Conscience and conscious
Conscience means moral sense, ethical feelings or one’s sense of right and wrong. His conscience wouldn’t let him steal. Note that conscience is spelled with science at the end. Conscience is a noun; conscious...
Category: Vocabulary
Contemptible and contemptuous
Many people confuse the words contemptible and contemptuous. Contemptible means despicable. If something is contemptible, it is deserving of contempt. Spreading gossip is contemptible. All terrorists are contemptible. Contemptuous means feeling contempt for someone...
Congenital and hereditary
The words congenital and hereditary are often confused. They have slightly different meanings. Congenital means those traits, marks or defects that one develops before or during birth. Congenital defects, for example, are not inherited...
Compare and contrast
Compare and contrast have different meanings. Do not use compare as a synonym of contrast. We compare things of the same kind or class. For example, we can compare an orange with another orange,...
Better as an adjective, adverb or verb
The word better can be an adjective, adverb and verb. As an adjective, better is the comparative form of the adjective good. She is a better dancer than me. (Informal) She is a better...
Confidant and confident
The words confidant and confident have very different meanings. Confidant (male) and confidante (female) are nouns. She is my closest confidante. (= She is my closest friend.) A confidant or confidante is a person...
Loan and lend
The verbs lend and loan are interchangeable. Lend me 50 dollars. OR Loan me 50 dollars. Use loan when speaking of money and use lend when speaking of objects. Will you lend me your...
English vocabulary worksheet
Complete the following sentences using an appropriate word. 1. Some people still believe in the ………………… Loch Ness monster. 2. He made only a ………………… attempt to win the race. 3. He ………………… his...
Historic and historical
The words historic and historical are often confused. Historic means famous in history. The signing of the treaty was a historic moment. Maharashtra has numerous historic forts. Jallianwalla Bagh is a historic spot. August...
Burst and hurt
The word burst has only one form – burst. It does not have forms like bursted or bursten. The balloon burst. (Here burst is used in the past tense.) She burst into tears. (Here...