Confusing Words That You'll Never Confuse Again (Part 1)
- englishiseasierwithamal.com
- Mar 6, 2021
- 4 min read
Confusing Words That You’ll Never Confuse Again (Part 1)
1. Pretend or Prevent:
Pretend: (Verb) To behave as if something is true when you know that it is not, especially in order to deceive people or as a game.
Ex. He isn’t really sick – He’s only pretending.
Prevent: (Verb) To stop something from happening or someone from doing something.
Ex. The vaccine will prevent the spread of the virus.
2. Loose or Lose:
Loose: (Adj.) Not firmly held or fastened in place.
Ex. This nail is loose. Let me tighten it.
Lose: (Verb) To no longer have something because you don't know where it is.
Ex. I always lose my car keys.
3. Probably or Properly:
Probably: (Adv.): Almost certainly.
Ex. I’ll probably come weather permitting.
Properly: (Adv.) Correctly, or exactly.
Ex. My phone isn’t working properly.
4. Then or Than
Then: (Adv.) Next or after that.
Ex. Heat the pan, then add the meat.
Than: (Prep. / Conj.) Used to join two parts of a comparison.
Ex. Jack is taller than Jane.
5. Were or Wear
Were: (Verb.) The past form of “be”.
Ex. They were here last night.
Wear: (Verb) To have clothing, jewelry, etc. on your body.
Ex. I wear my glasses all the time.
6. Your or You’re:
Your: (A determiner) Belonging to the person you are talking to.
Ex. Is this your book?
You’re: The short form of "you are".
Ex. You're welcome.
7. Breath or Breathe:
Breath: (Noun) The air that goes into and out of your lungs.
Ex. The doctor asked me to take a deep breath.
Breathe: (Verb) To move air into and out of the lungs.
Ex. Let's go out for some fresh air. I can't breathe.
8. Affect or Effect:
Affect: (Verb) To cause a change in someone or something.
Ex. The spread of the virus affected our business negatively.
Effect: (Noun) The result of a particular influence.
Ex. Does the medicine have any side effects?
9. Accept or Except:
Accept: (Verb) To agree to take something.
Ex. Did you accept the job offer?
Except: (Pre. / Conj.) Not including; but not.
Ex. It's cool and quiet everywhere except in the kitchen.
10. It’s or Its:
It’s: Short form of "It is"
Ex. It’s raining now.
It’s: Short form of "It has"
Ex. It’s been a wonderful day
Its: The Possessive form of "It"
Ex. The cat drank its milk.
I. Fill in the blanks with the correct word from the list:
1. I need to tighten this screw; it feels incredibly _______ .
2. Wearing a mask can help _______ the transmission of airborne germs.
3. Make sure the ladder is placed _______ on the flat ground before climbing.
4. I would rather walk in the park _______ sit inside all day.
5. The team members _______ thrilled when they won the championship trophy.
6. If you look closely, you can see the puppy chasing _______ own tail.
7. Take a deep _______ and try to relax before your speech.
8. Everyone attended the mandatory safety meeting _______ the marketing manager.
9. If you don't store your documents in a folder, you will _______ them.
10. The children love to _______ they are pirates sailing the high seas.
11. It is clouding over, so it will _______ rain this afternoon.
12. First, chop the onions, _______ sauté them in olive oil until translucent.
13. Remember to _______ a heavy coat because it is freezing outside.
14. I think _______ going to be a beautiful evening for a walk.
15. It is difficult to _______ when the air is thick with smoke.
II. Select the correct word inside the parentheses
1. Please let me know when (your / you're) ready to leave for the airport.
2. The lack of sleep began to (affect / effect) his performance at school.
3. I gladly (accept / except) your invitation to the dinner party this weekend.
4. Gas prices are significantly higher this month (then / than) they were last month.
5. They (were / wear) planning to visit the museum, but it was closed.
6. The engine isn't running (probably / properly); it's making a strange clicking noise.
7. Lock the back door to (pretend / prevent) anyone from walking in unannounced.
8. Be careful not to (loose / lose) the receipt, or you won't be able to return the item.
9. He didn't mean to hurt your feelings; he was just (pretending / preventing) to be angry.
10. She will (probably / properly) graduate at the top of her class this semester.
11. You should (were / wear) comfortable shoes if you plan to hike the trail.
12. We went to the grocery store and (then / than) directly home to cook.
13. She likes all kinds of fruit (accept / except) for ripe bananas.
14. Scientists are still studying the long-term (affects / effects) of the new medication.
15. Is that (your / you're) jacket sitting on the back of the sofa?
III. Each sentence has one error, find it and correct:
1. Everyone was invited to the party accept for the new neighbors down the street.
2. First get the ingredients ready, than start boiling the water for the pasta.
3. The safety railing is designed to pretend accidents on the construction site.
4. They wear eating dinner at a restaurant when the power suddenly went out.
5. We checked every single room accept the basement, which was locked.
6. Gold is much heavier then silver, making it feel more substantial in your hand.
7. The dog wagged it's tail enthusiastically when its owner walked through the front door.
8. The sudden change in weather had a major affect on our weekend camping plans.
9. You're keys are sitting right on the kitchen counter where you left them.
10. I need to take a quick break because I can barely breath in this stuffy room.
11. The lock on the front gate is completely lose, so anyone can push it open.
12. If your not going to use the computer, please shut it down to save electricity.
13. The teacher asked the students to sit down and behave probably.
14. Don't loose hope just because your first attempt at the recipe didn't work out.
15. Its been a long time since the company updated it's software systems.
Use this link to check your understanding:
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