Confusing words

[anshaar]

Hi lets start a new thread for confusing words. We all know that there are subtle difference between commonly used words such as avenge/revenge , effect/affect , and there are numerous words like this. So, lets start something on that pattern.I think this will be extremely helpful as it deals with the basic understanding of english. Guys, lets post atleast one word daily. So, that we can learn these subtle differences.

Today's word:

Assume/presume

Assume: Assume means to take it for granted without proof.
Presume: Presume means to base it on evidence available.

Guys I hope evryone of us is going to post to enhance our understanding in english

[anshaar]

Beside/besides

Beside : it refers to position.for example: sit beside me.
Besides: it refers to 'in addition' for example: BESIDES being very clever, Annie also works hard.

[naresh007]

@anshaar, good work buddy....

here's my confusing words:

1) ACCEPT: Accept is a verb, which means to agree to take something.
eg. I always accept good advice.
EXCEPT: Except is a preposition or conjunction, which means not including.
eg. I teach every day except Sunday's.

2) ADVICE: Advice is a noun, which means an opinion that someone offers you about
what you should do or how you should act in a particular situation.
eg.I need someone to give me some advice.
ADVICE: Advise is a verb, which means to give information and suggest types of action.
eg. I advise everybody to be nice to their teacher.

[anshaar]

Thank you buddy for taking interest in this thread..I started this thread because I found its utility everywhere.I think if we can grasp these subtle differences then many a things in grammar as well as RC will be easy to understand.So cheers I hope this journey will go on. As I will not be available on Saturday and Sunday , so I am posting my stuff for two days in advance.

1. amount/number
AMOUNT is used with non-count nouns: a small AMOUNT of sugar; a surprising AMOUNT of gossip.


NUMBER is used with countable nouns: a NUMBER of people; a NUMBER of questions.

[anshaar]

enjoy ur wekends

[naresh007]

Hey buddy even i'm too off on weekends.

so,here's my quota of words:

1) ALONE/LONELY :

ALONE: Alone, can be used as an adjective or adverb. Either use means without other people or on your own.
Eg. He likes living alone.
LONELY: Lonely is an adjective which means you are unhappy because you are not with other people.
Eg.The house feels lonely now that all the children have left home.

[naresh007]

Today's words:

a lot / alot / allot :

A lot: A lot, meaning a large amount or number of people or things, can be used to modify a noun.
eg. I need a lot of time to develop this web site.
It can also be used as an adverb, meaning very much or very often.
eg. I look a lot like my sister.

Alot: Alot does not exist! There is no such word in the English language. no..Word!.

Allot: Allot is a verb, which means to give (especially a share of something) for a particular purpose
eg. We were allotted a desk each.

[anshaar]

Todays word from my side

Accurate/precise:

In ordinary usage, “accurate” and “precise” are often used as rough synonyms, but scientists like to distinguish between them.

Precise: Precision is the degree to which the results of multiple repeat experiments agree with one another.

Accurate:Accuracy is the degree to which the results of an experiment agree with the true or known value.

For example:
A chemist is asked to determine the concentration of a chemical dissolved in a solution. The chemist performs the experiment three times for good measure, and the concentration determined to be 1.74 M, (moles/liter), 1.73 M and 1.75 M. The average of these numbers is 1.74 M. This result is extremely precise, but suppose the chemist is not a very good chemist and made the same mistake in all three experiments: the true concentration of the chemical in solution is 2.32 M. Even though this experiment was done three times, and the concentration was determined very precisely, it is not an accurate result.

[naresh007]

Here's my words:

1) apart vs a part:
Apart: (adv) separated by distance or time.
Eg.I always feel so lonely when we're apart.
A part: (noun) a piece of something that forms the whole of something.
eg. They made me feel like I was a part of the family.

2) been vs gone:
been: been is the past participle of be.
Been is used to describe completed visits.
eg. if you have been to England twice, you have travelled there and back twice.
gone is the past participle of go.
eg.If you have gone to England, you have not yet returned.

[leonadis]

restive - always mistook this for "peaceful and calm". It actually means the opposite (i.e) tense and impatient