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Confusing words

 


SAY vs TELL




SAY

     Focus on the thing.

     Structure: say + something

     Example: She said “hello”.

TELL

     Focus on the person who receives the information.

     Structure: tell + someone + something

     Example: She told me the truth.

👉 Key idea: tell almost always needs a person.




LISTEN vs HEAR

LISTEN

     You do it actively.

     Example: Listen to this song. I listen to music

HEAR

     It’s a physical perception.

     Example: I can hear a noise.

👉 listen = active

👉 hear = automatic perception

 

Complete with listen or hear




TRAVEL vs TRIP

TRAVEL

     The action of moving (transfer) from place to place.

     Example: the travel was good (the transfer by train, airplane etc.. was ok)

     Can also be a verb: to travel

     Example: I love to travel.

TRIP

     A specific journey. (more referred to the time spent)

     Example: We had a great trip to Paris.

👉 travel = in general, as a verb, with reference to the transfer

👉 trip = one specific journey





JOB vs WORK


JOB

     Your occupation.

     Example: She has a new job.

WORK

     The activity. The task you do.

     As a verb.

     Example: I work from home.

👉 job = the position, the role, the function you have

👉 work = the activity



Complete with job or work

 

Job

Work

She has a part‑time _______(job - occupation)

I _______ in a hospital. (work - here is a verb)

His _______ is very stressful. (job - occupation - profession)

I have too much _______ to do today. (work - activities - tasks)

This is my ___ (job in the sense of this is my role, function)

 

 


EACH vs EVERY

EACH

     Focus on individuals, one by one.

     Example: Each student has a book.

EVERY

     Focus on the group as a whole, all.

     Example: Every student of my class has a book.

👉 each = individual focus

👉 every = group focus



Choose each or every

 

Each

Every

_______ student has a laptop. (each single student - referred to one student separately

I go to the gym _______ day. (every obligatory with expressions of time)

She gave _______ child a sticker. (each - one by one to individual children)

_______ room in the house is clean. (every consider room and house together I intend one room of all rooms of the house)

 


LEND vs BORROW


LEND

     To give something temporarily.

     Direction: me → you

     Example: Can you lend me your pen?

BORROW

     To take something temporarily.

     Direction: you → me

     Example: Can I borrow your pen?

👉 lend = give

👉 borrow = take

 

 

 

 

 

 

Complete with lend or borrow

 

Take, aka borrow

Give, aka lend

Can I _______ your dictionary?

I never _______ money to strangers.

Did you _______ that book from the library?

Could you _______ me your phone for a minute?

 


WAIT vs EXPECT


WAIT

     To stay somewhere until something happens.

     Example: I’m waiting for the bus.

EXPECT

     Mental prediction.

     Example: I expect good results.

👉 wait = physical waiting

👉 expect = mental anticipation


Choose wait or expect


Mental - expect

Physical - wait

I _______ good results from this project.

I _______ the bus every morning.

We didn’t _______ the test to be so difficult.

Please _______ here for a moment.

 


In a nutshell





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