Confused words
Preposition often confused
1. To and At.
(a) To.
Don't say: We come at school every morning,
Say: We come to school every morning.
(b) At.
Don't say: Someone is standing to the door.
Say: Someone is standing at the door.
Use to to express motion from one place to another , use at to denote position.
2. To and Till
(a) To.
Don't say: We walked till the river and back.
Say: We walked to the river and back.
(b) Till Don't say: I'll stay here to next month.
Say: I'll stay here till next month.
Use to with distance, and till (until) with time.
3. In and At.
(a) In.
Don't say: Liam has a flat at Paris.
Say: Liam has a flat in Paris.
We use in to describe the physical location something as of part of a larger thing or place.
(b) At.
Don't say: My mother is staying in 66 Argyle Street.
Say: My mother is staying at 66 Argyle Street.
We use at when we'r e talking about an address, a public place or building.
(a bus stop, the Post Office, the library etc.) and cases in whic h the location is irrelevant but wha t w e do there is mailer s (school, the dentist,dance class etc.
4. In and Into.
(a) In.
Don't say: Gemma spent all the day into her room.
Say: Gemma spent all the day in her room.
(b) Into.
Don't say: Richard came in the room and sat down.
Say: Richard came into the room and sat down.
In denotes position inside something , while int o denotes motion or direction, towards the inside of something.
Note Always write the preposition into as one word.
5. On, At, In. (Time.)
(a) On Don't say: My uncle will arrive at Saturday.
Say: My uncle will arrive on Saturday.
(b) At.
Don't say: I usually get up on seven o'clock.
Say: I usually get up at seven o'clock.
(c) In.
Don't say: She goes for a walk at the afternoon.
Say: She goes for a walk in the afternoon.
6. For and At. (Price.)
(a) For.
Don't say: I bought a book at fifty pence.
Say: I bought a book for fifty pence.
(b) At.
Don't say: I can't buy it for such a high price.
Say: I can't buy it at such a high price.
Use for if the actual sum is mentioned us
eat it the actual sum isn' t given.
Note: If the weight or measure follows the price, use at with the actual.
That velvet is available at £5 a metre.
7. Between and Among.
(a) Between.
Don't say: There was a fight among two boys.
Say: There was a fight between two boys.
(b) Among.
Don't say: Divide the apple between you three.
Say: Divide the apple among you three.
Use between for two only Use among for more than two
8. Beside.
Don't say: Charlie was standing me.
Say: Charlie was standing just beside me.
9. Except for Besides/As well as
Don't say: I have other books except these.
Say: I have other hooks besides/as well as these(= in addition to these).
10. By for With.
Don't say: The man shot the bird by a gun.
Say: The man shot the bird with a gun.
11. From tor Of or In.
Don't say: He's the tallest from all the boys.
Say: He's the tallest of all the boys.
Or. He's the tallest boy in the class.
12. FOR About.
Don't say: The teacher spoke for bad habits.
Say: The teacher spoke about bad habits.
Don't say- for in the scenes of about.
13. Since for For.
Don't say: She's lived here since two years
Say: She's lived here for two years.
Place the preposition for before word s or phrases denoting a period of time:
for three days, for six weeks, for two years, for a few minutes, for a long time. Use it with any tense except the present.
Note For is often omitted W e can say, I've been here for two years or I've been here two years.
14. From for Since.
Don't say: lan's been ill from last Friday.
Say: lan's been ill since last Friday.
Place the preposition since before words or phrases denoting a point in time:
since Monday, since yesterday, since eight o'clock, since Christmas. When we use since, the verb is usually in the present perfect tense, but it may be in the past perfect. I was glad to see Tom. I hadn't seen him since last Christmas.
Note : From can also Don't a point in time, but it must be followed by to or till: He works from eight o'clock till one o'clock without a break.
15. After for In.
Don't soy: I may be able to go after a week.
Say: I may be able to go in a week.
Or: I may be able to go in a week's time.
When speaking of a period of time in to he future, use in, and not after. Here in means after the end of.
16. In for Within.
Don't say: I'll come back in an hour - if you mean before the end of an hour.
Say: I'll come back within an hour.
In means after the end of, within means before the end of.
Verbs often confused
17. Shall and Will.
(a) To express simple futurity:
In the first person:
Don't say: I will go tomorrow if it's fine.
Say: I shall go tomorrow if it's fine.
In the second person:
Don't say: She tells me you shall go tomorrow.
Say: She tells me you will/'ll go tomorrow.
In the third person:
Don't say: He shall go if he has permission.
Say: He will go if he has permission.
(b) To express something more than simple futurity:
In the first person:
Don't say: I have determined that I shall go.
Say: I have determined that I will'll go.
In the second person:
Don't say: You will'll go out if you are good.
Say: You shall go out if you are good.
In the third person:
Don't say: My mind is made up: he will'll go.
Say: My mind is made up: he shall go.
18. Shall and May.
Distinguish between:
(a) May I shut the door? and
(b) Shall I shut the door?
19. Say and Tell.
Don't say: He told. I will go home.
He told that he'd go home.
Say: He said, 'I will go home.
He said that he'd go home.
Use to Say : 1) when reference to a person's actual words , and (2) in indirect
speech if the sentence does'n't contain an indirect object.
Note:l must say i You can say that age"' ' If you say so Tell the- truth Tell a lie. Tell a story. Tell the time. Tell your fortune. Tell someone your name.
20. Make and Do.
(a) Make,
Don't say: The carpenter did a large table.
Say The carpenter made a large table.
Don't say: You must make your work carefully.
Say: You must do your work carefully.
21. Lie and Lay.
(a) Lie.
Don't say: Emma going to lay down for an hour.
Say: Emma going to lie down for an hour.
(b) Lay.
Don't say: Please lie the exam papers on the desk.
Say: Please lay out the exam papers on the desk.
Lie (= to rest) is an intransitive verb and never has an object. Lay (= to put) is
a transitive verb and alway s requires an object. Their principal
l parts are lie, lay,lain, and lay, laid, laid.
Note : Lie, lied, lied is to tell an untruth, He has lied to me Lay, laid, laid also
mean s to produce eggs : The hen has laid an egg (Idiom. Lay the table is to prepare the table for a meal.)
22. Sit and Seat.
(a) Sit.
Don't say: We seat at a desk to write a letter.
Say: We sit at a desk to write a letter.
(b) Seat.
Don't say: He sat the passengers one by one.
Say: He seated the passengers one by one.
23. Rise and Raise.
(a) Rise.
Don't say: sun raise very early in morning.
Say: sun rises very early in the morning.
(b) Raise.
Don't say: She rose their salaries too often.
Say: She raised their salaries too often.
Rise is an intransitive verb and means to get up, stand up, or get out of bed.
It closer! require an object Raise 15 3 transitive verb an d mean s to liH up something Their principal parts are; rise, rose, risen, and raise, raised,raised.
Note. Arise is often used for rise, but it is better to use arise only in the sense of begin A quarrel (a discussion, an argument, a difficulty, etc) may arise.This is formal but is still used.
24. Like and Love.
Don't say: I like you! Will you marry me?
Say: I love you! Will you marry me?
Both verbs can be used for people and things the only difference is one of degree Love is much stronger than like.
25. Stay and Remain.
(a) Stay.
Don't say: We remained in a very good hotel.
Say: We stayed in a very good hotel.
(b) Remain.
Don't say: Not many figs have stayed on the tree.
Say: Not many figs have remained on the tree.
Here, to stay means to live for a short time as a guest or a visitor, and to remain means to be 'eft after par t has been taken or deployed.
Note ; Use either verb when the meaning is to continue in the same place or condition. I stay [or remain) at home till tomorrow. Remain is more formal.
