36 Confused words ‘Aim To practise using a number of commonly confused pairs of words, e.g. | continuous/continual, affect/etfect, etc. Preparation Copy and cut up the handouts on page 121 - one copy per pair for Activity A and | one copy per group (A-F) for Activity B. Introduction (5 minutes) Write the following sentences on the board: 1066 is one of the most historical moments in British history. The new tax on petrol will take effect from 6 p.m. tonight. Her hair was pink and obviously dyed. Tell the students that in one of the sentences a word is used wrongly. Invite suggestions as to which one (the word historical in the first sentence). Ask students if they know which word should have been used instead (historic). Tell the students that in this lesson they will be looking at other commonly confused words. Presentation (20 minutes) Activity A Divide the class into pairs. Give each a copy of Activity A. Tell them that in some of the sentences one word is used incorrectly. Tell them to find the incorrect words and suggest which word should have been used instead. After about ten minutes, tell the class that there are fifteen mistakes altogether, Check answers orally. Practice (15 minutes) Activity B Divide the class into six groups A~F with approximately four students per group. ve each group a copy of Activity B. ‘ell students to write their own sentences using the four pairs of words on their sheet, They may use dictionaries, if necessary. Tell them to follow the pattern for Activity A, that is, to make some of the sentences correct, while in the others they are to use the incorrect word of each pair. Allow approximately ten minutes for this. Then, ask each group to read out their sentences and for the others in the class to say whether each one is correct or incorrect. If they say that a sentence is incorrect, ask them to suggest which word should have been used in its place Conclusion (Sminutes) Asa quick review, read through all the sentences in Activity A again. Ask students to follow without looking at their handouts. Choose students at random and ask each one after reading a sentence: Does the sentence sound right or wrong? If he/she says it sounds wrong, continue: Which word do you think is wrong? And finally: And which word should have been used instead? Homework Ask students to explain the difference between the following sets of terms: Sitlfriend/boyfriend, partner, old flame ‘beat, punch, knock out, slap look at, see, watch curator, caretaker, warden, warder | Key A The following sentences are incorrect, withthe wrong woe given ist followed bythe (suggested) word that Should have been use. I dalect~ accent, 2 meaning ~ intention, 4 sais ~ steps, 8 avoid ~ prevent, 6 Admittance ~ Admission, 8 rel ~ actual, 9 decisive = Conclusive, IDalternately alternatively, 11 sure ~ certin, 1 efficent ~ effective, 14 Les ~ Fewer 16 tactics ~ amenities, 17 fantasy ~ imagination, 18 specimen sample, 30 priceless worthless.= 36 Confused words A in some of the sentences below, one word is used wrongly. Find the word and suggest which word should have been used instead. 1 She spoke English with a broad Welsh dialect. 2 I'm sorry, Paula. It really wasn't my meaning to upset you 3 Acchild leaving home for good is a very emotional experience for most parents. They ran up the steep stone stairs leading up to the entrance of the museum. 5 Something must be done to avoid such an accident ever happening again 6 There was a large sign on the door which said ‘Admittance £5’ 7 8 = Do you think the new changes in income tax will affect you very much? This is the real piano on which Andrew Lloyd Webber composed most of the music for Cats. 9 The police now have decisive proof that the two men robbed the bank. 10 We can go by train or, alternately, we can go by bus. 11 It is almost sure that the Labour Party will win the next election. 12 Most tinned food is deficient in vitamins, 13. This new stain remover is very efficient. It easily got rid of the gravy stain on my shirt. 14 Less people turned up for the pop concert than expected. 15 She had dyed her hair a distinctive shade of green. 16 Our new house is in a good residential area, close to shops, schools and. other local facilities. 17 You need a pretty vivid fantasy to write fiction. 18 They asked the artist to send them a specimen of his work. 19 If you print that story about me, then I'll sue you for libel. 20 The painting was a fake and completely priceless. Activity B_ Group A Activity B_ Group D 1 bring ~ take 1 invention - discovery 2 rob~ steal 2 opportunity ~ possibility 3 disease - illness 3 control - check 4 emigration ~ immigration 4 economic ~ economical Activity B- Group B H 1 nature - scenery i 2 adapt — adopt H Activity B_ Group E shadow - shade 2 embarrassed ~ ashamed 3 goal - gaol 4 lose — loose | 3 classic ~ classical i 4 lie -lay Activity B_ Group C | Activity B_ Group F | 1 housework - homework 1 brand = make t 2 rise - raise 2 criticism — review 3 lend - borrow | 3 fun-funny i 4 delayed ~ postponed {4 suit fit@ What's the difference? CY h card game "A team game for SS to revise confusing words from this lesson and previous lessons. Make one copy and cut up into cards. with ake) # Divide SS into two teams, or more if you have alot of SS. ‘© Give team 1a card. The team have 30 seconds to decide what the difference is between the two words. A spokesman from the team explains it tothe rest of the cass. Ifthe explanation is correct, they get a point. If not, the card is passed to team 2, who also have 30 seconds to explain the difference. If neither team remembers the difference, explain into the class. Then give team 2 a card. Continue until all the cards have been used up. ‘© Write up the teams’ points on the board and finally add up the points to see which team has won, Non-cut alternative Put SS in pairs. Copy one sheet per pai. $5 take i in turn to explain the difference between the words. 1. like (ad) = having similar qualities to sb or sth alike (adj) = in a very similar way (only used atthe end of a sentence or clause) 2. especially = above all, for a particular purpose (often followed by past participle) specially = particularly (often used before an adjective or adverb) 3 actually = in fact, to tell the truth effect = noun meaning the consequence ofan action 5 economic = related to the economy economical = spending money in a careful way 6 beside = next to or at the side of sb / sth besides = in addition to, apart from 7 ache = to feel continuous dull hurt pain = the feeling that you have in your body when you've been hurt '8 campsite = a place where you can put up tents, ete. camping = living in a tent, etc. on holiday . 9 suit=a jacket with matching trousers or skit suite =a set of rooms, esp. in a hotel, usually with a bedroom, a living area, and a bathroom 10 sight = the ability to sce /the act of seeing / an interesting place site =a place where a particular building was, i, or will be /a place on the Internet with information 11. ashamed = feeling bad about sth you have done embarrassed = shy or awkward in a social situation 12. argument = a conversation in which two or more people disagree, often angrily discussion = talking about sth or sb in detail 13 view = what you can see from a particular place scenery = the natural features of an area 1 deny =to say sth is not true refuse = to say that you worft do sth sb has asked you to do 15 lay = put sth or sb ina particular position or put something down on sth (past laid, past participle laid), eg, He laid his hand on my arm. lie = put yourself in a horizontal position (past lay, past participle lain) 16 compromise = an agreement between two parties or groups in which each side gives up some ofthe things they want. Also a verb, e.g. We had fo compromise. commitment = a promise to do sth or to behave in a particular way 17 wages = a regular amount of money that you earn, usualy every week salary = money that employees receive for their job, especially professionals, usually paid monthly 18 journey = travelling from one place to another, especially when they are far apart ya short one for a particular purpose or pleasure 19 career = the series of jobs that a person has in @ particular area of work, usually involving more responsibility as time passes job = work which you do to receive regular payment 20 announce = to tell people sth officially especially about a decision, plans, etc advertise = to tell the public about a product or service so that they will buy itxplain the difference between the following pairs of words. like (adj) especially alike (adj) | specially actually currently economic | _ beside economical | besides campsite camping ashamed argument embarrassed | discussion ! compromise | lie : commitment | view scenery career = announce advertise53 20-square: Ambiguous hea Time: 20 ites, Type of activity: In this teacherled activity, students have to explain the two meanings ‘of newspaper headlines, (One is serious, the other is amusing.) Preperation: Copy the handout on page 13d — ‘one per group. {IF the group is large, make sure there are enough copies for every two to three students} Also copy, cut up and shuffle the numbers 1-20 on page 153. Place the numbers face down in front of you. lexical area/Topic Various headlines POLICE DISCOVERED SAFE UNDER A BLANKET, POLITICIANS TO DISCUSS RUBBISH, CRASH COURSE FOR PRIVATE PILOTS, etc. Method 1 Before starting, write the following headlines on the board: KICKING BABY CONSIDERED TO BE HEALTHY TWO SISTERS REUNITED AFTER 18 YEARS IN SUPERMARKET CHECKOUT QUEUE Ask the students to tead the headlines and try to find two completely different meanings — one serious and one funny ot unusual. Teach the word ambiguous. Give them 2-3 minutes, then check orally. (Answer: 1 Babies who kick are considered to be healthy /It is healthy to kick a baby. 2 Two sisters reunited again after 18 years when. they meet each other in a supermarket checkout queue./Sisters reunited after ‘queuing for 18 years at a supermarket checkout counter) 2. Divide the class into four groups - A-D. Give each group sufficient copies of the handout Decide which group will start (e.g. Group A). ‘The game then continues in a clockwise direction. 3. Hold up the first mumber (e.g. 5). The first ‘group look at square number 5 on the handout and try to think of the two different meanings for the headline. In this case POLICE SHOOT MAN WITH KNIFE. 4 If comect, everyone puts a cross through this square and writes in the letter of the group that gave the correct answer ~ in this case they would write 4 in the square. If incorrect, the number is put at the bottom of the pack to be used later on in the game, Play continues in this way. The team with, the highest number of ‘squares’ at the end is the winner. NOTE: The reason for using the number ‘cards i that it creates a certain amount of suspense ~ no one knows which square is going to be next, This results in heightened attention Key (suggested diferences) 1 sentence = prison sentence/grammar sentence; 2 safe = large steel box for keeping money in/out of danger; 3 boot = car boot/boot on her foot; 4 rmurses home = building where nurses livefhelp our rurses get home; 5 the man had a knife/they shoot ‘him using a knife; 6 rubbish = the problem of getting rid of rubbish/rubbish = nonsense; 7 ‘mushrooms = increases/women mushrooms growing in the forest; 8 rise in numbers of people dying in traffic accidents/dead traffic victims rise from their graves; 9 case = law case/will spend 9 months in a violin case; 10 red tape = bureaucracy Pits of red tape physically holding up the bridge; 11 more problems are altead/lies = untruths; 12 lead = clue in the case/dog’s lead worn around neck; 13 hit = affected; physically hit by a train — run over; 14 act = take action/to actually act on ‘stage; 15 they refuse to work after a fellow-worker died They refuse to work when they themselves are dead; 16 crash course = very intensive course/a course that will teach them how to crash their planes; 17 appeal = make an appeal to someone/ appeals to = is attractive to; 18 bull injures farmer who is holding a gun/the angry bull has the gun; 19 the painting is found near a tree/a tree finds the painting; 20 the police find the man/the police beat and rob the man¥ x 4 “ce | { ae ee es GIRL HAD A | PLEASE HELP | SPEECH ENDS | DISCOVERED | DETECTIVE | OUR NURSES | IN LONG | SAFEUNDER | Wrenner Pa SENTENCE | A BLANKET : | 5 | 6 7 8} | | POLICE | POLITICIANS | | ANCE IN TRAFFIC | SHOOT MAN | TO DISCUSS WONeN DEAD RISE | WITH KNIFE | RUBBISH | yucunooms | SLOWLY | | jeeeaeenteeetenees |ereenee ee 9) 10 11 12) PRESIDENT | POLICE WITH | oo | RED TAPE WINS ON TRACKER | monTugqy | HOLDS UP | BUDGET, BUT | DOGS FAIL | Vion ease | NEW BRIDGE | MORE LIES TOFIND | AHEAD LEAD | 13 14 15 16 | PASSENGERS ee MINERS CRASH | HIT BY wep REFUSE TO COURSES CANCELLED | j,0ethe© | WORK AFTER | FOR PRIVATE TRAINS Oren DEATH PILOTS ~a7f”— Pt~<“—séis Tt MICHAEL | ANGRY BULL STOLEN MAN FOUND JACKSON | —_INJURES PAINTING BEATEN, APPEALS TO FARMER FOUND BY A | ROBBED BY POPE WITH A GUN TREE POLICETime travel ‘Aims To review and practise choosing between easly confused words. To review student’ knowledge of linkers. To 4jve students the opportunity to read and react to a text about ‘a famous cosmologist Time 15 minutes Materials 1 handout for each student * Dive the class into small groups and write the name ‘Stephen Hawking on the board. Tell students to share anything they know about him in their groups. * Give each student a copy ofthe handout Tell them toread the biography in task A and answer the questions in task B. Check answers asa cass. PANSWER KEY] 1 Maths was not avallable at that college so he took physics. 2. No, itwas a book for the common man in the street 3 Ithasnt affected his life and work. «Tall them to read the text again and complete task C 1 exceedingly 2 implies 3 opportunity * Tell students to look at the linkers in the box and then, ‘complete task D. Monitor carefully and check answers as adass Ona Inthe biography: totellthe tuth the plain facts Infact, Inthe blog: 1 actually/in fact the plain fact is totellthe truth ‘Asa matter offactiin fact, actually Ensure students have access to dictionaries. Tell them to ‘complete task E and then discuss their choices together in pairs or small groups. Conduct class feedback, encouraging students to refer to the text to support their opinions. + Working in pairs, students complete task F‘A Do you know anything about the British cosmologist Stephen Hawking? Discuss in small groups. B_ Quickly read the biography of Stephen Hawking and answer the questions. 1 Which factors led to him studying Physics at University College, Oxford? 2 Was A Brief History of Time an academic book? ling to the text, how has Hawking’s illness affected his life and work? Biography of Stephen Hawking Born on 8 january 1942 in Oxford, England, Stephen Hawking was a ‘exceedingly / excessively bright and able child, destined to do well intellectually. He wanted to study mathematics, although to tell the truth his father would have preferred medicine, and was accepted to University College, Oxford. However, mathematics was not available ‘at University College, so he pursued physics instead. Hawking then went on to Cambridge to conduct research in Cosmology. On 1 April 1988 he published A Brief History of Time, aiming to explain some of the mysteries ofthe cosmos to the common man in the street. It remained on the UK best-seller list for 237 weeks. ‘Stephen Hawking was diagnosed with ALS, a form of Motor Neurone Disease, shortly after his 21st birthday, and these days he is wheelchair bound and dependent on a computerised voice system for communication. While an illness of this kind “implies / infers that the sufferer will be subject to an increasingly restricted way of life, in ‘Stephen Hawking’s case the plain fact is that he continues to successfully combine research into theoretical physics with an extensive programme of public lectures, not to mention his family life. Infact, he has three children and. three grandchildren. He clearly relishes the “opportunity / possibility to have a significant impact on the world he lives in, and says he still hopes to make it into space one day. C Read the text again and circle the correct option from the pairs of words in bold. D Find and underline three ofthe linking phrases below in the biography in B. Now use su review of Hawking’s blog. ble linkers to complete a actually asamatter offact... infact. the plainfactis... _totellthe truth. Not only is Stephen Hawking obviously a brilliant scientist but also a skilled writer because his blog How to build 4a Time Machine is genuinely accessible to the average reader. As a writer myself, | know how important itis to be sensitive to the needs of your target audience. Hawking obviously appreciates this ~ he doesn’t use big words or a lot of technical terms but * he doesn’t exactly dumb it down either. Interms of content, as you would expect from the most famous cosmologist of our time, this is pretty mind-blowing stuff and I started out enthralled. He raises many points that most of us don’t dare to consider. However, through trying to read this blog, I've come to understand the reason for this; 7 that although | understand the words Hawking is using, the actual concepts are just too huge for me to get my head around. Let me give you an example. {At one point he states ‘if you look closely enough at anything you'l find holes and wrinkles init. Even something as ‘smooth as a pool ball has tiny crevices, wrinkles and voids.’ So far so good. Hawking knows that the use of a real object can be invaluable in helping us make sense of the theory. ‘Then he goes on ‘Now it's easy to show that this s true in the first three dimensions. But trust me, it's also true of the fourth dimension (time). There are tiny crevices, wrinkles and voids in time. Down at the smallest of scales, smaller even than molecules, smaller than atoms, we get toa place called the quantum foam. This is where wormholes exist. Tiny tunnels or shortcuts through space and time constantly form, disappear, and reform within this quantum world. {And they actually link two separate places and two different times.’ That's it, 'm lost! | managed to stay with him right up to ‘smaller than atoms...” and then my brain went into meltdown! It’s not that | don’t want to believe him. « as an ardent fan of sci-fi | would like nothing more than to believe that time travelis a real possibility it’s ust that I'm a very simple person who needs theories to be borne ‘out by tangible fact. In other words, I think I need to see a ‘wormhole time machine’ in action before | can begin to understand why or how it works. Since that looks pretty unlikely to * happen in my lifetime, | confess that | have lost some of my initial enthusiasm for How to build a Time Machine but having said that, l remain appreciative of Stephen Hawking’s amazing mind.E choose adjectives from betow that you feel reflect opinions and feelings of the writer. Use a dictionary to check any unknown adjectives. ‘admiring baffled bored convinced enlightened fas impressed inspired open-minded scathing sceptical jated frustrated F Work with a partner and discuss the words you have chosen, with reference to the text.