Common mistakes and ‘typos’ (3)
(My comment: Many
people, even native speakers, make trivial mistakes!)
Regarding pronunciation,
I underline and have bold the letter that needs to be stressed.
Dream of
Stomachache (1 word)
Is it better to lose one minute in life (not of or from life) than to lose life in a minute? (from the web)
Dispose of (= to get rid of someone or something or deal with something so
that the matter is finished, e.g., ''How did they dispose of the body?'' (*)).//
Get rid of by throwing away or giving or selling to someone else, e.g., The
waste is disposed of in the North Sea).
Airborne (= (adjective) transported by air, e.g., Airborne
pollutants/ disease)
Disguise
Priestess (= a female priest)
Content oneself with
(= accept as adequate despite wanting more or
better, e.g., ‘We contented ourselves with a few small purchases’)
Ascribe something to
(= attribute something to a cause,
e.g., He ascribed Jane’s short temper to her upset stomach).
Appalled at [= greatly dismay (= concern and distress caused by
something unexpected) or horrify, e.g., Bankers are appalled at the
economic incompetence of some ministers].
Reproach someone for/with
= to criticize someone, especially for
not being successful or not doing what is expected, e.g.,
His mother reproached him for not eating all his dinner (*).// e.g., His
wife reproached him with cowardice (pronounced ˈkaʊ.ə.dɪs).
Dream of
Succeed in
Endeavor to (= try hard to do or achieve something, e.g., She is
endeavoring to help the Third World.// e.g., Engineers are endeavoring to
locate the source of the problem ((**) for the 2nd example)).
(Being) updated/
up-to-date with
Responsible (as an adjective) for
‘I consider (not
‘consider of’) changing the IELTS exam date so that I (or ‘in
order to’) have enough time (not ‘so that to have enough time’) to
study. At the same time, I also scheduled some
private lessons (instead of ‘I also scheduled for the same time private
lessons’) to increase my chances (or ‘so that I increase
my chances’) of succeeding in the test (instead of ‘so that to
increase my chance of...’)’
Consider +
question (e.g., ‘Have you considered what you
will do if you don’t get the job?’) or gerund (+ing) (e.g., ‘We
are considering selling the house’). Other examples: e.g., He is
being considered for the job.// e.g., ‘I consider myself lucky that
I only hurt my arm in the accident.’
Target at
Blame for
Combat (not 'combact'; also, beware of 'compact' as a typo)
Unjustifiable
Argue – Arguably
Wholeheartedly
Bear (= carry, support, give birth, endure, turn, and proceed in a
specified direction; pronounced ‘beə(r)’) – born – borne
(or born in North American English)
Contend
with/ for [= Struggle to surmount (= overcome a difficulty or
obstacle) a difficulty; e.g., She had to contend with his uncertain
temper.// e.g., They are contending with a sudden drop in temperatures.///
Compete with others in a struggle to achieve something; e.g., Beijing
is contending for the leadership of the 21st century.// e.g.,
More than once, he contended for the Championship].
Impatient = easily annoyed by
someone’s mistakes or because you must wait, e.g., ''Don't be so impatient!'')
(not to be confused with ‘inpatient’ = a patient who stays
in a hospital while under treatment)
Speaking
personally, …
On foot/ horseback./// By train/ car/ bus/ plane/ ship
In infancy/ childhood/adulthood/ old age (but: at birth)
Succeed – Success
– successful – successfully
In 2017, in the French
presidential elections, the far-right leader Marine Le Pen was on the verge of being elected (not
‘to be elected’) (from the media)
Undoubtedly
(pronounced ʌnˈdɑʊ·t̬ɪd·li;
we do not pronounce the ‘b’ here), during the last years, populism is
gaining ground over political parties. It increases the chances of
politicians gaining (not ‘raise in’) power.
Populism originates from (not ‘originates to’) the lack of a proper/
broad education (not ‘wide education’ as wide is usually
used to define space) of the mass that consequently is more prone to
it (i.e., to populism). Education begins with primary school
(not ‘the primary school’ as we speak generally). Populism is based on
the lower instincts of the people who enjoy being flattered and
having their personal (not ‘personally’) responsibility removed.
Removing their responsibility and casting it (better than ‘throwing
it’ that is more colloquial) somewhere else is a characteristic of populism.
Populism is a drawback even for economies. For instance, in
Greece, the populist leader of the socialist party who ruled the country
during the 1980s hired about 25 percent of the working population as
public servants (= persons who work in the public sector, i.e., for
the government) to earn votes (not ‘so that to earn votes’) to
remain in power, not minding that the country would (not ‘will’ as it is like a conditional) later inevitably become bankrupt because of
the hydrocephalic public sector (not ‘public section’)
Game
of chess (not ‘chess play’)/ Game of Cards/ (also ''Game of Thrones'')
A breach (1) (not ‘breech’ that means an abnormal position
during a baby’s delivery where feet come first!) of an international
obligation.
(1) breach = breaking or failing to observe a
law, agreement, or code of conduct.
A violation of
international law (not laws)
The US agreed on
humanitarian aid to Puerto
Rico (not ‘Ricko’), struck by a hurricane. The
hurricane destroyed the infrastructure, especially the old national
(power) grid (1), as many (electricity) poles (2) (not
‘polls’ that are related to elections!) were ruined. Many actors on
their social media urged people to donate emergency aid to the
country (from the media)
(1) An electrical grid (or power grid) is an interconnected network for delivering electricity from producers to consumers (*****).
(2) Pole = a long, slender, rounded piece of wood or metal, typically used with one end placed in the ground to support something.
The chart depicts/
illustrates the educational level of the computer owners during (not ‘for the same’) the same period.
Owners without a high
school diploma (beware of the
difference between a ‘degree’ and a ‘diploma’) climbed (not
‘heightened’) from 18 percent in 2014 to 37 percent in 2017.
Automation ((noun) = the use of machines that operate automatically)
should ease (1) peoples’ lives (not ‘life’)
(1) ease (pronounced iːz) = make something unpleasant, painful, or intense less serious or severe, e.g., A huge road-building program to ease traffic congestion./// Become less serious or severe, e.g., The pain doesn't usually ease off for several hours./// Move carefully, gradually, or gently, e.g., ''I eased down the slope carefully.''
In the private
sector (not ‘section’), the
working time frame often cannot be predicted (i.e., it may be ‘flexible’).
Work is one of the major
features of people's daily activities (not
‘daily activity’)
Young people enjoy going (enjoy + ing verb (gerund)) out for a coffee
or a beer/ drink and communicating (not
‘socializing’ as here we have an object) with other people.
People who neglect reading
books and being updated about (not ‘for) daily
events have narrower (not ‘narrowed’) mental horizons.
The government on
its side (not ‘for its part’) should take care of
(not ‘care for’) the implementation of the law
The employers
should give them the required days off and annual leave
(not ‘leaves’)
Portugal – Portuguese (pronounced ˌpɔː.tʃəˈɡiːz)
The question remains if anything
(not ''if everything'') can be done to resolve/
deal with/ tackle/ reverse this problem
Nevada has the least
strict gun laws. The Sheriff
said that 59 people had been killed in the Las Vegas shooting/ known
to have died. Victims say there was nowhere to run. Paramedics
arrived fast (on the scene). The police utilized
an area for the families (of the victims). The victims/ casualties
of the shooting were taken/ transferred (not ‘transported’)
to the hospital/ trauma (pronounced: UK English: ˈtrɔː.mə
// ˈtraʊ.mə /// US English: ˈtrɑː.mə) units/
were being treated in the hospital. Doctors and nurses worked
tirelessly to save lives. The U.S. president addressed the
nation (for the event). He offered his sincere condolences (1). He visited Las Vegas
the day after. People held an all-night candlelit vigil (2)
for all the Las Vegas shooting victims. The day before there was/ The
Las Vegas shooting preceded a knife attack in Marseilles (pronounced
mɑːˈseɪ; a city in France) by a terrorist wielding
(3) (not ‘welding’ that means to join metal or people) a knife
(from the media).
(2) vigil (pronounced ˈvɪdʒ.(ə)l) = a period of keeping awake during the time usually spent asleep, especially to keep watch or pray.
(3) wield (pronounced wiːld) = hold and use (a weapon or tool).
Beyond
On the web/ internet
Belonging to
Exponent (= a person who believes in and promotes the truth or benefits of an idea or theory) vs. Opponent
Apparent (= clearly visible or understood; obvious)/ Apparently
Indigenous people
Many Poles
(not ‘Polls,’ as this means an opinion study)
who are against the recent constitutional reforms protested in Warsaw
(pronounced ˈwɔːsɔː - the capital of Poland)
(from the media)
The graph indicates (information on) the percentage of Swiss (from
Switzerland) men and women in different age groups who engaged
in regular (not ‘a regular’) physical activity in 2017.
Data analysis shows that for men aged 18 to 25 years
old, 60 percent did regular training, the highest-ever point
for males (not ‘a highest-ever). For women, (we use a comma here)
data (not ‘the data’) was/ were (data = uncountable noun +
singular or plural verb) different.
In 2002, most (of the) North American people indulged (indulge = allow oneself to enjoy the pleasure of) in
eating at fast-food restaurants (not fast-food
restaurant) once a week. In 2015, figures were strikingly
different (not ‘striking different’), as the Americans who
visited fast-food restaurants (not ‘a fast-food restaurant’) once
or twice a month were about 38 per cent (‘percent’ in North American English).
In January, sales for bread stood at
(not ‘stood up’) $70,000. Then they fluctuated
at lower levels, but at the end of 2004, sales (don’t
omit the word ‘sales’ here) remained the same as (not
‘the same with’) at the beginning of the year
(don’t omit the phrase ‘of the year’). Sales increased significantly, reaching
(1) $40,000 at the end of the year. All
things considered (not ‘all considered’), bread remained
the most purchased item at the beginning and
at the end of the tested period, showing lower interim
(2) figures (not ‘intermediate figures’).
(1) Here, although some recommend it as a verb when describing
a graph, you should not use the verb ‘securing’ instead of ‘reaching’ as
secure means: get, protect, fix, and ensure that lent money will be returned
back.
(2) interim (pronounced ˈɪn.t(ə)r.ɪm) = in or for the intervening period.
Sales, after rising
steeply and reaching a plateau at
$60,000 from May to September, they plummeted (1) reaching an
all-time low of $20,000 in December (not
‘until December’ as all-time low refers to a specific point)
The economy's growth in countries with younger populations (not ‘younger population’ – also ''population'' is a countable noun
+ singular/plural verb) is boosted. These countries have a working
population of young individuals who can find a job abroad, all over
the world (not ‘in all over the world’). In fact,
people from developing countries can work in a developed
country regardless of their salary (not ‘regardless their
salary’). These people have a better (not ‘have a higher’) chance
to be hired from the indigenous population that is older (in
age) or reluctant to apply for (here ‘apply to’
does not fit, as we ‘apply for a job’) a manual labor post (My comment:
as most people in developed countries have a bunch of degrees, they seek an
office rather than manual work, even though (2 words) they have fewer chances
(1) to find a job in their field than (2) labor workers!).
(1) we write ‘fewer
chances’ and not ‘less’ as ‘chances’ is a countable noun.
(2) we use ''than'' as we compare with ''fewer''
Developing countries
have a higher ratio (pronounced ˈreɪ.ʃi.əʊ)
of younger adults compared to older (not ‘compared
to an older population’). With their insurance revenue (1),
governments are able to/can pay the expenses of the senior citizens, meaning
their health care (not ‘Medicare’ as this relates only to the U.S.) and
their pension.
(1) Revenue = income, especially when of a company or
organization and of a substantial nature./// A state's annual income from which public expenses are met.
Germany, in which/ where
the local population is aging, exploited the migration surge as a chance
to hire laborers/ labor workers or specialized technicians of
working age and to cover all the vacancies, ensuring that its economy will continue
to boost/ flourish.
Vulnerable
Migrants, Immigrants, Emigrants
Burglar (= housebreaker; robber)
Personnel
(= the staff)
Offspring (not ‘offsprings’ as it is an uncountable noun)
Take care of
Impede (pronounced ɪmˈpiːd) = (verb) delay or prevent
someone or something by obstructing them; hinder; e.g., In angioedema (a kind
of allergic reaction), the larynx (= windpipe), and tongue swelling can impede
breathing.
Impediment (pronounced ɪmˈpɛdɪm(ə)nt) = (noun) a hindrance
(1) (not hinderance) or obstruction in doing something, e.g., A Speech
impediment.
(1) hindrance (pronounced ˈhɪn.drəns) = a
thing that provides resistance, delay, or obstruction to something or someone.
Sweden
Account
The Scotland
Yard/ Scottish accent
Stephanie
I tweet on Twitter
(social media)
Curry (= a dish cooked in a spicy sauce) (vs) carry
(transport)
Capsize (Mnemonic trick: cap + size) = (of a boat) overturn in the water
e.g., The craft (= a boat or ship) capsized in heavy
seas.
Sandwich (Mnemonic trick: sand + wich)
A mnemonic trick
Tattoo – Tattoos
(plural)
A volcanic eruption
(= when a volcano erupts, it explodes, and flames
and rocks come out of it (*))
Dependent
(beware of the typo ‘depended’)
Allow
Bayonet charge
Powerlessness
Apologize for
Lunatic
‘In the second case, it is a question whether (beware of the typo ‘weather’!) you are right or not.’
To find a job in
my field
Recipe
Eccentric (pronounced ɪkˈsen.trɪk) = (of a
person or their behavior) unconventional and slightly strange, e.g., An
eccentric person
Cereal (pronounced ˈsɪərɪəl) (not to be confused
with ‘serial’ that sounds the same!) e.g., ‘For breakfast I eat cereal such
as Cornflakes’
Stonehenge
Success (noun) – Succeed in (verb)
Of course (2 words)
Verbs that do NOT go
with a preposition:
contact (e.g., ‘I contacted (not
contacted with) him about a serious matter’)
regarding (e.g., ‘Regarding (not
regarding of) unemployment in Spain, it has recently increased’)
lack (e.g., ‘I lack (not
lack of) confidence’)
attend
(e.g., ‘I attended (not attend to/at’)
the tutorial lesson’)
Suggest goes with or without ‘that’ e.g., ‘Are you suggesting
(that) I look fat in these trousers?”// e.g., All the evidence suggests
(that) he is not guilty (^^).
Saddam Hussein
Muammar Gaddafi
Anchor (of a ship) (pronounced ˈæŋ.kə(r))
Offence (offense in North American English)
Machete (also sometimes written as matchet) (pronounced
məˈʃet.i) (e.g., A thug wielding a machete).
Practice (as a noun) /// Practise (as a verb in
British English) or Practice (as a verb in North American
English)
Market
traders are optimistic as the
country overcame the recent economic (not ‘economical’ that means not using a lot of
fuel, money, etc.) crisis.
Plead – Pleaded (or pled in North American English) – Pleaded (or pled
in North American English); e.g., The suspect pleaded/ (US
English: pled) ‘not guilty’ of the murder (in courts we do
not plead ‘innocent,’ but ‘guilty’ or ‘not guilty’ of a crime).
The line graph shows the trends in (not ‘the trends on’) motorcycle
production in the UK, the USA, Italy, and Germany. In the middle
1970s, motorcycle production was the highest in the US,
followed by production in Italy and Germany. However, at
the end of the period examined, these figures were (do not
omit ‘were’) reversed. For Italy and Germany, production
was at low levels/ low at the beginning of the period examined.
Everything considered, (comma after ‘considered’) motorbike
production showed a dramatic change (not ‘showed dramatic change’ without 'a') in
Italy. For Germany, (you should write a comma after ‘Germany’)
figures showed the same trend, although there was (do not
omit ‘there was’) a significant rise in 1972.
The line graph gives the statistical information
about the percentage of low literacy levels (not ‘literacy
level’) at the age of 18 for the period 2010-2017. As can be seen from
the graph, Finland jumped to the highest percentage of poor
literacy levels, about 30 percent, overtaking the
figures of the other three countries that remained at (not
‘remained to’) lower levels. During the next years,
changes were dramatic, especially in Sweden, where
in 2009, poor literacy soared to (not ‘soared at’) approximately/ nearly 27 percent. For the remaining (not
‘the rest’ as we say, ‘the rest of’) three countries, the percentage
remained at lower levels. After the second third (= 2/3)
of 2000, poor literacy levels were still the highest
in Finland, compared to the remaining (not
‘the rest’) countries.
Capitalism, as an
economic system, fulfills only the
interests (not ‘the interest’) of financial Trusts and speculators. It is not even to the advantage of (not
‘at the advantage’) the government's economy. Capitalism is abundant ((adjective)=
plentiful; pronounced əˈbʌn.dənt) in disadvantages
as it is to the benefit of (not ‘of
the benefit’) the rich, rather than society (not ‘the society,’ as we
are generally speaking). The failure (not ‘the fail’) of
capitalism as an ideal financial system means an alternative should be sought.
By keeping shares in organizations, including utility services, such as
(electric) power, gas supply, and transportation, such as the railways (not ‘such as railway’), the government will take part in the
profits (not ‘take part at/from the profits’ – we always say take
part/ participate in) from these organizations (not ‘of
these organizations’). In communism, to put it simply
(not ‘to put it simple’), idle and hard-working employees were paid the same wage, regardless of their productivity (not
‘regardless of their production’) and level of education! In e-democracy,
also known as ‘internet democracy,’ people, instead of taking part
periodically in referendums (not ‘at referendums’– we
always say take part/ participate in), can take part
immediately in the decisions (not ‘at the decisions’ – remember:
take part/participate in) of the state with the aid
of the internet. But a shortcoming (= defect, fault, flaw) of
this system is that it is rather a political than a
financial system (not ‘rather than a financial system’).
Most
cities, such as London, Paris, and
New York (not ‘the New York City’), are cosmopolitan. But they
should meet some special conditions for people to live harmoniously
(it is an adverb following the verb ‘live’ – we do not write ‘harmonically,
as it does not exist). These problems originate from (not
‘originate to’) the isolation of people from different cultures in
neighborhoods that are ghettoes. Some specific conditions should
exist so that the inhabitants of different countries can be
integrated (not ‘to be integrated’) and not remain (not
‘not to remain’) unassimilated [adjective; (= especially
of a people, an idea, or a culture) not absorbed or integrated into a wider
society or culture]. Many countries, including those in Southern
Europe (not ‘South Europe’), were unready to welcome and provide
economic refugees with essential needs. Of
crucial importance is their incorporation in the education
system (not ‘to the education system’// also wrong is ‘the educational
system’). The state should cover the expenses for education and health care, at least for migrants who cannot afford to pay
the cost of these (not ‘the cost for these’). Vouchers can
also be used (not ‘can be also used’) by refugees, for instance, to
buy supermarket goods. Migrants need to find work (not ‘find a
work’ as we don’t speak about a specific work)/ a job so as
(not ‘so as that’) not to turn to illegal ways of
earning money (*). Special care should be given to fight racism, such as
with public-funded anti-racist spots in the media and with cross-cultural
(not ‘cross culture’) events, including art performances and games
(My comment: here I gave my best to be politically correct!).
(*) including smuggling.
The graph illustrates/depicts the population growth in millions (‘in millions’ is better than writing ‘as millions’) of people in China, India, Europe, and the USA from 1940 to 2018. As can be noticed from the chart, the population (we write ‘the population’ - we don’t omit ‘the’) in China soared until the present (we write ‘the present’ - we don’t omit ‘the’). However, from the present to 2060, the Indian population is predicted to exceed the population of China. At the same time (not ‘The same time’ without ‘at’), the population was less in India (population, although it is countable, goes with a singular or plural verb and goes with ‘less,’ not ‘fewer’ – this may confuse many). In India, the population shot up to (not ‘shot upat’) about
1.353 billion in 2018. From 1960 to the present
(not ‘for the date from 1960 to present’), the population growth in China
increased dramatically until 2018 when it exceeded
the population of the remaining three countries (not ‘and in 2018 it
exceeded the population of the remaining countries’). The population in India
is expected to overtake that of China (not
‘the one of China’) in 2060.
The graph illustrates/depicts the population growth in millions (‘in millions’ is better than writing ‘as millions’) of people in China, India, Europe, and the USA from 1940 to 2018. As can be noticed from the chart, the population (we write ‘the population’ - we don’t omit ‘the’) in China soared until the present (we write ‘the present’ - we don’t omit ‘the’). However, from the present to 2060, the Indian population is predicted to exceed the population of China. At the same time (not ‘The same time’ without ‘at’), the population was less in India (population, although it is countable, goes with a singular or plural verb and goes with ‘less,’ not ‘fewer’ – this may confuse many). In India, the population shot up to (not ‘shot up
The vast
majority of/ Most TV viewers (not
‘the majority of the TV view’) via smartphone belonged to the age
group of 18-30. Throughout the age groups over 35,
the viewers dwindled (1) from 58 percent in the age group (not
‘at the age group’) 35-50 to about 20 percent at the age over
65. Most smartphone TV viewers (not ‘most of the
TV viewers via their smartphone’) were aged 18-30, while as people
became older/ grew up, there was a downward trend in using
(not ‘on using’) their smartphone to watch TV.
(1) dwindle = diminish gradually in size, amount, or strength.
There
is a controversy on sharing or not all available information (not ‘on sharing or not all the
available information’). Access to information should be free,
as this is mandatory for the development of the academic world,
scientific research, business, and trade (not ‘the scientific
research, the business and the trade’ as we are generally
speaking). There is a debate about whether (beware of the
typo ‘weather) information should be freely accessible
(not ‘free accessible’ or ‘for free accessible’ – also beware
of the typo ‘assessible’). Many claim that everything should be
shared publicly, and nothing should be kept secret (not
‘nothing should kept secret’). Information sometimes is too valuable
to be shared. For instance, it may involve patented (pronounced ˈpeɪtəntɪd or ˈpætəntɪd)
studies used by companies that are not keen to share (not
‘keen to sharing’ as ‘to’ makes already a bare infinitive with ‘to’) their
patent with other companies. Information based on scientific studies
should not be free (of charge), as when it is chargeable, it
funds research that is costly to undertake (not ‘very costly
to be held’). All data should be available to everyone. This is how the (do not omit ‘the’) academic world
works: by sharing information. This is especially/ particularly
important to scientific research that is built on the foundations
(not ‘on the ground’) of previous/ pre-existing (pronounced ˌpriː.ɪɡˈzɪs.tɪŋ)
studies.
Oats porridge
(= a dish consisting of oatmeal
or another meal or cereal boiled in water or milk)
Writing – written
On a regular basis/ Regularly
Stubbornness
(mnemonic trick: all consonants are doubled
except the first ‘st’ and the ‘r’ in the middle)
Agreed
(e.g., We finally agreed on a
deal.// e.g., We could not agree on what to buy (^^))
Account
Amount
Chargeable
Coffee – Cafe΄ (coffeehouse (1 word))
At that point…
The Quran is
also known as Qur'an or Koran.
The number of public
transport (‘transportation’ in North American English)
users shot up to about 500,000 people, the highest-ever
point (not ‘a highest-ever point’). As can be deduced (not
‘deducted,’ as deduct means to subtract or take away an amount or part
from a total) from the line graph, in 1975, about 55 percent of people owned
a single car, and nearly 10 percent had no car.
In my opinion/ view (not ‘To
my opinion/ view,’ but we say, ‘To my mind’)
Everything taken
into account/ consideration./// Taking everything into account/
consideration.
Nowadays, an (do not omit ‘an’) unhealthy diet is widespread in
western countries and is also worrying (beware of the typo ‘warrying’)
trend in developing ones (not ‘in the developing’). Undoubtedly
(pronounced ʌnˈdɑʊ·t̬ɪd·li; we do not pronounce the ‘b’
here), the effects of an unhealthy diet are considerable
for the individual, as well as society (not ‘the society,’ as we are
generally speaking). An (don’t omit ‘an’) unhealthy diet has
deleterious/detrimental (= harmful) effects on individuals, as it
leads to obesity (pronounced əʊˈbiː.sə.ti) that is
the cause of myriads of infirmities (1)(or ‘a
myriad of infirmities,’ but not a double plural with ‘‘myriads
infirmities’) that are a significant burden to the expenditure of the health
care system in treating them (not ‘on treating them’). Instead,
this money could be spent more productively, such as on (not
‘in,’ as we ‘spend money on’)) education, health care, and
public investments. In some people, a ‘fat tax’ may act even in the opposite
way, as they may react with stubbornness eating
even more unhealthily (the adverb follows the verb ‘eating’ –
here, we do not write ‘unhealthy’). From/ to my
perspective, a ‘fat tax’ should exist and be implemented in consumable
goods. Everything taken into account/ consideration (or
Taking everything into account/ consideration), an unhealthy
diet has negative consequences (not ‘consequence’)
to society (not ‘the society,’ as we are generally speaking). In
my opinion (not ‘To my opinion’)/To my mind, the benefits of
this tax outweigh (not ‘outweight’ as ‘weight’ is the
noun and ‘weigh’ the verb – also ‘outweight’ does not exist) the claims that
it is unfair and unnecessary.
(1) Infirmity
(pronounced ɪnˈfɜː.mə.ti) = illness, especially for long periods
or because of old age, e.g., An advanced state of infirmity (*).
The advent (= the arrival of something or someone notable) of
the internet was a breakthrough/ turning point in human
history. It was not only (not ‘It not only was’) a way
of immediate access (beware of the typo ‘assess’) to
information, but it has also changed how we communicate. The internet can
even help someone find a partner. Some argue that using social media to
communicate is counterproductive, as we have no real friends to hang
out with (hang out it’s a verb in North American English) and talk to
face-to-face (not ‘talk face-to-face’ without ‘to’). Things are
made worse (not ‘things are come worse’) when
someone seeks a partner via social media, as he or she (or 'they')
haven’t (we use the plural as it means they) got the chance to
live communication. Some argue that the internet is frittering (fritter
= waste time, money, or energy on trifling matters) our time away
(not it is ‘time-frittering’), as this communication is in
front of a screen (not ‘a device’s screen’), rather than live and direct.
Moreover, a worrying (beware of the typo ‘warrying’) trend
is that profiles are not personalized (or 'individualized') but
often are fake, meaning you do not know to whom you are speaking (not
‘speaking to’). There are many cases of people lured by perverted
people, and their meeting ended up in rape (not ‘to a
rape’). In fact, a pedophile (or paedophile;
pronounced ˈpiː.də.faɪl in UK English and ˈped.oʊ.faɪl
in North American English; ‘pedophilic’ doesn’t exist as an
adjective) can easily use the internet to seek/ lure/ snare victims. So, the
menace (= threat, danger; pronounced ˈmen.ɪs)
of pedophilia (pronounced ˌpiː.dəˈfɪl.i.ə) on the
internet is a concerning issue. Everything considered,
the internet has changed things in communication, as it has made it
feasible (not ‘has rendered it feasible’) to chat with people from the
four corners of the world. The fact that many profiles lie
about (not ‘lie on’) their real identity questions the safety of
communicating via the internet, which is crucial to minors (not ‘to minor’). In my
opinion (not ‘to my opinion’)/ To my mind, the negative aspects of the internet outweigh (not
‘outweight’ as ‘weight’ is the noun and ‘weigh’ the verb – also
‘outweight’ does not exist) the positive.
The remaining offenses (burglary, fraud, forgery, and drug offenses (we write the
offenses in brackets)) accounted for fewer arrests than the
previous offenses, while the smallest/ a small minority of
males and females were arrested for robbery. Everything taken
into account, most of the males and females/ most males
and females were arrested for assaulting another person, while the
least of them were arrested for robbery.
For low- and
medium-income households, the expenditure that came second after
housing was transport (about 25 percent for both low and medium-income), while
for high-income households, it was
retirement savings (about 16 percent). All considered, households,
irrespective of their income, spent most of their
budget on housing (not ‘to housing,’ as we spend money on
something) and least of their income on education (not
‘to education,’ as we spend money on something).
Independent
Public transport (public transportation in American English)
Malleable (pronounced ˈmæl.i.ə.b(ə)l)
metals (= able to be hammered
or pressed permanently out of shape without breaking or cracking)
Accommodation
(double ‘c’ and double ‘m’)
Choose – chose
(past simple) – chosen (p.p.)
Meaningful/
meaningfully/ meaningfulness/ meaningless/ meaninglessly/
meaninglessness (Note: ‘meaningly’
does not exist!)
Food
preservatives
(pronounced prɪˈzɜː.və.tɪvs)
Embarrass (double ‘r’ and double ‘s’) – Embarrassed – Embarrassment
Exhausted
Jealous –
jealously – jealousness
Mustache (moustache in British English)
Electrical socket
(electrical outlet or socket
in North American English)
Domestic/ household appliances
Electrical
current (pronounced ˈkʌr.(ə)nt)
Earrings (mnemonic trick: ear+rings)
Dye (To change the color, e.g. She dyed her hair blond) (vs)
die
Package (as a verb = put into a box or wrapping, especially for sale;
e.g., Choose products that are packaged in recyclable materials.//
e.g., Finally, the product is packaged (not ‘packed’) (vs)
Pack (as a verb = fill a suitcase or bag, especially with clothes and
other items needed when away from home; e.g., I packed a bag with a
few of my favorite clothes)
Run (infinitive) – ran (past simple) – run
(p.p.)
He lives in (not ‘at,’ ‘in’ here goes for the ‘apartment’) the
ground-floor apartment. [Note: here, ‘in’ goes with ‘live,’
otherwise, we should use ‘on’ for the ground floor, e.g., My office is on
the ground floor. ‘Ground floor’ is hyphenated if it is used as an
adjective, e.g., A ground-floor office ((^^) for the last 2
examples).
Occasionally
On July 11th/ On
the 4th of June/ On September 3rd
Eiffel tower
In infancy/ childhood/ adulthood/ old age/// But, ‘at birth’
Obsession
Pattern
This protein powder
mixes easily
‘Are there outside
factors (other than genetic) to be considered/
involved?’
There is a fluctuation
(= variation) in the number of
passengers
Especially (as an adjective) for, e.g., ‘I chose this, especially for our new house’ (^^^).// e.g., The photo was taken especially for
my blog.
Extent
(vs) Extend
Extent = (noun) e.g., e.g. ‘To what extent do you agree
or disagree with this opinion?’ // e.g., To a certain extent.
Extend = (verb) e.g., ‘I have plans to extend my house’
(= make it bigger) ((^^^) for this example) // e.g., ‘He extended
her hand as a greeting.’
To come across
(mnemonic trick: a + cross)
Disappoint
(mnemonic trick: dis+appoint) – disappointing
– disappointingly
A person’s early years
Butterfly (mnemonic trick: butter + fly) stroke (a ‘butterfly
stroke’ is a swimming style)
I live in a two-story
(or storey in British English (= level,
floor) building
Subsequently
The shell (not ‘cell’) of a fruit
I own a pet snake (not ‘a snake pet’)
An animal (not ‘the
animal’ or ‘Animal (without an article)’) living near the Arctic has
special adaptations to the cold environment.
The information (not ‘An information’
or ‘Information (without an article)’) in this text will help you pass the
exams.
Take a vacation/ Go on vacation/ Get a
vacation (e.g. ‘I’ve still got some vacation
left before the end of the year’ (^^)).
As can be noticed from
the bar chart, in relation to household type, most of the
volunteers, amounting (not
‘amounted’) to 52 percent of the total, belonged to a family
consisting (not ‘consisted’) of a
couple and dependent (beware of the typo ‘depended’)
children, followed by volunteers belonging to a family of
a couple without dependent children which (not 'who,' as it is referring
to the percentage) stood at (beware of the typo
‘stood up’) 24 percent. Volunteers consisting of a
single parent and other types comprised 9 percent
and 11 percent of the total, respectively. Volunteers who took part/ participated in
committees or administration accounted
(not ‘were accounted’) for 140,500 individuals.
It is also demonstrated that fewer volunteers (not
‘less volunteers,’ as ‘volunteers’ is a countable noun) were assigned
as scorers (not ‘scorer) or timekeepers. The
majority of/ Most volunteers belonged to a household consisting of
(not ‘consisting with’) a couple and dependent
children.
The internet has changed modern/ contemporary life in a way
that may be considered detrimental (= harmful) to everyone
(not ‘detrimental’ alone, without an object), especially (not
‘especially for’) the young, due to the amount (not
‘due to amount’) and the type of data they have access. It is not the
internet harmful per se (= (adverb) by or in itself), but the way
we are using it. There are myriads of fake profiles over the web
(not ‘Fake profiles are myriad over the web’). You may come across
(not ‘come across to’) profile pictures that were
tracked down on the internet and belong to a (not ‘belong to
different’ without 'a') different person, for instance, a handsome man or an impressive woman or even a celebrity. We should all wonder
if it is possible that most social media profiles have (not
‘to have’) avatars (1) of young, good-looking individuals (My comment: I mean that it is not possible!).
(1) avatar =
an icon or figure representing a particular
person in computer games, internet fora, etc.
A worrying trend
is when the young utter biases and stereotypes. Some characterize the internet as a
threat as if
used unwisely, it has serious repercussions (=
consequences), especially for/on (‘for’ here fits better; we do
not say ‘, especially to the young’) the young. The data that people
are bombarded with when they get online can be questioned about (not
‘questioned for’) the reliability and credibility of the sources.
Information through (not ‘throughout’) the internet
travels at the speed of light. Speaking for (not speaking
of’) myself, (comma here) I only trust information (not ‘I trust
information only’) from reliable sources.
A 48-hour (not 48-hours of’) weekly working time frame was a major
turning point in human (not ‘human’s) history. Recently
there has been a tendency towards working flexible
hours, especially fewer (not ‘less hours’; as ‘hours’
is a countable noun) than the standard 48 weekly working hours.
Some suggest that this will be to (not ‘at the benefit’) the
benefit of the employees as they will have more spare time to
spend engaging (not ‘at engaging’) in
leisure activities. To put this into perspective,
I incline to the opponents’ view that cutting working hours is to the advantage (not
‘at the advantage’) of the employers, but not of the
employees who will now work for a lower wage. This will cause them
frustration. The former will earn more money, but the latter
(1), although will work less time (we use ‘less’ as time is an
uncountable noun) and will have much more free time (not ‘pastime’),
they will feel disappointed by their pay cut (My comment:
in the near future, employees/ workers will not have to deal with this issue, as they will be all replaced by robots!).
(1) latter (pronounced ˈlæt.ə(r); = denoting the second or second mentioned of two
people or things.
Disappointed
by (often we use ‘by’ after disappointed),
e.g., He was disappointed by the treatment of asylum seekers in
Britain) [Note: disappointed as an adjective may go ‘with’, e.g.,
I am bitterly disappointed with the result and our overall
performance].
‘At the age of 50-59,’ but ‘in the
age group 50-59.’
The
advantage of something.// Put somebody/ be at an advantage.// Be/
work to somebody’s advantage /// Have the advantage of
= (dated) Be in a stronger position than; e.g., He had the
advantage of having positions supported by a majority of the country,
after all.
Be of benefit to/beneficial to somebody// Be for/ to somebody’s benefit.// To the
benefit of, e.g., She drinks a lot less now, to the
benefit of her health as a whole (^^).// For the benefit of
= To help or be useful to; e.g., A venue (1) run for the
benefit of the community.// e.g., Utilitarianism is
the doctrine that actions are right if they are useful or for the benefit of
a majority.//To interest or impress someone; e.g., It was all
an act put on for his benefit. (1) Venue = the place where something
happens, especially an organized event such as a concert, conference, or sports
event.
I incline to the view…/ I am inclined to believe that…
I incline to the view…/ I am inclined to believe that…
Account for
Consist of
Above
all… (conclusion)
Take care of
Launch (= begin or send, e.g., She was launching a campaign against
ugly architecture) (vs) Lunch (= a meal eaten in the middle
of the day)
Unspoiled (or Unspoilt in British English) ((adjective); e.g.,
An island with clean, unspoiled/ pristine (pronounced ˈprɪs.tiːn)
beaches (^^).
We DO NOT use passive
voice for something natural, e.g., We do not say,
‘Trash is biodegraded’ or ‘Water is evaporated’ or ‘leaves are turned yellow in
Autumn.’ We say, instead, ‘trash biodegrades,’ ‘water evaporates,’ and ‘leaves
turn yellow in fall/ autumn.’
Vegetables and fruits
(‘fruit’ is a countable or uncountable noun;
here, ‘fruits’ fits better as we also have ‘vegetables’ in plural) in the
greenhouse (1 word) are gathered and transported to the factory.
There, they are laid (not ‘being laid’) on a conveyor
belt system (better than a ‘belt conveyor system’ that can
also be used) and enter the preparation chain. (There,) initially, they are sorted
(beware of the typo ‘shorted’) by hand so that the
undesirable vegetables are removed (not ‘to be removed’). Following
this, they are peeled or polished according to their type. Next, when is needed (not ‘it
is needed’), they are sliced. After this, they
enter the stage of chilling. Following this, they
are placed in a spinning machine to/so that the get dried (not ‘so that to get dried’).
Firstly, as can be inferred from the flowchart, the chain begins
with the three main ingredients, water, flour, and yeast, that are poured
into an (do not omit the article ‘an’ here) industrial mixer.
Then dough (1) is mixed,
then fermented, and after this, it is transferred
to a special divider. There, with the power of a plunger
(2), it enters a
rotating cylinder (pronounced ˈsɪl.ɪn.də(r))
where it is divided into (not ‘divided in’) pre-specified weights
of (not ‘weights to’) equal proportions. Following this,
it is conveyed on a (do not omit the article ‘a’
here) belt to the factory (not ‘manufactory’), where it is
ready to be baked/ it is ready for use.
(2) plunger = = a part of a device that you push down into it (*)
The menace (= threat or danger; pronounced ˈmen.ɪs) of air
pollution, water shortage, desertification, and accumulation of non-recyclable materials (not ‘unrecyclable’
or ‘not recyclable’), including plastic, and climate
change are all worrying issues. There are concerns that
the environmental catastrophe (pronounced kəˈtæs.trə.fi)
may be irreversible unless specific measures are taken to tackle
(= make determined efforts to deal with a problem or difficult task) its
causes (not ‘tackle with its causes’). It is clear that the pre-existing
accords (1)
are hampered (2) by the reluctance to be ratified (3) and implemented by all
countries, especially the ones that contribute the most to
industrial pollution (not ‘to the industrial pollution,’ as we are generally
speaking) (My comment: such as the U.S., China, and India). The
emission of toxic fumes is responsible for the greenhouse
(1 word) effect that has deteriorated (not ‘is deteriorated’) sharply
because of the ozone reduction in the
atmosphere. It is of crucial importance to replace coal
energy with environmentally-friendly (better than
‘friendly to the environment’) alternatives, including renewable
energy such as wind, solar (= of, relating to or determined by the sun), biomass (= dead plant and
animal material suitable for use as fuel; pronounced ˈbaɪ.əʊˌmæs
(*)), wave, and tidal (relating to the tide, i.e., the rise and
fall of the sea that happens twice every day; pronounced ˈtaɪ.dəl
(*)) energy. Thus, there should be a global agreement/ accord to
replace fossil fuels (not ‘fossil fuel’) with (not
‘replace fossil fuels from’) alternative energy sources, and
this agreement/ accord to be implemented. The existing measures are not
enough, as it seems that neither the great polluters pay for
their contribution to pollution, nor will this measure solve the problem
(not ‘nor will this measure will not solve the problem’ - here we have
inversion) as the emission of toxic fumes continues to exist.
Plastic, as a material, has deleterious (= harmful) effects on
the environment, and we should keep in mind that not
only can it not be recycled (not ‘not only it cannot be recycled’ - here we have inversion), but also is a byproduct
of oil that we need to get rid of as a fossil fuel. The energy produced from composted (4) trash is not
green energy, as it is based on combustion creating carbon dioxide again. However, it is acceptable if special filters
are used to retain smoke from combustion. All countries must agree on (not agree with’) specific
measures to tackle global warming (not ‘tackle with
global warming’) and environmental pollution. An accord should be ratified and implemented by all to guarantee (not ‘so to
guarantee) that we should put an end to (not ‘put an end on’)
the destruction of the environment. Otherwise, things will
become irreversible, and the destruction of our planet will include the
human race/ humanity/ humans (not ‘will include human species’ //
also, don’t use the term ‘mankind’ that is gender-biased language!) as
we are an inseparable part of the environment that we inhabit.
(2) hamper = to prevent someone from doing something easily (*)/ hinder or impede the movement or progress of
(3) ratify = sign or give formal consent to a treaty, contract, or agreement, making it officially valid; pronounced ˈræt.ɪ.faɪ
(4) compost = decaying plant material added to soil to improve quality; pronounced ˈkɒm.pɒst.
Transport
vs. Transfer
Transport means to carry
or bear from one place to another; to remove; to convey, e.g., to transport goods; to transport troops. Synonyms: convey,
take, shift. It means taking people or goods from one place to another, e.g. Heavy items are expensive to transport by plane (^^).// e.g., Milk is
transported to the dairy (here, we do not use the term ‘transferred’).// e.g.,
The pipeline was constructed to transport oil across Alaska to ports on the
coast (^^).
Transfer means to move
or pass from one place, person, or thing to another, e.g., to transfer the laws of one country to another; to transfer
suspicion. Synonyms: move/ change, transpose. It means moving someone or
something from one place, vehicle, person, or group to another, e.g., We
were transferred from one bus into another (^^).// e.g., Milk is transferred by
truck.// e.g., Victims were transferred (not ‘were transported’) to trauma units.
As can be seen from the flowchart, refinery oil is transferred by
truck (beware of the typo ‘track’ – remember ‘music track’!). The raw (= unprocessed) material
is transported to the plant where it is poured
into (not ‘pour in’) a large vat
(= a large tank or tub used to hold liquid, especially in the industry). Next,
it passes to a high-pressure oven where it is heated – a
procedure by which it is (not ‘by with is’) converted
into (not ‘converted to’) long molecules consisting of
plastic granules. Following this, plastic granules
are funneled (1) into a moulder (or ‘molder’
in North American English), where plastic is melted and (becomes) molten. After this, the molten product is released, hardened, conveyed on a belt, and packaged (not packed).
The bar
chart indicates information on the average weekly earnings,
measured in pounds sterling, according
to gender and type of graduation (not just ‘according
to gender and graduation,’ as it includes non-graduates). Overall,
men earn more money than women in all but (i.e., in all except) the
16-19 age groups. An analysis of the data shows that for the
age group 16-19, weekly income was about $200, while for
the ages of 20-24, it was higher, but similar to both
genders, nearly $280, with a slightly lower level
for (not ‘level on’) non-graduate females.
However, for males older than 25, earnings (not
‘profits’) (1) soared. Figures were more substantial for the
(not ‘on the’) graduates who hit a peak of
about $700 in the age group 50-59 (not ‘at
the age’; as we say, ‘at the age of X,’ but ‘in the age group’) while
non-graduates peaked at the age of 40-49 at $570, whereas,
following this, there was a slight decrease at
the age of 50-59 to $560. In total, incomes for males were
far higher than for females reaching a peak in (not
‘a peak at’) the age group 50-59 for graduates and the age group 40- 49 for
non-graduates, but to a lesser extent (not ‘extend,’
as ‘extend’ is the verb and ‘extent’ the noun) for the
latter (= denoting the second or second mentioned of two people or
things; here the ‘non-graduates’). (1) don’t use the term ‘winnings that
means money won, especially by gambling!
The line graph shows the trend of (not ‘the trend on’) the
number of passengers at a London underground station related to time. Overall,
there is a time–related fluctuation in the number of passengers
at the specific tube (*) station in London. As can be deduced
(not ‘deducted,’ as ‘deduct’ means to subtract or take away an
amount or part from a total) from the chart, when the gates opened at 6
am, the passenger numbers stood at (beware of the typo
‘stood up’) 100. The passenger numbers soared to
nearly 370 at 6 pm but then tumbled to
approximately 120 at 8 pm and remained at the same
level at 10 pm, after a short, insignificant
increase. (*) ‘tube’ is the underground only for London;
‘underground’ in North American English is also known as ‘subway, while in
Paris, it is known as 'metro’)
Nowadays, consumerism affects modern humans to a
great extent (not
‘extend’ as ‘extend’ is the verb and ‘extent’ is the noun). The
question of whether a strong desire to possess things makes
people less aware of important personal qualities is
a controversial one. In fact, materialism makes
people less keen to (here, ‘keen to’ fits better than ‘keen on’) adopt
moral values/ virtues, including empathy and courtesy. Consumerism
monopolizes people's lives who struggle/ strive and even work
overtime to buy and possess material goods/ gadgets, such as smartphones (1
word), laptops, smart TVs, and others, that supposedly make
their owners feel happy. Although they may be considered cheap, some of these gadgets, such as iPhones, may be costly. Instead of
being concerned (not ‘instead of concerning’) about others, we often feel them as rivals of (not ‘rivals on’) our everlasting
race for materialism. Consumerism destroys human relationships
as it has deleterious/detrimental (= harmful) effects/repercussions
on our relationships with others. The competition for
obtaining material goods makes people less keen to
(here, ‘keen to’ fits better than ‘keen on’) socialize with others. Materialism deprives us of (not deprive us from')
virtues that are of crucial importance to society,
and this inhuman behavior is against our nature as Aristotle used
to say that a human is a social animal (or ‘humans
are social animals’ – human is a countable noun; it may also be an
adjective). Speaking for myself, in my life, I had met plenty
of people whose only concern was to just get something from me or offer only
when this was mutual, rather than offering me something regardless of my
counteroffer. And this was very disappointing when it came to
(not ‘with’) colleagues who are supposed to show genuine empathy. Consumerism
has serious repercussions (repercussion = an unintended consequence
occurring sometime after an event or action, especially an unwelcome one) on
human (here ‘human’ is an adjective) relations, and this can be
explained by their rivalry for possessing tangible (1)/
secular (2) rather than moral
values. Materialism deprives us of virtues, including concern and
empathy for others, which are significant for creating bonds with our
neighbors.
(1) tangible = perceptible by touch.// clear and definite; real.
(2) secular = denoting attitudes, activities, or other things that have no religious or spiritual basis; pronounced ˈsek.jə.lə(r)
Nowadays, there are
still people who cannot adapt to (not
‘adopt,’ as it doesn’t fit here) the smartphone (1 word) craze
and prefer using less sophisticated mobile phones of previous generations
just to communicate, rather than using them for other purposes. Undoubtedly,
(pronounced ʌnˈdɑʊ·t̬ɪd·li; the ‘b; in the middle
is omitted in the pronunciation) smartphones mean something more than
the voice communication that telephones in the past offered exclusively.
A smartphone may offer a myriad (or ‘may offer myriads’) of
applications that can be used for (not ‘used in’)
various purposes. It seems that most people today are familiar with
smartphone technology and consider it a mandatory gadget they cannot live without (not ‘without this’).
There is a population, including the ‘old guard,’ that is less familiar
with technology and has difficulty even using (not
‘to use,’ as ‘difficulty’ goes with a gerund, i.e. -ing verb e.g.,
difficultly doing/ using) a computer. Especially the elderly are apt
to (apt + infinitive = tending to do something) use older technology
that for younger individuals may seem obsolete (= no longer produced or
used; out of date; pronounced ˌɒb.s(ə)lˈiːt).
Many people, especially those over retirement age ((1) i.e., over 67 years old), prefer using an older mobile phone model, as a
smartphone would be too complicated to use it effectively.
Additionally, not all young people own a smartphone, as some prefer
older conventional mobile phones, (we used a
comma here), and this comprises a significant number but are surely
fewer (we say ‘fewer people’ as it is a plural countable
noun) than people of older age who are unaccustomed
to smartphone technology. However, not adapting
(not ‘adopting,’ as it doesn’t fit here) to smartphone
technology has greater implications on a young person as contemporary
life is built around (not built in’) this
technology. People not used to the latest apps may be considered technologically (it is an adverb, used here after the verb
‘considered’) ignorant, having a form of high-tech ‘illiteracy’ (here means lack of
knowledge in a particular subject; ignorance). This is especially important to
their relationship with others, as today, socializing is based on
social media and various other applications that are easily accessible
(beware of the typo ‘assessible’ that has a different meaning) by smartphone.
Today many people chat with friends on the internet and smartphones are a way
of keeping them online 24/7. Speaking for (not speaking of’) myself,
I recall in the past my tenacious (= tending to keep a firm hold of
something; clinging or adhering closely) persistence of
using (not ‘to use,’ we prefer a gerund here) an old model mobile
phone, as my view was that you need to have an expensive well-known smartphone
brand to take advantage of its facilities (2). People who are
not familiar with smartphones may feel frustrated, as they
are deprived of (not ‘deprived from’) a
technology that is considered essential not just to communicate but
also to interact with other individuals.
(1) ''People over
retirement age'' is more politically correct than the term elderly.
(2) But not too expensive!
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