Words

Easily confused words

April 15, 2013

The words breath, breathe, aid, aide etc. are often confused by English learners. In this lesson we will take a look at some of these easily confused words. Breath and breathe Breath is a noun. It rhymes with death. Breath denotes the air inhaled or exhaled during the process of breathing. Breath is a countable [...]

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What’s the origin of the word ‘blackleg’?

February 9, 2013

When trade unions call for strikes, they expect all of their members to refrain from work. That is the norm. However, sometimes some members of the trade union go against the wishes of their leaders and go to work. These people will go to offices and factories while they fellow workers protest in the streets. [...]

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Practice, practise, advice, advise etc.

January 8, 2013

These words are often confused. Those forms that end in ce or cy are nouns. The other forms that end in se or sy are verbs. That means ‘advice’ is a noun, whereas ‘advise’ is a verb. In the same way, prophecy is a noun, whereas prophesy is a verb. Examples He gave me some [...]

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Phrasal verbs with break

October 20, 2012

Break is used in a number of common phrasal verbs. Here is a list of them. Each phrasal verb is followed by its definition. Example sentences are also given. Break away – become separate; (of members of a group) escape; run away Break down – a) fail to work; prove to be useless; b) become [...]

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