Common Mistakes and Confusing Words in English
Let's face it, English can be confusing. A lot of words are similar but with different meanings. It is almost impossible to avoid making mistakes in English, but you might be able to avoid making these ones.
accept vs except Accept is a verb, which means to agree to take something .
For example: "I always accept good advice."
Except is a preposition or conjunction, which means not including.
For example: "I teach every day except Sunday(s)."
been vs gone been is the past participle of be
gone is the past participle of go
Been is used to describe completed visits. So if you have been to England twice, you have travelled there and back twice. If you have gone to England, you have not yet returned.
! Now you've been and gone and done it!
check (v) vs control (v) To check means to examine. To make certain that something or someone is correct, safe or suitable by examining it or them quickly.
For example: "You should always check your oil, water and tyres before taking your car on a long trip."
To control means to order, limit, instruct or rule something, or someone's actions or behaviour.
For example: "If you can't control your dog, put it on a lead!"
What you shouldn't do is use the verb control in association with people and the work they do.
For example: "I check my students' homework, but I can't control what they do!"
!Note
In Business English there is often a lot of confusion because of the term control in accounting.
In most organizations the controller is the top managerial and financial accountant. The controller supervises the accounting department and assists management in interpreting and utilizing managerial accounting information.
data vs datum This isn't so much a common mistake as a common cause for arguments (as is often the case with words of Latin origin).
The dictionaries treat data as a group noun, meaning information, especially facts or numbers, collected for examination and consideration and used to help decision-making, or meaning information in an electronic form that can be stored and processed by a computer.
Then they go on to confuse matters by giving the following kind of example:-
The data was/were reviewed before publishing.
So, which is it, was or were? Strictly speaking 'datum' is the singular form of and 'data' is the the plural form.
If you're writing for an academic audience, particularly in the sciences, "data" takes a plural verb.
For example:-
The data are correct.
But most people treat 'data' as a singular noun, especially when talking about computers etc.
For example:-
e.g vs i.eThe data is being transferred from my computer to yours.
e.g. stands for exempli gratia = for example.
For example: "I like fast cars, e.g. Ferrari and Porche"
In the sentence above you are simply giving an example of the kinds of cars you like - Ferraris and Porches.
i.e. stands for id est = that is (in explanation).
For example: "I like fast cars, i.e. any car that can go over 150mph."
In this second sentence you are giving an explanation of what you consider to be fast.
fewer vs less Everyone gets this wrong - including native speakers. The general rule is to use fewer for things you can count (individually), and less for things you can only measure
For example:
There were fewer days below freezing last winter. (Days can be counted.)
I drink less coffee than she does. (Coffee cannot be counted individually it has to be measured).
!Note - "Less" has to do with how much. "Fewer" has to do with how many.
good vs well Good is an adjective. We use good when we want to give more information about a noun.
For example:
My dog Sam is very good. He's a good dog.
She didn't speak very good English. Her English isn't very good.
Well is usually used as an adverb. We use well when we want to give more information about a verb.
For example:
He usually behaves very well.
She didn't speak English very well.
Note! The exception to this can be when you talk about someone's health:
For example:-
She wasn't a well woman.
and when you describe sensations:
For example:-
This pizza tastes/smells/ looks good.
If you say "You look good." It means they look attractive.
If you say "You look well." It means they look healthy.
Note! Younger people might reply to the question "How are you?" with "I'm good." This is what I call MTV English.
hard vs hardly Hard is an adjective. It can mean solid, industrious, or difficult.
For example:-
Heating the clay makes it hard (solid) .
She is a hard (industrious) worker.
It was a hard (difficult) test.
Hardly is an adverb and means only just or certainly not.
For example:-
The teacher spoke so quietly I could hardly (only just) hear her.
You can hardly (certainly not) expect me to do the test for you!
interested vs interestingInterested is a past participle. When used as an adjective it says how someone feels.
For example: "I was very interested in the lesson."
Interesting is a present participle. When used as an adjective it describes the people or things that cause the feelings.
For example: "It was an interesting lesson ."
lay vs lie Lay is an irregular transitive verb (lay / laid/ laid - laying). It needs a direct object. It means to put something or someone down (often in a horizontal postion).
For example: "Lay your head on the pillow."
Lie is an irregular intransitive verb (lie / lay / lain - lying). It does not take a direct object. It means to rest in a horizontal position1 or to be located somewhere2.
For example: "If you are tired lie here and have a rest."1
"Nottingham lies in the Midlands."2
!Lie also means to say something that isn't true but it takes the following form (lie / lied / lied - lying).
most vs the most Most without an article is usually used as an adjective, which means almost all.
For example:-
They ate most of the cake.
Most days I go for a jog.
It's also used to form the superlative where it goes in front of most adverbs.
For example:-
He objected to the results of the election most strongly.
The most is usually used to form the superlative where it goes in front of longer adjectives.
For example:-
The Miss World competition is held every year to find the most beautiful woman in the world.
!Note - This is only a general rule - as ever there are exceptions.
nor vs or nor (conjunction) nor is always used in the negative, usually before the second or last of a set of negative possibilities, we use it after 'neither'.
For example:-
He drinks neither wine nor beer.
or (conjunction) or is used to connect different possibilities.
For example:-
Is it Tuesday or Wednesday today?
!Note - If you don't use "neither" you can use "or".
For example:-
He doesn't drink wine or beer.
overtake vs takeover / take over Overtake is a verb.
It can mean to go beyond something by being better, or if you're driving to come from behind another vehicle or a person and move in front of it.
For example: You should always check your rear view mirror before you overtake another car.
Takeover as a noun is used when one organisation gains control of a company by buying most of its shares.
For example: In September 2006 Merck announced their takeover of Serono SA.
Take over as a phrasal verb means to get control of a company by buying most of its shares.
For example: Merck finally took Serono over in 2007.
practice vs practise Practice is a noun
For example: We need to put these ideas into practice.
Practise is a verb
For example: To learn English well you have to practise.
!Note - This is only true in British English.
!Note - Often in British English the noun form ends in ...ice and the verb form ends in ...ise.
remember vs remind To remember v. meaning to be able to bring back a piece of information into your mind, or to keep a piece of information in your memory.
For example:- I remember when every home had clotheslines in the back yard or garden.
To remind v. meaning to make someone aware of something they have forgotten or might have forgotten.
For example:- Could you remind me to check the forum?
!Note - If you remind someone of something, then they'll remember it.
say / said vs tell / told Said v. is the past simple and past participle of to say.
It can be used in direct speech:
For example: "I am sorry", said the criminal.
It can be used in indirect (reported) speech (followed by that).
For example: "The criminal said that he was sorry.
Said adj. is used before the name of a person or thing you have already mentioned:
For example: "The said party denied the charges"
Told v. is the past simple and past participle of to tell.
It is normally used in reported speech, i.e. it is used to talk about what people say (followed by an object + that:):
For example: I told him that I would be late.
When told has the meaning of "instruct", it can be followed by an object and an infinitive.
For example: He told me to leave.
take care vs take care of Take care is used when saying goodbye to someone. It actually means "Take care of yourself."
For example: "Bye! Take care. "
Take care of means to look after someone or something:
For example: "You should take care of your new car, it cost a lot of money."
used to vs used to do Used to can be used as an adjective and we use it to talk about things that have become familiar, and are no longer strange or new.
For example: "I am used to mistakes now."
You can also be used to doing something.
For example: "I am used to making mistakes now."
More here
Used to do - If we say something used to happen we are talking about repeated events and actions in the past, usually things that happened a long time ago and are now finished.
For example: "I used to smoke."
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