For example: "I always accept good advice."

Except is a preposition or conjunction, which means not including.

For example: "I teach every day except Sunday(s)."

For example: "I need someone to give me some advice."

Advise is a verb, which means to give information and suggest types of action.

For example: "I advise everybody to be nice to their teacher."

!Often in English the noun form ends in ...ice and the verb form ends in ...ise.

affect is usually a verb (action) - effect is usually a noun (thing)

Hint: If it's something you're going to do, use "affect." If it's something you've already done, use "effect."
 

To affect something or someone.

Meaning: to influence, act upon, or change something or someone.
 

For example: The noise outside affected my performance.

To have an effect on something or someone

Note: effect is followed by the preposition on and preceded by an article (an, the)

Meaning: to have an impact on something or someone.

For example: His smile had a strange effect on me.

!Effect can also mean "the end result".

For example: The drug has many adverse side effects.

For example:-

"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.

For example:-

"I look a lot like my sister."

It has become a common term in speech; and is increasingly used in writing.

Alot does not exist! There is no such word in the English language. If you write it this way - imagine me shouting at you - "No Such Word!"

Allot is a verb, which means to give (especially a share of something) for a particular purpose:-

For example: "We were allotted a desk each."

For example: "Are you all ready for the test?"

Alreadyis an adverb that means before the present time or earlier than the time expected.

For example: "I asked him to come to the cinema but he'd already seen the film."
Or
"Are you buying Christmas cards already? It's only September!"
 

For example: The waiter asked if we were all together.

Altogether (adv) means "completely" or "in total ".

For example: She wrote less and less often, and eventually she stopped altogether.

!To be in the altogether is an old-fashioned term for being naked!

For example: I always feel so lonely when we're apart.

A part (noun) a piece of something that forms the whole of something.

For example: They made me feel like I was a part of the family.

gone is the past participle of go

Been is used to describe completed visits. So if you have been to England twice, you have travelled there and back twice. If you have gone to England, you have not yet returned.

! Now you've been and gone and done it!

For example: She was so bored that she fell asleep.

boring is an adjective that means something is not interesting or exciting.

For example: The lesson was so boring that she fell asleep.
 

!Note Most verbs which express emotions, such as to bore , may use either the present or the past participle as an adjective, but the meaning of the participles is often different.

Meaning: to hand out usually for a certain length of time.

Banks lend money.

Libraries lend books.

For example: "My mother lent me some money, and I must pay her back soon."

To borrow:

Meaning: to take with permission usually for a certain length of time.

You can borrow money from a bank to buy a house or a car.

You can borrow books for up to 4 weeks from libraries in England.

For example: "I borrowed some money off my mother, and I must pay her back soon."

! For a happy life - Never a borrower nor a lender be.

brought past tense of the verb to bring
For example: "She brought her homework to the lesson."

!There is an 'r' in brought and an 'r' in bring = they belong together.

Until tells us how long a situation continues. If something happens until a particular time, you stop doing it at that time.

For example:

They lived in a small house until September 2003.
(They stopped living there in September.)

I will be away until Wednesday.
(I will be back on Wednesday.)

We also use until in negative sentences.

For example:

Details will not be available until January.
(January is the earliest you can expect to receive the details.)

If something happens by a particular time, it happens at or before that time. It is often used to indicate a deadline.

For example:

You have to finish by August 31.
(August 31 is the last day you can finish; you may finish before this date.)

We also use by when asking questions.

For example:

Will the details be available by December?
(This asks if they will be ready no later than December.)
 

For example: "You should always check your oil, water and tyres before taking your car on a long trip."

To control means to order, limit, instruct or rule something, or someone's actions or behaviour.

For example: "If you can't control your dog, put it on a lead!"

What you shouldn't do is use the verb control in association with people and the work they do.

For example: "I check my students' homework, but I can't control what they do!"

!Note

In Business English there is often a lot of confusion because of the term control in accounting.

In most organizations the controller is the top managerial and financial accountant. The controller supervises the accounting department and assists management in interpreting and utilizing managerial accounting information.

For example: "The colours blue and green complement each other perfectly."

Compliment is a noun, which means a remark that expresses approval, admiration or respect.

For example: "I am often complimented on this web site."

The dictionaries treat data as a group noun, meaning information, especially facts or numbers, collected for examination and consideration and used to help decision-making, or meaning information in an electronic form that can be stored and processed by a computer.

Then they go on to confuse matters by giving the following kind of example:-

The data was/were reviewed before publishing.

So, which is it, was or were? Strictly speaking 'datum' is the singular form of and 'data' is the the plural form.

If you're writing for an academic audience, particularly in the sciences, "data" takes a plural verb.

For example:-

The data are correct.

But most people treat 'data' as a singular noun, especially when talking about computers etc.

For example:-

The data is being transferred from my computer to yours.

For example: "You don't have to do the exercises at the end of this page."

Mustn't = must not is a modal verb used to show that something is not allowed. When you use mustn't you are telling people not to do things. It has the same force as don't , as in: Don't do that!

For example: " You mustn't drink if you're going to drive."

For example:- B agrees with A in the negative

A - "I don't like cheese." B - "I don't like it either."
A- "I haven't seen Lord of the Rings." B - "I haven't seen it either."
 

Too is used with an affirmative verb when you are agreeing with something someone does or likes etc.

For example:- B agrees with A in the positive

A - "I love ice-cream." B - "I love it too."
A- "I've seen Gladiator." B - "I've seen it too."

Everyday is an adjective.

When you say everyday you mean ordinary, unremarkable.

For example: My culture pages offer an insight into the everyday life of Britain.
 

For example: She was so excited that she couldn't sleep.

exciting is an adjective that means something is making you excited.

For example: The football match was so exciting that she couldn't wait to tell everyone about it.
 

For example:

There were fewer days below freezing last winter. (Days can be counted.)

I drink less coffee than she does. (Coffee cannot be counted individually it has to be measured).

!Note - "Less" has to do with how much. "Fewer" has to do with how many.

See the grammar pages for more information on countable/uncountable nouns.

For indicates a period of time.

For example:

I have been working here for 2 years.

Since indicates a point in time.

For example:

I have been working here since the year before last.

See the grammar pages for more information on prepositions of time.

For example:

My dog Sam is very good. He's a good dog.

She didn't speak very good English. Her English isn't very good.

Well is usually used as an adverb. We use well when we want to give more information about a verb.

For example:

He usually behaves very well.

She didn't speak English very well.

Note! The exception to this can be when you talk about someone's health:

For example:-

She wasn't a well woman.

and when you describe sensations:

For example:-

This pizza tastes/smells/ looks good.

If you say "You look good." It means they look attractive.

If you say "You look well." It means they look healthy.

Note! Younger people might reply to the question "How are you?" with "I'm good." This is what I call MTV English.

For example: "He was arrested for supplying heroin, a class A drug."

Heroine is a female person who is admired for having done something very brave or having achieved something great. The male equivalent is hero.

For example: "Grace Darling is one of England's best known heroines."

For Elfish on the forum.

For example: " Don't be scared - he's very friendly."

His is a possesive pronoun, it is used to show something belonging to or connected with a man, boy or male animal that has just been mentioned.

For example: " Mark just phoned to say he'd left his coat behind. Do you know if this is his?"

See the grammar pages for more information on possessive pronouns.

How do you do?

This is not a question. It is another, very formal way of saying "Hello." It is also very British.

The correct response is; "Pleased to meet you." or "How do you do." or just "Hello."

We only really use it the first time we meet someone.

How are you?

This is a question.

A polite response is; "I'm fine thanks. And you?"

For more on this topic see here.

For example;-

I am a teacher. (not me)

Give that to me. (not I)

There are other times when people make mistakes with these two pronouns. I/me is difficult when it is coupled with another pronoun or with a noun. This is when you have to think about the subject/object in a sentence.

For example;-

"It was I who did the homework," or "It was me who did the homework."

Make the statement simpler:-

"I did the homework." so "It was I who did the homework," is correct.

The teacher gave the homework to my friend and me. (Not I)

!If you don't understand why the above sentence is correct, simplify the sentence again.

Deal with the two people separately.

The teacher gave the homework to my friend.
+
The teacher gave the homework to me.

= The teacher gave the homework to my friend and me.

For example: "I was very interested in the lesson."

Interesting is a present participle. When used as an adjective it describes the people or things that cause the feelings.

For example: "It was an interesting lesson ."

 

For example: "Lay your head on the pillow."

Lie is an irregular intransitive verb (lie / lay / lain - lying). It does not take a direct object. It means to rest in a horizontal position¹ or to be located somewhere².

For example: "If you are tired lie here and have a rest."¹
"Nottingham lies in the Midlands."²

!Lie also means to say something that isn't true but it takes the following form (lie / lied / lied - lying).
 

If you lay something down it can mean you officially establish a rule, or officially state the way in which something should be done.

For example:-

Please follow the rules laid down by the administrator.

If you lay something down your weapons it means you stop fighting.

For example:-

They laid down their guns and surrendered.

If you lay wine down it means you are storing it for drinking in the future.

For example:-

I laid down this bottle in 1998, it should be perfect for drinking now.

Lie down means to move into a position in which your body is flat, usually in order to sleep or rest.

For example: "If you are tired lie down and have a rest."
 

For example: "I often ask my mother to look after the children."

To look for; means to try to find something or someone.

For example: "I am looking for my keys. Have you seen them?"

When you look at someone or something you are interested in the appearance.

Generally we look at things that are static.

For example:

Look at these photos, they're really good.
I went to the art gallery to look at the exhibition of paintings.

Watch is a verb.

When you watch someone or something you are interested in what happens.

Generally we watch things that move or change state.

For example:

I watch TV every night.
The security guard watched the shoplifter steal the clock.

!If I say to you "Look at him!" I mean for you to check out his appearance. But, if I say to you "Watch him!" I mean it as a warning.

When you look over something or someone you quickly examine it or them.

For example:-

I asked my teacher to look over what I had written.

Overlook is a verb.

When you overlook someone or something you fail to notice or consider it or them.:

For example:

I think my teacher overlooked some of my mistakes.

!Look over is two separate words, overlook is one word.

For example: He drinks neither wine nor beer.

or (conjunction) or is used to connect different possibilities.

For example: Is it Tuesday or Wednesday today?

Me is used as the object of a verb or preposition. You use me to refer to yourself.

In short answers, we usually use this form.

For example:-

• Knock at the door - "Who's there?" ~ "It's me!"
   
• "I want to buy that new DVD." ~ "Me too!"

My is a possessive adjective.

For example:-

My mother loves me.

Now consider the following sentences:-

"I'm going to me and Margaret's room." or "I'm going to my and Margaret's room."

Which is correct? Me or my?

Simplify the sentence by removing the second person:-

"I'm going to my room." So, "I'm going to my and Margaret's room," is correct.

A real point of confusion arises when considering the use of "my" or "me" as the "subject" of a gerund.

The teacher didn't like me telling jokes in class.

The teacher didn't like my telling jokes in class.

But which is correct? Well they both are - sort of, but the use of the possessive, "my telling jokes in class " serves to isolate the telling of jokes as the object of my teacher's anger. It's hopefully not "me" at whom she/he has become upset, but the telling of jokes. In the sentence, "me telling jokes in class", it might seem as though the teacher doesn't like me personally. The rule is that the subject of a gerund is supposed to be in the possessive case.

Remember though that this is a purists view. Both are now becoming acceptable through common usage. However, you can avoid any confusion by writing the sentence in a different way:-

"The teacher didn't like the way I told jokes in class."

For example:-

• They ate most of the cake.
   
• Most days I go for a jog.

The most is usually used to form the superlative of many adjectives and adverbs.

For example:-

Paul earns the most money.
The Miss World competition is held every year to find the most beautiful woman in the world.

!Note - This is only a general rule - as ever there are exceptions.

It can mean relating to or belonging to someone.

For example: Your personal belongings are the things that belong to you.

It can relate to the private parts of someone's life, including their relationships and feelings.

For example: If you have personal problems, it means you have problems that are private and sensitive to you. Perhaps problems in a relationship.

It can also mean something that is designed for or used by one person.
 

For example: a personal computer or stereo.
 

And it can relate to your body

For example: when talk about personal hygiene.

!If you are rude about or offensive towards someone it could be said that you are being personal.
 

Personnel is a noun.

The people who work for an organisation are the personnel.
 

For example: military personnel are the members of an army.
 

The department of an organisation that deals with finding people to work there, keeping records about them, etc is the Personnel Department. The head of that department is the personnel manager.
 

For example: "I need to speak to someone in Personnel."
 

!Many businesses have renamed their Personnel Department to 'The Human Resources Department' or HRD for short.

Practice is a noun

For example: We need to put these ideas into practice.

Practise is a verb

For example: To learn English well you have to practise.

!Note - This is only true in British English.

!Often in English the noun form ends in ...ice and the verb form ends in ...ise.

As you can see from these examples, (nobody is pushing up the sun!), whereas (Mary moved her hand upwards/The government make laws to increase taxes).

rise (v) Something rises by itself

For example:-
The sun rises in the east.
The chairman always rises to the occasion.
I will rise tomorrow morning at 6 a.m. to walk the dog.
Rise is an irregular verb: rise / rose / risen

raise (v) Something else is needed to raise something.

For example:-
Lynne raised her hand.
The government is going to raise taxes.
They can't raise the Titanic.
Raise is a regular verb: raise / raised / raised

Said adj. is used before the name of a person or thing you have already mentioned:
For example: "The said party denied the charges"

Told v. is the past simple and past participle of to tell.
It is normally used in reported speech, i.e. it is used to talk about what people say (followed by an object + that:):
For example: I told him that I would be late.

When told has the meaning of "instruct", it can be followed by an object and an infinitive.
For example: He told me to leave.

For example: "I can see the smoke from here."

To watch means to look at something for a period of time, especially something that is changing or moving.

For example: "I watched the cricket."

!Note - We watch things that move, such as TV, a film, sport. We look at static things, such as a photograph, a painting, the stars.

For example: There is a shortage of skilled workers in the industry.

Shortness is a also a noun meaning the condition of being short spatially.

For example: Shortness in children and young adults nearly always results from below-average growth in childhood.

Such when used as a determiner can be used in front of a noun or an adjective and a noun to show extremes, you can't use it in front of adverbs.

For example: "She is such a patient teacher."

!Note - Remember that without the noun you need to use "so."

such + a + patient + teacher

so + patient
 

Stationery means the items needed for writing, such as paper, pens, pencils and envelopes.
For example: "It is the secretary's job to order the stationery?"

!'e' is for envelopes 'a' is for automobiles.

There can also be used as the introductory subject in sentences:-
For example: "There are some grammar pages on this web site."

They're is the a contraction of "they are".
For example: "They're always surfing the Internet."

Their is a possessive pronoun like "her" or "our".
For example: "Have they done their homework?"

Example: "There's a large family in this town. Look they're over there by their car."

!If you've written "they're," ask yourself whether you can substitute "they are." If not, you've made a mistake. There" has "here" inside it to remind you it refers to a place, while "their" has "heir" buried in it to remind you that it has to do with possession.

For example: "There is a shortage of trainee dentists in the UK."

A trainer is a person who teaches skills for a particular job, activity or sport.

For example: "I like to think of myself as an English trainer, not an English teacher."

For example: to learn, to do, to be, to drink...
"I need to visit the dentist."

To is also a preposition, often used to indicate direction, which begins a prepositional phrase.

For example: to the limit, to hell and back
Example: "I need to go to the dentist."

Too is an adjective meaning "extra or more than necessary" - after all it has 2 Os - 1 too many?

For example: too much, too big, too small...
"The film was too long."

Too is also an adjective meaning "also"

For example: me too
"I thought it was too long, too."

Two is a number.

For example: one, two, three...
"I only drank two pints of beer."

More examples: We went to a football match. (preposition)

We like to watch a good film. (infinitive)

We ate too much. (meaning "excessively")

I like baseball, too. (meaning "also")

Six divided by three is two. (number)

They own two cars. (number)

! Many other words in English which reflect the number two are spelled with tw.

For example: twin, twice, twenty, between, tweezers, etc.

Try this famous song if you are still confused about to and too!

For example: I have to travel a lot for work.

Trip (n) is often substituted for the word 'holiday' when the travelling distance was short.

For example: How was your trip?

It is often used in connection with business.

For example: I have to travel a lot for work. I am off on another business trip next week.

Trip (v) has a totally different meaning. It means to nearly fall over.

For example: I tripped over the carpet and sprained my ankle.

Voyage (n) is usually a long journey by boat. The word voyage is very rarely used as a verb.

For example: The voyage to South Africa took over six weeks.

Journey (n) is used more in British English than American English. It means the 'piece' of travel between 2 or more points. The word journey is very rarely used as a verb.

For example: The journey from Darmstadt to Nottingham takes 12 hours.

For example: "I am used to mistakes now."

You can also be used to doing something.

For example: "I am used to making mistakes now."

More here

Used to do - If we say something used to happen we are talking about repeated events and actions in the past, usually things that happened a long time ago and are now finished.

For example: "I used to smoke."

More here

What is used to ask a question when there are an unknown number or infinite possibilities for an answer. You know that there are many, many ways that exist to address your question, and you want to find out—from all those possibilities that you might not even know about—the best way.

For example: "What movie did you go to see?"

Which is used if you are choosing between two items, already defined, in a different sentence, like this:

For example: "Which shoes should I wear with this dress—my blue ones or my black ones?"

You can use which when you have a very small or limited field to choose from. Certainly use which, not what, when there are only two choices, or if both speaker and listener can visualize all the items under consideration:

For example: "Which foot did you break?"

Often, either which or what can be used for several choices, depending on what is in the speaker’s mind:

For example:-

a - "Which bus goes into the centre?"

b - "What bus shall I take?"

Both sentences are fine. The speaker is probably thinking about fewer buses in sentence (a) than in sentence (b).

For example:-

She is the one who built that funny English website.

In questions who is used when asking which person or people did something, or when asking what someone's name is. In fact in informal writing and speech who is used most of the time.

For example:-

"Who is that girl over there?"
"Who let the dogs out?"
"She asked me if I knew who had got the job."

Whom is used in formal writing as the object of a verb or preposition.

For example:-

"He took out a photo of his son, whom he adores."
"There were 500 passengers, of whom 121 drowned."

!Note - Whom is rarely used in questions. For example:

"To whom do you wish to speak?" (This sounds very old-fashioned and stilted.)

! If in doubt, try the “he or him” test:-

Try rewriting the sentence using “he or him ”.

For example:

"He took out a photo of his son, whom he adores." - "He adores he" should 'feel"'wrong. So it must be "He adores him."

If you're still not sure, go with who, 99.9% of the time you'll be right.