Confusing words

There are some words which can cause confusion if we are not careful about their spelling because they can be mistaken for another word which is very similar in spelling.
Complete the following sentences.
1. The plants are ………………… They need more water and sunlight. (die / dye)
2. The floor has a rough surface which makes …………………… very difficult. (mop / mope)
3. I was ………………… that I would win the first prize. (hope / hop)
4. It took me several days to ………………. out the paint on the walls. (scrap / scrape)
5. The bird …………………. from branch to branch (hoped / hopped)
6. The lie detection test was used to find out whether the witness had ……………….. in his statement. (lied / lain)
7. He was ………………… mad when he heard that his son had failed the test. (hoping / hopping)
Answers
1. The plants are dying. They need more water and sunlight.
2. The floor has a rough surface which makes mopping very difficult.
3. I was hoping that I would win the first prize.
4. It took me several days to scrape out the paint on the walls.
5. The bird hopped from branch to branch.
6. The lie detection test was used to find out whether the witness had lied in his statement.
7. He was hopping mad when he heard that his son had failed the test.
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Posted by Unknown at 07:16 0 comments

 

Idioms – W

Idiomatic expressions formed from words beginning with W
In the wake of
Following as a result of
  • In the wake of the recent terror attacks in the city, police have beefed up security.
Walk off with something
To walk off with something is to win it or steal it.
  • He walked off with the first prize.
Drive someone up the hill
To drive someone up the hill is to make them very irritated.
  • His rude replies drove his mother up the hill.
Go to the wall
When a business goes to the wall, it fails.
Be on the warpath
When two people are on the warpath, they are very angry with one another.
Ward something off
To ward something off is to prevent something from harming you.
  • Eat lots of vegetables and fruits to ward off illnesses.
Be washed out
When an event is washed out, it is postponed or cancelled because of the rain.
  • The third test cricket match was washed out.
Wash your hands of
When you wash your hands of, you take no further responsibility for something.
Watch your back
To watch your back is to protect yourself against unexpected danger.
Water something down
To water something down is to make it less forceful by changing or leaving out things.
Hold water
When a theory or a belief holds water, it seems possible or reasonable.
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Posted by Unknown at 07:11 0 comments

 

Verbs worksheet

Complete the following sentences using an appropriate verb form.
1. A duck …………………… with short steps, swaying from side to side. (walk)
2. A horse ………………….. rapidly by leaps. (run)
3. Androcles told him what …………………. at the forest. (happen)
4. Animals …………………. Kindness and respond to it. (understand)
5. There was a little tree that …………………. in the woods bravely. (stand)
6. I …………………… two kilometers yesterday. (walk)
7. My grandmother …………………… us every week. (call)
8. The elephants knew that they ………………… walking over the mice. (be)
9. I ………………… you tomorrow. (meet)
10. I …………………… your dad tomorrow. (meet)
11. She ………………. her money in a wooden box. (keep)
12. When the crow dropped some pebbles into the pot, the water level in it ……………… (rise)
Answers
1. A duck walks with short steps, swaying from side to side.
2. A horse runs rapidly by leaps.
3. Androcles told him what had happened at the forest.
4. Animals understand kindness and respond to it.
5. There was a little tree that stood in the woods bravely.
6. I walked two kilometers yesterday.
7. My grandmother calls us every week.
8. The elephants knew that they were walking over the mice.
9. I will meet you tomorrow.
10. I am meeting your dad tomorrow.
11. She keeps her money in a wooden box.
12. When the crow dropped some pebbles into the pot, the water level in it rose.
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Posted by Unknown at 00:21 0 comments

 

Proper nouns and common nouns

Common nouns are names of people, places and things in general. Examples are: mother, tiger, city and table.
Proper nouns are the names of a particular person, place or thing. Examples are: Karan, India, Jasmine, Antarctica, Greenland and Alps.
In the following sentences underline the common nouns and circle the proper nouns.
Tips:
It is easy to identify proper nouns – they always start with a capital letter.
It is easy to identify common nouns – they have both singular and plural forms.
1. The boys were flying kites on the beach.
2. There was an earthquake in Italy on Monday.
3. Radha bought a bicycle for her brother.
4. India is the seventh largest country in the world.
5. Jane, my sister, wants to be an airhostess.
6. I forgot my umbrella at home.
7. America is one of the most developed countries in the world.
8. Agra is on the banks of river Yamuna.
9. The coach was angry when the boys lost the championship.
10. Titanic is the name of the ship that sank on its maiden journey.
Answers
1. The boys were flying kites on the beach. (boys, kites and beach – common noun)
2. There was an earthquake in Italy on Monday. (earthquake – common noun; Italy and Monday – proper nouns)
3. Radha bought a bicycle for her brother. (Radha – proper noun; bicycle and brother – common nouns)
4. India is the seventh largest country in the world. (India – proper noun; country and world – common nouns)
5. Jane, my sister, wants to be an airhostess. (Jane – proper noun; sister and airhostess – common nouns)
6. I forgot my umbrella at home. (umbrella and home – common nouns)
7. America is one of the most developed countries in the world. (America – proper noun; countries and world – common nouns)
8. Agra is on the banks of river Yamuna. (Agra and Yamuna – proper nouns; banks and river – common nouns)
9. The coach was angry when the boys lost the championship. (coach, boys and championship – common nouns)
10. Titanic is the name of the ship that sank on its maiden journey. (Titanic – proper noun; ship, name and journey – common nouns)
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Posted by Unknown at 00:18 0 comments

 

Grammar exercise

Test your understanding of English grammar with these exercises
1. She is taller ……………….. her husband. (than / then)
2. He put the books ………………….. the table. (on / in)
3. Get the cat ……………….. the piano. (off / of)
4. The baby ………………….. his mother. (resembles / resembles to)
5. The child sat ………………….. his mother. (beside / besides)
6. The clown …………………….. the audience with his tricks. (amused / amusing)
7. He is nursing a …………………. heart. (broken / breaking)
8. It is raining cats and ……………….. (mice / dogs)
9. I gave ……………….. chemistry because I didn’t like it. (up /in)
10. I can’t wait ……………….. the holidays. (for / till)
Answers
1. She is taller than her husband.
2. He put the books on the table.
3. Get the cat off the piano.
4. The baby resembles his mother.
5. The child sat beside his mother.
6. The clown amused the audience with his tricks.
7. He is nursing a broken heart.
8. It is raining cats and dogs.
9. I gave up chemistry because I didn’t like it.
10. I can’t wait for the holidays.
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Posted by Unknown at 09:04 0 comments

 

Possessive adjectives and pronouns

Possessive adjectives and pronouns

Complete the following sentences using possessive adjectives or possessive pronouns.
Possessive adjectives are words like our, my, his, her, their, your and its. They go before nouns.
Possessive pronouns are words like ours, mine, his, hers, theirs and yours.
1. This house is ……………….. (our / ours)
2. We are visiting ………………. home tomorrow. (their / theirs)
3. This is ………………. laptop. (my / mine)
4. This laptop is ………………… (my / mine)
5. She has handed in …………….. work. (her / hers)
6. He is waiting for ……………….. sister. (his / him)
7. ………………….. cupboard was full of nice clothes. (Her / Hers)
8. That house is ……………….. (their / theirs)
9. This is not …………….. bag (your / yours). It is ………………. (her / hers)
10. Are these hens ………………….(your / yours)?
11. I will buy ribbons for ……………….. curly hair. (my / mine)
Answers
1. This house is ours.
2. We are visiting their home tomorrow.
3. This is my laptop.
4. This laptop is mine.
5. She has handed in her work.
6. He is waiting for his sister.
7. Her cupboard was full of nice clothes.
8. That house is theirs.
9. This is not your bag. It is hers.
10. Are these hens yours?
11. I will buy ribbons for my curly hair.
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Posted by Unknown at 02:37 0 comments

 

Subject-verb agreement


Complete the following sentences using a verb form that agrees with the subject.
1. Neither the chicks nor the mother bird …………………. in the nest. (is / are)
2. Neither James nor his friends ………………. arrived. (has / have)
3. The boy …………………. all alone in his home. (was / were)
4. His brothers ………………….. left their home. (has / have)
5. One of my students ………………. selected. (was / were)
6. None of the students ………………… selected. (was / were)
7. One of my friends ………………… in Mumbai. (live / lives)
8. Some of my friends ………………… abroad. (work / works)
9. The colors of the rainbow …………………. beautiful. (look / looks)
10. The mother bird, along with her chicks, is flying in the sky. (is / are)
11. Rahul as well as his friends ………………. gone to the movies. (has / have)
Answers
1. Neither the chicks nor the mother bird is in the nest.
2. Neither James nor his friends have arrived.
3. The boy was all alone in his home.
4. His brothers have left their home.
5. One of my students was selected.
6. None of the students was selected.
7. One of my friends lives in Mumbai.
8. Some of my friends work abroad.
9. The colors of the rainbow look beautiful.
10. The mother bird, along with her chicks, is flying in the sky.
11. Rahul as well as his friends has gone to the movies.
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Posted by Unknown at 02:33 0 comments

 

English vocabulary exercise

Complete the following sentences using an appropriate form of the word given in the brackets.
1. You will find it ……………………. to learn Hindi before visiting India. (advantage)
2. He is an ……………….. man, unafraid of risks. (adventure)
3. ………………… winds prevented us from arriving on time. (adversity)
4. Sweet are the uses of ……………………. (adverse)
5. It is ……………….. for all children to get vaccinations. (advice)
6. The judge gave the careless driver an ………………. (admonish)
7. She is famous for her ……………….. of equal rights for women. (advocate)
8. She has an ……………………. relationship with her grandparents. (affection)
9. The two hospitals have a close ……………….. (affiliate)
10. We are expecting an …………………… answer. (affirmation)
Answers
1. You will find it advantageous to learn Hindi before visiting India.
2. He is an adventurous man, unafraid of risks.
3. Adverse winds prevented us from arriving on time.
4. Sweet are the uses of adversity.
5. It is advisable for all children to get vaccinations.
6. The judge gave the careless driver an admonition.
7. She is famous for her advocacy of equal rights for women.
8. She has an affectionate relationship with her grandparents.
9. The two hospitals have a close affiliation.
10. We are expecting an affirmative answer.
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Posted by Unknown at 04:22 0 comments

 

Words confused

Words confused

Affection and affectation
These words are often confused.
Affection means love, fondness, emotional attachment, tenderness or warmth.
  • She feels great affection for her parents.
Affection can also mean sickness, illness or disease.
He died of a consumptive affection.
Affectation means pretence, sham or false mannerism.
  • He affected a Canadian accent.
To affect is to make a pretense of.
  • She is from Canada but she affects a strong British accent.
Affluent and effluent
These words are often confused.
Affluent means rich, wealthy, prosperous, well-off etc.
  • She married an affluent widower.
  • People living in affluent societies are not always happy.
Effluent means liquid waste discharged into a river.
  • The effluent stream has polluted water in the nearby wells as well.
Exercise
Complete the following sentences using appropriate words.
1. Her finishing-school accent is just an ………………….. (affection / affectation)
2. Wealth and fame has made him so ………………. that I no longer like him. (affected / effected)
3. The two colleges have a strong …………………, sometimes sharing faculty. (affinity / affiliation)
4. There is a close ……………….. between lemons and limes. (amity / affinity)
5. In a truly ……………….. society, there is more than enough for all. (affluent / effluent)
Answers
1. Her finishing-school accent is just an affectation.
2. Wealth and fame has made him so affected that I no longer like him.
3. The two colleges have a strong affiliation, sometimes sharing faculty.
4. There is a close affinity between lemons and limes.
5. In a truly affluent society, there is more than enough for all.
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Posted by Unknown at 04:18 0 comments

 

Idioms – H

A hair’s breadth
A hair’s breadth is a very small margin.
Let your hair down
To let your hair down is to behave in a very relaxed way or wildly.
Split hairs
To split hairs is to make trivial distinctions.
Not do things by halves
Do things thoroughly.
Hammer something in / into
To hammer something in is to make it sit in someone’s mind by repeating it constantly.
Hammer something out
To hammer something out is to work out the details of an agreement.
Hand in glove
In close association
Hand to mouth
When you live hand to mouth, you meet only your immediate needs and you have no money in reserve.
Hands-on
When you are hands-on you directly participate in something.
  • He is a hands-on dad.
In hand
The job in hand is the job in progress.
On hand
If something is on hand, it is present and available.
Out of hand
If something goes out of hand, it becomes unavailable. To reject something out of hand is to reject it without taking time to think.
  • They rejected the proposal out of hand.
Get the hang of
To get the hang of something is to learn how to do something.
Hang around
To hang around is to wait around.
Hang on
To hang on to something is to hold it tightly. Hang on can also mean ‘wait for a short time’.
Hang out
To hang out is to spend time relaxing.
Hang up
To hang up is to end a telephone conversation abruptly by cutting the connection.
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Posted by Unknown at 05:21 0 comments

 

Idiomatic expressions with eye

Idiomatic expressions with eye

Here is a list of idiomatic expressions formed around the word eye.
Eye someone up
To eye someone up is to look at them with romantic or love interest.
  • At the party, Samuel eyed many girls up, but none showed any interest in him.
Be all eyes
When you are all eyes, you are watching something eagerly.
  • When the match started, we were all eyes.
An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth
This expression suggests that doing the same thing in return is the appropriate way to deal with a crime.
  • He avenged his sister’s murder by killing the sister of her murderer. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
Have an eye for
When you have an eye for something, you are able to recognize and judge something wisely.
  • She has an eye for detail.
Have your eye on
When you have your eye on something you aim to acquire it.
  • He has his eye on the throne.
With an eye to
Have as your objective
  • They are inciting communal tension with an eye to winning minority votes.
Make eyes at
To make eyes at someone is to look at them with sexual interest.
  • He made eyes at her but she ignored him.
See eye to eye
When you see eye to eye with someone you are in full agreement.
  • My manager and I don’t see eye to eye.
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Posted by Unknown at 05:18 0 comments

 

Time expressions used with various tense forms

Time expressions used with various tense forms 

Usually, never, seldom, always, generally
These expressions are almost always used with the simple present tense.
  • He seldom donates money to charities.
  • He always wears neat clothes.
  • You never thank me for anything.
  • I usually drink coffee in the morning.
At present, now, at the moment, right now etc
These expressions are usually used with the present continuous tense.
  • I am learning German now.
  • He is working on a new novel at present.
  • He is doing research in molecular biology at the moment.
Already, just, yet
These expressions are usually used with the present perfect tense.
  • I have already watched that movie.
  • We have not yet heard from them.
  • John has just left.
Since and for
These time expressions are usually used with the present perfect and present perfect continuous tenses.
  • We have lived here since 1999.
  • I have been working since morning.
  • It has been raining for hours.
  • We have been living here for six years.
Yesterday, last year, some years ago
Use these expressions with the simple past tense.
  • I met him yesterday.
  • His father died three years ago.
  • I visited Japan last year.
Tomorrow, next year, next month
These expressions are usually used with the simple future tense.
  • I will talk to him tomorrow.
  • We will move to our new home next month.
  • He will retire next year.
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Posted by Unknown at 05:32 0 comments

 

Nouns mistakes

Nouns mistakes

Here are some common mistakes in the use of nouns.

Incorrect: We haven’t got any breads.
Correct: We haven’t got any loaves of bread.
Explanation
The noun ‘bread’ does not have a plural form. To express that idea we use the expression ‘loaves of bread’.
Incorrect: Please excuse the troubles.
Correct: Please excuse me for the trouble.
Incorrect: He took troubles to do his work.
Correct: He took trouble over his work.
Incorrect: I am learning a new poetry.
Correct: I am learning a new poem.
Explanation
The word poetry denotes a form of literature.
Incorrect: We had a good play of tennis.
Correct: We had a good game of tennis.
Incorrect: He is true to his words.
Correct: He is true to his word.
Incorrect: I saw three females in the room.
Correct: I saw three women in the room.
Incorrect: He enquired about your state of health.
Correct: He enquired about the state of your health.
Incorrect: I am leaving my service.
Correct: I am leaving my job.
Incorrect: I celebrated Christmas with my family members.
Correct: I celebrated Christmas with my family. / I celebrated Christmas with the members of my family.
Incorrect: The clock has struck six hours.
Correct: The clock has struck six.
Incorrect: The weather of Colombo does not suit me.
Correct: The climate of Colombo does not suit me.
Incorrect: These news are too good to be true.
Correct: This news is too good to be true.
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Posted by Unknown at 05:28 0 comments

 

Among vs. Between

Among vs. Between

There is a widespread belief that the preposition between should be used in sentences with a choice involving two items while among is applicable to choices involving more than two items. While this may be true for some cases, this rule is not absolute and can cause errors in the usage of these terms.
“Here’s the important difference between Snapchat and Instagram’s lookalike apps”
Business Insider
“At the Trade Deadline, Some Players Fight a Battle Between Reality and Rumors”
New York Times
“Intriguing link between vitamin D and birth control uncovered”
Medical News Today
The first examples demonstrated the popular use of between when considering two choices and highlighting their one-to-one relationships.
However, between can be used even for choices involving more than two items as long as they are distinct, individual items.
“Info sharing between Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore helped foil planned Marina Bay attack”
News Straits Times Online
The next sentence, however, uses between to indicate rivalries between an unspecified number of countries at the 2016 summer olympics.
“Ranking the Best Rivalries Between Countries at the 2016 Summer Olympics”
Bleacher Report
There are common words followed by between. These include the nouns, connection, link and difference, and the verbs, choose,differentiate, and distinguish.
On the other hand, the preposition among is generally used for choices involving individuals or items that are not distinct.
“Brett Favre, Tony Dungy, Marvin Harrison among 8 inductees to Pro Football Hall of Fame”
Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia
“Newlyweds, a preschool teacher, a young mother among the 16 dead in fiery hot-air-balloon crash”
Washington Post
It is also used for items that are part of a group or a plural noun.
“Smaller households among Seattle renters mean they aren’t yet in the majority”
Seattle Times
“High Smoking Rates Continue Among Racial, Ethnic Groups, Despite Overall Decline In US: CDC”
International Business Times
Some people also use amongst, a variant of among, which is mostly found in British, Australian, and Canadian English, but has the same use and meaning.
“Three new species identified amongst the Tegu lizard family”
Science Daily
“Religious destinations most favorite amongst travellers this season”
Times of India
To master the uses of among and between, try giving your own example for each of the uses we presented above. Do you already have sentences in mind? Share them below.
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Posted by Unknown at 08:57 0 comments

 

Apart vs. A part

Apart vs. A part

Some people find it difficult to distinguish the terms apart and a part as they are similar both in sound and in spelling. However, these two have very distinct meanings and should never be used interchangeably.
The word apart is generally used as an adverb used to denote that “two or more people or things are separated by a distance at a specified distance from each other in time or space.”
“More than 500 miles apart, Donald Trump and Joe Biden debate compassion”
Washington Post
“Is this the best birthday surprise ever? Mother is left screaming hysterically after her daughter flies 5,000 miles from England to be with her after two years apart”
Daily Mail
“Mentor program helps two people a generation apart build friendship”
ABC News 4
It may also be used to mean “in or into parts or pieces.”
“Ted Cruz, and the speech that threatened to tear the convention apart”
Washington Post
Or “as a distinct item or entity.”
“Simone Biles may be small, but hugely difficult routines set her apart”
SB Nation
Apart is also used as an adjective that means “isolated.” It is either preceded by a noun or found in the predicate.
“On debt and taxation, rich and poor countries are worlds apart”
The Guardian
Meanwhile, the two-word phrase a part is comprised of the article aand the noun part, which denotes “a piece or segment of something such as an object, activity, or period of time, which combined with other pieces makes up the whole.”
“Young Mothers – A Part Of CVS Health’s Success”
Forbes
“How guns became a part of American culture”
CBS News
“Hydroplanes and pirates were always a part of Seafair — even the first in 1950 (photos)”
Seattle Times
There are two simple ways to determine which term to use in your sentence. The first one is by trying to take away the a and see if it would still make sense. If it does, then a part would be more applicable and if it doesn’t, then apart would be more appropriate.
Correct: Voluntarism is part of the solution.
Incorrect: They spent five years part while he was in the army.
Another useful technique is by remembering the prepositions that they are often paired with. Apart is usually paired with the preposition from while a part is often paired with of.
They couldn’t keep those two dogs apart from each other.
She always felt like she was a part of the family.
Is there anything else that confuses you about apart and a part?
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Posted by Unknown at 08:52 0 comments

 
 
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