hear and listen

7/30/2019 Hear and Listen

1/49

Hear and Listen

To any layman, hearing and listening may appear to be one and the same thing, but there is a subtle differe

between the two words.

At one level, they are of course both functions of the ear that involve receiving sounds and processing th

However, herein lies the difference: any sound that is received by the ear and noted by the brain can be said

have been heard; it is only when a conscious effort is made to hear something that listening comes into play.

For example, if the sounds from a conversation carry to you, but you make no effort to understand what is be

said, you must say that you heard the conversation. On the other hand, as soon as you make a conscious effor

understand or pay attention to what you are hearing, you are listening. Therefore, we do not hear songs,

listen to them (unless, of course, they are simply part of the background and we arent actually paying attentio

them).

It must be noted that hear can be used in place of listen sometimes, but listen should not be used in plac

hear. For example, you may tell someone that you heard what he or she said, and it is understood that you w

listening, ie, paying attention. You will learn these variations with practice in conversation.

Much and Many

Much and many are both determiners that suggest an unspecified quantity, with more or less the same basic

meaning: in great quantity or in large number. There is, however, a distinction in their usage.

Much, not many, is used for uncountable nouns, which are in singular form.

I have much faith in him.

How much money do you have in your wallet?

There was much compassion in his voice.

On the other hand, many is used for countable nouns, which are in plural form, and here much cannot be used

Many youngsters today are taking to atheism.

How many days remain?

There are many obstructions ahead for us.

See and Watch

See and watch are words that are commonly misunderstood as being interchangeable, but while both refer to

optic function, they are not one and the same thing. They stand for different ways of using the eye.

To see something is simply to look at it or spot it; it may be unintentional, ie, you may not have been looking fo

Example : I saw a man up ahead.

To watch something is look at something closely or intently, generally because it is moving. Example : I watche

the movie.


2/49

Loose and Lose

Lose and loose are often mixed up, and this is understandable because there is only an o of difference betwe

them. They do not, however, have any meanings in common.

Loose is generally used as an adjective, the opposite of tight or contained.

The dog is running loose in the streets.

These jeans are loose around my waist.

Lose is a verb that means to suffer the loss of, to miss.

Dont lose the car keys.

We cannot afford to lose this match.

Have and Has

Have and has are both used to denote possession, form the perfect tense, and the past tense of both is had, they are used differently.

Have is used with

- the following pronouns: I, you, we, they. Examples : 'I have a pencil.' 'We have a big house.'

- pluralised nouns: Example : 'Doctors have a rough time, dealing with illnesses all the time.'

Has is used with the third person singular (he, she, it). Examples : 'She has your money.' 'Amit has the book.'

Some and Any

Both some and any are used to refer to indefinite quantities, i.e., when it is not necessary to specify a number

For example, I would like some milk indicates that the speaker wants milk, but it is not stated how much of it he

she wants. Similarly, Is there any cake left? does not specify how much cake the speaker wants there to be; any

amount will do for the purpose of the question. There are important differences between the two that must be

grasped for usage, however.

Some

Some is commonly used in affirmative statements, such as I would like to have some fun.

Any is hardly ever used in such statements, except to emphasise that the quality of the object does not matter.

example, I would like any apples suggests that the speaker does not care what kind of apples they are (indicatin

desperate need or desire for apples), whereas I wouldlike some apples does not suggest anything about the

quality of the apples or desperation of the speaker.

Any

Any is commonly used in negative statements, such asWe do not have any apples. Here, some may not be

used.


3/49

Any is also used in affirmative statements, if the statements contain negative words such as hardly, barely,

never, without, little, etc. For example,We hardly have any apples cannot be rewritten as We hardly have

some apples.

In questions

While both any and some can be used in questions, any is more common and natural in this form.

Do you have any apples? can be rewritten as Do you have some apples?However, some is not always

applicable. For example, in the case ofDo you have any ideawhat the score is?, any cannot be replaced by

some.

Some is more commonly used in offers and requests, such as Would you like some tea?

If clauses

Both some and any are common in if clauses, with similar meanings, as inIf you need some/any assistance, f

free to give me a ring.

Beside and Besides

It is easy to confuse beside and besides, but they are not one and the same thing. Beside is a preposition,

whereas besides works as both a preposition and an adverb, and although besides is sometimes used in place

beside, they have distinct meaning.

Beside means by or at the side of. For example: He stood beside his new car proudly.

As a preposition, besides means in addition to or apart from. For example: What are you working on besides

research project? As an adverb, it means furthermore.As in, He was not selected because he did not have a go

grasp of his concepts. Besides, he did not seem very keen.

As mentioned above, the distinction between the two words is sometimes ignored. Besides can never mean at

side of, but beside is often used in place of besides. This can lead to misunderstanding, though; the

sentence There was no one beside him in the hallcould mean that he was all by himself, or that there was no

next to him.

Principle and Principal

Principle and principle are often confused but do not, in fact, share any meanings.

Principle is only a noun and usually refers to a rule or standard. The principles of socialism, for exam ple, referthe tenets of the socialist ideology. My principles prevent me from taking such petty action suggests that

speakers moral/ethical stand is against the action being spoken of.

Principal, on the other hand, is both a noun and an adjective. As a noun, it has special financial and l

connotations, but in general usage it refers to someone who holds a high position or is important in a cer

context: a meeting of all the principals involved in the deal. As an adjective it has the sense of most importa

My principal concern is to get my health back.


4/49

Stationery and Stationary

These two words are among the most frequently confused in the English language, although their meanings

vastly different.

Stationery is a noun that refers to writing material and office supplies such as pens, paper, clips, etc.

Stationary is generally an adjective that is used to describe something that is not moving. For example, a man w

is standing in one place can be described as stationary.

The difference in the spellings of the two words can be used to remember their meanings: the second a

stationary can be thought to stand for adjective. It is replaced by an e in stationery.

Was and Were

The basic difference between were and was is obvious: were is used when the number of objects or ent

exceeds one, as in We were late for the dinner. Was is used when only one object or entity is being referred

as in I was late for the dinner.

There are, however, nuances in their use. For example, Everyone was well-dressed seems incorrect becaeveryone refers to more than one person. However, here the implication of the pronoun comes into p

everyone refers to all the members of a group individually, as do none (None of us was well-dressed) and e

(Each of us was well-dressed). Hence, was is used after these words instead of were. On the other hand,

refers collectively to the entire group (All of us were well-dressed).

This does not mean, however, that all and were necessarily always go together. When all is used with count

nouns, it is correct to use were, as inAll the apples were stale. However, when it is used with non-count

nouns, which are in the singular form, was must be used, as in All the milk was over.

What about 'The examination was failed by all the students'? This, too, can be confusing. After all, here all refer

the collective student body but was is used. This is because the verb was acts on the singular examination,

on the phrase all the students. If the subject (examination) were to be pluralised (examinations), was wo

have to replaced by were.

Lastly, the use of were as the past subjunctive of the present to be is important. A subjunctive is used to exp

possibility, hope, supposition, etc., rather than to state a fact. Hence, we say, If I/he were famous... instead o

I/he was famous...

Double Negatives

A double negative is when two negatives used in a sentence cancel each other out to make a positive. This mustbe misunderstood to mean that double negatives are an accepted grammatical device; they are grammatic

incorrect and must not be used.

How does one avoid double negatives? It is quite simple. When using the negative form of a v

(e.g. arent,dont,wont, etc), do not follow it up with a negative determiner/quant

(e.g. nowhere, nothing, never, etc). Consider the following sentences:

They arent going nowhere.

They dont do nothing.


5/49

They wont never stop.

All of the above employ the double negative, and are hence grammatically incorrect. Formerly, the double nega

was a device for emphasis, but the effort to make English conform grammatically to formal logic has rendere

unacceptable today. Logically, the meanings of the above sentences, deduced by applying the formula negati

negative = positive, are:

They are going somewhere. (arent + nowhere = somewhere)

They do something. (dont + nothing = something)

They will stop. (wont + never = will)

The ban on multiple negatives also applies to combination with adverbs such as hardly and scarcely. It is there

regarded as incorrect to say I couldn't hardly do it or The vehicle has scarcely no fuel.

To, Too and Two

It is best to be clear on the meanings of these three words so as not to confuse them in everyday usage.

To

To functions as

1. A preposition, in which case it always precedes a noun, as in I am going to schooland He is on his way ho2. An infinitive, in which case it always precedes a verb, as in I am going to study and I am going to ta

vacation.

Too

Too functions

1. As a synonym for also, as in I would like to come, too and He worked on the project, too.2. As a synonym for excessively, where it precedes an adjective or an adverb, as in I am too tired to cont

or This pastrami is much too salty.

Two

Two is the number that follows one and precedes three. It has no other meaning.

Either and Neither

It is important to grasp the meanings and difference between either and neither so that we dont get confu

between the two. Both words can be used as pronoun, conjunction and adjective; however, the use of eithe

considered positive, while the use of neither is considered negative

As adjective:

Either indicates one or the other, or both. For example:

You may use either hand for the purpose. = You may use your right or left hand for the purpose.

There were tall houses on either side of the river. = There were tall houses on both sides of the river.


6/49

Neither indicates not one or the other; none of the two. For example;

Neither twin was invited to the wedding. = None of the twins was invited to the wedding.

As pronoun:

Either indicates one or the other. For example:

Both buses are headed in that direction, you can get on either. = Both buses are headed in that direction, you

get on one or the other.

Neither indicates not one or the other. For example:

Both pups were pure-breed, but neither displayed the characteristic traits of its breed. = Both pups were p

breed, but not one or the other displayed the characteristic traits of its breed.

As conjunction:

Either is used with or to imply a choice of alternatives. For example:

You can either play on the computer or watch TV. = You can do one of two things: play on the computer or wa

TV.

Neither is used with nor to negate both parts of a statement. For example:

I can neither play on the computer nor watch TV. = I cannot play on the computer or watch TV.

Either is also used as an adverb, to mean also, following negative expressions. For example:

If you dont go, I wont go either. = If you stay, I will stay also.

Neither, on the other hand, is not used as an adverb.

Your and You're

Your is the second person possessive adjective, or, in simpler terms, it is used to describe something as belon

to you. It is nearly always followed by a noun. For example,

Is this your wallet? Your presence at the table is very much appreciated. What happened to your foot?

You're is the contraction of you are and is often followed by the present participle, ie, verb form ending in i

For example,

Youre looking ill. Youre going to be late. Youre a fool.


7/49

Could, Would and Should

Would, should and could are auxiliary verbs, meaning that their function is to assist main verbs. For exampl

the sentence, I would like to meet him, like is the main verb that is assisted by would. They can be define

the past tenses respectively of will, shall and can, but each has many uses that sometimes even express the pres

tense. It is important to be able to differentiate between the three so as not to use them incorrectly. We s

discuss some of the common functions of the three words here.

Would

1. To ask questions:

Would you like to see the doctor? = Do you want to see the doctor?

2. With who, what, when, where, why, how:

How would he react?

What would she do?

In both sentences, would is more or less interchangeable with will.

3. To make polite requests:

I would like more salad, please. = I want more salad, please.

4. To show a different response if the past had been different:

I would have done something if I had known you were in trouble. = I didn't know that you were in. This is why I

not do anything to help.

5. To explain an outcome to a hypothetical situation:

Were I to win a million dollars, I would go on a world cruise. = If I win a million dollars, I will go on a world cruise.

6. To show habitual past action:

The dog would howl whenever its owner would leave it alone at home.

Think of would as did.

7. To show preference between two choices, used with rather or sooner:

I would sooner face the punishment than lie and escape it. = I prefer speaking the truth to lying.

8. To show intention:

He said he would do it. = He said it was his intention to do it.


8/49

Should

1. To ask questions (it is generally interchangeable with ought in such cases):

Should I submit my assignment now? = Am I supposed to submit my assignment now?

2. To show obligation:

You should brush your teeth twice a day.

Here, too, should can be replaced with ought to, but in this context it is used to make a persuasive statement.

3. To express a hypothetical situation:

Should you wish to do so, you may. = If you wish to do so, you may.

4. To express what is likely:

If you take the highway, you should be there in two hours.

Here, should means something like probably will.

Could

1. As the past tense of can:

There was a time when I could run a mile without breaking a sweat.

2. To ask questions:

Could I submit my assignment now? = Am I allowed to submit my assignment now?

3. To show possibility:

You could do a lot better. = You have the potential to do a lot better.

4. To express tentativeness or politeness:

I could be wrong. = I may be wrong.

Till and Until

English speakers are often found asking for the difference(s) between the words till and until. The fact of

matter is, however, that when till acts as a preposition or conjunction, there is no difference between the

words.

To clarify, till has multiple meanings: it works as a noun, verb, preposition and conjunction. Until, on the ot

hand, works only as a preposition and a conjunction; in these capacities, both words mean exactly the same th

and are thus entirely interchangeable. Till is actually the older word. Until was formed by the addition to it of

prefix un-, meaning up to. Today, as the first word in a sentence, until is generally preferred.


9/49

Of and Off

The words of and off are used so frequently in modern English that people often confuse them. For example,

sentence, He took off without a word could be mistakenly written as He took of without a word, and the mea

would be lost. Let us discuss the distinctions between the two words.

The word of has several functions, but it is most in use as a preposition that denotes various relations describe

the sentence. For instance, it indicates a point of reckoning: South of the border. It is also commonly used to p

out what something is made of or what it contains: Heart of gold (this is metaphorical, of course), Cup of t

Another relation frequently described by of is that of possession, as in Queenof England.

Off is also a very common word with large number of functions as well, but it is most frequently used as an adv

or a preposition. As an adverb, it is used usually to describe a state of discontinuance, or suspension: Turn off

light. As a preposition, it is used to indicate the physical separation or distance from a position of rest, attachm

or union, as in Take it off the table or The gas station is just off the corner ahead.

In and Inside

In and inside are words that are more or less synonymous as prepositions, and can be used in most ca

interchangeably. There is a subtle difference, however, which explains why inside cannot replace in in phralike in the thick of it.

Inside is generally used to contrast with outside; therefore, it carries with it the strong suggestion of be

physically enclosed. For example, to say We were inside Russia sounds wrong, doesnt it? This is because ther

sense of being surrounded by walls, or tangible boundaries on all sides, when one says one is inside somethin

is almost strictly locative, which in grammar/linguistics refers to words that indicate location. For example, to

The clothes are inside the cupboard sounds correct.

On the other hand, in is used more generally; it carries no such suggestion. To go in can mean simpl

participate in something (Im in the group), or to be at a place (Im in Chennai); it does not conjure image

enclosures or walls, or being physically surrounded.

Do and Does

The difference between do and does is very basic. Do is a verb (seeAuxiliary Verbs), and does is its third pe

singular present tense.

Thus, when the subject is represented by the pronouns I, you, we, or they, we must use do.

I do not know the way.

Do you know the way?

We do not know the way.

Do you they know the way?

On the other hand, when the subject is represented by the pronouns he, she or it, we must use does.

He does not know the way.

She does not know the way.
http://www.englishleap.com/grammar/auxiliary-verbshttp://www.englishleap.com/grammar/auxiliary-verbshttp://www.englishleap.com/grammar/auxiliary-verbshttp://www.englishleap.com/grammar/auxiliary-verbs


10/49

It does not look like the right way.

Tell and Say

Both tell and say refer to the act of communicating verbally with someone, but they are used differently.

important to keep the differences in their usage in mind, for the two words are not interchangeable.

With direct speech, we use say. Tell is only used with direct speech that is commanding or informative.

She said, I must leave.

Let me go, I said.

He told her: Leave.

It isthat way, he told her.

With reported speech, either of the two words may be used, but as you may have noticed above, tell is follow

by a pronoun. The object must be specified when using tell. Thus, you say something, but you tell some

something.

She said that she had to leave.

He told her to leave.

Will and Going to

Will and going to are the two forms of simple future used in English. They are used more or less interchangea

but there are certain subtle differences between them that even many experienced English speakers are not aw

of. The main rule to keep in mind is that: if the decision to act was made before the time of speaking, going to m

be used; if not, will must be used.

Will

There are two primary distinct uses for will:

1. To express voluntary action. Voluntary action refers to the following:

a. Any action that the speaker offers to perform.

I will take you up on that offer.

I will get you your breakfast in bed.

b. Any action that the speaker declines to perform.

I will not (wont) be able to come for your party.

I will not do your work for you.

c. Any action that the speaker requests the listener to perform.

Will you come home on Friday night?


11/49

Will you take me to the amusement park?

2. To express a promise.

I will come back to work as soon as I make a full recovery.

I will call you later tonight.

Going to

There is one primary distinction for use of going to: it is used to express plans, i.e. the intention of the speake

do something in the future. This can take two forms:

1. To state such an intention:

I am going for the match on Thursday.

I am going to ensure that we have fun on this trip.

2. To ask about such an intention:

Are you going to watch the match on Thursday?

Are you going to Jaipur with the others?

Will/Going to

Both will and going to can be used when making predictions about the future.

It looks like it will rain today. = It looks like it is going to rain today.

I dont think he willdo it. = I dont think hes going to do it.

Idle and Idol

Idle is an adjective which means inactive

It is also used as a verb in the same sense, meaning spending time without doing anything.

Sentences:

1. The machines lying idle are causing great losses to the company.

2. He is jobless, and thus is usually idle at home.

Idol is a noun used to describe a person who is greatly admired and loved.

Also, it is used to describe an image or a representation of god.

Sentences:

1. The idol of Lord Krishna is made up of gold.


12/49

2. Sachin Tendulkar has emerged as an idol for millions of young sportsmen.

Allusion and Illusion

Allusion is a noun which means an expression where an object is referenced to, without mentioning it clearly.

Sentences

1. The novel she was reading made multiple allusions to the Bible.

2. His speech was basically an allusion of the speech made by Martin Luther King.

Illusion is a noun which means an untrue idea or a belief.

Sentences

1. A magicians task is to create illusions.

2. Indian education system is based on the illusion that marks are more important than learning.

Plain and Plane

PLAIN is an adverb which means, simple and ordinary looking, with no decorations.

It is also used as an adverb to emphasize upon something

As a noun, Plain is also used to define a large flat area, with fewer trees

Sentences:

1. She is wearing a plain dress.2. I mean, you took the wrong way home, thats plain stupid.3. High mountains rise above the plain.

PLANE is a noun, commonly used to describe an airplane.

In mathematical terms, it is used to define a flat surface where a straight line joining two points can wholly lie.

Sentences:

1. The plane is flying high, above the sky.2. Two planes intersect each other in a three-dimensional surface

Irrelevant and Irreverent

Irrelevant is an adjective which means something which is not significant or unimportant.

Sentences:

1. The questions asked were irrelevant to our syllabus.

2. The arguments made by the lawyer were irrelevant to the case,


13/49

Irreverent is an adjective used to define a person who doesnt respect things, which are generally taken seriously

Sentences:

1. Criminal minds are known for irreverence for the laws.

2. The news report was irreverent towards the Prime Minister

Which and Who

Which is a pronoun which is used to extract information for one or more persons or things. It is also used to

the previously mentioned information.

Sentences:

1. Which mango is the sweetest of them all?

2. Which holiday destination is your favourite?

3. This is the same car which won the race for him.

Who is a pronoun used to ask about the identity of a particular person. It is also used to give further informa

about a subject previously mentioned.

Sentences:

1. Who is that guy in a black shirt?

2. Who is this childs father?

3. This is the same girl who passed out of school 20 years ago.

Born and Borne

Born is an adjective which is used to describe the result of birth.

Also, it is used to describe a person who has a natural ability to do a particular job.

Sentences:

1. He was born and brought up in India.

2. He was born to be an engineer.

Borne is an adjective which means to carry, or to transport

Sentences:

1. Malaria is a mosquito- borne disease.

2. The responsibility of her young siblings was borne by her from a very tender age.


14/49

Cereal and Serial

Cereal is a noun which means a grain used to make different food products.

Sentences:

My cornflakes are made of cereals.

Cereals are a healthy breakfast to have.

Serial is a noun which means a television show.

Sentences:

I never miss my favourite serial, Fear Factor.

The serials on discovery are amazing.

Brake and Break

Brake is a noun which means a function in a vehicle to slow down or completely stop it.

Sentences:

I applied brakes to my car to avoid it from banging into the other car.

The driver immediately applied brakes to stop the train.

Breakis a verb which means to form one or more pieces of an object.

Sentences:

The glass broke into several small pieces.

Please dont touch the vase or else it will break.

Pray and Prey

Pray is a verb which means to devote oneself in front of god.

Sentences

Let us all pray to god for peace.

I go to church every Sunday to pray.

Prey is a noun which means to be a victim or being in danger of.

Sentences

The lion is looking for its prey.


15/49

The old man fell prey to the thieves.

Wait and Weight

Wait is a verb which means an action which causes delay of time

Sentences

I had to wait for twenty minutes for the bus to arrive.

We have to wait outside till the movie starts.

Weightis a noun which means heaviness or the pressure applied by an object.

Sentences

The weight of the box is 10kg.

Ram used to weigh 78kgs once, but now he is 65kgs.

Which and Who

Which is a pronoun which is used to extract information for one or more persons or things. It is also used to

the previously mentioned information.

Sentences:

1. Which mango is the sweetest of them all?

2. Which holiday destination is your favourite?

3. This is the same car which won the race for him.

Who is a pronoun used to ask about the identity of a particular person. It is also used to give further informa

about a subject previously mentioned.

Sentences:

1. Who is that guy in a black shirt?

2. Who is this childs father?

3. This is the same girl who passed out of school 20 years ago.

Suit and Suite

Suit is a noun which means set of something, maybe clothes, cards, jewellery, etc.

Sentences:

The suit looks perfect on you.

Suite is a noun which means a connection series of rooms to be used together


16/49

Sentences:

The Presidential suite of this hotel is very luxurious.

Wave and Waive

Wave is a verb which means to move to and fro of any object which is either living or non-living.

Sentences

The boy waved his hands at her.

The people waved the flag to stop the bus.

Waiveis a verb which means to deny or not agree to something.

Sentences

I waived my right to my grandfathers property.

The Supreme Court waived the death penalty for eight criminals.

Tire and Tyre

Tire is a verb which means to grow weary or to become in need of rest or sleep.

Sentences:

Sammy got tired after playing for so long.

The journey was very tiring.

Tyre is a noun which means a rubber covering the wheels of vehicles.

Sentences:

The tyre of the car has been deflated by someone.

The tyres of truck are huge.

Aesthetic and Ascetic

Aesthetic is an adjective which is concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty.

Ii is also used as a noun which means a set of principles concerning the work of a particular artist or his work.

Sentences:

That designers clothes usually have an aesthetic quality.

Greek philosophy derives highly from aesthetics.


17/49

Ascetic is an adjective which refers to strict self- discipline and abstention from all kinds of indulgence, especially

religious reasons.

It is also a noun which refers to a person who practices such self-discipline

Sentences:

Ascetic practices are followed deeply in Buddhism.

He gradually became an ascetic, with a large number of followers.

Anecdote and Antidote

Anecdote is a noun which means a short, amusing and an interesting story, which sometimes is taken as a rumou

Sentences:

There are numerous anecdotes about the personal lives of celebrities.

Our grandparents always have one or the other anecdote to tell us.

Antidote is a noun meaning a remedy to counter a particular poison.

Sentences:

After a snake bit him, He was immediately administered an antidote.

Spa and beauty treatments act as a perfect antidote to stress.

Marital and Martial

Marital is an adjective which is used for marriage or related to marriage.

Sentences:

Tom and Jill had a marital breakdown.

Jack was asked his marital status during the interview.

Martial is an adjective which mean situation of war or warfare.

Sentences:

The country will have martial law for 2 years.

The commander has been facing a court martial.

Coma and Comma

Coma is a noun which means unconscious or deep sleep.

Sentences:


18/49

The boy was hit so hard on the head that he went into coma.

She died because she had slipped into coma.

Comma is a noun which is a punctuation mark (,) used to indicate pause or to wait in the sentence.

Sentences:

Dave did the cleaning, while Sam did cooking.

The shopkeeper had so many varieties of fruits like apples, mango, banana, grapes.

Improving Vocabulary by Learning Root Words

The English language has its roots in languages like Greek and Latin. An understanding of the common root word

will help us make educated guesses about the meaning of new words and substantially strengthen our vocabula

Given below is a list of commonly used root words, their meanings and some examples of words formed using throot words.

ROOT MEANING EXAMPLE WORDS

Ambi Both

Ambidextrous Use both hands well Ambiguity Double meaning, can be

interpreted in more than one way

Aqua Water

Aquarium Artificial environment forwater plants and animals

Aquatic Plant or animal living in water

Art Skill

Artistic Natural skill in art Artisan Skilled manual work

Auto Self

Automatic Working by itself Autonomous Having self-government

Bi Two, Twice

Biannual Occurring twice in a year Bigamy Being married twice

Bio Life

Biology Study of living things Biohazard Risk to living things

Cardio Heart

Cardiology Branch of medicine dealingwith the heart

Cardiovascular Pertaining to the heartand blood vessels

Cent Hundred Centenary Hundredth Anniversary Centenarian Person who is hundred or


19/49

more years old

Cert Sure

Certificate Document attesting a fact likebirth, death, graduation, marriage etc

Certitude Feeling of certainty

Chrono Time

Chronology Study of events in the orderof their occurrence

Chronograph Instrument that recordstime with high accuracy

Counter Contrary

Counter-intuitive Contrary to intuition Counter-productive Having the opposite

effect as intended

De Remove

Detoxify Remove the poisonoussubstances

Dethrone Remove from the throne

Dem People

Democracy System of governmentelected by the people

Demography - Statistics of births, deaths,mortality etc. of people

Derm Skin

Dermatologist Doctor specialized in thestudy of skin disorders

Dermatitis Inflammation of the skin

Flor Flower

Florist Person who sells flowers Floral Decorated with flowers

Gastro Stomach

Gastritis Inflammation of the stomachlining

Gastroenterologist Doctor specialized inthe study of stomach and intestinal

disorders

Grat Pleasing

Gratify Delight or please someone Gratuity Tip, token of appreciation

Hepa Liver

Hepatitis Inflammation of the liver Hepatic Relating to the liver

Hept Seven

Heptagon Figure with seven sides Heptathlon Athletic event having seven

events

Hex Six

Hexagon Figure with six sides Hexavalent Having a valency of six

Inter Between Interconnect Connect with each other


20/49

Interdepend Depend on each other

Iso Equal

Isosceles Triangle having two equal sides Isobar Line on map connecting points of

equal barometer pressures

Jud Law

Judiciary Collective of judges Judgement Decision of a court

Kilo Thousand

Kilogram Thousand grams Kilolitre Thousand litres

Lacto Milk

Lactic Obtained from mil Lactose Sugar occurring in milk

Mal Bad

Malevolent Wishing bad things on others Malice Intention to do evil

Mort Death

Mortuary Place where dead bodies arekept until they are cremated or buried

Mortician - Undertaker

Narr Tell

Narrate - To tell a story Narrator - Person who tells a story.

Nov New

Novelty Newness or originality Novice - Beginner

Oct Eight

Octagon Figure with eight sides Octave Stanza of eight lines

Ocu Eye

Ocular Connected with the eyes Oculist Specialist in the medical

treatment of eye disorders

Omni All

Omnipresent Present everywhere at thesame time

Omnivorous Eating all kinds of foods

Ortho Straight

Orthodontics Dealing with straighteningof teeth

Orthopaedics Dealing with thestraightening of bones

Pan All

Panorama An all-around view Pandemic Prevalent all over a country or

world

Ped Foot

Pedicure Treatment of the feet Pedal Foot operated lever


21/49

Poly Many

Polygon Figure with many sides Polygamy Having more than one husband

or wife at the same time

Psych Mind

Psychiatry Study of mental diseases Psych Prepare oneself mentally for a task

Quad Four

Quadruple Increase four times Quadrangle Figure having four sides

Quin Five

Quintuple Increase five times Quintuplet Five children born at the same

time

Semi Half

Semi-circle Half of a circle Semiaquatic Animal living partly on land

and partly in water

Sept Seven

Septuplet Seven children born at thesame time

Septuagenarian People aged before 70and 79

Trans Across

Transpacific Across the Pacific Ocean Transnational Across national boundaries

Tri Three

Triangle Figure with three sides Triathlon - Athletic event having three

events

Uni One

Unitarian People who believes God is oneperson

Unique One of a kind

Vince Conquer

Invincible One who cannot be conquered Convince Persuade a person

1. Alter other together any short2. 2. Aud light air sound water 3. 3. Biblio vehicle college school book 4. 4. Bio education life gd evil5. 5. Ced eat go sleep wake6. 6. Chrom color water snow sand7. 7. Derm teeth skin bone muscle8. 8. Ego other together another self 9. 9. Duo one two three four


22/49

10. 10. Equ less more small equal

1. Fil like film like water like thread like air 2. 2. Geo planets solar system earth stars3. 3. Hemo blood muscles bones nails4. 4. Hydro electricity water coal wood5. 5. Ject catch throw fight love6. 6. Min small ellipse large time7. 7. Neuro nerve nails blood bones8. 8. Ped hand elbow foot mouth9. 9. Script read listen learn write10. 10. Vac full half empty semi

Prefixes

Prefixes are placed before the words to modify their meanings; like suffixes, they are groups of letters that rar

serve a purpose unless attached to a word. Here is a list of commonly used prefixes to give you an idea of howidentify them.

Prefix Meaning Examples

-a On/in/out/from Away, aboard, arise, alight

-al all Alone, already

-be by Below, before

-by Be/on the side Bypass, byword

-for through forget,forgive

-fore before Forecast,foresee

-gain against Gainsay

-in in Inside, income

-mis wrong Mislead, mistake

-over Above/beyond overflow, overcharge

-out out Outside, outcome

-to this Today, tonight

-un Not/to reverse an action Unkind, untie

-under below Underground, undersell

-with Against/back Withdraw, withhold

-wel In good condition Welcome, welfare


23/49

Suffixes

Suffixes are placed after words to modify their meanings; like prefixes, they are groups of letters that rarely serve

purpose unless attached to a word. Here is a list of some of them to give you an idea of how to identify suffixes.

Suffix Meaning Examples

-able/-ible capable of portable, legible

-ac/-ic like/related to cardiac, Nordic

-acy state/quality of being privacy, legitimacy-acious/-icious full of gracious, malicious

-al related to logical, philosophical

-ance/-ence state/quality of being maintenance, permanence

-dom state/quality of being freedom, kingdom

-eer/-er/-or person who mountaineer, writer, counsellor

-escent becoming, to be adolescent, fluorescent

-esque like/reminiscent of picturesque, Kafkaesque

-fy to make magnify, electrify

-iferous containing, yielding vociferous, carboniferous

-ise make, become civilise, terrorise-ish having qualities of hellish, fiendish

-ism doctrine, belief, practice favouritism, communism

-ist person who chemist, florist

-ity state/quality of being ingenuity, oddity

-less without brainless, endless

-mentstate/quality of being, result of

action, process

enjoyment, embankment,

abridgement

-ness state of being thinness, loneliness

-oid like celluloid, ovoid

-ose full of adipose, verbose-osis condition hypnosis, psychosis

-ous full of illustrious, nauseous

-ship position held friendship, membership

-sion/-tion state/quality of being torsion, transition

-tude state/quality of being fortitude, certitude

-y characterised by funny, greedy

Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal verbs are combinations of words that perform the function of a verb. These combinations necessarily include a verb and either an adverb or a

preposition (or both). They form one complete semantic unit because the words that comprise a phrasal verb together describe one action. For example:

Phrasal Verb Meaning Example Sentences

ask around To ask the same question frommany people I have not seen him here but I


24/49

will ask around.

I am not sure if there arevacancies, but I will ask around

the office.

add up to something To equal/corroborate a fact

She explained why the workwas not ready, but her story

does not add up.

The clues we found at the houseand the museum must add up tosomething.

ask someone out To invite someone on a date

I want to ask her out but she isdating someone.

I wish I could muster the

courage to ask her out.

blow something up To exaggerate

The girls in school always blow

gossip up to huge proportions.

My mother blows myachievements up in front of

guests.

back someone up To support

The captain will not back him

up just because he is his son.

You may be wrong but I will

back you up because you are my

brother.

blow up To explode

The army is going to blow up

that building with a bomb.

Our calculations were wrong

and the rocket blew up just afterliftoff.

break downTo stop functioning (usually

for vehicle, machine, etc.)

The old train is certain to breakdown if it is not maintained

properly.

He was driving recklessly and

the old car broke down.

break something down To divide and subdivide

They broke the students downinto groups of four.

The detective said they were

still breaking the information

down to make sense of it.

break into something To enter forcibly/ interrupt

The newspaper reported a

break-in at the bank.

Last night, two thieves brokeinto the house next door.

break up To end a relationship A break up can lead to


25/49

emotional trauma.

After being together for fiveyears they have decided to break

up.

break out To escape

The Taliban helped 500 inmatesescape of the Afghan jail.

Ten inmates broke out of prison

in the southern town yesterday.

break out To spread

There was a world panic when

SARS broke out in China in

2002.

The news about the adulterous

affair will break out in

tomorrows newspaper.

bring someone downTo upset someone or to make

someone unhappy

The boss manages to bring

down my mood every day.

His pessimistic comments bringdown the whole group.

bring someone up raise a child

I was broke up in a conservativeHindu family.

After being abandoned by hisparents in Ghana he was

brought up by an Italian couple.

bring up To initiate a conversation on asubject

My sister walks out of the room

when I bring up the subject of

sports.

I will bring up the issue of

cleanliness in the meeting today.

call aroundTo phone different

places/people

We called around but we could

not find the spare part weneeded.

I have not seen him today but Iwill call around and inquire.

call someone back To return a phone call

Please me back when you get

this message.

I could not answer your callearlier but I will call back

shortly.

call something off To abandon or cancel

The referee has decided to call

off the game due to bad

weather.

They have decided to call offthe wedding due to financial

troubles.call someone up To phone someone The boss wants you to call up


26/49

the client now.

She will call you up later todiscuss the issue.

calm down relax after being angry

It is going to be okay, please

calm down.

The crew asked us to calm downduring turbulence.

catch up

To get to the same point as

someone else/ or to work hard

in order to equal withsomeone

You will have to walk faster ifyou want to catch up with

Maya.

You have studied a lot more and

I need to catch up.

check inTo reach and register at a

hotel or airport

When you arrive at the airport,

you have to check in at the

airline desk.

At a hotel, check-in is normally

required in order to obtain a

room key.

check out To leave a hotel

You will have to return the

room when you check out of thehotel.

Please ensure that you are inpossession of all your

belongings before checking-outof the hotel.

cheer upUsed as an expression to asksomeone to be happy

She cheered up when she heard

that the result was positive.

Cheer up, it is your birthday!

chip in To contribute/help

If everybody chips in, we can

get a bottle of the most

expensive wine.

I do not have enough money for

a pizza so all of you need tochip in as well.

clean something up To tidy a place

They need to clean up theplatform because it is really

dirty.

You must clean up the room

before the president arrives.

come across something find unexpectedly

I came across these books when

I was tidying the cupboard.

While reading this book I cameacross new information


27/49

regarding dinosaurs.

come apartTo separate/ fall down/ breakdown

The flimsy decorations came

apart halfway through thecelebrations.

The group of friends came apartonce they went to different

colleges.

come down with something To become sick

Her son came down with the flu

last weekend.

My throat is sore; I think I am

coming down with a cold.

come forwardTo support/ to take an

initiative

The hospital is anxious for more

donors to come forward.

Who will come forward and

take the responsibility?

come from somewhere To originate in

He resides in Brazil although he

comes from Spain.

Most of the stench comes fromthe open drain behind the house.

count on someone/something To rely on a person or thing

Can I count on you to complete

this essay by tonight?

I could not complete the task soI am counting on you to do it.

cross something outTo draw a line throughsomething

Kindly cross out your old

telephone number and write the

new one.

That word is wrong and you

need to cross it out as soon as

possible.

cut back on somethingTo use or consume less ofsomething

My financial advisor has asked

me to cut back on unnecessary

expenditure.

We need to cut back on driving

since the price of petrol is at an

all-time high.

cut intoTo interrupt in betweensomething or someone

He cut into the argument with apoint of his own.

He asked if could cut in on the

dance between Tim and me.

cut something offTo cut something with

something sharp

The butter is frozen. Cut off a

small blob and let it rest outside

so that it melts faster.

He cut off a small piece from

the large slab of cheese using aknife.


28/49

cut something offTo stop providing/to break allrelations with someone

The cable company cut off ourconnection because we did not

pay our bill.

After he was convicted, his

family decided to cut him off.

cut something out To remove pieces or part ofsomething

She looked over the article and

cut the introduction out and

rewrote it.

She cut a piece out of the chunkof cheese and placed it on the

counter.

do something over To do something again

You sang the wrong words this

time; we will have to do it over.

My homework assignment wasunacceptable, so my teacher

asked me to do it over.

do away with somethingTo dispose of or discard

something

It is time to do away with all

these old files.

My mother asked me to do away

with all the unusable toys.

dress upTo be dressed in a fancier or

better way than normal

The party is at a fancy restaurant

so we need to dress upappropriately.

I was asked to dress up for the

mayors party.

drop back To move back in a position

He dropped back to fifthposition because he fell off his

motorcycle.

The coach asked the attacking

players to drop back.

drop in/by/overTo come without an

appointment

I thought Id drop in and say hi.

I was surprised when shedropped in unannounced at

midnight.

Drop someone/something off

To take someone/something

somewhere and leave them/it

there

Can you drop me off at the busstop?

I will drop him off at the train

station before reaching the

venue.

drop out To quit a class, school, etc.

He dropped out of the chess

club because it was too difficultfor him.

She dropped out of college but

managed to set up her owncompany.


29/49

eat outTo eat outside of home,

usually in a restaurant

I eat out almost five days aweek.

I do not feel like cooking today

so lets eat out?

end upTo do/to eventually reach/todecide

If you do not work, you will endup on the streets.

He studied history at college but

ended up working at a bank.

fall apart To break into pieces

This wall will fall apart if we do

not use cement.

The house of cards stood for a

minute but then fell apart.

fall down

To fall on the ground/ to fall

off from somewhere to theground

If he does not walk carefully on

the ledge, he will fall down.

He was walking carelessly and

thus, fell down.

fall out To separate

The veteran cricketer has fallen

out of favour.

The coach and the player had a

fall out and the latter decided to

quit.

figure something out To study/understand

She needs to figure out what theproblem is.

We need to figure out the route

before commencing the trek.

fill something inTo write information in aform, etc.

Fill in the blank spaces andsubmit the sheet.

You must fill in the form inorder to obtain a ticket.

fill something upTo fill something completelyor to the top

I want you to fill up the tankwith diesel.

She wanted to fill up the entire

glass with wine.

find out To search/discover

How do I find out where helives?

I need you to find out whetherhe is lying or not.

get something across/over To communicate

He is a good orator and has noproblem getting his message

across.

He could not get across the

message.

get along/on To like each other One must get along with their


30/49

colleagues.

It is about time you buried thehatchet and got along with each

other

get away To go on a vacation or a leave

They are planning a romanticget away for their anniversary.

We have not travelled in a while

so we are planning a getawaythis summer.

get away with something

do something (usually

something wrong) withoutbeing noticed or punished

He will not get away with an

abusive remark like that.

You cannot steal cars in broad

daylight and expect to get away

with it.

get back To return

She did not get back home until

5 oclock.

The boss needs you to get backfrom the Bahamas and complete

the report.

get back at someone To retaliate/to take a revenge

My brother got back at me for

eating his piece of cake.

After being humiliated in

public, she decided to get back

at her with ruthless intent.

get on something To step onto something

The train was full so we could

not get on.

To reach the chandelier, you

must get on the stool.

get over something To recover/overcome

The stock market is slowly

getting over the recession.

You need to get over the fact

that he stole your bicycle.

get together To meet

Do you want to get together this

Saturday?

Lets get together at the mallthis weekend.

get up To stand/get out of bed

Please get up, this seat isreserved for ladies.

You are not allowed to sit there,so, kindly get up.

give something awayTo reveal/give something forfree/donate

The ice cream company isgiving away free scoops

tomorrow.

Before dying, he had pledged to


31/49

give away half his money tocharity.

give something back To return

You must give the bone back tothe dog.

You have her mobile phone andneed it give it back to her.

give inTo unwillingly stop fighting

or arguing

The dictator finally gave in to

the mounting pro-democracy

protests.

After arguing for over two

hours, I decided to give in to herdemands.

give up To stop trying

This exam is really difficult andI think I am going to give up.

Never give up, never surrender!

go after someone To follow someone

The big dog is going to go after

the cat.

The police decided to go afterthe criminal after he had robbeda bank.

go after something To try to achieve something

My father always encouragedme to go after my goals.

She is really working hard going

after the top prize.

go against someone or something To oppose

Does he really want to go

against the policies of thecompany?

You cannot go against the coach

and expect to remain with the

team.

go aheadTo proceed/start/initiate

something

The General wants us to go

ahead with the plan.

The centre has asked the states

togo ahead with FDI in the

retail sector.

go back To return to a place

This place is very dangerous; Isuggest you go back home.

He needs us to go back to the

office and collect his

belongings.

go outTo leave home to go out for

an occasion, etc.

Lets go out for dinner tonight

to celebrate your promotion!

I will go out in the evening to

watch the play.go out with someone To date someone Tim has wanted to go out with


32/49

Mary for a long time now.

She is going out with two boysat the same time.

go over somethingTo pay a visit to

someone/something nearby

Its great that Hari has moved

next door; I can just go over tohis place whenever Im bored!

She is going over to his place

later tonight.

go over To check or review

Here are your insurance papers,

please go over them carefully so

that you know all the details.

We need to go over this

brochure and select a location

for the meeting.

grow apart To end a friendship

We used to be great friends, but

after college we began to growapart.

We were good friends but grew

apart after graduating from

college.

grow up To become an adult

It is always hard for parents

when their children grow up.

The puppy was tiny when they

found it but it grew up to be ahuge dog.

grow out of somethingTo get too big for something,

usually a piece of clothing

I will buy a new pair of trousersif and when I grow out of this

pair.

I have gained weight and grown

out of the pants I purchased last

summer.

grow into something To grow big enough to fit

Initially he had some trouble at

the new office, but things wentsmoothly after he grew into his

role.

She has become taller andgrown into the dress.

hand something downTo give something used to

someone else

When I was a child, I was

handed down my brothers

clothes.

Please hand down your old

books to underprivilegedchildren.

hand something outTo distribute to a group of

people

The party members were

spreading their propaganda by


33/49

handing out fliers.

The boss is going to hand out alist of responsibilities to

everybody today.

hand something over To give (usually unwillingly)

The thieves asked us to handover all our belongings.

The landlord requested us to

hand over the keys to theapartment.

hang in To stay strong and positive

When my friend was diagnosed

with cancer, all I could say to

him was, Dont lose hope.Hang in there.

Dont lose heart, hang in there!

hang on To wait for a short time

Hang on, let me get ready and

then we can leave.

Hang on, Im coming too!

hang outTo spend time relaxing or

chilling out

My friends and I generally hangout at malls.

Lets hang out at the bar after

work tonight.

hang up To end a phone call

When I get angry with someoneon the phone, I simply hang up.

I did not wish to talk to him

anymore so I decided to hang upthe phone.

Hold someone/something back To prevent from doing/going

If you have a complaint, donthold back; you cannot fix the

problem if you do not voice it.

You must hold him back from

committing such a dangerous

stunt.

hold something backTo hide an emotion/to bestopped by something or

someone

He was a great athlete, but he

was held back from succeeding

by his parents, who wanted himto study instead.

He held back his tears even

though he was distraught.

hold on To wait for a short time

She asked the taxi driver to hold

on while she located her wallet.

He has asked you to hold on to

his book until he returns.

keep on doing something continue doingHe asked them to keep on

working while he looked


34/49

around.

The musicians kept on playingeven though it was raining.

keep something from someoneTo not tell/not do/to keep a

secret

Why do you keep secrets from

me?

You have a wonderful voice soyou must not keep from singing.

Keep someone/something out

To stop someone or

something from entering at a

place

The insects must be kept out atall costs.

The gate has been installed tokeep out stray dogs.

keep something up To continue at the same rate

Keep up the good work!

Keep up this speed for the rest

of the journey and we will reachon time.

let someone down To disappoint someone

You can rely on her; she willnever let you down.

You have let me down with this

disappointing performance.

let someone in To permit to enter

Please lock the door and do not

let anybody in.

Yes, he is a guest so please let

him in.

look after someone/something To take care of

Nurses are supposed to look

after patients.

I need you to look after my dog

while Im away.

look down on someone

To belittle someone/ to

consider someone inferior tooneself

She always looks down on her

staff and treats them badly.

A lot of people look down on

them because they are poor.

look for someone/something To try to find

Do you want to look for the pen

we lost yesterday?

Let us look for the ball in the

garage.

look forward to somethingTo be excited about some

future plan, etc.

Are you looking forward to

tonights football match?

I am really looking forward to

the weekend!

look into something To investigate

We are going to look into the

price of cars today.

They need to look into the


35/49

matter carefully in order toavoid a lawsuit.

look out To be careful

Dont forget to look out formosquitoes in the swamp.

Look out for speeding buses onthe highway.

look out for someone/something To be extra careful or vigilant

The guide told them to look out

for pickpockets in the

marketplace.

Look out for hurricane alerts on

the island at this time of theyear.

look something over To check/examine

Give the document a look overfor errors.

The teacher wants the student to

look over his answers onceagain.

look up to someoneTo respect someone

immensely

I look up to my sister because

she is a wonderful human being.

I look up to my coach because

he was a great sportsman.

make something up To lie about something

When asked why I hadnt done

my homework, I made up a

story about having done it but

forgotten that that day was theday of submission.

You must stop making up

stories because we know you

are lying.

make up To forgive each other

He returned my money very

late, but tried to make up for itby treating me to lunch.

He is taking her out to dinner tomake up for being at work on

their anniversary.

make someone up To apply cosmetics

She was so nervous she almostwent on stage without any make

up.

That actor uses a lot of make up

before shooting a scene.

mix something up To get confused

We got through most of the

show without any mix ups, butright at the end the lead actor

forgot one of his lines.

The experienced striker pouncedon a defensive mix-up to fire


36/49

home into an open goal.

pass away To die

I took two weeks off work

because my grandfather passedaway.

Our dog had been ill for a fewmonths and passed away last

night.

pass out To lose consciousness

It was so hot in the examination

hall that one of the studentspassed out for a couple of

minutes.

He walking in the sun and

passed out due to the heat.

pay someone back To return the owed money

There should be no money

issues between friends, so when

I lend money to my friends I tell

them they can pay backwhenever it is convenient for

them.

You can borrow money now but

you must pay back within a

week.

pay for somethingTo be punished for doingsomething bad

It is my policy to pay for

everything when I am out on adate.

The police swore that theterrorist would pay for

destroying the building.

pick something out To choose

I always let my mother pick out

my clothes, because she has

excellent taste.

The concierge at the hotel

helped us pick out a nicerestaurant.

Point someone/something outTo point or indicate using

your finger

I tried to give the touristsdirections orally, but they

couldnt understand me, so Ipointed out the turning they

were supposed to take.

I have asked the professor topoint out all the mistakes in my

assignment.

put something off To postpone

I was very tired that day, so I

put off the meeting till after the

weekend.

The boss has asked us to put offour lunch plan to a later hour.


37/49

put something together To assemble

We had to put together thepresentation in 2 days.

The different parts have been

provided in order to put together

this mountain bike.

put up with someone/somethingTo bear or tolerate somethingor someone

My roommate told me to move

out, saying, I cant put up with

your irresponsible ways

anymore!

The company is not going to put

up with inappropriate behaviour

at the workplace.

put something onTo wear a dress/accessories

on your body

I did not need to put on the t-

shirt to know it was too big for

me.

Pick out a dress, put it on, and

decide whether you like it ornot.

run into someone/somethingTo meet someone

unexpectedly

I ran into an old friend fromcollege the other day.

It was a pleasant surprise when I

ran into him at the mall the

other day.

run over someone/somethingTo drive a vehicle over a

person or thing

Your toy is broken because I ran

over it with my car.

The truck accidently ran over a

cat on the highway.

run awayTo leave unexpectedly/ toescape

The bride had run away with

someone else on the weddingday.

The children made a plan to runaway from home to join the

circus.

run out

To have nothing left of

something

They ran out of sandwiches at

the cafe.

She couldnt make tea as theyhad run out of milk.

send something back To return

I sent back the steak because it

raw.

This product is not what we had

ordered and we are going to

send it back.

set something up To arrange/organize

They want to set up a lemonade

stall at the fair.

The government needs to set up


38/49

a commission for the riotvictims.

set someone upTo trick/trap someone or

something

The hunter set the lion up forthe trap but it escaped.

The people at the bank were partof a set up by the police to catch

the criminal.

show offTo act boastfully when people

watch

He wants to show off his house

by illuminating it.

Most people simply love to

show off their wealth in front oftheir friends.

sleep overTo stay somewhere out of

home, for the night

Jack is planning a sleepover athis place on his birthday.

The first sleepover at a friends

place can be a big deal for somechildren.

sort something outTo organise/ to resolve asituation

You may want the lawyers to

sort the issue out.

We need to sort out these cards

and arrange them according to

size.

stick to something To continue doing something

You will not lose weight if you

do not stick to the diet.

Most people do not stick to the

same job for a long period.

switch something off To turn off

Could you switch the light off

please?

Please switch off the television

before going to bed.

switch something on To turn on

He turned the machine on again

and it stopped making a noise.

Grandmother wants you to

switch on the radio for her.

take something back To return something

I need to take my money backfrom him.

He can keep my bag for now but

Im going to take it backtomorrow.

take off To start flying

I feel that the most thrilling part

of any plane journey is when it

takes off.

The plane finally took off after

taxiing for twenty minutes.take something off To remove something (usually I was about to take off my


39/49

items of clothing) clothes when I realised therewas someone else in the room.

I want you to take this off the

list and include that instead.

take something out To remove from a place

She took out some money fromthe safe.

Please take out the garbage after

dinner.

take someone out

To take someone out with

yourself and also to pay forthem

My girlfriend was very

depressed because she had lost

her job so I took her out fordinner.

On the last day of college the

professor took the students outfor lunch.

tear something up To rip something into pieces

My boss simply tears up thearticles he doesnt like.

The cat tore up the newspaper.

think back To recall or remember

Whenever I think back to myschool days, tears of nostalgia

come to my eyes.

Think back to the time when we

were at the beach.

think something over To consider

You must think this job offer

over before taking a decision.

This is my proposal, think it

over, and let me know.

throw something awayTo trash something or to

dispose of

I like that bag, please do not

throw it away.

These dirty clothes need to be

thrown away.

turn something down To decrease the volume

I want to turn down the volume.

The old man has asked me to

turn down the volume.

turn something down To refuse

He asked her to marry him but

she turned him down.

He turned down the offer from

ABC Corporation.

turn something off To switch off

He turned off the lights before

going to bed.

Please turn off the fans when

you leave.

turn something on To switch on She forgot to turn on the charger


40/49

so her cell stayed off.

He asked her to turn on thecoffee machine.

try something out To test

Do you want to try out this new

shampoo?

Most people refrain from tryingout a new cuisine.

use something upTo use something entirely or

to finish all

I get very tense when my friendscome over because they use up

all my supplies.

I cannot print this page because

all the ink in the printer has

been used up.

ake up To stop sleeping

I generally wake up at about 7

in the morning.

You need to wake up early in

the morning for karate practice.

arm upTo prepare the body for

exercise

It is a good idea to warm upbefore engaging in strenuous

physical activity.

It is essential to warm up a little

before swimming.

ear offTo diminish in qualitybecause of frequent use

The difference between superior

and inferior products is that thelatter wear out much more

quickly.

The sole of this old shoe has

worn out.

ork out To exercise

My lifestyle has gotten so

sedentary since I joined theoffice that I have signed up for

daily work outs at the gym.

Only a few people take gym

memberships to actually work

out.

ork outTo be successful with

something

I really hope that things work

out for you.

This job will work out only if I

can get my own office.

In each of the above cases, the phrasal verb shares no similarity with the verb that it replaces. These are idioma

phrasal verbs, commonly used in informal, everyday speech. Phrasal verbs are not necessarily idiomatic, thou

they can be literal as well. For example, literal phrases such as look up, walk across and switch off are


41/49

considered phrasal verbs, because the action described by each cannot be described if any of the words in

phrase are omitted. If up is taken out of look up, the description of the action will be incomplete.

Synonyms

Synonyms are words which have similar meanings. The meaning of these words need not be exactly the same. Mo

words can have one or more synonyms.

Quiz on Synonyms

Trying to find out synonyms of new words you encounter is a good way of improving English vocabulary.

LIST OF SYNONYMS

Abroad - Overseas

Accord - Agreement

Admit - Confess

Agree - Consent

Alike - Same

Allow - Permit

Amount - Quantity

Angry - Mad

Answer - Response

Ask- Inquire

Attire - Dress

Away - Absent

Awful - Terrible

Baby - Infant

Beautiful - Pretty

Becoming - Fitting

Beg - Implore

Begin - Commence

Belly - Stomach

Big - Large

Bizarre - Weird

Blank- Empty

Brave - Bold

Broad - Wide

Bucket - Pail

Busy - Active

Calamity - Disaster

Candy - Sweets

Center - Middle

Change - Transform

Chiefly - Mainly

Choosy - Picky

Close - Shut

Collect - Gather

Complete - Total

Confine - Restrict

Confuse - Mixed Up

Considerate - Thoughtful

Contrary - Opposite

Correct - Right
http://www.englishleap.com/quiz/synonymshttp://www.englishleap.com/quiz/synonymshttp://www.englishleap.com/quiz/synonyms


42/49

Cunning - Clever

Dash - Sprint

Daybreak- Dawn

Dedicated - Committed

Deliberate - Planned

Delicate - Fragile

Destiny - Fate

Disclose - Reveal

Discount - Reduction

Disgrace - Shame

Eager - Keen

Elevate - Raise

Enormous - Huge

Enquire - Investigate

Evaluate - Assess

Evil - Bad

Exactly - Precisely

Except - Apart From

Exit - Leave

Extra - Additional

Fair - Unbiased

False - Untrue

Famous - Renowned

Fantastic - Great

Fast - Quick

Finish - Complete

Formerly - Previously

Fortunate - Lucky

Fun -Entertaining

Function -Operate

Funny - Amusing

Garbage - Trash

Get - Receive

Glad - Happy

Glitter - Sparkle

Good - Fine

Grab - Seize

Grumble - Grouse

Hall - Corridor

Handsome - Good Looking

Happily - Fortunately

Hard - Difficult

Hazard - Danger

Help - Assist

Hint - Tip

Huge - Enormous

Hurt - Injure

Hurry - Rush

Ignore - Snub

Ill - Sick

Imitate - Mimic

Immediate - Instantly

Impact - Affect

Impartial - Neutral

Important - Significant

Inconsiderate - Thoughtless


43/49

Infamous - Notorious

Infect - Contaminate

Informal - Casual

Innocent - Harmless

Inspect - Examine

Instructions - Directions

Insufficient - Inadequate

Intellectual - Mental

Intelligent - Smart

Intend - Mean

Inventory - Stock

Invoice - Bill

Jealous - Envious

Job - Work

Joy - Delight

Kid - Child

Kind - Benevolent

Learn - Memorize

Lethal - Deadly

Listen - Hear

Little - Small

Lots - Many

Loving - Fond

Loyal - Faithful

Lucid - Clear

Mad - Crazy

Make - Build

Maintain - Preserve

Maybe - Perhaps

Meeting - Assembly

Mild -Gentle

Misery - Distress

Modern - Contemporary

Movie - Film

Native - Local

Necessary -Essential

Near - Close

New - Recent

Nice - Pleasant

Noon - Midday

Notify - Inform

Numerous - Many

Odd - Strange

Old - Mature

Ornament - Decoration

Outgoing - Friendly

Overlook- Miss

Oversee - Supervise

Part - Section

Particular - Specific

Perception - Insight

Perfect - Flawless

Possibility - Opportunity

Praise - Compliment

Provide - Supply


44/49

Quake - Tremble

Quite - Fairly

Raise - Lift

Real - Genuine

Receive - Get

Regret - Remorse

Reliable - Dependable

Remark- Comment

Renew - Resume

Respond - Reply

Rest - Relax

Rich - Wealthy

Rock- Stone

Rude - Impolite

Sad - Unhappy

Safe - Secure

Scared - Afraid

See - Look

Select - Choose

Significant - Meaningful

Sincere - Honest

Sleepy -Drowsy

Slim - Sender

Steady - Firm

Stop - Cease

Suggest - Propose

Sure - Certain

Symbolize - Represent

Talk - Speak

Temper - Mood

Temporary - Transitory

Think- Ponder

Tiny - Small

Transform - Convert

Trustworthy -Reliable

Try - Attempt

Uncommon - Unusual

Uncooked - Raw

Under - Below

Unfortunate - Unlucky

Use - Utilize

Usually - Generally

Vague - Indistinct

Vanquish - Conquer

Vary - Differ

Vast - Huge

Want - Desire

Weak- Feeble

Withstand - Resist

Yell - Shout


45/49

Antonyms

Antonyms are words which have almost opposite

meanings. Most words can have one or moreantonyms.

Quiz on Antonyms

Each time you learn a new English word, try to findout its antonyms. This is a good way to improve yourvocabulary.

LIST OF ANTONYMS

AboveBelow

AbsentPresent

AchieveFail

AddSubtract

AfraidConfident

AfterBefore

AmateurProfessional

AncientModern

ArgueAgree

ArriveDepart

ArrogantHumble

AscendDescend

AttackDefend

AwakeAsleep

BadGood

BeautifulUgly

Before - After

BetterWorse

BigLittle

BirthDeath

BlackWhite

BluntSharp

BoldTimid

BraveCowardly

BriefLong

BrightDull

BusyIdle

BuySell

CautiousCareless

CheapExpensive

CleanDirty

CloseOpen

ColdHot

ComplexSimple

ComplimentInsult

CoolWarm

CrazySane

CrookedStraight

CruelKind

Dark- Light

Day - Night

DeepShallow

DecreaseIncrease
http://www.englishleap.com/quiz/antonymshttp://www.englishleap.com/quiz/antonymshttp://www.englishleap.com/quiz/antonyms


46/49

Demand - Supply

DestroyCreate

DivideUnite

Down - Up

DrunkSober

EastWest

EasyDifficult

EndBegin

EvenOdd

EveningMorning

ExpandContract

FailPass

FalseTrue

FatSkinny

FictionFact

Float - Sink

FollowLead

Foolish - Wise

ForgiveBlame

Freeze - Boil

FullEmpty

GenerousStingy

GentleRough

Giant - Dwarf

GiveReceive

GloomyCheerful

GriefJoy

Guilty - Innocent

HappySad

HardSoft

HeavenHell

HeavyLight

HighLow

Hire - Fire

HugeTiny

Hungry - Full

IdleActive

InOut

Include - Exclude

IndividualGroup

InnocentGuilty

InsideOutside

JoySadness

KindCruel

KnowledgeIgnorance

LastFirst

LaughCry

LessMore


47/49

LieTruth

LikeDislike

LikelyUnlikely

LiquidSolid

LonelyCrowded

LongShort

LooseTight

LostFound

LoveHate

MajorMinor

ManWoman

MarvelousTerrible

MatureImmature

Maximum - Minimum

MixSeparate

MoistDry

MoreLess

MostLeast

MoveStay

NearFar

NeverAlways

NewOld

NoiseyQuiet

NoneAll

NorthSouth

NothingSomething

NowThen

ObviousHidden

OddEven

OftenSeldom

OldYoung

OnOff

Optimist - Pessimist

OrdinaryExtraordinary

OverUnder

PainPleasure

PanicCalm

PartialComplete

PassiveActive

Peace - War

PermanentUnstable

PlayWork

PlentifulSparse

PoliteRude

PoorRich

PositiveNegative

PowerfulWeak

PraiseCriticism

PrideModesty

PrivatePublic

ProblemSolution

ProfitLoss


48/49

QualityInferiority

QuickSlow

RaiseLower

RandomSpecific

RareCommon

RawCooked

RegretRejoice

RememberForget

RightWrong

RigidFlexible

RiseSink

RoughSmooth

RudePolite

SameDifferent

SegregateIntegrate

SeldomOften

SellBuy

SendReceive

ShameHonor

ShortLong

ShowHide

Simple - Complicated

SingleMarried

SourSweet

SpendEarn

StartStop

StartedFinished

StayLeave

StiffFlexible

StopGo

StrengthWeakness

Strong - Weak

StudentTeacher

SturdyWeak

Sunny - Cloudy

SuperbInferior

TameWild

TeachLearn

TemporaryPermanent

ThinWide

TidyMessy

TimidBold

TogetherApart

Top - Bottom

TowardAway

TragicComic

Transparent - Opaque

TriumphDefeat

TrueFalse

UnionSeparation

UniqueCommon


49/49

UpsetStabilize

UrgeDeter

VacantOccupied

VagueDefinite

VerticalHorizontal

Victory - Defeat

VillainHero

Visible - Invisible

Wax - Wane

WealthPoverty

Well - Sick

WetDry

WhiteBlack

WildTame

WinLose

WithWithout

WorthyWorthless

Young - Old

hear and listen

Documents