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Confusable words in English V

set 28

Postado por Alexandre Siqueira em Learners | Sem comentários

To finish, temporarily, the set of basic confusables in English, let’s look at the following words: travel and trip (as nouns).

According to the brand new 5th edition of the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, an authoritative dictionary for advanced learners of English,

travel X trip

1. travel (or traveling) is used to mean the general activity of moving from place to place. It’s an uncountable noun.

Air travel is becoming cheaper.

Her work involves a lot of traveling.


2. trip, on the other hand, is when you go on a short journey, or a journey you do not usually make, and come back again. Use this when the emphasis is on where you are going or why you are going there. It’s a countable noun.

my first trip to the States

a business trip

(Reference: Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, 5th edition)


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Confusable words in English I

ago 13

Postado por Alexandre Siqueira em Learners | Sem comentários

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

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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