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Confusable words in English II

Brazilian students of English sometimes find it hard to distinguish between the words job and work.  The difference, however, is very simple to grasp.  Check it out:


job X work

1. A job is something a person does regularly in order to earn money.  If you want somebody to employ you, you can say you are looking for a job.  A job is also a particular task you have to do, like cleaning or writing an e-​​mail.

A local school offered me a job.

If I didn’t have all these posts to write, I could get so many other jobs done:D


2. Work is similar to job in that you also do it regularly, and get paid to do it.  You can also say you are looking for work if you want somebody to employ you.  However, unlike job, work is an uncount noun, and is also used as a verb.  Work is also the various jobs you have to do, especially things you do not enjoy doing.

I thought everyone would have a job, and that I’d find work easily.

A housewife’s work can take 8 or 9 hours a day.

He was working at a bank.


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Confusable words in English I

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 take
  • job work
  • music song
  • pass spend
  • travel trip

bring X take

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.


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