground or surface.
"The row of trees cast long shadows over the lawn."
- Shade refers to an area protected from the sun, a place without direct sunlight.
- sight/site
- Sight means the ability to see.
"My grandmother needs to have her sight tested."
Site refers to a location or a place.
"The factory was built on the site of an old warehouse."
- Sight means the ability to see.
- solve/resolve
- Solve means to find the answer or logical
explanation for something e.g. math problems, mysteries ….
"The police have been trying to solve the case for years."
Resolve means:
1) to make a decision with determination:
"She resolved that she would lose weight."
"She resolved that she would solve her weight problem."
2) Find an acceptable solution to a contentious matter:
"A meeting was held to try and resolve their differences."
- Solve means to find the answer or logical
explanation for something e.g. math problems, mysteries ….
- some time / sometime / sometimes
- Some time means for a while.
"The witness remained silent for some time."
Sometime means at some point in the future
"We should arrange a meeting sometime"
Sometimes means occasionally.
"We sometimes have lunch together."
- Some time means for a while.
- stationary/stationery
- Stationary means not moving.
"The bus has been stationary for the last half-hour."
Stationery means writing materials.
"Do you know where I can buy stationery?"
- Stationary means not moving.
- story/storey
- A story (plural:
stories) is a fictional narrative that is shorter than a novel.
"Parents often read a story to their children at bedtime."
A storey (plural: storeys) is a floor or level of a building.
"There is a height restriction of ten storeys on all buildings in this street."
- A story (plural:
stories) is a fictional narrative that is shorter than a novel.
- there/their/they're
- There is the opposite of 'here'. It means in that place, not here.
"Where is my pen? It's there on the table."
Their is a possessive adjective just like 'my' 'your' 'his/her/its' 'our'.
"Their car is red. My car is blue."
They're is a contraction of they are.
"They're beautiful = They are beautiful."
- There is the opposite of 'here'. It means in that place, not here.
- think of/think about
- Think of is used when an idea comes to mind.
“Did you think of bringing a pen and paper?” “Oh, I never thought of that!”
“Can you think of ways to promote sales?” (Do any ideas come to mind?)
Think about is used when you give something a considerable amount of thought.
"Have you thought about what we could give Dad for his birthday?"
“Do you ever think about your childhood?”
“Think about the consequences before you act.”
- Think of is used when an idea comes to mind.
- threw/through/thorough
- Threw is the past tense of the verb throw.
"Jack threw the ball to Jill."
Through means from one side of something to the other.
"You can go through the park to get to the station."
Thorough means complete, with nothing neglected.
"The police conducted a thorough search."
- Threw is the past tense of the verb throw.
- to/too
- To is a preposition.
"He listened to the radio."
Too means as well.
"Alex went to the party too."
- To is a preposition.
- waste/waist
- Waste means to
not use something well or to use it to no good purpose.
"The meeting was a complete waste of time."
Waist refers to the part of the body between the ribs and the hips..
"This skirt is too loose around my waist."
- Waste means to
not use something well or to use it to no good purpose.
- your/you're
- Your is a possessive adjective just like 'my' 'your' 'his', 'her', 'our'.
"Your dress is beautiful."
You're is a contraction of 'you are'.
"You're (you are) beautiful"
- Your is a possessive adjective just like 'my' 'your' 'his', 'her', 'our'.
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