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False friends
„False friends” (mot-a-mot, „prieteni falși”) sunt cuvintele care, deși au o formă similară cu
anumite cuvinte din altă limbă, sunt diferite ca sens față de acestea. Concret, în cazul nostru, este
vorba despre cuvinte din limba engleză pe care le echivalăm adesea greșit în limba română (sau
vice-versa) din cauza asemănărilor în ce privește forma cuvintelor. Acest lucru deteriorează
sensul și calitatea mesajului pe care vrem să îl transmitem și creează confuzie.

 actual ~ current
What are the actual issues you are facing? (efectiv, concret)
What are the current issues you are facing? (actual, curent)

 advertisement ~ warning
Angela received an advertisement proposal from the creative agency. (reclamă)
Angela received a warning from the police officer. (avertisment)

 to agree ~ to like
The neighbours agreed to replace their old elevator. (a conveni, a fi de acord)
The neighbours like the new couple who moved in. (a plăcea, a agrea)

 arm ~ weapon, gun

Give me your arm. It is slippery. (braț)
Give me your gun. You are not allowed to carry one. (armă de foc, pistol)

 bucket ~ bunch, bouquet

Tom brought Sarah a bucket of fish from the pond. (găleată)
Tom brought Sarah a beautiful bouquet of flowers for her birthday. (buchet)

 camera ~ room
Look into the camera. They are taking a picture. (aparat de fotografiat)
Take a look inside the room. Do you like the furniture? (cameră)

 crime ~ murder
Jonathan was convicted of a petty crime when he was in high school. (infracțiune)
Jonathan was convicted of murder and was sentenced to life in prison. (crimă)

 eventually ~ possibly
George will eventually find a good job. (în cele din urmă)
George could possibly visit his friends from high school tonight. (posibil, eventual)

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  library ~ bookshop
Carla spent the entire weekend at the library, preparing for the exam. (bibliotecă)
Carla bought a best-selling novel from the bookshop. (librărie)

 magazine ~ shop, store

I read several magazines in the dentist’s waiting room. (revistă)
I bought some food from the food store. Let’s eat at home today. (magazin)

Choose the word that best completes the sentence

1. action / activity
The police took immediate ____________ when they realised the situation was getting out of
hand.
Economic ____________ stagnated as the recession took hold.

2. advice / advise
Can you ____________ me on the best course of action to take?
He offered me some excellent ____________ .

3. affect / effect
Cuts in spending will have a serious ____________ on the healthcare services.
The strike will seriously ____________ train services.

4. appreciable / appreciative
There is an ____________ difference between manslaughter and murder.
She was very ____________ of our efforts to help.

5. assumption / presumption
They raised taxes on the ____________ that it would help control spending.
It's sheer ____________ for the government to suggest things have improved since they came to
power.
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6. avoid / prevent
Rapid government reforms managed to ____________ a revolution taking place.
He's always trying to ____________ taking a decision if he can help it.

7. beside / besides
The office is just ____________ the railway station.
____________ their regular daytime job, many people do extra work in the evening.

8. briefly / shortly
____________ before the conflict began, the army pulled down the border posts.
The senator spoke ____________ about the need for political reform.

9. channel / canal
The television ____________ received a formal complaint about the program.
The Suez ____________ was built in the second half of the nineteenth century.

10. conscientious / conscious

Most people are ____________ of the need to protect the environment.
____________ workers should be rewarded for their hard work.

11. continual / continuous

A ____________ trade embargo has badly affected the economic infrastructure.
The computer has given us ____________ problems ever since we installed it.

12. control / inspect

Environmental health officers regularly ____________ kitchens and other food preparation
areas.
The government plans to ____________ the price of meat to make sure it doesn't go up too
much.

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13. criticism(s) / objection(s)
They didn't raise any ____________ when we insisted on inspecting the figures.
The government's plan was met with severe ____________.

14. damage / injury / harm

It was a severe ____________ which needed immediate hospital treatment.
A lot of ____________ was caused to buildings along the coast during the storm.
There's no ____________ in taking a break from your job now and then.

15. discover / invent

When did he ____________ the telephone?
Did Alexander Fleming ____________ penicillin?

16. during / for / while

Stores were closed ____________ the duration of the conflict.
____________ the transition from a dictatorship to democracy, the country experienced severe
strikes and riots.
The bomb went off ____________ the President was making his speech.

17. however / moreover

The plan was good in theory. ____________, in practice it was extremely difficult to implement.
The plan was excellent. ____________, it was clear from the beginning that it was going to be a
success.

18. considerate / considerable

He made a ____________ amount of money from his dotcom enterprise.
She's a very ____________ person, so she would never intentionally upset anyone.

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19. intolerable / intolerant
I consider his behavior to be quite ____________.
The government is ____________ of other political parties.

20. job / work

Everybody has the right to a decent ____________ with good pay.
Following the recession, many people are still looking for ____________.

21. lay(s) / lie(s)

The city of Quito ____________ near the equator.
The manager made it clear he intended to ____________ down some strict rules.

22. look at / watch

We must ____________ the situation in Lugumba carefully, and be prepared to act if violence
flares
again.
We need to ____________ the problem carefully and decide if there is anything we can do about
it.

23. permission / permit

I'm afraid we can't ____________ photography in here.
They received ____________ to attend the sessions as long as they didn't interrupt.

24. possibility / chance

There is always the ____________ that the government will reverse its decision.
If we act now, we have a good ____________ of finding a cure for the disease.

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Exercises
Complete the phrases with the correct prepositions.
AT – FOR - IN – OF – ON – TO – WITH
1. to be excellent __________ something
2. he is experienced __________ writing emails
3. ashamed __________ having failed
4. concentrate __________ something important
5. an answer __________ the question
6. proud __________ his son
7. famous __________ breath-taking sights
8. supply the customers __________ the right products
9. succeed __________ making a lot of money
10.similar __________ mine
11.respected __________ being an honest politician
12.deal __________ the problem later
13.keen __________ going to the cinema
14.sorry __________ having done something wrong
15.provide her __________ everything she needs
16.responsible __________ employing new workers
17.an expert __________ astronomy
18.fond __________ romantic films
19.congratulate him __________ his success
20.interested __________ pursuing a career
21.capable __________ getting to the top
22.to take pride __________ what you do
23.to be short __________ money
24.praise her __________ doing such a good job
25.cooperate __________ the competitor

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II. Read the text about living in a new country. Decide which of the four words best fits
each space.
Although living in another country can be an (1) ___________________ adventure, it is
sometimes proves (2) ___________________ a difficult experience. Many things are new and
different – not only the language and culture but also (3) ___________________ things like
where to buy stamps or when banks are open. For a person who is used (4)
___________________ in control of their world these new experiences can make them feel
helpless, (5) ___________________ and frustrated.
Many of those who start a life somewhere else often go through certain (6) ________________
before they feel at home in their new (7) ___________________. The first few weeks after
arrival in another country is full of positive feelings and excitement. Then (8) _______________
sets in and can make you feel angry and impatient. Some people (9) ___________________
their new home for such feelings. Eventually, however, most newcomers settle (10) _________
and begin to adapt.
However, when a person returns to their own culture, they may (11) ___________________ the
same things in reverse. It takes them (12) ___________________ time to get back to their
former life in their home country.

1 excited exciting pleasure thrilled

2 have been be of being to be
3 everyday daily average regular
4 been to being to be being
5 confusing confused confuse confusion
6 steps times eras stages
7 surroundings settings atmospheres situations
8 life certainty reality truth
9 cause blame accuse hold
10 in off of back
11 bear happen suffer experience
12 some any every all

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