Module 1

Module 2: Formation of words

2.1 Formation of words

Day 4: Easily Confused Words

In English, there are a number of words which are easily confused. The solution for making less or no mistakes with these similar or confusing words is to use your dictionary more often. More exercises will certainly help.

在英語中,有許多很容易混淆的單詞.對于這些相似或者容易混淆的動詞的解决的方法就是多用字典.做練習也是有一定的幫助的.

Here are some examples of easily confused words:

1. Advice, Advise

Advice is a suggestion of how to act so it is a noun

Advice是一個如何做的建議,因此是一個名詞.

Advise means to suggest to another person a course of action or behaviour so it is a verb

Advice意思是建議另一個人一個行爲或者動作,所以是一個動詞.

e.g. May I offer you a piece of advice on handling stress?

Please advise me on selecting a university.

2. Affect, Effect

Affect is a verb meaning “to influence” or “to have a bearing upon”

Affect是一個動詞意思是影響.

Effect is both a verb and a noun. As a verb, it means “to bring to pass”; as a noun, it means “result”

Effect是動詞和名詞.作爲一個動詞,它的意思是影響,作爲一個名詞,它意思是結果.

e.g. How this weather will affect the crops is uncertain.

We hope to effect(verb) a solution to the impasse.

The effect(noun) of loud noise on hearing ability is well known.

3. Cloth, Clothes

Cloth refers to fabric. Cloth指的是織物.

Clothes refers to items such as dresses and trousers that you wear to cover, protect or decorate your body. 衣服指的是像裙子,褲子用來穿,遮擋,裝飾身體的東西.

e.g. Ronald was wearing a cloth shirt made of fine linen.

She usually wears smart/casual clothes.

4. Decided, Decisive

Decided can be an adjective or a verb, as an adjective it means “definite, unquestionable, emphatic” and as a verb it is the past tense of the verb ‘decide’ which means ‘to choose’;

Decisive means “final, conclusive, beyond any doubt”

Decided意思是定義的,無疑問的,語勢强的.

Decisive意思是最後的,結果的,超出意料的.

e.g. John made a decided effort to locate the missing dinosaur bones.

Tim decided to got to school by bus.

The chairman cast the decisive vote.

5. Differ from, Differ with

Use “differ from” to indicate that two separate items are different.

用differ from來表示兩個東西是不同的.

Use “differ with” to indicate disagreements.

用differ with表示不同意.

e.g. My pencil case differs from yours.

You may differ with me if you wish.

6. Emigrate, Immigrate

Emigrate means “to move out of a country”

Emigrant表示移民到其他國家

Immigrate means “to move into a country”

Immigrant表示從外國移民來的.

e.g. My new neighbor is an immigrant from South America.

Millions of Germans emigrated from Europe to America in the nineteenth century.

7. Good, Well

Good is properly a noun or an adjective; do not use good as an adverb

Good可能是一個名詞或者一個形容詞,good不可以作爲一個副詞.

Well may function as either an adjective or an adverb, depending upon the meaning of the sentence.

Well可以作爲形容詞或者副詞,取决于句子的意思.

e.g. She looks good in her new dress.

(Good follows the linking verb looks and modifies she.)

The choir sings well.

(Well is an adverb, modifying sings.)

8. Passed, Past

Passed means “exceeded, gained the lead” or “cause someone to receive something.”

Passed意思是過去的,通過的或者使得某人得到什麽.

Past means “(in) a bygone time”

Past意思是過去的時間.

e.g. No one has passed the English examination as it was too difficult.

Automobiles were much easier to work on in the past.

9. Practical, Practicable

Practical means “useful, not theoretical.”

Practical意思是有用的,但是不理論的

Practicable means “capable of being put into practice”

Praticable意思是能够被付諸于實踐.

e.g. A screwdriver is a very practical tool to own.

Susan presented a very practicable solution to the problem.

10. Principal, Principle

Principal means “first, leader, chief”

Principal意思是最先的,領導者,主要的.

Principle means “a general truth, a basic law, moral standard”

Principle意思是一個大概的事實,一個基本的法則,道德標準.

e.g. That was my principal reason for moving.

The country is run on socialist principles.