33 Confusing Words in English - Learners' Questions Mega Class! - VoiceTube: Learn English through videos!

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What's the difference between 'advice' and 'advice'? That's what Shahnaz on
YouTube would like to know and that's what we're doing in this Learners' Question.
So, advice with a 'c' is an uncountable noun - that's a d v i c e
and notice the 's' sound - advice. It means an opinion, recommendation or suggestion
by someone that you should do something in a certain situation. It's commonly followed by
the prepositions 'about' or 'on' For example, you need my advice about 'advice' - see what I did!
Advice strongly collocates with the verbs 'give' and 'take'. You can give advice or you can take
someone's advice. For example, my friend gave me some relationship advice but I thought it was bad
so I didn't take it. You can do something on someone's advice. For example,
on my father's advice, I became a teacher but I really wanted to be a lion tamer.
It can be followed by an infinitive verb. For example, John! Look out for that lion!
My advice is to call a doctor first thing in the morning.
And, of course, as an uncountable noun, we can make it countable by using 'a piece'. A piece
of advice. I have three pieces of advice for you: brush floss and use mouthwash every day!
Okay, this is a good time for me to remind you about the Learners' Questions playlist!
All your favorite Learners' Questions in one easy to access place! Just click on
the link and you'll go straight through to our YouTube playlist! Who knows - maybe your
question has already been answered! And if you have a question for Learners' Questions,
you can email us on learning.english@bbc.co.uk - and don't forget at the end of this video
there is a full summary slide with all of the information that i've mentioned!
'Advise' is a regular verb - that's a d v i s e and notice the 'z' sound -advise. It
basically means give advice - in other words, give someone your opinion, suggestion or recommendation
as to what they should do in a certain situation. Its prepositions are 'on' or 'about'. So, now I'll
advise you on 'advise'. Second time! I did it again! You can advise something. For example,
when working with lions I advise fear - lots of fear! You can advise someone to do something.
For example, my father advised me to choose a different career. You can advise someone against
doing something. For example, in the cage, I advise against making any sudden movement.
Finally, you can advise that. For example,
circus masters everywhere advise that people stop disturbing lions - they recommend trying gorillas
instead! Thank you very much for your question, Shahnaz. I hope you found the answer useful! If
anyone else out there has a question for Learners' Questions, you can email us on
learning.english at bbc.co.uk. I'll see you next time on Learners Questions. Bye, guys.
What's the difference between 'fault', 'flaw' and 'weakness'? That's what Helen wants to know
and that's what we're doing on this Learners Questions!
'Fault' is a noun which means a mistake or problem in something.
We commonly refer to technical faults, mechanical faults and electrical faults when talking about
machinery or computers. For example, the train was delayed due to a mechanical fault.
Fault can also be used to talk about who is to blame for a mistake. You will often hear people
say: it's your fault, it's his fault, it's her fault or it wasn't my fault. For example, it is
completely my fault that this video is so awesome. I do not apologize. Finally, 'fault' can be used
in reference to what we believe is a negative part of somebody's personality or character. But don't
judge anybody too harshly because remember we all have our faults. Except me! Now for the noun
'flaw'. 'Flaw' is a mark or a blemish which spoils something's appearance. For example, this copy of
the book has a tiny printing flaw on the cover which makes it very rare and very valuable.
A flaw can also be a minor fault or weakness in something making it less valuable or less
effective and this is particularly common with thinking or reasoning words, We can talk about a
flaw in an idea, a flaw in an argument, a flaw in a concept, a flaw in a design. For example, it's a
nice idea but it has a serious flaw in it. Finally we can talk about a flaw in someone's character
or a character flaw. For example, my only character flaw is that I'm very short-tempered.
Okay let's stop for a second so i can tell you about the Learners' Questions playlist - every
episode of learners questions is already there for you and if you have a question maybe the
answer is there already. So go and have a look. If you have a question for Learners Questions you can
email us on learning.english@bbc.co.uk and don't forget at the end of the video there is a full
summary slide. Now let's talk about the noun 'weakness' which is an area of something that
lacks resilience or strength. For example, vampires have several weaknesses: garlic,
sunlight, religious iconography or a stake through the heart.
Like 'fault' and 'flaw', a 'weakness' can be something that makes something else less
attractive or less effective. For example, in my opinion, the weakness of texting is that
it doesn't communicate body language which is so important. Finally like 'fault' and 'flaw',
'weakness' can also be used to describe a problem in someone's character. For example,
their love of money is a worrying weakness in my opinion.
Thank you very much for your question Helen. I hope I answered it for you.
If you have a question for Learners Questions you can email us on learning.english.bbc.co.dot.uk
and don't forget as soon as I finish this there is a full summary slide. Thank you very
much for joining me and I will see you next time on Learners Questions. Bye everybody!
What's the difference between the verbs 'lie' and 'lay'? That's why
Alejandra emailed us and that's what we're talking about on this Learners' Question.
Okay, our first verb is 'lie'. The past tense is 'lay' and the past participle is 'lain'.
'Lie' means to move into a horizontal or flat position as you would do if you were going to bed.
For example, if you don't feel well lie on the bed. The verb 'lie' also means be in a
particular place. If something lies somewhere, it is somewhere. For example, the clothes lay
all over the floor or my home lies five miles east of London. In this way, using lie for place
we can talk about where blame or responsibility lies. Blame or responsibility lies with someone.
So, for example, the blame lies with him but as a manager the responsibility lies with you. In the
same way, and formally speaking now, you can use 'lie' to talk about the place where a person is
buried. For example, Charles Darwin and Isaac Newton lie in Westminster Abbey. Okay, now let's
talk about the verb 'lie'. The past tense of which is 'lied' and the past participle of which is
'lied'. When you lie you speak falsely. You lie to someone about something or about doing something.
For example, he lied to his teacher about doing his homework so he didn't get in trouble. Naughty!
Unfortunately, lying is a pretty common occurrence and as a result we have lots of fixed phrases that
you can use to talk about it. So you can lie your way into something, you can lie your way out of
something, you can tell a bare-faced lie, you can lie through your teeth or to emphasize that you're
telling the truth you can say no word of a lie. Okay, let's stop for a second so I can tell you
all about the Learners Questions playlist! Yes, all of your favorite Learners Questions in one
easy to use place! Just click the link and you'll be taken straight through!
Who knows? Maybe your question is already there and the answer is waiting for you to pick it up
and if you have a question for Learners' Questions, you can email us on
learning.english@bbc.co.uk. And don't forget - immediately after I finish speaking there is a
full summary slide with all the information you need to know on it! So make sure to check it out!
Now let's talk about the verb 'lay'. The past tense of which is 'laid' and the past participle
is 'laid'. When you lay something, you put it down in a horizontal or flat position,
often carefully. For example, I laid the baby in her cot.
There you go. Do not confuse this when you lie, you put yourself in a flat or horizontal position.
When you lay something, you put it in a flat or horizontal position. For example, I laid the baby
on the bed and then I lay next to the baby to sleep. Because lay means put something down,
we can talk about laying things like carpet or railway track or in a metaphorical way
we can lay a dead person to rest. So, for example, Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin
were laid to rest in Westminster Abbey. The verb lay can also mean prepare. We talk about
laying the table for dinner or laying a place for someone. For example, Mom, how many places do I
need to lay at the table for lunch? You can talk about laying a fire - that's where you make a fire
ready to burn or we can talk about laying a trap. For example, the hunter laid three traps in the
hopes of catching some dinner. And, of course any animal which can push an egg out of its body lays
that egg. Thank you very much for your email, Alejandra. I hope we answered your question.
If anybody else out there has a question for Learners' Questions, you can email us on
learning.english@bbc.co.uk And don't forget - there is a full summary slide coming just
after I finish speaking. I'll see you next time on Learners' Questions! Bye everybody!
What are the differences between 'peek', 'peak' and 'pique'. That's what Farshid on YouTube would
like to know and that's what we're going to be talking about in this Learners' Question!
Okay, let's talk about peek - that's p-e-e-k. When you peek at something you take a quick look at it,
often sneakily so as not to be seen. For example, you know when you see someone
that you really really like but you don't want them to see you looking at them? Well,
she peeked at him over her textbook.
Or, we often talk about peeking at something or someone peeking over something like a wall.
You can peek through the curtains and you can peek into somebody's window. The verb peek also
means protrude. If something peeks, it can be partially seen from behind something.
This paper is peeking from my pocket or how did you find me? I saw your shoes peeking from under
the curtain. Now the word 'peak' - p-e-a-k has lots of meanings because it's applicable in a wide
range of contexts. It basically means the highest, strongest or most extreme point of something.
The highest point in a graph, the tip of a mountain or the busiest time. For example,
the peak of this graph shows you shouldn't travel to the peak of the mountain during peak times.
Peak is also a verb and it means reach the highest point - so you can peak a mountain,
or "I've peaked", said the actor after collecting his Oscar. Although that means that the only way
is down! Okay, let's stop for a second so I can take a breather - because all this explaining is
tiring work! Why not take the opportunity while I've paused to leave us a like or give
us an example sentence in the comments below! We would love to see the language that you've
learned so far! Remember - if you have a question for Learners Questions, you can email us on
learning.english@bbc.co.uk. We would love to hear from you - and don't forget also that at the end
of the video there is a summary slide with all the information printed on it for you to read in your
own time! Finally, we have pique - p-i-q-u-e. Now, it's a verb and a noun and it's not very common
but it's still used in two very nice expressions. First of all, you can be in a fit of pique.
This means become irritated because someone has been rude to you or insulted your pride.
For example, she left the room in a fit of pique because they insulted her work.
Secondly, you can pique someone's interest or curiosity - that means make them interested or
curious. For example, these new inventions have really piqued my interest. OK, Farshid on YouTube,
thank you very much for writing to us. I hope that has answered your question.
If you have a question for us on Learners' Questions, there's the email - you know what it is
and don't forget there is a summary slide coming immediately after this. See you next time, guys.
This week's Learners' Question comes from
Marita in Spain who asks: could you explain the difference between pop in, pop out and pop round?
OK, Marita, we'll do our best.
Now these three pieces of language you've chosen are phrasal verbs - that means they are a verb
combined with a preposition. In this context, the verb 'pop' means go somewhere for a short period
of time. If you pop out, you leave the building that you are in - possibly your house or your
office and maybe you're going to run an errand, so you might collect some milk, post a letter or go
and have some lunch. For example, I'm just popping out to get some milk. I'll be back in a minute.
Pop in has the opposite meaning. This means you go inside a building for a short period of time, For
example, oh wait a minute, I need to pop in this shop and buy some toothpaste. And we also use pop
in when we visit someone in a very informal way - so, oh you're home on Saturday, i'll pop in and
see you. It's in this kind of situation that we also use pop round - although pop round puts more
focus on the traveling. So, for example, Sarah, why won't you pop around and have a cup of tea?
I haven't seen you in ages! Remember that being a phrasal verb, we can change the preposition to
suit the context. Two slightly different examples would be - I need to pop up on the roof and fix a
satellite dish, or are you looking for John? He's just popped downstairs to speak to Tim.
i hope that answers your question, Marita, thank you very much for writing to us. If anybody else
out there has a question about English you can email us on learning.english@bbc.co.uk.
Please remember to include Learners' Questions in the subject box and your name and the country
that you're from. For more information, you can go to our website bbclearningenglish.com.
I'll see you next time on Learners' Questions - thanks for tuning in. bye.
What's the difference between remember,remind, recall and recollect? That's what Augustine
from Spain wants to know and that's what we're doing on this Learners' Questions.
The verb remember is about having a memory about something - it's kind of
complicated and it has lots of different verb patterns so let's go through them together.
First, there's remember + the object. For example,
I remember this music from yesterday. Then there's remember + a question word or that.
For example, I suddenly remembered that I had forgotten to lock the windows of my house.
Then there's remember + ing. This is where you remember something that you did
before - so first the action and then remember. For example, I remember making my first learners
Squestions video - it was a little while ago now. And then there's remember + the infinitive.
This is where you remember now to do something in the future. So first remember and then the action.
For example, I must remember to make another learners questions video tomorrow.
Remind means make someone remember and like remember it has a few verb patterns.
So we can talk about remind + question word or that. For example, the teacher reminded the class
what was considered acceptable behavior. We can talk about remind + somebody + an infinitive. For
example, I have an app on my phone that reminds me to pick up my dry cleaning. And finally something
can remind somebody of something and in this way we mean spark an associated memory. For example,
oh that smell reminds me of the cake my grandmother used to make.
Okay, let's stop for a second so i can tell you all about the Learners' Questions playlist. Yes,
all of your favorite Learners' Questions in one easy to access place - if you have
a question for Learners' Questions maybe the answer is there already - so go check it out!
If you have a question for Learners' Questions, you can email us on learning.english@bbc.co.uk
and don't forget as soon as i finish talking there is a full summary slide.
Recall and recollect are both verbs that can just mean remember - and like remember they
have a couple of verb patterns in common. So we can talk about recall or recollect + that or a
question word. For example, I don't recall what I did with my keys, then I recollected that I'd
left them at work. we can also talk about recall or recollect + ing - so do you recall seeing my
last learner's questions episode? Do you recollect learning about situation position and condition?
If not, go check it out! Finally, recall can be different from remember, remind and
recollect because recall doesn't always just mean remember. It can mean remember and communicate.
For example, at his retirement party the professor recalled some of the best moments in his career
to his colleagues. Thank you very much for your question Augustine, I hope I answered it for you.
If you have a question for Learners' Questions, you can email us on learning.english@bbc.co.uk
and don't forget at the end of this video there's a full summary slide,
so make sure you check it out! I'll see you next time on Learners Questions, bye everybody.
What's the difference between see, look and watch?
That's why Shanu emailed us and that's what we're doing on this Learners' Question.
Everybody knows that the verb see means perceive something or
receive information through your eyes. For example, if you look over here you will see
me. Don't forget that see in this meaning is a state verb - there's no ing - just I see Dan.
But did you know that the verb see can also mean imagine? You can see something happening, see
someone as something or see yourself as something - where do you see yourself in five years time?
In five years time, I see myself as a serious news reporter.
Now for the verb look. Look is a regular verb - so look looked looked. And notice that when we look,
we direct our eyes to see something. For example, if you look over here you'll see wait for it...me.
Okay, let's stop for a second so I can check if you have heard about the Learners Questions
playlist - all your favourite learners questions in one easy to access place. If you have a
question about English maybe the answer is there, so click on the link and go there straight away -
if you have a question for Learners' Questions, you can email us on learning.english@bbc.co.uk
and don't forget as soon as i finish speaking there is a full summary slide.
Look can also mean appear and it's usually followed by an adjective - so a book can look
interesting or food can look delicious. If we combine look with the prepositions at into or
over, we get the meaning examine or investigate. For example, police are looking into reports of
fraud at a local bank. Now let's talk about watch! Watch is a regular verb so watch,
watched, watched and there's that 't' again. If you watch something you fix your vision on it
to observe it. For example, you are watching me - hooray.
Watch can also mean be careful. We talk about watching for something, watching out
for something or watch + a question word. For example, watch what you say about him he sees
everything. Finally, watch can mean guard or protect and we might say watch or watch over.
For example, oh could you just watch my bag for a second while I go to the loo, please? Thank
you for your email, Shanu, i hope the answer was useful to you if you have a question for learner's
questions you can email us on learning.english @bbc.co.uk and don't forget immediately after I
finish speaking there is a full summary slide with all the information that you need to know. Yhank
you very much for joining me on this Learners' Questions, i'll see you next time everybody, bye.
What's the difference between situation, position and condition? That's what Giti
from Iran wants to know and that's what we're doing on this Learners Questions.
Condition is a noun that describes the physical state of something or someone.
We usually talk about things being in good, bad or terrible condition. For example, I bought this top
three years ago and it's still in good condition look how white that 'f' is! Conditions as a plural
can refer to the environment - we talk about doing something under good, bad or terrible conditions.
For example, the storm meant that we had to abandon climbing the mountain under such difficult
conditions. And in this way we can talk about living conditions or working conditions - that's
the environment in which we live or work. So, for example, this office needs more light
to meet basic working conditions. Finally, we can talk about a condition or conditions needing to
be met or satisfied and that means that something must be done before something else can happen. For
example, in order to get this job you need to meet certain conditions - qualifications, for example.
Situation is a noun that refers to a specific set of conditions
in a particular place at a particular time. After a natural disaster, for example,
we might say that the situation in the country is not good. We often combine other words with
situation to create more specific contexts - we can talk about the economic or financial situation
and of course don't forget about situation comedies or sitcoms as they're commonly known.
These are tv shows that put a bunch of characters in a specific place at a specific time. Okay,
this is a great time for me to remind you to check out the Learners' Questions playlist
all of your favorite learners questions in one easy to access place on our YouTube channel.
If you have a question for Learners Questions, you can email us on learning.english@bbc.co.uk
and don't forget there is a full summary slide immediately after this video.
Position is a noun and a verb that refers to the way or where something is placed for example the
position of this 'f' is on my chest but we can also refer to positioning something somewhere' For
example, please position the flowers on a window ledge to get maximum sunlight. In another way,
position can refer to opinion -your position is your opinion on something. For example,
my position is that recycling is essential and everybody's responsibility. Finally, position
can mean job or role - when writing to apply for a job you might write,
I am writing to apply for the position of producer as advertised on your website.
Thank you for your question, Git.iIi hope the answer was useful.
If you have a question for Learners Questions, you can email us on learning.english@bbc.co.uk
and don't forget as soon as this video finishes there is a full summary slide.
Thanks very much for joining me on this Learners' Questions, I'll see you next time. Bye, everybody.
How do we use tough, rough and stiff? That's what Eugele sent us an email for
and that's what we're doing on this Learners' Questions.
All right, now before we get started it's worth noting that these three words have
lots of meanings and we're just going to cover the most common ones. So for more information on them
and other confusing words make sure to check out our website bbclearningenglish.com. Okay,
tough is an adjective and its noun is toughness - something which is tough is
very difficult to damage or very durable. For example, this cup is very tough.
Tough can also mean difficult or challenging - we talk about things like tough questions, tough
circumstances or a tough read. My maths exam, for example, was very tough - it was a tough exam.
We can talk about food being tough - that is food which is difficult to eat
or to chew, you know when you get like a really badly cooked steak and it's like
Now let's talk about rough. Rough is also an adjective and its noun is roughness. Something
which is rough is not smooth. We talk about things like rough cloth, rough skin or a rough
surface. For example, have you ever been licked by a cat - their tongues are very rough.
Okay, let's just stop for a second so I can remind you to click subscribe and hit that
bell so you stay up to date with all of the latest learners questions. You wouldn't want to miss out
on anything, would you? If you have a question for Learners Questions, you can email us on
learning.english@bbc.co.uk and don't forget at the end of this video there is a full summary
slide with all of the mentioned information on it, so sit back relax and enjoy. Rough can also mean
not exact. For example, you might make a rough copy of something like a drawing or notes,
or you can give someone a rough estimate. For example, what time will you be here? Well,
probably around four but it's just a rough estimate.
Rough can also mean difficult or challenging. We can talk about rough circumstances or
having a rough time. For example, John's having a rough time, he just lost his job.
Now let's talk about stiff. Stiff is also an adjective and its noun is stiffness. Something
which is stiff is not flexible or not easily moved. We talk about things like stiff card,
a stiff collar on a shirt or when you take your jeans out of the wash and put them on they've gone
stiff it makes it very difficult to walk in them, and in this way we can talk about stiff muscles.
This is when you have a part of your body a muscle that doesn't want to bend or move. For example,
if you sleep in a funny position and then wake up, ah, with a stiff neck. Stiff can also mean
difficult or severe - we can talk about stiff punishment in relation to a crime or stiff
competition. For example, there was a lot of stiff competition at the job interview but I think I got
it. Thank you for your question, Eugele, I hope the answer has been useful. If anybody else out
there has a question for Learners' Questions, you can email us on learning.english@bbc.co.uk
and don't forget as soon as I finish speaking there is a full summary slide
with all the information I've already mentioned. I'll see you next time on Learners' Questions.
What's the difference between win, earn and gain? That's why Esra
emailed us and that's what we're doing in this Learners' Questions.
Win is an irregular verb so win, won have won. It means achieve first place in a competition,
contest, fight, argument, bet or attempt at something. For example,
let's play a game - are you ready? One, two, three, you lose, I win!
Win can also mean get something that other people are also trying to get and this is
especially useful in a business context where we talk about winning an order, winning a contract
or winning the right to do something. For example, the most successful bid will win the contract to
build the bridge. Win can also mean gain the support of someone - we talk about winning
support, winning approval, winning the heart of someone or winning someone over. For example,
the politician's speech won over the hostile crowd and they started cheering. Now, let's talk about
earn, earned and have earned. And notice the 'd' - when you earn, you receive an amount of money
in exchange for your work. People earn an amount of money but never ask them about it. Or
a person can earn a living which is make money to survive. For example, I could never earn a living
as a translator because I'm not fluent in any other language. Professional monkey, though....
In a business context, earn means receive as profit. Companies earn, shares earn and accounts
earn. For example, so far the movie has earned three million, billion, squillion, jillion pounds
(not a real number!) Alright, let's take a break for a second so I can make sure that
you have subscribed and clicked that bell to stay up to date with all of our latest
learners questions - we wouldn't want you missing out now, would we? And if you have a question for
Learners Questions, you know what to do. Email learning.english@bbc.co.uk and don't forget
as soon as I finish talking there is a full summary slide, so sit back relax and enjoy.
Earn can also mean receive something deserved - we can talk about things like earning praise,
earning respect or earning your place at a particular organization. And quite frankly,
after this video i think I've earned a nice cup of tea. Now, let's talk about gain, gained and have
gained. And there's that 'd' sound again. When we gain, we get or obtain something positive.
We can talk about gaining support, gaining an advantage or gaining confidence. For example,
in my first video I was quite nervous but since then I have gained confidence. Gain can also mean
increase in amount - things gain height, they gain weight, they gain speed or they gain value.
For example, actually my jeans are a little bit tight today - oh no, have i gained
weight?Finally we can talk about something gaining ground or gaining traction or popularity,
and this means becoming more popular and more accepted by society. Things like ideas or
movements, for example. Veganism is gaining ground at the moment as more and more people become
vegan. Thank you very much for your email, Ezra. I hope I answered your question - if you have a
question for Learners' Questions, you can email us on learning.english@bbc.co.uk and don't forget as
soon as I finish talking, there is a full summary slide with all the information you need to know.
I'll see you next time on Learners' Questions, thanks for joining me. Bye, everybody!