Confusing words

Adapt means "to adjust": Minnie Miles quickly adapted to living away from home.

Adept means "skilled": Lucille is adept at speaking languages.

Adopt means to "to accept or start to use something new.” It was difficult to adopt
only one puppy from the animal shelter.

To legally take another person's child into your own family. They've adopted a
baby girl.

Amount is used with uncountable nouns: a large amount of money, amount of

work or amount of happiness.

Number is used with countable nouns: a number of people, a number of attempts

and a number of novels.

Biannual is twice in one year: My trip to the dentist is a biannual event.

Biennial means "every two years": These flowers are biennial; they bloom every
two years.

Coarse is an adjective means rough and not smooth or soft: A coarse hair.

Course is a noun means a set of classes or a plan of study on a particular subject,

or a direction.

They're going away on a training course next week.

The course of a ship.

Complement means to help make something or someone more complete or

effective: Their two personalities complement each other.
Compliment means to praise or express admiration for someone or an action that
expresses approval or respect: She received a compliment on her sense of fashion.
Habit and Custom.

Don't say: Telling lies is a very bad custom.

Say: Telling lies is a very bad habit.

Don't say: The Chinese have strange habits.

Say: The Chinese have strange customs.

A habit belongs to the individual, but custom belongs to a society or country.

Shade and Shadow.

Don't say: I like to sit in the shadow.

Say: I like to sit in the shade.

Don't say: The dog saw his shade in the water.

Say: The dog saw his shadow in the water.

Shade is a place sheltered from the sun. Shadow a dark area or shape
produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.

Ground and Floor

Don't say: When I entered the room, I saw a book on the ground.

Say: When I entered the room, I saw a book on the floor.

The floor is what you walk on inside a building, and the ground is what
you walk on outside.

Place and Room.

Don't say: Is there place for me on the bus?

Say: Is there room for me on the bus?

Room is used to refer to space that can be occupied, while place is used
to refer to an unoccupied area, and which could be kept unoccupied.

Don't say: We didn't have many fruits this summer

Say: We didn't have much fruit this summer.

Fruit is a collective noun taking a singular verb. The plural “fruits” is

used in talking about different types of fruit.

The number and A number.

Don't say: The number of pupils are increasing.

Say: The number of pupils is increasing.

Don't say: A number of pupils is absent today.

Say: A number of pupils are absent today.

The expression the number is followed by a singular verb while the

expression a number is followed by a plural verb.
Hard-working: someone who works well and isn’t lazy.

Committed: a person who is loyal to a project or person.

Trustworthy: someone who you can rely on.

Honest: someone who tells the truth.

Focused: someone who is not easily distracted.

Methodical: a person who pays attention to details and works in a logical way.

Proactive: someone who takes steps to complete tasks without supervision. (efficient)

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Bang-up job: Very good or excellent work.

Example: “For someone in their first week at our company, she sure did a bang-up job,” the
manager said.

Day job: A person’s regular job and main source of income.

Example: He is a DJ at the weekend, but teaching is his day job.

Dead-end job: A job which does not offer any chance of promotion or advancement. A job
without good future.

Example: Despite having a degree in English literature, he got stuck in a dead-end job at an
insurance company.

Bottom of the career ladder: in a low position in a work

Example: When my friend started work, he was at the very bottom of the career ladder.

Up- and- coming: to become more and more successful

Example: he was recognised as an up- and- coming young businessman.

Got the sack/ given the sack: to be dismissed from the job

Example: the deputy manager got the sack for being late every day.
 Idioms about health

- As fit as a fiddle: To be healthy and physically fit.

My grandfather is ninety years old but he is as fit as a fiddle.

- Go under the knife: undergo surgery or operation

I’m going under the knife next month to try to solve my knee problems.

- Back on one’s feet: Physically healthy again - Recover.

My friend is back on her feet after being sick for two weeks.

- As sick as a dog: very sick and vomiting a lot.

I was as sick as a dog after we ate that chicken from the new restaurant last
night.
- Black -and -blue: with dark marks on your skin caused by being hit or
having an accident.
My arm was black-and-blue after falling down the stairs.

- Pass away: die.

His grandmother passed away last year.

- Fight off: Resist an illness.

I’m trying to fight off a cold.

- Warm up: Begin a physical activity gradually.

It’s necessary to warm up before exercise to prevent injuries.

- Come down with: Become sick (not seriously).

I think I’m coming down with the flu.

- Let up: Become less strong or stop.

A cold continues at its peak for several days, then it gradually lets up.