False
Friends
These are words which,
for one reason or another are often confused.
You can look at this page before doing
the activity if you think these words will be new to you or, if you prefer,
you can test your existing knowledge. You can come back here (Click on
"Let me explain" at any time for further explanations.)
The questions in the activity are presented
in random order but they are all below:
You will see a phrase and then two alternative
continuations. One is correct (or more logical) and you can decide which
that is.
CLICK
HERE TO START OR RESTART
(If you are in the middle of the exercise, just close this window to go
back)
Words in this activity:
To ignore:
This means you deliberately do not respect a regulation, a rule, or advice:
"The driver ignored the speed limit
and he was fined €200."
"I tried to stop him from going in the water but he ignored me and
got carried away by the current."
It should not be used in contexts like
"It was his first day at school
so he ignored didn't know the rule
about not walking on the grass."
In apparent contradiction the adjective
"ignorant" as in "Before the experiments of Marie Curie,
scientists were ignorant of the phenomenon of radioactivity."
DOES mean an absence of knowledge and if applied generally, "He's
an ignorant lout." implies an absence of all education.
Medicine:
Speakers of some Latin languages may take the word to mean "doctor"
which, unless qualified by a description "doctor of literature",
"doctor of chemistry", almost always applies to a medical practitioner.
"Medicine" is the drug the doctor
recommends or prescribes. (see below)
"The commonest medicine of all is probably aspirin, found in 95%
of the nation's bathrooms."
To prescribe:
The opposite of "to proscribe".
"To prescribe" is mostly used in a medical context and for a
layman (a non-doctor) to say "I prescribe... ", whilst perfectly
correct, might appear a little pretentious as, in common speech it implies
medical knowledge. "I recommend... I advise... I suggest... would
be better.
Commercial (as
a noun):
This is a TV, film, or radio advertisement. It does not mean, on its own,
a person. It can be applied to a person as an adjective however and a
salesman can be a commercial traveller.
You can see a dictation based on a commercial
here:
Money:
The most general term for currency of any kind, the word can be confusing
in contexts where "change" is appropriate. If you buy something
for €2 and pay with a €5 note you should get €3 back: that
is your "change" - not your money.
As indicated in the activity the term"small
change" is used to separate coins from notes.
"Carrying all that small change spoils the look of your suit."
Souvenir:
All those useless things
you bring back from holiday; the mug with "a present from Bognor"
on it, the little doll dressed in Alpine clothing, the bottle of that
strange liquor you so liked in central Europe but which tastes horrible
away from its native ground. All these are "souvenirs".
Don't confuse them with happy memories
- although the sight of a souvenir might give you a happy memory - or
indeed an unhappy one.
Crane:
Either a bird or a lifting machine (the one being named after the
other) . Can be confusing, especially for Latin language speakers.
The cranium is the top part of the skull containing the brain. |
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To pass (an examination):
You "take" an exam. If you succeed, you "pass" it.
"Mary took her driving test three times before she passed it."
To require:
Can be confused with "request".
"The court requires your presence." - You will be in
trouble if you don't go!
"The court requests your presence." - Your presence would
be useful and appreciated but not obligatory."
Eventually:
It's primary use in English is for an indefinite (probably more or less
long) period of time.
"He eventually gave up waiting and went home."
"Scientists tell us the sun will eventually burn out in a supernova."
but:
If you want to say something
is not sure, use "possibly", "maybe", "perhaps",
may, might or a similar word or expression.
"If you buy a lottery ticket
you may possibly win ten thousand dollars."
To injure:
To be hurt seriously: "He
was injured in a car accident."
Notice that objects can not be "injured":
they are damaged. If a person is injured by a penetrating weapon, typically
with a knife or a gun, they are "wounded".
The word is often confused with "insult",
noun or verb. To speak badly of someone, especially with profane language.
"The Chinese take Trump's use of the
expression "Chinese virus" for coronovirus as an insult."
"Many terms used for people of foreign origin are now considered
insulting."
To demand:
You can demand
something if it is your right.
If not you "ask for" or "request" it:
"The prisoner demanded
to speak to his lawyer."
"After an hour's interrogation he requested a glass of water."
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