 Do you know when to use "high"? How about "tall"? In this lesson, you will learn what the difference is between these two adjectives and how to use them accurately. There are two short exercises for you to practise at the end of the lesson. * Sometimes these adjectives can be used interchangeably. HIGH 🔸 We use "high" to measure the distance from the bottom to the top. 🔸 We use it to describe: mountains, statues, towers, walls, fence, buildings, etc. 🔸 We use "high" to describe things that are a long way above the ground. 🔸 Buildings can be "high" or "tall". (Both are correct.) Examples:
❗️ Don't use "high" to talk about people. Use "tall". TALL 🔸 We use "tall" when a person, building, tree, etc. has a greater than average height. 🔸 We use it to describe: people, trees, plants, grass, buildings and parts of buildings. 🔸 We use "tall" to describe things that are high and thin. 🔸 Buildings can be "high" or "tall". (Both are correct.) Examples:
❗️ Don't use "tall" to talk about mountains or walls. Use "high". Exercise 1 Is it high or is it tall?
Answers: 1; tall; 2. high/tall; 3. high; 4. tall; 5. tall; 6. tall. 7. high; 8. high/tall; 9. tall; 10. tall; Exercise 2 Complete the sentences with high or tall. Use the comparative or superlative form of each adjective where necessary.
Answers: 1. high; 2. tall; 3. high; 4. tall; 5. highest/tallest; 6. highest; 7. taller; 8. tall; 9. high; 10. tallest; Other lessons: Confusing words: Come vs. Go Confusing words: Bring vs. Take Confusing words in English: Famous vs. Popular Confusing words in English: Fast, Quick or Quickly Confusing words in English: Slow vs. Slowly Please LIKE and SHARE with friends!
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 In this lesson, we are going to focus on the words 'crowded' and 'congested'. You will learn how to use these two adjectives correctly through examples. CROWDED If a place is crowded, it means it is full of people. It is also difficult to move or to find a place to sit or stand. Now, let's look at some examples of places that can be crowded. Examples:
PREPOSITION
VERBS + crowded
Note: What can be crowded? This could be a city, street, train, bus, boat, station, airport, subway, room, shop, shopping centre, restaurant, swimming pool, stadium, car park, etc. Any place where there are a lot of people. CONGESTED If a place is congested, it means it is full of traffic, so everybody moves very slowly. 'Congested' is used to talk about traffic in terms of vehicles. Think about 'traffic congestion' or 'traffic jam'. We can even say 'air traffic' to refer to the number of planes landing and taking off. Now, let's look at some examples of places that can be congested. Examples:
PREPOSITION
VERBS + congested
Note: What can be congested? This could be a city, a road, a street, an area, etc. Other lessons: Confusing words: Know someone vs. Meet someone, Alone vs. Lonely, To feel cold vs. To have a cold, Desert vs. Dessert Confusing words: Begin vs. Start, End vs. Finish Confusing words: Come vs. Go Confusing words: Bring vs. Take Phrases with HAVE and TAKE Confusing words in English: Fast, Quick or Quickly Confusing words in English: Slow or Slowly Confusing words in English: Famous vs. Popular Please LIKE and SHARE with friends!  The words 'famous' and 'popular' are very close in meaning, but are not interchangeable because they are used differently. In this lesson, we explain the difference between these two adjectives and give you examples to show you how to use them correctly. There is a short exercise at the end of the lesson to practise what you have learned. FAMOUS When we say that people, places, books, films, etc. are famous, it means they are known about and talked about. Examples:
PREPOSITIONS
POPULAR We can use this adjective to describe people, places or things. If someone or something is popular, it means that many people like them. Examples:
PREPOSITIONS
You can say 'popular among' and 'popular with'. Both are correct. Note: If someone or something is famous, it doesn't necessarily mean that people like them. Exercise Complete the sentences with famous or popular.
Answers: 1. famous; 2. popular; 3. popular; 4. famous; 5. popular; 6. popular; 7. famous; 8. famous; 9. popular; 10. popular; Other lessons: Confusing verbs: Say vs. Tell Confusing verbs: Speak vs. Talk Confusing words: Know someone vs. Meet someone, Alone vs. Lonely, To feel cold vs. To have a cold, Desert vs. Dessert Confusing words: Breath vs. Breathe, Belief vs. Believe Confusing words: Practice vs. Practise, Advice vs. Advise Confusing words: Begin vs. Start, End vs. Finish Confusing words: Come vs. Go Confusing words: Bring vs. Take Phrases with HAVE and TAKE Confusing words in English: Fast, Quick or Quickly Confusing words in English: Slow or Slowly Please LIKE and SHARE with friends!  SLOW vs. SLOWLY
In this lesson, we are going to focus on slow and slowly and how to use them correctly. If you find it difficult to decide which one to use, please go ahead and read our lesson. Don't forget to check your knowledge by doing the exercise at the end of the lesson. SLOW Slow can be used as an adjective, an adverb and a verb. We will focus on the word 'slow' as an adjective and an adverb. SLOW as an adjective Slow means not moving, acting or done quickly. It usually takes a long time and it is not fast. Examples:
A person might be described as slow if they are not very clever and do not understand, notice or learn things quickly. Example:
Slow is also used if your watch or clock shows a time earlier than the real time. Examples:
SLOW as an adverb It is used in comparative and superlative forms or in compounds, and it means that something is moving or is done at a slow speed. slow - slower - the slowest Examples:
SLOWLY Slowly is an adverb. Slowly means that something is done at a low speed. Examples:
Exercise Complete the sentences with slow or slowly. If necessary, use a comparative form. 1. The country's economic growth is ................ than expected. 2. I'm glad we are already here. It was a painfully ................ journey. 3. The city is ................ getting back to normal after a five-day transport strike. 4. Our progress has been fairly ................ so far. We still have a lot more to do in the next couple of weeks. 5. My health is ................ getting better. 6. Sorry, can you speak ................? My English isn't very good. 7. Why is my Internet so ................? 8. If the Firefox browser is running ................, click the Refresh button. 9. When you eat ................, you digest better. 10. The benefits of ................ eating include better digestion, better hydration, easier weight loss and greater satisfaction with our meals. Answers: 1. slower; 2. slow; 3. slowly; 4. slow; 5. slowly; 6. slowly; 7. slow; 8. slow; 9. slowly; 10. slow;  FAST vs. QUICK vs. QUICKLY
In this lesson, we are going to focus on fast, quick and quickly and how to use them correctly. FAST Fast is both an adjective and an adverb. Fast is often used when you are talking about the speed that somebody or something moves at. Examples:
Fast is also used if your watch or clock shows a time later than the real time. Examples:
Remember: There is no word 'fastly'. Use the word fast as an adjective and an adverb. Note: Fast food, for example, refers to food such as hamburgers, which are cooked and served in a very short time in restaurants. QUICK Quick is an adjective and the adverb form is quickly. quick - adjective quickly - adverb Quick refers to something happening in a short time or shorter than expected. Examples:
Quick is used when something is happening very soon or without delay. Examples:
Quick refers to moving or doing something fast. Examples:
Note: Quick is sometimes used as an adverb in very informal language. Examples:
QUICKLY Quickly is an adverb. Quickly is used when something is done at a fast speed. Examples:
Quickly is used when something is done after a short time. Examples:
Both adverbs are correct: talk fast / quickly speak fast / quickly Exercise Complete the sentences with fast, quick and quickly in the correct forms. 1. We're living ................, but are we living better? 2. People in cities around the world walk 10% more ................ than they did twenty years ago. 3. Music can help amateur runners run ................. 4. Singapore is top of the list for ................ walkers. 5. Our cars are ................ than they used to be, but the traffic in big cities is worse, so we drive more slowly. 6. How ................ is your life? 7. Do people tell you that you talk too ................? 8. Don't walk so ................! Can't you walk more slowly? 9. The last two weeks of our summer holiday have gone so ................. 10. The ................ train to London takes less than an hour. 11. The police car was going so ................, it must have been chasing someone. 12. Can we have a ................ chat before the meeting? 13. We need to make a decision as ................ as possible. 14. I prefer to order food online because of the ................ delivery service. 15. Nowadays, we do everything ................ than years ago. Answers: 1. faster; 2. quickly; 3. faster; 4. fast; 5. faster; 6. fast; 7. fast / quickly; 8. fast / quickly; 9. fast / quickly; 10. fast; 11. fast; 12. quick; 13. quickly; 14. fast / quick; 15. more quickly / faster;  BRING vs. TAKE
In this lesson, we are going to look at the difference between 'bring' and 'take'. When you use these two verbs, you need to think where the speaker is. BRING Bring is an irregular verb. bring - brought - brought Bring means to take or carry someone or something to a place or a person, or in the direction of the person speaking. Examples:
TAKE Take is an irregular verb. take - took - taken Take means to move something or someone from one place to another. Examples:
Take means to go with somebody from one place to another, especially to guide or lead them. Example:
Take is used when you go somewhere with someone, often paying for that person or being responsible for them. Examples:
Exercise 1. What are the things you always ................ with you when you go on holiday? 2. Miss Universe contestants told us about their journey to the Philippines and all the special things they ................ from home. 3. I'll ................ you to the airport if you ................ me back a souvenir. 4. I watched the weather forecast this morning. It will rain in the afternoon so don't forget to ................ an umbrella with you. 5. Never ................ prohibited goods into the UK. If in doubt, ask at the Customs enquiry point. 6. These guidelines relate to medicines ................ in by an individual through an airport or border crossing and medicines arriving by post. 7. Before you travel abroad, you need to check what amount of tobacco products you can ................ into the foreign country. 8. There are no restrictions on the amount of money that you can ................ into or ................ out of Canada. You must, however, report amounts of currency equal to or greater than CAN$10,000 or its equivalent in a foreign currency. 9. When you come to Seoul, I'll ................ you to my favourite places. 10. I got up really early this morning and I ................ my relatives to the airport. Answers: 1. take; 2. brought; 3. take, bring; 4. take; 5. bring; 6. brought; 7. bring; 8. bring, take; 9. take; 10. took;  COME vs. GO
Let's look at the difference between these two verbs. A lot of English learners have difficulties with using 'come' and 'go' correctly. These verbs are used for different directions. COME Come is an irregular verb. come - came - come Come means to move to or towards a person or place. When you are talking to someone, you use this verb to say who or what is coming where you are. Examples:
Pay attention: In spoken English come can be used with and plus another verb, instead of with to and the infinitive, to show purpose or to tell somebody what to do. Examples:
The and is sometimes left out, especially in North American English. Example:
Come means to arrive at or reach a place. Examples:
Come is also used with the meaning of moving or travelling, especially with somebody else, to a place or in order to be present at an event. Examples:
GO Go is an irregular verb. go - went - gone Go means to travel or move to another place. Examples:
Remember: Been is used when somebody has gone somewhere and come back. The person is not there any more. Pay attention: In spoken English go can be used with and plus another verb to show purpose or to tell somebody what to do. Examples:
The and is sometimes left out, especially in North American English. Example:
Go is also used with the meaning of moving or travelling, especially with somebody else, to a place or in order to be present at an event. Examples:
PHRASES WITH GO
Come and go have other meanings as well but let's not get into too many details. Exercise Complete the sentences with come or go in the correct forms. 1. 'Is your mother at home?' 'She ................ out ten minutes ago. She'll be back in about an hour.' 2. 'Would you like to ................ to the barbecue?' 'Yes, I'd love to.' 3. I'm leaving Hanoi on Sunday. I hope to ................ back next year. 4. Simon isn't here at the moment. He's ................ to the shop. 5. I ................ to Tokyo last year and I'm planning to ................ back this year. 6. She ................ to work by bus. 7. Have the children ................ to sleep? 8. My friend is on holiday. He has ................ to Italy. 9. My sister is back home now. She has ................ to Japan. 10. 'Are you going to the bank?' 'No, I've already ................ there.' Answers: 1. went; 2. come; 3. come; 4. gone; 5. went, go; 6. goes; 7. gone; 8. gone; 9. been; 10. been;  BEGIN vs. START
There isn't much difference in meaning between begin and start. Begin is more frequently used in written English and is often used when you are describing a series of events. Start, on the other hand, is more common in spoken English and in business contexts. We can use the verbs begin and start to mean the same thing but begin is more formal than start. BEGIN Begin is an irregular verb. begin - began - begun Remember: beginning (double 'n') Begin means to start doing something. Examples:
Begins means to start to happen or exist, especially from a particular time. Examples:
Begin as something - to be something first, before becoming something else. Example:
Begin is used when you have something as the first part or the point where something starts. Examples:
Begin is used when you start speaking. Examples:
Idiom to begin with = first or most importantly (It's used when you give the first important reason for something.) Examples:
START Start is a regular verb. start - started - started Start means to begin doing something. Examples:
Another meaning of this verb is to start happening or to make something start happening. Examples:
This verb is also used when you start a machine or a vehicle. Examples:
Start is used when you make something begin to exist. Start is used to talk about creating a new business. Examples:
Idiom to start with = at the beginning; It is also used when you are giving the first and most important reason for something. Examples:
END vs. FINISH END End is a regular verb. end - ended - ended End means to finish or to make something finish - 'to come to a stop'. Examples:
FINISH Finish is a regular verb. finish - finished - finished Finish means to complete something or come to the end of an activity. Examples:
Finish is used when you talk about food and drinks. It means to eat, drink or use something completely so that none remains. Examples:
Exercise Complete the sentences with begin, start, end and finish in the correct forms. 1. Let's ................ by writing down a few ideas. 2. The show was due to ................ at 8:30. 3. Their problems are only ................ There's a lot more to come. 4. In 1993, Angelina Jolie ................ her professional film career with her first major part in the sci-fi film "Cyborg 2". 5. Angelina Jolie has ................ an advocate for children's education and protecting the interests of child immigrants and other vulnerable children. 6. I didn't save the file I was working on and now I need to ................ from scratch. (= from the very beginning) 7. If you want to learn more about marketing, this book is an excellent place to ................ 8. It's time to ................ thinking about next year. 9. He's just ................ a new job. 10. Hotel prices ................ at $65 a night for a double room. 11. They decided to ................ their trip from Saigon. 12. The show last night ................ with a song. 13. Carolina Rodriguez, a Spanish gymnast, competed at the 2016 European Championships where she ................ in 9th place. 14. Rodriguez ................ her career after the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 15. Have you ................ reading that magazine? 16. Have you ................ with the vacuum cleaner yet? I need it. Answers: 1. begin; 2. begin; 3. beginning; 4. began; 5. begun; 6. start; 7. start; 8. start; 9. started; 10. start; 11. start; 12. ended; 13. finished; 14. ended; 15. finished; 16. finished;  PRACTICE vs. PRACTISE
These words are often confused. If the word ends in -se, then it is a verb. Remember: practice - noun practise - verb PRACTICE Practice refers to an action rather than thoughts or ideas. [Uncountable] Examples:
Practice is a thing that is done regularly, often as a habit, tradition or custom. [Uncountable or Countable] Examples:
Practice is when you do something regularly or repeatedly so that you can improve your skill. [Uncountable or Countable] Examples:
Practice refers to a job or business of some professional people such as doctors, dentists and lawyers. These jobs require a lot of skills and training. [Uncountable or Countable] Examples:
Idiom Practice makes perfect - It is used to encourage someone to continue to do something many times, so that they will learn to do it very well. PRACTISE Pay attention that you will most probably see this verb written this way: practice. This spelling is more common in American English. Practise means to do an activity or train regularly so that you can improve your skill. Examples:
Practise also means to do something regularly, often as a habit, tradition, custom or set of rules. Examples:
You need to practise if you have an important skilled job, such as a doctor, dentist or lawyer, for which a lot of training is necessary. Examples:
ADVICE vs. ADVISE Remember: advice - noun advise - verb Advice is a noun. advice BrE /ədˈvaɪs/ ; NAmE /ədˈvaɪs/ ['s' sound at the end] Advice means an opinion or a suggestion about what someone should do. [Uncountable] Examples:
Pay attention: If we want to use advice in a countable way, then we use the phrase a piece of advice. Example:
Advise is a verb. advise BrE /ədˈvaɪz/ ; NAmE /ədˈvaɪz/ ['z' sound at the end] Advise means to tell someone what you think they should do - to give someone advice. Examples:
Advise means to give someone information about something, especially on a subject you know a lot about. Examples:
Exercise Complete the sentences with practice, practise, advice or advise in the correct forms. 1. You've got the necessary skills and now it's time to put them into ................ 2. The more you ................, the better you will become. 3. You will get ................ on grammar and vocabulary. 4. You can improve your English conversation skills with our speaking ................ course. 5. Whatever you do, keep ................ and good luck on your IELTS exam. 6. The good news is that, with preparation and ................, you can overcome your nervousness and become better at speaking in public. 7. When most people think of ................, they think of someone doing an activity over and over again. 8. If you're willing to ................ hard, you can also achieve success. 9. Go to your doctor and ask for ................ 10. We were ................ to book early if we wanted to get a room. 11. I think you need to seek legal ................ 12. I'd ................ buying your tickets well in advance if you want to travel in August. 13. The website gives free ................ on all aspects of saving energy. 14. I'd ................ you not to sell your house. 15. If you want my ................, I'd say it's better to tell him the truth. 16. Many writers are ................ to write every day to improve their skill. Answers: 1. practice; 2. practise; 3. practice; 4. practice; 5. practising; 6. practice; 7. practice; 8. practise; 9. advice; 10. advised; 11. advice; 12. advise; 13. advice; 14. advise; 15. advice; 16. advised;  BREATH vs. BREATHE
English learners often times find it difficult to use breath and breathe correctly. What is the difference between these two words? Let's find out. Breath is a noun. breath BrE /breθ/ ; NAmE /breθ/ Breath is the air that you take into your lungs and send out again. Examples:
Breathe, with an 'e' at the end, is a verb. breathe BrE /briːð/ ; NAmE /briːð/ Breathe means to take air into your lungs and send it out again through your nose or mouth - that is to inhale and exhale. Examples:
Idiom breathe easy = to relax and stop worrying Example:
Remember: breath - noun breathe - verb Now let's focus on two other words. BELIEF vs. BELIEVE Belief is a noun. belief BrE /bɪˈliːf/ ; NAmE /bɪˈliːf/ Belief is a strong feeling that something / somebody exists or is true. belief (in something / somebody) Examples:
belief [singular, uncountable] - belief that... - an opinion about something; something that you think is true Examples:
belief [countable, usually plural] - something that you believe, especially as part of your religion Examples:
Believe is a verb. believe BrE /bɪˈliːv/ ; NAmE /bɪˈliːv/ To believe means to feel certain that something is true or that somebody is telling you the truth. Examples:
To think that something is true or possible, although you're not completely certain. Examples:
believe that... - to have the opinion that something is right or true Examples:
don't / can't believe - it is used when you are surprised or annoyed at something Examples:
Exercise Complete the sentences with breath, breathe, belief or believe. 1. Take a deep ................ 2. Make sure to ................ deeply. 3. Finding it hard to ................ inside the exam room, I stepped out for a ................ of fresh air. 4. We all inhabit this small planet. We all ................ the same air. 5. Don't ................ on me. I don't want to get sick. 6. The three most common ................. that consumers have about shopping online are that it saves time, saves money and helps find products that best match needs. 7. Do consumers ................ advertising? 8. With more than $140 billion spent on advertising each year, how much do consumers ................? 9. Changing one's ................ is not easy. 10. The ................ you have about anything in your life are created over a period of time through a consistent way of thinking. Answers: 1. breath; 2. breathe; 3. breathe, breath; 4. breathe; 5. breathe; 6. beliefs; 7. believe; 8. believe; 9. beliefs; 10. beliefs;  Let's focus on some confusing words.
"know someone" versus "meet someone" If you "know someone", you have met them before. Examples: know someone (be familiar) know somebody/something - to be familiar with a person, place, thing, etc.
If you "meet someone", you see them and speak to them for the first time. Examples: meet someone (for the first time) meet (somebody) – to see and know somebody for the first time; to be introduced to somebody
You also "meet someone" if you plan to see that person at a later time.
"alone" versus "lonely" If you are "alone", no one is with you. alone / on your own / by yourself (on my own / by myself) (which are less formal and are the normal phrases used in spoken English), describe a person or thing that is separate from others. They do not mean that the person is unhappy. Examples: without any other people
If you are "lonely", you feel depressed and sad because no one is with you. "Lonely" is all about your feelings. You may feel lonely even when there are people around you. Examples: lonely unhappy because you have no friends or people to talk to
"Lonely" also refers to places where only a few people ever visit. Synonym: isolated
"to feel cold" versus "to have a cold" If you "feel cold", you are not warm. You feel cold when it is winter outside or even at home if there is no heating. Example:
If you "have a cold", you are sick and you sneeze a lot. Example:
"desert" versus "dessert" desert BrE /ˈdezət/ ; NAmE /ˈdezərt/ A "desert" is a large area of land that has very little water and very few plants growing on it. Many deserts are covered by sand. Examples:
dessert BrE /dɪˈzɜːt/ ; NAmE /dɪˈzɜːrt/ A "dessert" is food that is sweet and often eaten at the end of a meal. Examples:
PAY ATTENTION TO:
Exercises I. Choose the correct answer. 1. He says he’s really ill, but I think he just has / feels a cold. 2. Hey, don’t I know / meet you from somewhere? Weren’t we at school together? 3. Do you see that man over there? I’m sure I’ve met / known him before. 4. OK, so you want a steak for the main course, but what would you like for dessert/ desert? 5. Her parents lived in South Africa when she was younger, and when she went to visit, she often went on the plane lonely / alone. 6. Could you come round to my house? I’ve got no one to talk to and I’m feeling really lonely / alone. 7. Could we close the window, please? I am feeling cold / have a cold. 8. We almost died as we were travelling through the dessert / desert with very little water. Answers: 1. has; 2. know; 3. met; 4. dessert; 5. alone; 6. lonely; 7. feeling cold; 8. desert; II. Fill the gaps with know or meet in the correct form. 1. I ............... her in London last summer. 2. I’ve ............... him for a year now. 3. Although I didn’t ............... anyone at the party, I quickly made new friends. 4. Sarah ............... a lot of nice people on her trip to Iceland. 5. Do you ............... anyone living in Shanghai? 6. Have you ever ............... anyone famous in the USA? 7. Do you ............... anyone famous? 8. I’m sure I’ve .............. you somewhere before. 9. How long have you ............... her? 10. Let’s ............... under the station clock at 10 a.m. and then go for a snack somewhere. Answers: 1. met; 2. known; 3. know; 4. met; 5. know; 6. met; 7. know; 8. met; 9. known; 10. meet; |
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