This content is a comprehensive English lesson designed to clarify the meanings and usage of 60 commonly confused words, aiming to boost learners' confidence in speaking and writing.
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English can be incredibly confusing.
There are so many words that my students
mix up and get wrong. Effect with an A
and effect with an E. Complimentary with
an I and complimentary with an E. Today
I am going to teach you the 60 most
confusing words in English. I'm going to
clarify them for you. You're going to
understand them so well that you don't
even have to think anymore. It's a huge
lesson, but when you get to the end of
it, I promise you will feel so much more
confident when speaking English. We're
going to go through 24 verbs, 12 nouns,
12 adjectives, and 12 phrasal verbs. I'm
going to explain them clearly with
plenty of examples, and I'll even test
you with a few little quizzes. By the
end of this lesson, you will know
exactly when to say go and exactly when
to say get. You'll know what it means to
be uninterested versus disinterested.
And you will know why shade and shadow
are not the same thing. To make this
even easier for you, I have created a
beautiful ebook with the 60 most
confusing words in English. It contains
everything from this lesson, plus extra
information. Download it now and keep it
in case you need a refresher. To get it
for free, just click on the link in the
description box or scan the QR code
there. Enter your name and your email
address, choose your English level, then
you've signed up to my mailing list, and
the ebook will arrive directly in your
inbox. Okay, let's get started with the lesson.
lesson.
Pair number one, the floor versus the
ground. Let's clear any confusion once
and for all. The floor refers to the
flat surface of a room that people can
stand or walk on. It is usually inside.
The ground refers to the surface of the
earth outside. It might be soil,
concrete, grass and so on. Floor
generally inside,
ground generally outside. For example,
we sat on the floor in the living room
and ate pizza. We sat on the ground
under a tree and had a picnic. Floor
also refers to the levels of a building.
First floor, second floor, for example.
And here's where it gets confusing. In
British English, we use the term ground
floor for the floor at the same level as
the ground or earth outside. My office
is on the ground floor. Notice that I
used the preposition on, not in. Note
that the ground floor is called the
first floor in North American English.
Another point of confusion. Now, I said
the floor is generally inside, but it
isn't always inside. We also use floor
to refer to the surface of the earth in
a forest, ocean, or cave, for example.
The forest floor was covered in moss.
The floor of the cave was wet and
slippery. Sometimes we will use ground
and floor interchangeably. For example,
my ice cream fell on the floor. My ice
cream fell on the ground. Now, you will
hear English speakers using floor
outside. My ice cream fell on the floor,
for example. But what I've just
explained should give you a general
indication. Okay, our next pair is
journey versus trip. We also need to
talk about travel, too. These are words
that my students mix up all the time.
So, let's clear up the confusion. Let's
start with travel. As a noun, it refers
to the general activity of traveling,
going to a different place. It's often
uncountable, so we don't use uh or the.
I can't say a travel. An example, people
say that travel broadens the mind. It
can also be used in the plural. For
example, Eloise was telling me about her
travels in Italy. This implies a variety
of places and experiences. We can't say
that sentence in the singular. It would
not be correct to say Eloise was telling
me about her travel. Lastly, you will
hear travel used in many compound nouns
like travel insurance or travel
sickness. Let's move on to journey. We
use journey to focus on the act of
moving from one place to another and
it's often used for longer distances.
The journey to Paris will take about 3
hours or how was your journey. This is
like how was your drive? A trip is when
you go somewhere and then return usually
staying for a short amount of time. For
example, I've just been on a trip to
Rome or tell me about your trip. We can
often talk about going on a day trip, a
business trip, a camping trip, or a
shopping trip. For example, Tim's away
on a business trip. On a trip. So,
travel is the general activity or experience.
experience.
Journey is the act of getting from A to
B and trip is the visit to a place. One
final example.
Travel is my passion. I recently went on
a trip to Edinburgh and the train
journey from London took 4 hours. Here's
some homework. See if you can write a
sentence like that with all three words
in the comments. Right. Pair number
three is opportunity versus possibility.
An opportunity is a situation that
allows you to do something you want. It
tends to be positive. We often say you
have the opportunity to do something.
For example, when I was at uni, I had
the opportunity to spend a semester in
Spain. Another example, the internship
was a wonderful opportunity for me. A
possibility is something that might
happen or might be true. For example,
have you considered the possibility that
it might rain tomorrow? Or there's a
strong possibility that the plan might
fail. Let's see an example with both
words. There's a possibility that my
company will expand next year. and if it
does, I might have the opportunity to
move abroad. We also use possibility to
talk about the different options
available to us. For example, what kind
of food do you want? The possibilities
are endless. Our next pair of confusing
words is I want you to think about how
you would pronounce them. We have receipt
receipt
and recipe. Let's see if you can put the
right word in these sentences. I wanted
to bake a cake, so I asked my mom for a
I bought a cake from the shop. And after
In the first gap, we have recipe. And of
course in the second receipt. Now my
students are not just confused about the
meanings of these words but by their
pronunciation too. Receipt has two
syllables. We stress the second one. The
P is silent. Ignore the P. Receipt.
Receipt. It's a really stupid word. It
could be so much simpler. A receipt is
often a piece of paper or now more often
an electronic document that shows that
you've paid for something. In a shop,
you might hear, "Would you like a
receipt?" Or you might say, "I'd like to
return this, but I've lost my receipt."
Recipe, on the other hand, has three
syllables. Receipt to recipe three. We
stress the first one, and the second is
awah. Recipe.
Recipe. I know it's tempting to say
receipt, but it's recipe. It's a list of
ingredients and instructions telling you
how to cook something. For example, have
you got a good recipe for shepherd's
pie? Okay. Pair number five is history
versus story. History is uncountable.
It's a description or study of facts or
real events that happened in the past.
Notice that we either don't pronounce
the O in history or we pronounce it as
awah. History or history. So that can be
three or two syllables. I prefer to
history. It's more efficient. An
example, I'm really interested in the
history of France or the invention of
electricity was a turning point in human
history. Story is a countable noun. A
story is a description of events that
can be real or imagined. And we often
tell stories to entertain people or
share our experiences. It's pronounced
with a long o sound.
Story. An example. My dad used to tell
me bedtime stories about dragons and
princesses. Here's another example with
the words together. I always thought the
story of King Arthur was just a myth,
but it turns out some parts might
actually be rooted in history. Okay, our
final pair number six is shade versus
shadow. Quite tricky. Shade is a darker,
cooler area where direct sunlight is
blocked. The focus is on the area, not
the shape created. And we often talk
about shade as a way to escape the heat
or sunlight. Shade is uncountable. Some
examples. Let's sit in the shade under
that tree. Or, I moved my chair into the
shade to avoid getting sunburnt. A
shadow is a dark shape that appears on a
surface when something blocks the light.
It's the silhouette of an object or
person. The focus is more on the shape
or the outline. And shadow is countable.
Shade uncountable shadow countable. Some
examples. Your shadows so long in the
evening light. Did you notice that when
you were a child that you would walk in
the evening and see that your shadow
looked like a giant? My dad's a
scientist and I remember being very
young, probably four, and asking him
why. And he drew me a diagram.
Another example, the tree cast an
interesting shadow on the wall behind
it. Something casts a shadow. That's the
verb we use. So shade is all about the
darker, cooler area where light is
blocked. Shadow is the dark shape
created when something blocks the light.
Okay, it's quiz time. Are you ready to
test what you've learned? Let's begin
with number one. When the fireworks
started, everyone sat on the
and looked up at the sky. Is it floor or ground?
It is ground because we don't set off
fireworks inside. Remember to share your
score in the comments section. Number
two, my last business was exhausting. I
visited three cities in three days. Is
It should be
trip. Number three, there's a real
that the event will be cancelled due to
bad weather. Is it opportunity or possibility?
There's a possibility. Four. I tried to
make paella last night, but I think I
read the
wrong. It tasted awful.
It should be the recipe. And our final
question number five. We moved into the
because it was getting too hot. Is it
It should be
shade. You're moving into the cool,
darker area. Okay. How did you do? What
was your score? Let me know in the
comments. I'd also love to know which of
those pairs you mix up the most often.
Let's get started with the first two
verbs. And they might look simple, but
people confuse them a lot. Get and go.
First, let's think about travel. Get
focuses more on arriving at or reaching
a destination. For example, when I get
to Edinburgh, I'll give you a call. This
means when I arrive. Or could you tell
me how to get to Edinburgh Castle? How
do I reach the castle? Go, on the other
hand, focuses more on the journey and
moving from one place to another. For
example, I usually go to Edinburgh by
train. I travel. Or you'll go past a
great coffee shop on your way to the
castle. So get focuses on arrival. Go
focuses on the journey. That's not so
difficult. But get and go have many
meanings. They also mean become or
change state. But with this meaning they
collocate with different adjectives.
Look at this sentence and choose get or
go to complete the gaps. As people
older their hair often
gray. What do you think? Well, the first
gap is
get get older and the second is
goes goes gray. Let's look at each
meaning in more detail. Now, we tend to
use get with adjectives like light,
dark, old, and late. For example, in
winter in the UK, it gets dark early. It
becomes dark early or it's getting late.
We need to leave. We also use get with
ill, sick, and tired. I got ill while I
was on holiday. I became ill. Now, we
usually use go with colors meaning to
change or turn from one color to
another. We just saw the example go
gray. When hair turns from one color to
gray. Another example, I was so cold
that my fingers started to go blue. We
wouldn't say get blue. And we use go
with some changes that are generally
seen as negative. For example, go bad
for food, go wrong, or even go bald.
Although I don't think going bald is
negative. An example, uh, this meat
stinks. It's gone bad. Or, he went bald
in his 40s. All right, pair number two,
notice versus realize. Notice is
generally used when you see or hear
something and become aware of it. I
noticed that the leaves had changed
color on my morning walk. I saw the
difference in color. Realize is
connected to understanding. To realize,
we need to make a connection in our
mind. I realized that autumn was on its
way. I connected the change in color of
the leaves to the change in seasons.
Look at the verbs together now. I
noticed the crack in the vase, but I
didn't realize how fragile the vase was
until it broke. I noticed the crack. I
saw it. I didn't realize how fragile the
vase was. I didn't understand. Another
example, we noticed the thunder in the
distance and realized we needed to leave
the beach. We heard the thunder and we
understood we needed to leave. So
noticing is more about perception.
Realizing is more about understanding.
Okay, let's move on to the next two
words. We have rob and steal. Both verbs
refer to taking something without
permission, illegally. Now, in a basic
sense, rob is used with a place or a
person and steal is used with a thing.
For example,
someone robbed the bank yesterday.
What did they steal? They stole a lot of
cash. Or I was robbed in broad daylight.
They stole my wallet and phone. So, a
really common mistake I hear my students
make with the verb to steal is this.
They stole me my wallet. With the
meaning of take something from somebody,
we don't use a personal pronoun directly
after steal. So, stole me something is
not correct. We can say steal something
from somebody, something or somewhere.
For example, they stole my wallet from
me or they stole my wallet from my bag.
When we talk about certain buildings,
especially houses, we usually use burgle
or break into rather than rob. For
example, we got burgled or our house got
broken into. They stole some jewelry. So
remember, the most common collocations
are rob a place or a person and steal
something from somebody and burgle a
house. Okay, our next pair of verbs are
win and beat. Here's the difference. You
win something. You win a game, a match,
a competition, a prize, but you tend to
beat someone or a team. For example, SA
won the match. He beat Jovovic or
Claraara won a prize for her singing.
She beat several other competitors.
Simple enough, right? But it's not just
the verbs that confuse my students. It's
which prepositions to use. Let's think
about football. That's something I don't
say a lot. I've heard so many students
say that their team won with another.
Trying to say that their team beat
another. That's not quite right. So,
let's learn the correct prepositions.
You can say Liverpool won 5-nil against
West Ham. So that's win plus score plus against.
against.
1 5 nil against. Notice how I said nil,
not zero or nothing. Another example,
Liverpool won by five goals to nil
against West Ham or they beat West Ham
by five goals. So you can win against
someone or a team or you can describe
the score with win by a margin five
goals to a specific score nil. Okay,
moving on. Our next pair of verbs sound
very similar and in writing even fluent
speakers of English get confused about
which one to use. I will admit I have to
doublech check when I use these. There's
just something about this pair. They are
effect and effect. Effect.
Effect.
Effect. Can you hear the difference?
Both are stressed on the second
syllable, but the first syllable in
effect with an a is pronounced with a
schwa sound. That very lazy sound that
takes little effort to make.
E effect. The first syllable in effect,
spelled with an e, is often pronounced
with an i sound. Effect. I I effect. But
you'll also hear people use a schwah. So
they could sound the same, effect and
effect. So that's clear. But how do we
use them? Effect with an a is usually a
verb meaning to influence or change
something. A lack of sleep often affects
your ability to concentrate.
Or the loud music didn't affect my
sleep. Effect with an e is usually a
noun, not always. We will discuss that.
And it refers to the change that is
caused. For example, one effect of
eating chocolate cake is that I
instantly feel happier. Or my teacher's
words of encouragement had a lasting
effect on me. To have an effect on
somebody is a common collocation. Here's
another example using both this time.
Gloomy weather affects my mood, but
sunny weather has a positive effect on
me. See the difference? But we're not
finished because effect with an e can
also be used as a verb. To effect
something means to make or cause
something to happen and it's formal. It
collocates strongly with nouns like
change and improvement. For example, the
new policy is expected to affect a
significant change in the education
system. to cause a change. To sum up,
effect with a means to influence or
change something. Effect as a verb means
to make something happen. And effect as
a noun refers to the change that is
caused. Okay, let's move on to look at
our final pair. We have the single word
verb wake and the phrasal verb wake up.
Wake and wake up have similar meanings.
to stop sleeping or to make someone else
stop sleeping. So, is there any
difference? Well, they can often be used interchangeably.
interchangeably.
For example, we wake at 7. We wake up at
7 or my parents used to wake me every
morning before school or my parents used
to wake me up every morning before
school. And the noise of the storm woke
us. The noise of the storm woke us up.
Now, it's more common to use wake up.
Wake on its own sounds more formal.
There are many verb phrasal verb pairs
in which the particle doesn't have much
effect on the meaning. Have you ever
wondered about hurry and hurry up or
stand and stand up? Wake up can also
mean to make someone feel awake. For
example, going outside in the fresh air
helps wake me up. It helps me feel more
awake. Or, I need a strong cup of coffee
to wake up in the morning. We wouldn't
say fresh air or coffee. Wake me. And
what do you say if someone's asleep and
you want them to stop sleeping? We say,
"Wake up. Wake up. We're going to be
late." We don't shout wake at someone if
we want them to stop sleeping.
Similarly, in a hotel, we might ask
reception for a wakeup call, not a wake
call. Okay, we've covered all 12
commonly confused verbs. Now, I want to
do a little quiz to see what you
remember. Here are five sentences for
you to complete with the correct verb.
Make sure you conjugate the verbs. That
means to use them in the correct form.
Let me know your score in the comments.
I will read through them, but use the
pause button if you need more time. One,
it's starting to
light earlier now that spring is coming.
Well done if you chose get. Remember,
get collocates with light and dark with
a similar meaning to become. Two, if I'm
feeling tired, splashing cold water on
my face helps to
I hope you used up. We use wake me up
here. We use wake up to mean feel more
awake or more lively. Three. Someone
tried to my camera when I was on the
If you said rob, that wouldn't be right.
Steal is the correct answer. You steal
something like a camera, but you rob a
person or place. I was robbed on the
train. They stole my camera. Number
four. When I went outside this
afternoon, I The daffodils were in
it is
noticed? We can use notice to mean see.
And then finally number five. There are
two gaps in this sentence. It's a tricky
one. The new government immediately
economic changes which positively
the job market. Where do we want effect
with an a and where do we put effect
Well, the first is
affected with e, made economic changes
happen. And the second is affected with
an a, impacted the job market.
Let's get started with number one. Hear
versus listen. we use here to describe
the process of sounds coming into your
ears whether you want them to or not.
And that's the key. For example, did you
hear those dogs barking? The noise kept
me up all night. No, I had earplugs in
so I couldn't hear anything. We also use
here with the meaning of to be told
something. For example, Emma got the
job. So I've heard. So I've been told.
Now listening on the other hand is
intentional. When you listen, you have
to focus and pay attention. For example,
I'm listening to a really good podcast
at the moment. Or he told me what the
plan was, but I wasn't really listening.
So hearing no effort. Listening
intentional requires effort. It's that
simple. Number two, we have see, look,
and watch. Or I should really say see,
look at, and watch. I get questions
about these verbs all the time. See is
similar to here. It's the process of
noticing something, but this time with
the eyes. No effort required. For
example, we could see the Eiffel Tower
from our hotel window or I didn't see
the person who snatched my phone. Look
at means to move your eyes in a
particular direction in order to see
something. For example, look at that man
dressed as a horse or look at me when
I'm talking to you, please. The action
of looking is generally quite short.
Watch, on the other hand, is when you
look at something or somebody for a
longer period of time. What you're
watching will usually be moving, like a
film, a YouTube video, a play, or a
concert. The action generally involves
more effort. For example, watch how I
play it and then you can try and copy.
Or, did you watch the game last night?
Now, you can see or watch a film, but be
careful. We don't see television. We
watch television. For example, we're
going to watch or we're going to see
Gladiator 2 if you fancy joining us. Or
I rarely watch TV these days, not I
rarely see TV. Okay. Number three, fit
and suit. Here are two questions that I
frequently ask my husband, but what's
the difference in meaning? Number one,
does this dress suit me? And number two,
does this dress fit me? And yes, I said
suit, not suit. Suit. We pronounce suit
with the long ooh as in boot. Suit.
Okay. We use the verb suit to ask about
how attractive an item of clothing, an
accessory, or even a hairstyle makes a
person look. If someone says, "Wow,
those jeans really suit you." They're
saying those jeans look good on you. You
look attractive wearing them. We use fit
to talk about the size and shape of
something. For example, you can have
that t-shirt, it doesn't fit me anymore.
It's too big or too small for my body.
You'll often hear people say something
fits well or nicely. And I love the
idiomatic expression to fit like a
glove, which means to fit perfectly. Oh,
and I can't be on this topic and not
mention go with. We use this phrase with
the meaning of combine well. That bag
goes really well with those shoes. Your
bag matches your shoes or your bag
combines well with your shoes. They look
good together. It's a vibe. Okay, let's
move on to number four. We have mind and
matter. Now, these two verbs can cause a
lot of confusion if we mix them up. What
is the difference between these two
sentences? Which one are you likely to
say more often? I don't mind. I don't
matter. So, we usually use mind in
questions and negatives. I don't mind
means it's not a problem for me. For
example, I don't mind doing the washing
up. I'm happy to do it. Or we don't mind
the noise from the traffic. It doesn't
bother us. And in the question form, it
can be used to make a polite request.
Would you mind taking me to the airport?
Notice how we can use a noun or the ing
verb after mind. We also often use not
mind to say that we are happy with any
options offered to us. For example, do
you fancy going out for dinner or should
we stay in? I don't mind. I'd be happy
doing either. And what about the second
sentence? I don't matter. I really hope
you never say this. If something matters
to you, it's important to you. So, if
you say I don't matter, you're saying
I'm not important. I recommend
memorizing these two phrases together. I
don't mind. It doesn't matter. We use
matter to reassure someone that
something isn't important. Oh no, I
forgot to buy the milk. It doesn't
matter. We can do without it. Now,
rather confusingly, you can also use the
expression never mind here with the same
meaning. And one final point here, don't
mix I don't mind up with I don't care.
If used with the wrong tone of voice, I
don't care can make you sound angry or
disinterested. Compare the responses to
the question, "What do you fancy for
dinner?" "I don't mind. I'd genuinely be
happy with anything you make for me. I
don't care. That means leave me alone. I
don't want to have to think about this
right now. I'm too busy. The difference
is quite clear. Okay. Number five. We're
going to take a look at two verbs with
very different meanings that sound
ridiculously similar. Wonder and wonder.
Can you hear the difference? I
pronounced wonder with the o as in uh
wonder with the uh vowel sound in up.
Wonder. Lots of speakers in the north of
England will use the uh vowel sound like
in put. Wonder. Wonder spelled with an a
is pronounced with the short o vowel
like in October and hot. Wonder. Wonder.
Wonder. Can you hear the difference? But
what do they mean? Well, wonder is a
very useful verb which means to ask
yourself something you wish you knew the
answer to. I wonder what Diego's
thinking right now. But I know what he's
thinking. It's his dinner time. We're
nearly at the end of the lesson. Or I
wonder what Will's bought me for my
birthday. Wonder has nothing to do with
wonder. Wonder means to walk around a
place with no set plan or purpose. like
we wandered around the narrow streets of
Venice for hours. Or the very famous
line from the William Werdsworth poem, I
wandered lonely as a cloud. Let's use
them both in a sentence. I wonder where
Diego wanders when Will and I are
working. Next, we have fall off, fall
over, and fall down. I cannot count the
number of times that a student has told
me they've fallen down their bike or
fallen over the stairs. These are
incorrect. Let's clear this one up once
and for all. We use the verb fall when
we suddenly drop from the position we
are in towards the ground. We have a
fight with gravity and gravity wins.
Fall off can have an object and this
object is usually something we've been
sitting on. For example, I fell off my
bike, a horse, my chair, the roof. I
hope not. Fall over is when you suddenly
drop to the ground from a standing or
upright position and it doesn't need an
object. I fell over and banged my knees.
It doesn't need an object, but it can
have one. For example, the dog fell over
the cliff. Fall down is most commonly
used for stairs or steps. It can be used
with other inclined objects like a hill
or a slope. My brother fell down the
stairs and broke his ankle. Okay, I
think it's time for a quiz to see what
you remember. I have five sentences for
you to complete with the correct verb.
Make sure you conjugate the verbs. Make
sure you use them in the correct form.
Keep track of your score and let me know
how you did in the comments. Number one,
my baby's growing so fast. None of her
Did you say suit? I hope not because the
correct answer is fit. Her clothes are
too small. They are no longer the right
size or shape. Number two, I forgot to
pick up your parcel. It
I can get it on my way home. Do we say
You should say it doesn't matter. Number
three, we spend hours
the streets of Seville. I want you to
Did you say wandering with the O sound?
Well done. Wonder means to ask yourself
a question. Number four. Have you seen
that reel of the girl dressed up as a
ghost falling the stairs? Is it off,
That's right. We fall down the stairs
just like we do with other inclined
places like hills and slopes. And last
one now. Number five. Sorry, I couldn't
you. I had my earphones in. Is it here
It should be I couldn't hear you. The
earphones blocked the sound of your voice.
voice.
What is the opposite of interested?
Uninterested or disinterested? The
answer should be
uninterested. So if you're interested in
something, you want to know about it. If
you're uninterested, you don't want to
know about something or you don't want
to be involved in something. An example,
my students seemed completely
uninterested in the lesson about the
history of taxation. Shock. They didn't
want to learn about it. Now, here's the
interesting bit. Disinterested
isn't the opposite of interested. even
though it looks like it is, at least
it's not usually. If you are disinterested,
disinterested,
you are able to be fair and you don't
favor one side or the other in a
situation because you're not personally
involved. It's similar to being neutral
or impartial. For example, we need a
disinterested party to help decide who
should win the prize. We need someone
who is not involved and is able to be
fair. So to recap, uninterested means
not interested and disinterested means
neutral or impartial. Now many native
speakers use disinterested to mean uninterested,
uninterested,
particularly in speech or in informal
situations. This annoys a lot of people.
They consider it to be incorrect, but
it's fairly common. You'll hear it.
Next, we have another pair of words that
look like opposites, but are not. Famous
and infamous.
Listen to that difference in pronunciation.
pronunciation.
Famous has a schwa in the final
syllable. famous.
And infamous
has two schwas in the second and final
syllables. Infamous.
Famous. I know it's tempting to say infamous.
infamous.
I remember reading when I was younger,
the first time I came across this word
and I naturally pronounced it in famous,
but I was corrected. The stress for both
words is on the first syllable. Famous.
Infamous. But what about the meanings?
Try to complete these sentences. Jordan
Belelffort is
for running a stock market fraud
operation. He's the guy from the Wolf of
Wall Street. And the next sentence,
Taylor Swift is a or an singer.
singer. Ready
for the answers?
He's infamous for stock market fraud.
And Taylor Swift is a famous singer. So,
what's the difference? Well, famous
simply means known about by a lot of
people, usually for something we
consider positive. We have famous
people, famous things and famous places.
We even have famous animals. Some
examples, she became famous after
winning an Olympic gold medal or the Taj
Mahal is famous for its beauty. Now,
infamous also means well-known, but for
something bad, like Jordan Belelffort,
the Wolf of Wall Street in our earlier
example. It's similar to notorious. It
can also be used for people, things, and
places, and I guess animals as well. For
example, Al Capone was an infamous
gangster. Or that house is infamous for
having a grizzly history. So, to recap,
famous generally means known and celebrated.
celebrated.
Infamous generally means having a bad
reputation. All right, the next pair is
one I get confused about sometimes when
I'm writing. Complimentary and
complimentary. They're pronounced the
same, but one is spelled with an I and
the other with an E. Complimentary with
an I has two main meanings. One is
expressing praise or approval. That's
not too hard to remember as the noun and
verb form compliment is also spelled
with an I. An example, he was very
complimentary about your presentation.
But complimentary with an I also means
free. I love complimentary things. For
example, the hotel offers a
complimentary breakfast for guests. Now
complimentary with an e refers to two
people or things that work well together
either because they are useful together
or visually appealing. The two elements
can be quite different but they enhance
each other. For example,
complimentary colors like blue and
orange offer a strong contrast yet they
look great side by side. Another
example, they have complimentary skills.
She's creative and he's highly
organized. So to recap, complimentary
with an I means expressing praise or
free. Complimentary with an e means work
well together. Our next pair of words is
really challenging for English learners.
We have economic and economical. or is
that economic and economical? See, the
confusion starts even with the
pronunciation. You can pronounce both
words with either an e or an e sound at
the beginning. Economic economic
economic economical
economical
economical I wish I could tell you which
pronunciation I use all the time, but honestly,
honestly,
I flip between the two. I grew up with
different teachers using the different
pronunciations and I just never really
thought about it and used both. Try them
out. See which one feels more natural to
you. But the pronunciation isn't the
trickiest part. The meaning is. Let's
complete these sentences. One, this
country is facing serious problems
problems
So in the first gap we need
economic or economic. So in the second
gap of course we need economical or
economical. I'm going to stick with the
e pronunciation here. Economic is an
adjective related to the economy, money,
business, or trade, and it's usually
followed by a noun. For example, London
is an important economic center in
Europe. Economical means not wasteful,
something or someone that doesn't waste
time, money, or energy. For example,
this car is more economical than that
one. It uses less fuel. So economic
means related to business and money.
Economical means not wasting time, money
or energy. All right. The next pair is
distinct and distinctive. Distinct means
clearly different or separate. For
example, the Adidas and Nike logos are
clearly distinct from each other. They
are clearly different from one another.
Distinct also means easy to notice. For
example, there was a distinct smell of
smoke in the air. I could easily smell
it. Distinctive
means having a special quality that
makes something easy to recognize or
remember because it's different from
other things. For example, John has a
very distinctive laugh. It's easy to
recognize it's John even if I can't see
him because I can hear his very unique
laugh. It stands out. Let's compare now
some examples. The UK has many distinct accents.
accents.
Each accent is clearly different from
any other. And she has a distinctive
accent. The features of her accent make
it easy to recognize where she's from.
Is that clear? I hope so. Let's move on
to our final pair. Classic and
classical. If something is classic, it's
high quality, lasting, and often seen as
one of the best examples of its kind.
It's often used for books, films,
clothes, and cars. For example, she's
really into classic cars and has several
from the 1940s. or that black dress is
classic. It'll never go out of style. We
can also use it more playfully. For
example, he left his phone at home
again. Classic Julian. This is typical
of Julian as he is always forgetting
things. We use classical to refer to
traditional music from the mid 18th to
the early 19th centuries like pieces by
Mozart and Beethoven. An example, I love
listening to classical music when it's
played live. We also use classical to
talk about something that has a long
tradition. Classical ballet, for
example, and classical refers to things
related to ancient Greek or Roman
culture. For example, the museum in
Athens has many classical sculptures. Or
he's a classical scholar. He studies
ancient Rome. So to recap, classic means
highquality and timeless or one of the
best examples of its type. Classical
tends to refer to things related to
traditional culture, ancient Greece and
Rome, and certain music. Okay, we've
covered our 12 confusing adjectives. So
now it's time for a quiz. Make sure you
share your answers in the comments
section. There are three questions. Are
you ready? Number one, the wine is
to the rich flavor of the cheese. Is it
complimentary with I or complimentary
It should be
complimentary with an E because the wine
and cheese go well together. Number two,
we watched a film from the 1950s last
night. It's still brilliant.
It should be classic. The film is high
quality and timeless. And finally,
number three, we need a or an
judge who can make a fair decision. Is
Disinterested is correct here. It means
the judge is neutral and fair.
Our first pair is to end up versus to
end in. My students often mix these up
and struggle to know when to use each
one. So, let's do a little test. Use
ended up or ended in to complete these sentences.
sentences. It
It disaster
disaster
and we
You should have it ended in disaster and
we ended up walking home. But why? Let's
look at to end up first. This means to
reach a final situation or place, often
unexpectedly or unintentionally.
Let's expand on our example a little.
All of the buses were cancelled, so we
ended up walking home. This is an
example of an unexpected outcome. We
didn't plan to walk. Here's another
example. He studied engineering but
ended up in a completely different
industry. End up tends to be followed by
an ing verb like walking, a phrase with
a preposition like in a completely
different industry or an adjective.
Let's see an example with an adjective
now. We got completely lost and ended up
exhausted and frustrated by the whole
thing. Now to end in means to have
something as a result. It's often used
for negative situations or events and
collocates strongly with words like
disaster, divorce, failure, and tragedy.
Here's an example. Her first marriage
ended in divorce. End doesn't always
refer to something negative, though. For
example, the match ended in a draw. end
in tends to be followed by a noun. So to
recap, end up is about where you finish
literally or figuratively, often by
accident, while end in is about how
something concludes, often with a
specific result. Now, let's move on to
our second pair. To look up versus to
look for. Look up means to search for
information using a specific source or
tool like a dictionary or a computer.
For example, I often look up the
meanings of new words in a dictionary.
Or I'm not sure what time the shop
opens. I'll look it up on the website.
Look up is a separable phrasal verb.
This means the object can go immediately
after up or between look and up. If the
object is a pronoun, it has to go in the
middle. Look it up. Look for means to
search for somebody or something. Often
because you've lost or you need them or
it. For example, can you help me look
for my keys? Or if you see John, tell
him I'm looking for him. Unlike look up,
look for is not separable. It's
inseparable. The object must come after
the whole phrasal verb. So to look up
means to search for information in a
specific place. And to look for means to
search for something or someone you've
lost or need. For pair number three, we
have two phrasal verbs with take. to
take down versus to take off. Both can
mean remove, but they're used
differently. Let's do a little test
again. Complete the gaps with down or
off. We usually take
our Christmas decorations in early
January and take your shoes and socks
We take down the decorations and take
off our shoes and socks. We'll look at
to take down first. My students don't
tend to use this phrasal verb. They just
use take off instead. We use take down
for things that are high up or things
that are fixed like decorations or wall
art. Our Christmas decorations are often
both. Another example, we took down all
the curtains when we were painting the
room. We usually use to take off to mean
to completely remove clothes, shoes, or
accessories. For example, I always take
off my jewelry before going swimming.
Now, let's take a look at some threepart
phrasal verbs. to catch up on and to
catch up with. If you catch up on
something, you either bring yourself up
to date with something or you do an
action that you didn't have time to do
earlier. For example, I need to catch up
on some work. Catch up on is followed by
an object which is a thing, not a
person. However, we do say that you
catch somebody up on something, and that
means that you help bring someone else
up to date on something. For example,
can you catch me up on what happened
while I was away? To catch up with means
to reach the same level as a person who
was ahead of you. For example, if you
study hard, you'll catch up with the
rest of the class. It also means to
exchange news with someone you haven't
spoken to for a while. For example, I
love catching up with my old school
friends. Catch up with is usually
followed directly by a person. So, we
use catch up on when we're behind and we
want to get up to date. And we use to
catch up with when we close a gap or
reconnect socially. Pair number five is
to bring up versus to grow up. Which of
those verbs can you use to complete this
sentence? I was
in the countryside, brought up or grown up.
It should be brought up. Let's see why.
To bring somebody up means to care for
or raise a child until they're an adult.
Often it involves teaching them how to
behave and giving them certain values.
It needs an object. For example, we
wanted to bring up our children close to
our extended family. This phrasal verb
is often used in the passive form to be
brought up. Like in our example sentence
earlier, I was brought up in the
countryside or she was brought up by her
grandparents. To grow up means to
gradually develop from being a child into an adult. Maturing physically and
into an adult. Maturing physically and emotionally. An example, I grew up in
emotionally. An example, I grew up in the UK. To grow up is intransitive,
the UK. To grow up is intransitive, meaning it doesn't take an object. We
meaning it doesn't take an object. We don't say, "My parents grew me up in a
don't say, "My parents grew me up in a small village." Instead, we'd say, "My
small village." Instead, we'd say, "My parents brought me up." Or, "I grew up."
parents brought me up." Or, "I grew up." And we don't use it in the passive
And we don't use it in the passive voice. So, this sentence is wrong. I was
voice. So, this sentence is wrong. I was grown up in a small village. Incorrect.
grown up in a small village. Incorrect. The correct version would be I was
The correct version would be I was brought up or I grew up. So to recap, to
brought up or I grew up. So to recap, to bring up means to raise a child. To grow
bring up means to raise a child. To grow up means to change from being a child
up means to change from being a child into an adult. Our final pair is
into an adult. Our final pair is actually one phrasal verb, but it can be
actually one phrasal verb, but it can be followed by different grammatical
followed by different grammatical patterns. These make the meaning so
patterns. These make the meaning so different that it might as well be two
different that it might as well be two phrasal verbs. I hear my students make
phrasal verbs. I hear my students make mistakes with this verb all the time, so
mistakes with this verb all the time, so I had to include it. The verbs are to go
I had to include it. The verbs are to go on to do and to go on doing. If we go on
on to do and to go on doing. If we go on to do something, we do something after
to do something, we do something after completing something else. We move to
completing something else. We move to the next stage or action. For example,
the next stage or action. For example, after finishing his first novel, he went
after finishing his first novel, he went on to write several more. This means he
on to write several more. This means he completed one and moved on to the next.
completed one and moved on to the next. If we go on doing something, we continue
If we go on doing something, we continue with the same action. For example, he
with the same action. For example, he went on talking even though no one was
went on talking even though no one was listening, meaning he continued talking.
listening, meaning he continued talking. Okay, I understand phrasal verbs are
Okay, I understand phrasal verbs are really challenging. So, let's cement
really challenging. So, let's cement some of what you've learned with a short
some of what you've learned with a short quiz. There are four questions and I
quiz. There are four questions and I want you to let me know your score in
want you to let me know your score in the comments. Ready for number one?
the comments. Ready for number one? Complete the sentence. I need to catch
Complete the sentence. I need to catch up.
up. What's been happening in my favorite TV
What's been happening in my favorite TV show? Is it on or with?
It's on. Catch up on your favorite TV show. You want to get up to date with
show. You want to get up to date with the latest events. Second question,
the latest events. Second question, complete this sentence. My attempt to
complete this sentence. My attempt to swim across the English Channel ended
swim across the English Channel ended failure and I had to be rescued by a
failure and I had to be rescued by a boat. Up or in?
That one is in. It ended in failure. that shows the result of the attempt and
that shows the result of the attempt and it's followed by a noun failure which we
it's followed by a noun failure which we often see after ending. Number three, is
often see after ending. Number three, is this sentence correct?
this sentence correct? James started as a receptionist and went
James started as a receptionist and went on being the managing director.
It is incorrect. We should say went on to be. He stopped being a receptionist
to be. He stopped being a receptionist and started something new when he became
and started something new when he became the managing director, probably after
the managing director, probably after several other roles along the way. And
several other roles along the way. And our final question number four, complete
our final question number four, complete the sentence. Please take
the sentence. Please take all the photos and posters before you
all the photos and posters before you move out. Is it down or off?
It should be take down. The photos and posters are most likely on the wall, so
posters are most likely on the wall, so we need to take them down. How did you
we need to take them down. How did you do? Let me know your score out of four
do? Let me know your score out of four in the comments. And I'm really
in the comments. And I'm really interested to hear which of these
interested to hear which of these phrasal verbs you find most confusing.
phrasal verbs you find most confusing. And there you have it. 60 confusing
And there you have it. 60 confusing words finally untangled. Now, if your
words finally untangled. Now, if your brain is buzzing, that's totally normal.
brain is buzzing, that's totally normal. This was a really big lesson, but the
This was a really big lesson, but the good news is you don't have to memorize
good news is you don't have to memorize all of it right now. You can review all
all of it right now. You can review all of these words whenever you like in the
of these words whenever you like in the free 60 confusing words ebook. It
free 60 confusing words ebook. It contains all of the information we've
contains all of the information we've covered today, plus lots of extra
covered today, plus lots of extra information and quizzes. Click the link
information and quizzes. Click the link in the description or scan the QR code
in the description or scan the QR code there and let me know how you find it. I
there and let me know how you find it. I really hope you enjoyed today's lesson.
really hope you enjoyed today's lesson. I can't wait to see you for the next
I can't wait to see you for the next one.
one. [Music]
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