Some pairs of basic English words are known to cause confusion even at intermediate and more advanced levels. Below, you can find a very short list of such pairs, with explanations and examples. Practice activities will follow on after the list has been covered. Bold print in the examples indicates common collocations. Reference materials (upon which explanations, examples, and activities are largely based) include the following:
- Carpenter, Edwin (1993). Confusable Words (Cobuild English Guides 4). Cobuild
- Swan, Michael & Walter, Catherine (1997). How English Works. Oxford
- Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English Online. Pearson Longman
- bring X take
- job X work
- music X song
- pass X spend
- travel X trip
1. To bring a person or thing with you when you come to a place is to have them with you.
Why haven’t you brought me here before?
Please, bring you dictionary to every lesson.
2. To take a person or thing with you when you go to a place is to have them with you.
She gave me some books to take home.
There are limits on the amount of money you can take abroad.
