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Confusing Words

Adjective or Adverb? Elementary Level

Average: 3.2 (22 votes)

These two groups of words are often confused because they look and sound very similar. For example the adverb of quick is quickly. Remember,
Adverbs describe a VERB.
Adjectives describe a NOUN.

As a general rule to change an adjective to an adverb we add ‘ly’ and these are the adverbs we will focus on today. In the following sentences do we need an adjective or an adverb?

Today's lesson is by Caroline

Write, Wrote, Written

Average: 3.2 (105 votes)

Time to do a quick review of the irregular verb write.

Write is the present simple tense: "Write your name on this paper"

Wrote is the past simple tense.

Written is the past participle.

Easy! Easy! Easy! Don't you agree? Complete the sentences using the correct verb.

Do you have ANY idea when to use SOME and ANY?

Average: 3.4 (21 votes)

Today's lesson comes from Danica at EC Cape Town English Language School

Some basic guidelines:

Like and As

Average: 3.5 (70 votes)

When we want to talk about two things that are similar or the same we can use like and as.

To stop you getting confused when you use them remember these rules:

Like

Like is used as a preposition and should be followed by a noun:

Earth Day Reading - Upper Intermediate Level

Average: 2.7 (13 votes)

April 22, 2010 is the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day. Started in America in 1970, Earth Day is a day of celebration and activism intended to raise _A_ of environmental issues.

Words that are spelled differently but sound the same

Average: 3.2 (399 votes)

Today we have an exercise on homophones, which, as you have probably guessed from the title of the lesson, means words that are spelled differently but sound the same (They are sometimes called heterographs, but it's not important to get that technical).

For example, to, two, and too

Now choose the correct word for each sentence.

Very, Too and Enough

Average: 2 (226 votes)

Very

Use very before adjectives, adverbs or -ing words. Very is neutral - it is not positive or negative. It makes the word that comes after it stronger.

"Wayne is a very funny man."
"I had a very busy day at work."

-ing or -ed? Participles as Adjectives

Average: 3.9 (138 votes)

Time to brush up on (review) your understanding of participles as adjectives.

Some participles can be used as adjectives in either the present or past form.

Present Participle (-ing) is used to describe something or someone.
"I watched an interesting TV about American history last night."
"This film is boring. Let's stop watching it."

Your Questions of the Month

Average: 3.2 (10 votes)

These are the top questions we received from readers of our free newsletter, English in your Inbox , last month.

All questions are answered by Tim, a teacher at  EC Brighton English school.

What's the difference between disinterested and uninterested

Average: 2.7 (17 votes)

Interested is, of course, a very widely used English language word. Do know what its opposite is? Actually, there are two words which seem similar, yet have difference uses. Let's take a quick look at disinterested and uninterested.