🤔 Confusing words in English.

I am sure you have encountered words that look and sound very similar, but have actually different meanings. Let's break them down!

ACCEPT/EXCEPT
Accept means "to acknowledge" or "to agree to."
Except is usually a preposition used to specify what isn't included: I like all fruits except apples.

AD/ADD
Ad: short for "advertisement."
Add: to include; to perform addition.

ADVERSE/AVERSE
Adverse: unfavorable: an adverse reaction to the medication.
Averse: not fond of; seeking to avoid: averse to risk.

AFFECT/EFFECT
Affect as a verb means "to influence": It affected me strangely. As a noun, it is a technical term used in psychology to describe someone's emotional state.
Effect as a noun means "result": It had a strange effect on me. As a verb, it means "to bring about" or "to cause": He's trying to effect change in government.

ADVICE/ADVISE
Advice: guidance, words that you tell when you want to recommend something. It's an uncountable noun!
Advise: to suggest; to recommend, to give advice. It's a verb.

AID/AIDE
An aid is a thing that helps.
An aide is a living helper or assistant: His aide brought first aid.

AISLE/ISLE
Aisle: a corridor.
Isle: an island.
Yes, sound the same!

#feel_English
@worldspeaksenglish

These 2 are so simple, but crucial!
#feel_English
@worldspeaksenglish

⭐️ The verb CONSIDER has 2 different (and very slightly different) meanings.

1) When it is not followed by 'as' it means 'believe to be':
💬 I consider him competent
💬 He considers this purchase not necessary

2) When it is followed by 'as' it means 'examined' or 'discussed':
💬 I consider him as competent
💬 The lecturer considered Smith first as soldier and second as administrator

#feel_English
@worldchatgroup

👾 Don't use IMPLY/INFER interchangeably! They have different meanings.

Imply – to suggest or indicate something without directly stating it.
💬 Being a farmer implies rising early.

Infer – to deduct something from evidence at hand.
💬 Since my friend is a farmer, I inferred that he got up early.

#feel_English
@worldspeaksenglish

​​🌟 ENGLISH TENSES

A consise and very clear table that I always use to start feeling how tenses are time-bound. Make sure to navigate between them easily and always choose a right one.

#grammar #feel_English
@worldspeaksenglish

🔥 MOTIVATION FOR ENGLISH

It's not easy to stay motivated all the time when learning a language. But I decided to hand-pick for you 7 tips that I personally use to stay on top of the learning curve.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcinBRsqgJg

#video #feel_English
@worldspeaksenglish

✍🏻 TRY + INFINITIVE OR GERUND?

Actually, both options are possible, but they change the meaning a lot, therefore they are not interchangeable.

1. I tried to do my homework last night, but could not because my sister was watching TV in my room all night – shows that the speaker made an attempt to do his/her homework, but was unable to, because it was difficult to accomplish.

2. I tried doing my homework last night, and this morning I understood the professor much better – means that the speaker experimented by doing his/her homework, and noticed a difference in the the result the next day.

#grammar #feel_English
@worldspeaksenglish

​​🗣 NATIVES SPEAK

#speaking #feel_English #vocabulary
@worldspeaksenglish

🤖 AT / ON / IN EXAM

What is the correct preposition?
All of them are possible!

IN
The normal preposition is in. It is used when speaking about taking an examination or during an exam.
You are allowed to use a calculator in the exam.

AT
You use at, for example, for being present at an exam. This is when you think of the exam as an event (like at a concert, at the play (in a theatre)).
At the exam there was an invigilator, who walked around the room to see that no one cheated.

ON
We can use on the exam in the example "On the exam there was a question about xxxxx". This is short for exam paper and perhaps should not count, since we could also say in the exam. You can also "score high marks/in on the exam".

#grammar #feel_English
@worldspeaksenglish

🙄 MISUSED WORDS & EXPRESSIONS

1. Allusion – an indirect reference
Illusion – an unreal image

2. Being is not appropriate inside the phrase 'regard....as'.
Wrong: He regarded as being clever
Right: He regarded as clever

3. But is unnecessary after 'doubt' and 'help'.
Wrong: I have no doubt but that
Right: I have no doubt that

4. Compare to – to point out similarities between objects.
Paris has been compared to ancient Athens
Compare with – to point out differences between objects.
Paris may be compared with modern London.

5. Data and also strata, phenomena, media – are plural nouns. They are used with plural verbs.
Wrong: The data is misleading
Right: The data are misleading

#feel_English
@worldspeaksenglish

🌿 WEATHER WORDS YOU DIDN'T KNOW

Petrichor
You know how it smells outside after a rainstorm? Petrichor is the distinct scent of rain in the air. Or, to be more precise, it’s the name of an oil that’s released from the earth into the air before rain begins to fall.

Sastruga
This word sastruga (sastrugi in the plural form) means "ridges of snow formed on a snowfield by the action of the wind." It's beautiful in an open field, and a different kind of awe-inspiring in the parking lot you're supposed to plow.

Derecho
It is a widespread and severe windstorm that moves rapidly along a fairly straight path, and it is associated with bands of rapidly moving thunderstorms. In some instances, the media will refer to derechos as inland hurricanes!

Gloriole
We define gloriole as "a halo, nimbus, or aureole." When ice crystals are suspended in the atmosphere, light catches them causing a bright halo or even a rainbow.

Swullocking
You've probably experienced that hot, sticky, humid weather during the summer. And, that's just what swullocking means: humid weather.

Moonbroch
Have you ever looked up at the night sky and seen a large halo around the moon? This is what's termed a moonbroch, and it is a sign of an approaching storm.

Virga
The virga phenomenon is when you can see that it is raining, but it evaporates on the way to the ground and ends up changing back to water vapor before you can feel it.

#feel_English #vocabulary
@worldspeaksenglish

💥 10 TIPS FOR LEARNING ENGLISH IN YOUR NATIVE COUNTRY

You do not need to live in an English-speaking country to speak English fluently. That's how I learned English without leaving Russia even once.

1. Surround yourself with english
That's an absolute must!. Find ways to make English a part of your daily life at home, for example, make a shopping list, read a newspaper, listen to the radio, write a diary in English, or listen to songs on or watch a video on the way somewhere. Switch all of your information sources to English!

2. Make friends with native speakers
Even if you do not live in an English-speaking country, there may be many foreigners nearby. Find ways to meet native English speakers: go to foreign bars and restaurants, conversational clubs, join sports and social clubs, or participate in language exchange programs. I personally just approached English-speaking people on the streets.

3. Find training partners
If you can't find a native speaker, start learning English at the same time with your friends to practice together. You can create an English speaking club and meet regularly to speak English. You can motivate each other, and you will learn by helping others with their problems. I asked my friends to conduct mock IELTS Speaking tests for me.

4. Use authentic materials
Just reading English in textbooks can get boring. Try reading English texts written for native speakers. At first it will seem difficult, but over time you will get used to it and be able to do it with ease. There are hundreds of resources on the Internet.

5. Online communication
I bet you know you chat with people from all over the world on the Internet. Join chats or forums, take online English courses, or find a pen-friend to practice English by learning different cultures. I have a chat @worldchatgroup where you can meet people for practice.

6. Set yourself realistic goals
Give yourself a reason to study: do you want to get a promotion, have the opportunity to talk with your foreign colleagues, study abroad or spend your next holiday in an English-speaking country? Set both short-term and long-term goals and track your progress.

7. Listen to real English
Train your ears, listening to English at a normal speed, even if you do not understand everything. It is easy to find free English podcasts on the Internet, and news agencies from most English-speaking countries publish audio and video news on the Internet for free.

8. Find fun ways to learn new words
If you like to sing, find the words of your favorite English songs. Or, if you have good visual memory, write new words in “Post-it” notes and attach them across the house. Make funny examples of sentences or draw small pictures next to new expressions to memorize them.

9. Learn about culture
Learning a language is not only grammar and vocabulary: it is communication with people who think and speak differently!

10. Whatever you do, have fun
Learning a language requires work, but you will be more motivated if you like the process itself. Play games, do crossword puzzles, sing songs, read comics and don't worry too much about mistakes - mistakes only help to get better!

@worldspeakenglish
#feel_English #vocabulary #speaking

😱 THE MOST FREQUENT MISTAKE

There is one mistake that I hear literally every day from my students. Prepare for it.

❌Give IELTS (or any other exam).❌

This is wrong. Please, remember that students take exams, and only teachers give them.

Correct way of saying:
I am taking IELTS in 2 days, wish me luck!
I took GMAT 3 months ago and I feel now ready to repeat.
I want to prepare first, before taking TOEFL.

#grammar #feel_English
@wsechannel

​​👨‍🏫 IS "AS PER" INCORRECT?

"As per" had sometime ago been regarded as very formal language, which is currently overly used in Indian conversations (even informal ones). It is a strange hybrid of English and Latin that sounds both wrong and pretentious. So, using "as per" should be avoided, though right now it is used most widely and you might read and hear it everywhere.

"As per" is largely redundant, because "per", without "as", conveys the same meaning. And in some cases, as on its own would work just as well. The following collocations are more applicable in the modern English and can be used instead:
- in accordance with
- at
- in response to
- as agreed
- as indicated in
- as shown
- as you/your
- according to
- following
- as stated in
- per

According to Bedford/St. Martins in his The Handbook of Technical Writing, "when per is used to mean 'according to,' the expression is jargon and should be avoided."

✖️ As per your convenience

✔️ At your convenience

✖️ As per your request

✔️ Upon your request

However, only in legal speech, a document might contain a phrase such as:

"As per Mr. Patton's wishes, the original art work is bequeathed to his daughter, Anne."

"I will over-rule the plaintiff's request and grant the defendant $500 as per the terms of the lease."

Largely, "as per" is a phrase that has been deprecated as bad writing style for almost a century. Don't ever use it, unless you have a good reason for wanting to come over as a stuffy 19th century businessperson (when writing period fiction, for example) or a legal professional.

#grammar #feel_English
@wsechannel

✍🏻 NEW WORD

Ludicrous
such things are funny, absurd, or nonsensical. If someone says something silly or far-fetched, you could say "That's ludicrous!"

Ludicrous originally meant something that was funny, playful, or joking: a ludicrous comment was just a really funny comment. Over time, ludicrous took on a more negative flavor. Now a ludicrous statement might be funny, but it's also ridiculous, hard to believe, off the wall, or even stupid. When people say "That idea is ludicrous!" it usually means the idea could never happen: the notion is laughable. Saying Neil Armstrong was the third President would be a ludicrous statement.

#vocabulary #feel_English
@wsechannel

🖼 IN / ON THE PICTURE

If you are talking about the image, then you say "in the picture".

However, if you take a pen and write your signature on a photo, then you can say your signature is "on the picture" (ie. not part of the original image).

Examples:
▫️I can see a car in the picture.
▫️You might write your name on this picture.

#feel_English #grammar
@wsechannel

🍭 SPOKEN ENGLISH TIME

As I manage my groups and teach students, I notice that some don't fully understand the meaning of the phrase “What are you up to?”
It's a very useful and simple phrase that makes communication easier. Basically, it means “What are you doing right now?” or "What are you going to do now?" Of course, it's informal and mostly used among friends.

There is another situation: if you met a person you haven't seen a long time and they were catching up with your life, it would mean “What is going on in your life these days?”

How do we respond?
🔸“Oh, not much, you?”
🔸“Well, I'm rather busy. What about you?”
🔸“Oh, not a whole lot. Anything interesting you're up to?”
🔸“I am working on my new project. What are you doing?”

"What are you up to?" is an excellent phrase to use instead of "How are you?", which is fairly simple and boring 🤐

#vocabulary #feel_English
@wsechannel

🧐 OBLIVIOUS TO/OF

Oblivious to and oblivious of can both be used the same way. You can generally pick one based on which sounds better in the context of the sentence. Essentially, they both mean that someone is unaware of something.

If to means toward, someone who’s “oblivious to the weather” might have gotten a close look at the weather but chosen to disregard it. Maybe they’re just leaving the umbrella at home, and not taking mind to the dark rain clouds.
He has seen that it's raining today, but left the house wihout a hat, oblivious to the weather

If of means separate from, then someone who’s “oblivious of the weather” is completely unaware of what the weather’s like outside. Maybe they’ve been inside all day, in a room with no windows, and have no idea it’s been raining.
I haven't had a chance to look outside, so I didn't take my umbrella, oblivious of the dark clouds

#grammar #feel_English
@wsechannel

😳 COMMONLY CONFUSED WORDS

Are you sure you have never had a second thought about them?

Pills - small oral dosage of medicine
Tablets - all pills, including medicine of other shapes

Infer - drawing a conclusion
Imply - suggesting the truth

Sex - based on the anatomy
Gender - based on sexual identity

Weather - can change anytime and varies a lot
Climate - a particular weather pattern of a region

Amiable - a friendly person
Amicable - a friendly relationship

Complement - to supplement
Compliment - to praise

Convince - to make someone believe something
Persuade - to talk someone into doing something

Guarantee - promise of the seller that the product is of the best quality
Warranty - the guarantee of repair or replacement of the product

Effect - bringing a result
Affect - to make a difference, influence

Meter - a device for measuring
Metre - a metric unit, 100 cm (British English spelling!)

Isle - an island
Aisle - a passage between a row of seats

Cue - a signal for an action
Queue - a line (sequence) of people

#feel_English #vocabulary
@wsechannel

💥 10 TIPS FOR LEARNING ENGLISH IN YOUR NATIVE COUNTRY

You do not need to live in an English-speaking country to speak English fluently. That's how I learned English without leaving Russia even once.

1. Surround yourself with english
That's an absolute must!. Find ways to make English a part of your daily life at home, for example, make a shopping list, read a newspaper, listen to the radio, write a diary in English, or listen to songs on or watch a video on the way somewhere. Switch all of your information sources to English!

2. Make friends with native speakers
Even if you do not live in an English-speaking country, there may be many foreigners nearby. Find ways to meet native English speakers: go to foreign bars and restaurants, conversational clubs, join sports and social clubs, or participate in language exchange programs. I personally just approached English-speaking people on the streets.

3. Find training partners
If you can't find a native speaker, start learning English at the same time with your friends to practice together. You can create an English speaking club and meet regularly to speak English. You can motivate each other, and you will learn by helping others with their problems. I asked my friends to conduct mock IELTS Speaking tests for me.

4. Use authentic materials
Just reading English in textbooks can get boring. Try reading English texts written for native speakers. At first it will seem difficult, but over time you will get used to it and be able to do it with ease. There are hundreds of resources on the Internet.

5. Online communication
I bet you know you chat with people from all over the world on the Internet. Join chats or forums, take online English courses, or find a pen-friend to practice English by learning different cultures. I have a special app where you can meet people for practice in seconds.

6. Set yourself realistic goals
Give yourself a reason to study: do you want to get a promotion, have the opportunity to talk with your foreign colleagues, study abroad or spend your next holiday in an English-speaking country? Set both short-term and long-term goals and track your progress.

7. Listen to real English
Train your ears, listening to English at a normal speed, even if you do not understand everything. It is easy to find free English podcasts on the Internet, and news agencies from most English-speaking countries publish audio and video news on the Internet for free.

8. Find fun ways to learn new words
If you like to sing, find the words of your favorite English songs. Or, if you have good visual memory, write new words in “Post-it” notes and attach them across the house. Make funny examples of sentences or draw small pictures next to new expressions to memorize them.

9. Learn about culture
Learning a language is not only grammar and vocabulary: it is communication with people who think and speak differently!

10. Whatever you do, have fun
Learning a language requires work, but you will be more motivated if you like the process itself. Play games, do crossword puzzles, sing songs, read comics and don't worry too much about mistakes - mistakes only help to get better!

@wsechannel
#feel_English #vocabulary #speaking