Saturday, May 28, 2016

HOMONYMS

What are homonyms?


Homonyms include two sub categories: Homographs and Homophones

♦ Homographs are words  with  the same spelling  but  a different meaning.
 Homophones are words with the same sound but have different meanings.
This list of frequently-used homonyms below, with examples of their use,
is designed to help English learners.

HOMONYMS

Word

Homograph

(same spelling)

Homophone

(same sound)

Example

airheirI'm going out for some fresh air;
George is the heir to the throne.
allowedaloudChildren are not allowed in the casino.
Could you read the letter aloud please? 
ateeightThe littlel boy ate all the biscuits.
There were eight biscuits on the plate.
bandbandKeep them together with a rubber band.
band of thieves arrived in the area.
bankbankMy salary is paid into my bank account.
I often walk along the bank of the river.
barebearThe floor was bare, with not even a rug.
Polar bears can be found in the Arctic Circle.
barkbarkSome dogs bark a lot.
Cork comes from the bark of a tree.
batbatYou need a bat to play baseball.
bat flies at night.
breadbredWe need bread to make sandwiches.
Charles was born and bred in England.
bowboughThe actors bowed to the audience.
bough of the tree nearly touched the ground.
cellcellsellThe human body is composed of millions of cells.
The prisoner was kept in a cell.
The shop sells fruit and vegetables.
centsent /scentThere are 100 cents in a dollar.
His mother sent him to buy the newspaper.
Do you like the scent of lavender?
cerealserialAlex has cereal for breakfast.
Serials are popular on TV.
closeclose
Close the door please.
The cinema is close to the church.
coarsecourseHe wore a coarse woollen jacket.
She is taking a course in Chinese.
deardeerDear Mr. Brown.
The female deer is called a doe.
diedyeIt's very sad to die young.
I'm going to dye my hair red.
eightateEight is the double of four.
He ate everything on his plate.
fairfairfareOur teacher is fair. She treats us all equally.
The weather was quite fair all week.
How much is the bus fare?
fanfanDid the Rolling Stones have many fans?
It's so hot!  Please turn on the fan.
finefineMy grandmother is feeling fine today.
Jack got a fine for illegal parking.
fleafleeCats and dogs often get fleas.
Hundreds of refugees are trying to flee the country.
flowerflourMy mother has a variety of flowers in her garden.
Flour is used to make cakes and pastries.
greatgrateTom!  It's great to see you!
Grate cheese over the dish, then put it in the oven.
groundgroundJulie loves the smell of ground coffee.
The boy fell on the ground and hurt his knee.
hairhareShe keeps her hair shoulder-length.
hare is a bit like a rabbit with longer ears.
hallhaulLet's meet in the entrance hall in 30 mins.
I had to haul my suitcase up 3 flights of stairs!
hangarhangerEach plane is in a separate hangar.
Here's a hanger to hang up your coat.
healheelHis wounds took quite some time to heal.
I can't walk in high heels!
hearhereDid you hear what I said?
Come here and look at this photograph!
holewholeThe old man's sweater was full of holes.
Alex ate the whole bar of chocolate!
keyquayI'd open the door if I had the key.
A crowd on the quay waited for the boat to arrive.
knightnightThe Knights of the Round Table.
They worked day and night to finish the project.
knowno"Do you know that man?"
"No, I don't."
lielie"Don't lie to me. Tell me the truth!"
"I'm going to lie down and have a rest."
mailmaleThe contract will be sent by mail.
Human beings are either male or female.
meanmeanWhat does 'homonym' mean?
He's wealthy but mean; he won't make a donation.
meatmeetMeat is an excellent source of protein.
I suggest we meet at 12.30 for lunch tomorrow.
nonenunWe've eaten all the apples. There are none left.
nun takes religious vows and lives in a convent.
onewonYou can have one sweet only.
Jack won the tennis match last week.
pailpaleShe used a pail of water to wash the dishes.
"You look a bit pale. Are you feeling ok?"
pairpear"I need a pair of scissors to cut the thread."
In the fruit bowl there were apples and pears.
peacepieceAfter years of civil war the people wanted peace.
"Would you like a piece of chocolate?"
plainplainplaneShe looked elegant in a plain simple dress.
His disapproval was plain to see.
The plane to London left at 3 p.m.
pupilpupilThe teacher reminded the pupils to arrive on time.
The pupil is in the centre of the iris of the eye.
racerace"Which horse won the race on Saturday?"
People of all races can live in harmony here.
readreedHe finds it difficult to read without his glasses.
Reeds are grass-like plants that grow near the water.
rightwrite"That's right. Your answer is correct!"
"I'm going to write a letter of application for the job."
ringringThe young couple exchanged wedding rings.
The children sat in a ring around the teacher.
The church bells ring for the morning service.
rolerollGeorge Clooney played the main role in the film.
They bought 3 rolls of wallpaper.
Don't let the ball roll across the road.
rootrouteThe root of a plant is in the soil.
They looked for the straightest route home.
rowrowWe got seats in the front row.
Julie is not happy; she had a row with her boyfriend.
sailsaleJack got in his boat to sail  across the bay.
The salesman gets a commission on each sale.
seaseeDolphins live in the sea.
Look!  Can you see the dolphins?
sewsowA button fell off my coat, so I had to sew it back on.
Every spring he sows flower seeds in his garden.
sightsiteMy grandfather can't see well.  His sight is failing.
The town authorities have bought a site for a school.
solesolesoulThere were holes in the soles of his shoes.
He was the sole survivor of the plane crash.
Christians believe that the soul exists after death.
somesumSome people fine English difficult, others find it easy.
The sum of 2 and 2 is 4.
sonsunTheir son is called Tom; their daughter is called Eva.
People wear suncream when they lie in the sun.
stairstareStairs lead from one floor to another.
It's very rude to stare at other people.
stakestakesteakA strong wooden stick can be called a stake.
Drive carefully; your life is at stake.
His favourite meal is steak and chips.
stealsteelIt's dishonest to steal. You must give that back!
Steel is used to make vehicles and machinery.
suitesweetA set of rooms in a hotel is called a suite.
Sugar has a sweet taste.
tailtaleCats and dogs have tails.
Children love listening to fairy tales.
teartearThe story was so sad a tear rolled down her cheek.
Be careful not to tear the newspaper.
tiptipHe gave the waiter a tip.
Do you need some advice? I can give you a tip.
toasttoastI usually have tea and toast for breakfast.
Guests raise their glasses to toast the bridal couple.
toetowEach foot has five toes.The police will tow your car away if you park there.
vainvainveinShe's a vain person who has a high opinion of herself.
Our efforts were in vain; the project failed.
Veins in the body carry blood to the heart.
waistwasteShe wore a red belt around her waist.
Turn off the tap.  We mustn't waste water.
waitweightI had to wait 10 minutes for the bus.
If you eat too much you'll put on weight.
wayweighCan you tell me the way to the station please?
That looks heavy. How much does it weigh?
weakweekMy mother still feels weak after her illness.
There are seven days in a week.
whichwitchWhich do you prefer, the blue one or the green one?
In fairy stories a witch has evil powers.
windwindWe can't go windsurfing if there's no wind.
I'm going to wind a bandage around your arm.
woundwoundwound up the old alarm clock and got into bed.
Several bullet wounds were found on his body.

Saturday, May 21, 2016

FOR - TO

It is sometimes not clear what structure to use to talk about the use of an object
as opposed to the reason for using the object .
  • Use or function of things/objects

    To explain the function of an object, what it is used for, we use for following by
    a noun or a verb in the -ing form.


    • What is this sponge for? = What is its purpose or function?
      It is for cleaning the sink.
    • What's the new suit for? = What are you going to wear it for?
      It's for my new job. I want to make a good impression!
    • What's that knob for?  It's for turning on the radiator.
  • Reason for doing something

    To explain why we do something, the reason for which it is done,
    we use the infinitive (ex: to do)

    • What do you use this sponge for? (=  Why do you use it/what do you do with it?)
      I use it to clean the sink.
    • Why did you turn on the radio? (= What did you turn the radio on for?)
      I turned on the radio to listen to the news.
    • Why do you study every day?
      I study every day to improve my level of English.
    • Why did you go to London.
      I went to visit Buckingham Palace.

Friday, May 20, 2016

FOR - SINCE - AGO

For, since and ago are used to talk about time.

FOR
  • For is used to indicate a period of time.
    • How long are you staying in London? I'm staying for a week.
    For is often used with the Present Perfect.
    • I have been waiting at the bus stop for 10 minutes.
    • I have lived in this country for 5 years.
  • For can be used with other verb tenses :
    • Present : I go on holidays for two weeks every summer.
    • Past : When I was sixteen, I stayed in London for two months.
    • Future :While I am in the USA , I will be in New York for two days.
SINCE
  • Since is used to refer to the starting point of actions or situations.
    It is generally used with the Present Perfect.

    • I have been waiting for the bus since 8 o'clock.
    • I live in Tokyo. I have lived in Tokyo since January 2010.
    • I have been learning English since the beginning of the year.
AGO
  • Ago is used to say when past events happened, going back from today towards the past. The verb is in the Past Tense.

    • I came to Tokyo two years ago.
    • I arrived at the bus stop 10 minutes ago.
    • The company was founded 30 years ago.

Saturday, May 14, 2016

FOR - DURING - WHILE

For, during and while are used in time expressions.

FOR
  • For is followed by a length of time : for one hour.
    It answers the question : How long?

    • I have been standing here for 10 minutes.
    • Tony is going to San Francisco for a week.
    • My parents lived in London for 2 years.
    • Have you been attending English classes for a long time?

DURING
  • During is followed by a noun.
    It means 'throughout the period' or 'in the course of' an action or event.

    • During the summer I go to the beach as often as possible.
    • Exercises were given to us during the lesson.
    • The bank was robbed during the night.
    • My grandparents often come to stay with us during the winter.

WHILE
  • While is usually followed by a subject and a verb.
    It means 'during the time that an action is taking place'.
    • They held hands while they were watching the film..
    • The students took notes while the teacher was speaking.
    • We'll collect some seashells while we're walking on the beach.
    • Alex phoned while you were out.
    It is often possible to drop subject + be :
    • I generally listen to music while driving to work.
    • Sam twisted his ankle while playing tennis.
  • While can also be a noun which means 'a period of time'.
    • I spoke to the neighbour for quite a while yesterday.
    • It's been a while since I read that book.

Friday, May 13, 2016

FEW - L ITTLE

Few and little are both quantifiers.
♦ Few means  'not many'. →  Few questions were asked at the meeting.
♦ Little means 'not much'. → Little attention was paid to comfort.

The comparative forms are : 
♦ Fewer (than) : → Fewer than 50 brochures were distributed.
♦ Less (than) :   → Less money was spent on advertising than last year.

The superlative forms are :
♦ The fewest : →  In December we received the fewest number of enquiries ever.
♦ The least :   →  This car is the least expensive of all the models on show.

Few-fewer-fewest are used with countable nouns (1 melon, 2 melons ...).

♦ Few readers noticed the advertisement.
♦ There are fewer customers in the shops today than yesterday.
♦ Maria made the fewest mistakes in the English test.

Little-less-least are used with uncountable nouns (milk, cheese, money, homework...). 

♦ Little attention was paid to the warning sign. 
♦ Alex earns less money than Julia. 
♦ The youngest pupils were given the least homework. 


MeaningExample
FewNot many/not a lotThere are few melons in the shop today.
We don't have much choice.
FewerNot as many.The supermarket has fewer melons than the
greengrocer .
FewestThe smallest numberThe shop has the fewest melons today.
LittleNot much/not a lotThere is little milk left in the jug.
Is there enough for breakfast?
LessNot as muchWe bought less milk yesterday than today.
LeastThe smallest quantity.The eldest child drinks the least milk.

A few and a little have a positive meaning.
  • A few = a small number
    ♦ There are a few melons = There is a small number of melons.
  • A little = a small quantity.
    ♦ There is a little milk = There is a small quantity of milk.

Saturday, May 7, 2016

French-English

FRENCHENGLISHExample
IncorrectCorrect
InconvenantInconvenientImproperImproper behaviour will not be tolerated.
InjureInjureInsultPlease don't take that as an insult.
LargeLargeWideThe Champs Elysées is a very wide avenue.
LectureLectureReadingAnne likes reading.
LibrairieLibraryBookshopA bookshop is where you buy books.
LocationLocationRental / lease
to rent / to let
They signed a 2-year rental/lease.
The house was let for two years.
MonnaieMoneyCurrency / changeI need change for the parking meter.
What currency is used in Norway?
NuisanceNuisanceHarm/damage/pollutionNoise is a form of pollution that can be harmful.
OrganismeOrganismorganisation/agencyA relief agency is providing food and shelter.
PiècePieceRoom / a play (theatre)How many rooms are there in the house?
I saw a good play at the theatre yesterday.
PrévenirPreventWarnHe shouted to warn people of the danger.
ProfesseurProfessor
(tit. d'une chaire)
TeacherMy father is a teacher at the high school.
My mother is a professor at the university.
PropreProperClean
Own
The kitchen is clean.
Emily has her own car.
PropriétéProprietyPropertyThe property belongs to the rich family.
RealizeRealizeAccomplish/carry out
Come true (a dream)
He accomplished the task without difficulty.
I hope all your dreams will come true.
RegarderRegardLook atLet's look at the pictures.
RésumerResumeSummarize / sum upThe report summarizes the main points.
RéunionReunionMeetingmeeting was held to discuss the problem.
SensibleSensibleSensitiveA baby's skin is very sensitive.
Situation (geo.)SituationLocation / situationThe offices are in a good location/well situated.
StoreStoreBlindWe have blinds on our windows.
SupporterSupportPut up withTeachers have to put up with noisy children.
SympathiqueSympatheticNice/friendly/likeableOur new neighbours are very nice
Jack is a very likeable guy..
TentativeTentativeAttemptHe made an attempt/he attempted to escape