Common mistakes in English

[EH13] common mistakes Common mistakes [EH13] The following pages show you the type of mistakes that advanced learners of English make when they write exam papers. All our information on the type of mistakes that students make in writing comes from the Cambridge Learner Corpus. The Cambridge Learner Corpus (CLC) is based on a large collection of exam papers that have been written by students taking Cambridge ESOL English exams. At the moment this corpus contains nearly 28 million words of English written by learners and it is growing all the time. The mistakes below have been grouped into different types, for example a learner may have spelled a word wrongly, or they may have used a regular tense for an irregular verb. Many of these mistakes are well-known to teachers. The Cambridge Learner Corpus has been developed in partnership with Cambridge ESOL, whose exams are taken by students all over the world. The Top 10 Spelling Mistakes The list below shows you the ten words that advanced students most often spell wrongly in the Cambridge Learner Corpus. The bold letters in these words show you which parts of the words learners most often get wrong. To help you spell these words correctly, pay special attention to these letters in the correct spellings: Correct spelling 1 accommodation 2 which 3 government 4 beginning 5 definitely 6 successful 7 environment 8 advertisement 9 believe 10 colleague Spelling words in English can be difficult for learners because sometimes a word is very similar to a word in their own language but is not spelled the same. This is why French learners of English, for example, spell success with only one ‘s’, or colleague without an ‘a’. Another thing that makes spelling difficult is that some words in English do not sound exactly as they are spelled. In the word definitely, for example, the second ‘i’ sounds more like an ‘a’. It is important that students of English learn these differences. The Top 10 Uncountable Noun Mistakes An uncountable noun is a noun such as furniture, music, health or happiness that has no plural form and is not a singular noun. Because uncountable nouns have no singular or plural form, they cannot be used with a, an, many, few, several etc. At an entry for an uncountable noun in this dictionary you will see the grammar code [ U] and at an entry for a countable noun, you will see the grammar code [ C]. At an entry for a noun that can be both countable and uncountable, you will see the grammar code [ C o r U]. For examples of these, see the entries below: " adjective with special permission not to do or pay something: Goods exempt from this tax include books and children’s clothes. * Pregnant women are exempt from dental charges under the current health system. Word partners for exercise healthy activity do/get/take exercise . be good exercise . daily/ regular exercise . strenuous/vigorous exercise . gentle/light/moderate exercise . a form of exercise . an exercise class/programme/routine Word partners for exercise practice perform/take part in an exercise . the aim/object/ point/purpose of the exercise . a futile/pointless exercise . a useful/worthwhile exercise . an exercise in sth exercise /"ek.s@.saIz/ /-s -/ " noun healthy activityk 1 . E [CorU] physical activ- ity that you do to make your body strong and healthy: Swimming is my favourite form of exercise. * You really should take more exercise. * I do stomach exercises most days. practicek 2 . E [C] an action or actions intended to improve something or make something happen: Ships from eight navies will be taking part in an exercise in the Pacific to improve their efficiency in combat. * It would be a useful exercise for you to say the speech aloud several times. * an exercise in public relations 3 . E [C] a short piece of written work which you do to practise something you are learning: The book has exercises at the end of every chapter. usek 4 [U] formal the use of something: The exercise of restraint may well be difficult. ceremonyk 5 exercises [plural] us formal a ceremony which includes speeches and usually traditional music or activities: graduation exercises Common mistake: exercise Warning: Check your spelling! Exercise is one of the 50 words most often spelled wrongly by learners. " verb do healthy activityk 1 . I [I or T] to do physi- cal activities to make your body strong and healthy: She exercises most evenings usually by running. * A work-out in the gym will exercise all the major muscle groups. 2 [T] If you exercise an animal, you make it walk or run so that it stays strong and healthy: Now he’s retired he spends most afternoons exercising his dogs. usek 3 . A [T] formal to use something: I exercised my democratic right by not voting in the election. * Always exercise cau- tion when handling radioactive substances. * We’ve decided to exercise the option (= use the part of a legal agreement) to buy the house we now lease. " idiom exercise your mind formal to worry you: The whole situation is exercising our minds greatly. Lexercise Kbike noun [C] a machine for taking exercise which looks similar to and is used like a bicycle but does not move from one place exert /Ig"z3;t/ /-"z ;t/ verb usek 1 [T] to use something such as authority, power, influence, etc. in order to make something happen: If you were to exert your influ- ence they might change their decision. * Some managers exert considerable pressure on their staff to work extra hours without being paid. make an effortk 2 exert yourself [R] to make a mental or physical effort: I was too tired to exert myself. exertion /Ig"z3;.S @ n/ /-"z ;-/ noun effortk 1 [C or U] when you make a lot of mental or physical effort: I get out of breath with any kind of physical exertion. * We were exhausted after our exertions. usek 2 [U] when you use something such as authority, power, influence, etc. in order to make something happen: the exertion of influence over who was appointed to the job exfoliant /eks"f@U.li. @ nt/ /-"foU-/ noun [CorU] a sub- stance with which you exfoliate exfoliate /eks"f@U.li.eIt/ /-"foU-/ verb [IorT] to remove dead skin cells from the surface of the skin, in order to improve the appearance . exfoliation /eks%f@U.li"eI.S @ n/ /-%foU-/ noun [U] ex gratia /eks"greI.S@/ adjective, adverb formal An ex gratia payment is not necessary, especially legally, but is made to show good intentions: Ex gratia payments were made to all those who had been affected by the spil- lage. exhale /eks"heIl/ /" / verb [IorT] formal to send air out of your lungs: Take a deep breath in then exhale into the mouthpiece. c Compare inhale . exhalation /%eks. h @"leI S @ n/ noun [C or U] exhaust /Ig"zO;st/ /-"zA;st/ " verb [T] tirek 1 . A to make someone extremely tired: The long journey exhausted the children. * I’ve exhausted myself with all that cleaning. usek 2 to use something completely: How long will it be before the world’s fuel supplies are exhausted? * I’m afraid he’s exhausted my patience. * We seem to have exhausted this topic of conversation (= we have nothing new to say about it) . " noun [U] the waste gas from an engine, especially a car’s, or the pipe the gas flows through: Car exhaust is the main reason for the city’s pollution. c See picture The Car on page P20 exhausted /Ig"zO;.stId/ /-"zA;-/ adjective . I extremely tired: Exhausted, they fell asleep. * By the time they reached the summit they were exhausted. exhaustible /Ig"zO;.stI.bl0 / /-"zA;-/ adjective describes supplies of something which can be used completely so there are none left: It is clear that many of the Earth’s resources are exhaustible. exhausting /Ig"zO;.stIN/ /-"zA;-/ adjective . I making you feel extremely tired: I’ve had an exhausting day. exhaustion/Ig"zO;s.tS @ n/ /-"zA;-/ noun [U] . A when you are extremely tired: She felt ill with/from exhaustion. exhaustive /Ig"zO;.stIv/ /-"zA;-/ adjective complete or thorough: an exhaustive study/report . exhaustively /Ig"zO;.stIv.li/ /-"zA;-/ adverb The survey was exhaus- tively documented. exLhaust Kpipe noun [C] (us usually tailpipe) the pipe at the back of a vehicle through which waste gas escapes from the engine exhibit /Ig"zIb.It/ " verb [I or T] . A to show something publicly: He fre- quently exhibits at the art gallery. * In the summer the academy will exhibit several prints which are rarely seen. * He exhibited great self-control considering her rude- ness. " noun [C] 1 an object such as a painting that is shown to the public: The museum has a fascinating collection of exhibits ranging from Iron Age pottery to Inuit clothing. 2 legal a thing used as evidence (= proof that some- thing is true) in a trial: Is exhibit C the weapon which you say was used? exhibition /%ek.sI"bIS. @ n/ " noun [CorU] . I when objects such as paintings are shown to the public, or when someone shows a partic- ular skill or quality to the public: The photographs will be on exhibition until the end of the month. * There’sa new exhibition of sculpture on at the city gallery. * The athlete’s third, and winning, jump was an exhibition of skill and strength. " idiom make an exhibition of yourself disapproving to do something stupid in public: I hope I didn’t make an exhibition of myself last night. exhibitionism /%ek.sI"bIS. @ n.I.z @ m/ noun [U] 1 disapproving behaviour which tries to attract attention: It’s exhibi- tionism to flaunt wealth so blatantly. 2 formal when someone shows their sexual organs in public exhibitionist /%ek.sI"bIS. @ n.Ist/ noun [C] 1 someone who tries to attract attention to themselves by their beha- exercise Important words to learn: . E Essential . I Improver . A Advanced 488 ger and cooler: The wind is expected to freshen as it moves in from the east. drinkk 3 [T] (also freshen up) mainly us If you freshen someone’s especially alcoholic drink, you add more to it: Here, let me freshen your drink. " phrasal verbs freshen (sb/sth) up [M] to make some- one or something clean and pleasant: Would you like to freshen up after your journey? * [R] I’m just going to have a shower to freshen myself up. freshen sth up [M] to make something different and more interesting or attractive: The Prime Minister has freshened up her Cabinet with a few new faces. fresher /"freS.@ r / /- / noun [C] uk informal a student who has recently started studying at a college or uni- versity fresh-faced /"freS.feIst/ adjective looking young: fresh- faced 18- and 19-year-old soldiers freshly /"freS.li/ adverb recently done: freshly baked bread * freshly made sandwiches * freshly washed hair freshman /"freS.m@n/ noun [C] us 1 ( informal frosh) a stu- dent in the first year of high school, college, or uni- versity: He’s a freshman at Harvard. * Greg and Jody met in their freshman year at college and married soon after they graduated. 2 someone who has recently started any particular job or activity: a freshman in Congress * a freshman football player freshwater /"freS%wO;.t@ r / /-%wA;.8 / adjective [before noun ] living in or containing water that is not salty: freshwater fish * a freshwater lake/river c Compare salt water fret /fret/ " verb [I] (-tt-) to be nervous or worried: Don’tfret-I’m sure he’s OK. * She spent the day fretting about/over what she’d said to Nicky. " noun [C] any of the small raised metal bars across the long thin part of a stringed musical instrument such as a guitar, that show you where to put your fingers on the strings in order to produce different notes c See picture Music on page P25 . fretted /"fret.Id/ /"fre8-/ adjective Guitars and lutes are fretted musical instruments. fretboard /"fret.bO;d/ /-bO;rd/ noun [C] a fingerboard (= long strip of wood on a stringed musical instrument against which the strings are pressed) with frets such as on a guitar c See picture Music on page P25 fretful /"fret.f @ l/ adjective behaving in a way that shows you are unhappy, worried or uncomfortable: By mid- night the children were tired and fretful (= complaining a lot because they were unhappy) . . fretfully /"fret.f @ l.i/ adverb fretsaw /"fret.sO;/ /-sA;/ noun [C] a saw for cutting curves and inside corners in wood fretwork /"fret.w3;k/ /-w ;k/ noun [U] decorative open patterns especially cut out of wood or metal or made in embroidery Freudian /"frOI.di.@n/ adjective relating to the ideas or methods of Sigmund Freud, especially his ideas about the way in which people’s hidden thoughts and feelings influence their behaviour KFreudian Lslip noun [C] something which you say by acci- dent which is different from what you intended to say, and which seems to show your true thoughts FRG /ef.A;"gi;/ /-A;r-/ noun [U] abbreviation for (the country which used to be called the) Federal Republic of Germany Fri noun written abbreviation for Friday friable /"fraI.@.bl0 / adjective specialized easily broken into small pieces friar /fraI@ r / /fraIr/ noun [C] a man belonging to one of several Roman Catholic religious groups, whose mem- bers often promise to stay poor friary /"fraI@.ri/ /"fraI .i/ noun [C] a building in which friars live fricassee /"frIk.@.si;/ noun [CorU] a dish made of pieces of meat, especially chicken or veal (= meat from young cows) cooked and served in a white sauce friction /"frIk.S @ n/ noun [U] forcek 1 the force which makes it difficult for one object to slide along the sur- face of another or to move through a liquid or gas: When you rub your hands together the friction produces heat. disagreementk 2 disagreement or unfriendliness caused by people having different opinions: There’sa lot of friction between my wife and my mother. * Politics is a source of considerable friction in our family. * Border clashes have led to increased friction between the two countries. . frictional /"frIk.S @ n. @ l/ adjective Friday /"fraI.deI/ noun [C or U] ( written abbreviation Fri) . E the day of the week after Thursday and before Saturday: Shall we go to the theatre on Friday? * I love Fridays because I leave work early. fridge /frIdZ/ noun [C] (also refrigerator, us old-fashioned ice-box) . A a piece of kitchen equipment which uses electricity to preserve food at a cold temperature: Don’t forget to put the milk back in the fridge. c See picture In the Kitchen on page P1 fridge-freezer /%frIdZ"fri;.z@ r / /-z / noun [C] (us usually refrigerator-freezer ) a piece of kitchen equip- ment divided into two parts which are used to keep food fresh, one of which is a fridge and the other a freezer Lfridge Kmagnet noun [C] a small decorative magnet used for fastening messages and notes to a fridge fried /fraId/ adjective cooked in hot oil or fat: a fried egg Word partners for friend have / find / make friends . be / become friends with sb . sb’s best / closest / oldest friend friend /frend/ " noun [C] person you likek 1 . E a person who you know well and who you like a lot, but who is usually not a member of your family: She’s my best/oldest/closest friend - we’ve known each other since we were five. * He’s a family friend/friend of the family. * This restaurant was recommended to me by a friend of mine. * We’ve been friends for years. * Jose´ and Pilar are (good) friends of ours. * We’re (good) friends with Jose´ and Pilar. * She said that she and Peter were just (good) friends (= they were not having a sexual relationship) . * I’ve made a lot of friends in this job. * He finds it difficult to make friends. c See also befriend 2 someone who is not an enemy and who you can trust: You don’t have to pretend anymore - you’re among friends now. person giving money k 3 someone who gives money to a theatre, other arts organization or charity in order to support it: The Friends of the Royal Academy raised £10 000 towards the cost of the exhibition. " idioms A friend in need (is a friend indeed). saying This means that a friend who helps you when you really need help is a true friend. . have friends in high places to know important people who can help you get what you want . What are friends for? (also That’s what friends are for. ) saying said to a friend who has thanked you for doing something special for them . With friends like you, who needs enemies? humorous saying said to or about someone who says he or she is your friend but who is treating you very badly Common mistake: friend Warning: Choose the correct verb! To talk about starting a friendly relationship with someone, don’t say ‘meet/find/get friends’, say make friends: If you don’t speak English, it’s hard to meet friends. If you don’t speak English, it’s hard to make friends. Important words to learn: . E Essential . I Improver . A Advanced friend F 573 obj + -ing verb] I sit by the window and watch people walking past. * [+ question word ] Just watch how he slides that ball in past the goalkeeper. * Bonner watched helplessly as the ball sneaked in at the near post. * She’ll pretend that she hasn’t seen us - you watch. 2 . A [T] to stay with something or someone such as a child for a short time to make certain that they are safe: If you want me to watch the kids for a couple of hours while you go out, just let me know. * Could you watch my bags for me, while I go to the toilet? be carefulk 3 . A [T] to be careful of something: I have to watch my weight (= be careful not to become too heavy) now I’m not doing so much sport. * Watch your language (= Do not use rude words) in front of ladies, young man! * [+(that)] Watch (that) you don’t get glue on your fingers, won’t you? * [+ question word] Watch what you’re doing with that knife, Jim, it’s sharp. * You want to (= You should) watch him - he’s a bit of a strange character. " idioms watch your back to be careful of the people around you, making certain that they do nothing to harm you: I have to watch my back at work - there are a lot of people who would like my job. . watch your step to be very careful about how you behave: He’ll have to watch his step if he wants to keep that job of his! . watch it informal used to tell someone to be careful: Watch it, you nearly knocked my head off with that plank! . watch paint dry informal humorous used to refer to an activity that you consider extremely boring: "So you don’t want to watch the football?" "To be honest I would rather watch paint dry". . watch the clock disapproving to often notice the time and wish that it was later, espe- cially when you are doing work that you do not like . watch the world go by to look at people as they go past: I love sitting in outdoor cafes watching the world go by. . watch this space If someone says watch this space, they mean that there will very soon be an excit- ing change in their situation. " phrasal verbs watch out . I used to warn someone of danger or an accident that seems likely to happen: "Watch out!" he shouted, but it was too late - she had knocked the whole tray of drinks on the floor. watch out for sb/sth to be careful to notice someone or something interesting: Watch out for his latest movie, which comes out next month. watch over sb to protect someone and make certain that they are safe: The prince has two bodyguards watching over him every hour of the day. " noun small clockk 1 . E [C] a small clock which is worn on a strap around the wrist or, sometimes, con- nected to a piece of clothing by a chain: My watch seems to have stopped - it says 10:15 but I’m sure it must be later. * He glanced nervously at his watch. lookingk 2 . A [S or U ] when you watch or give attention to something or someone, especially to make certain nothing bad hap- pens: Once your name has been linked with a drug offence, the police keep a close watch on you. * The sol- diers slept at night, except for one who stayed awake on watch/to keep watch. 3 [S] a person or group of soldiers or guards whose duty is to protect a person, place or thing from danger or attack 4 [C] a fixed period of time during which a person or a group of soldiers or guards has the duty of protecting and warning of danger " idiom a watch out when you watch carefully and look for someone or something: Keep a watch out for Nicki and Steve - they should be here somewhere. watchable /"wQtS.@.bl0 / /"wA;.tS@-/ adjective informal approving describes a television programme or film that is entertaining: It’s not the most profound series I’ve ever seen but it’s very watchable. watchdog /"wQtS.dQg/ /"wA;tS.dA;g/ noun [C] organi- zation k 1 a person or organization responsible for making certain that companies obey particular stan- dards and do not act illegally: The Countryside Commis- sion was set up as the government’s official watchdog on conservation. dogk 2 us for guard dog -watcher /-wQtS.@ r / /-wA;.tS / suffix used with nouns to describe a person who is interested in and enjoys watching a particular thing: Royal-watchers have once again been speculating on the health of the princess. watcher /"wQtS.@ r / /"wA;.tS / noun [C] a person who watches television or films: The new channel is certainly good news for the movie watcher. c See also viewer watchful /"wQtS.f @ l/ /"wA;tS-/ adjective paying careful attention and ready to deal with problems: Under the watchful eye of their mother, the two boys played on the shore. * She keeps a watchful eye on her husband to see that he behaves himself. . watchfully /"wQtS.f @ l.i/ /"wA;tS-/ adverb . watchfulness /"wQtS.f @ l.n@s/ /"wA;tS-/ noun [U] watchman /"wQtS.m@n/ /"wA;tS-/ noun [C] a person who is employed to guard a building or several build- ings watchstrap /"wQtS.str&p/ /"wA;tS-/ noun [C] mainly uk (us watchband) a strip of leather or other material or a metal chain which fastens a watch onto your wrist watchtower /"wQtS%taU@ r / /"wA;tS%taUr/ noun [C] a tower built especially around the edges of prisons and army camps, the top of which provides a good position from which to see anyone who is coming close watchword /"wQtS.w3;d/ /"wA;tS.w ;d/ noun [C usually singular ] (a word or phrase which represents) the main ideas or principles directing the way that someone behaves or the way that something is done: And remem- ber, let caution be your watchword. water /"wO;.t@ r / /"wA;.8 / " noun 1 . E [U] a clear liquid, without colour or taste, which falls from the sky as rain and is necessary for animal and plant life: a bottle/drink/glass of water * bottled/mineral/tap water * hot/cold water * Can I have a drop of water in my whiskey, please? * Is the water hot enough for a bath? * The human body is about 50% water. 2 . E [U] an area of water, such as the sea, a lake or a swimming pool: The water’s much warmer today - are you coming for a swim? * I like swim- ming but I don’t like getting my head under (= in) water. * Dad, I swam a whole length of the pool under water (= with the whole head and body below the surface of the water) ! 3 [U] the level of an area of water: High water this morning at Portsmouth is at 11.17 a.m. 4 waters [ plural] a the area of sea near to and belonging to a particular country: St Lucia depends on its clean coastal waters because fishing and tourism provide much of its income. b the water contained in a particular lake, river or section of sea: In the shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico, oil rigs attract shoals of fish, and fishermen too. c uk (us water) the liquid that surrounds a baby inside a pregnant woman’s womb: At 3 a.m. her waters broke, and the baby was born soon after. 5 the waters [plural] old use water from a spring, especially when used for drinking or swimming in, in order to improve the health: People used to come to this city to take (= drink and swim in) the waters. " idioms water off a duck’s back mainly disapproving cri- ticisms of or warnings to a particular person that have no effect on that person: I’ve told him that he’s heading for trouble, but he doesn’t listen - it’s just water off a duck’s back. . water under the bridge problems that someone has had in the past that they do not worry about because they happened a long time ago and can- not now be changed: Yes, we did have our disagreements Important words to learn: . E Essential . I Improver . A Advanced water W 1639 Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary, 3rd edition © Cambridge University Press 2008 Here are some examples of typical mistakes that students make with uncountable nouns, followed by the correct way to say each sentence: He gave me an advice. ✗ He gave me ✓ some advice. *He gave me ✓ a piece of advice. He gave me a lot of advices. ✗ He gave me many advices. ✗ He gave me ✓ a lot of advice. *Note that you can make some of these nouns countable by adding a phrase such as ‘piece of’ or ‘item of’ before the noun, e.g. She gave me two very useful pieces of advice. The words numbered 1–10 below, taken from the Cambridge Learner Corpus, are the ten uncountable nouns that advanced students most often use wrongly as if they were countable. Uncountable noun 1 information pieces of information 2 advice pieces of advice 3 transport methods of transport 4 equipment pieces of equipment 5 behaviour* types of behaviour 6 research* pieces of research 7 training 8 knowledge 9 software pieces of software 10 accommodation *These words also have meanings that can be made plural. See the main dictionary for these. Although a lot of languages have words that do not have a plural form, these are not always the same words in different languages. The words for furniture in German, Russian and Italian, for example, all have a plural form. Therefore it is easy for learners of English to make mistakes with uncountable nouns. The Top 10 Mistakes Using Nouns With Irregular Plurals To make most countable nouns plural in English, you usually add an ‘s’ at the end, for example, dog – dogs. However, some nouns do not follow this rule and have an irregular plural form. The following list shows the ten nouns with irregular plural forms that cause the most difficulty for advanced learners of English. The words on the left show the singular form of the noun and the words on the right show the correct plural form: Singular Plural 1 life lives 2 child children 3 belief beliefs 4 country countries 5 company companies 6 hero heroes 7 wife wives 8 city cities 9 sheep sheep 10 activity activities Note that in this dictionary an entry for a noun with an irregular plural form will show the plural form at the start of the entry: Lchewing Kgum noun [U] . A a sweet that you keep in your mouth and chew to get its flavour, but which you do not swallow: Would you like a piece/stick of chewing gum? chewy /"tSu;.i/ adjective describes food that needs to be chewed (= crushed with the teeth) a lot before it is swallowed: The meat was tasteless and chewy. chi /tSi;/ noun [U] (also ch’i, or qi) in some systems of Chinese medicine and exercise, the most important energy that a person has chiaroscuro /ki%A;.r@"skU@.r@U/ /-%A;r.@"skjUr.oU/ noun [ U] specialized the use of areas of light and darkness in a painting: Caravaggio is famous for his use of chiaroscuro. chic /Si;k/ adjective stylish and fashionable: I like your haircut - it’s very chic. * a chic restaurant . chic noun [ U] British politicians are not renowned for their chic. chicane /SI"keIn/ noun [C] specialized a piece of road with severe bends like an ‘S’, which forces drivers to go more slowly, especially in motor racing chicanery /SI"keI.n @ r.i/ /-n -/ noun [U] formal clever, dishonest talk or behaviour which is used to deceive people: The investigation revealed political chicanery and corruption at the highest levels. Chicano / t SI"kA;.n@U/ /-noU/ noun [C] (plural Chicanos) informal someone living in the US who was born in Mexico or whose parents came from Mexico chichi /"Si;.Si/ adjective informal disapproving trying too hard to be decorated in a stylish or attractive way and therefore having no real style or beauty: They live in a rather chichi part of town. chick /tSIk/ noun [C] birdk 1 a baby bird, especially a young chicken womank 2 slang a young woman. This word is considered offensive by many women. chicken /"tSIk.In/ " noun birdk 1 . E [CorU] a type of bird kept on a farm for its eggs or its meat, or the meat of this bird which is cooked and eaten: A male chicken is called a cock and a female chicken is called a hen. * We’re having roast/fried chicken for dinner. personk 2 [C] informal a coward (= person who is not brave): Jump, you chicken! " idioms a chicken and egg situation informal a situation in which it is impossible to say which of two things existed first and which caused the other one . play chicken slang to play dangerous games in order to dis- cover who is the bravest " adjective [after verb] child’s word not brave; cowardly: Why won’t you jump? Are you chicken? " phrasal verb chicken out slang disapproving to decide not to do something because you are too frightened: I was going to go bungee jumping, but I chickened out. chickenfeed /"tSIk.In.fi;d/ noun [U] informal a small and not important amount of money: They’re losing $200 000 on this deal, but that’s chickenfeed to/for a company with yearly profits of $25 million. chickenpox /"tSIk.In.pQks/ /-pA;ks/ noun [U] an infec- tious disease that causes a slight fever and red spots on the skin: Chickenpox is common among children. chickenshit /"tSIk.In.SIt/ noun [C], adjective us slang dis- approving for chicken (PERSON) (= a person who is not brave) C’mon, don’t be such a chickenshit - just go up and ask her to dance. Lchicken Kwire noun [U] netting (= material in the form of a net) made of metal wire, which was originally used to make closed areas for chickens Lchick Kflick noun [C] informal humorous a film about rela- tionships, romance, etc. that attracts mainly women Lchick Klit noun [U] informal humorous stories written by women, about women, for women to read chickpea /"tSIk.pi;/ noun [C] uk (us garbanzo bean) a hard pale brown round bean which can be cooked and eaten chicory /"tSIk. @ r.i/ /- -/ noun [U] 1 (us also endive, aus- tralian also witlof ) a vegetable with white leaves that taste bitter and are eaten raw in salads 2 a powder made from the root of this plant and added to or used instead of coffee chide /tSaId/ verb [T] formal to speak to someone severely because they have behaved badly: She chided him for his bad manners. chief /tSi;f/ " adjective [before noun] most importantk 1 . I most important or main: The chief problem we have in the area now is the spread of disease. * The weather was our chief reason for coming here. person in chargek 2 highest in rank: the chief fire officer/accountant " noun [C] . A the person in charge of a group or orga- nization, or the ruler of a tribe: a police chief * A new chief of the security forces has just been appointed. * [as form of address ] uk humorous Can you sign this form for me, chief? " idiom too many chiefs and not enough Indians informal too many managers and not enough people to do the work Kchief Lconstable noun [C usually singular] in Britain, the police officer in charge of the police in a particular area Kchief exLecutive noun [C usually singular] the person with the most important position in a company: She’s the chief executive of one of the country’s largest charities. the KChief ELx ecutive noun [S] us the president of the United States Kchief eKxecutive Lofficer noun [C] ( abbreviation CEO) the person with the most important position in a company Kchief Ljustice noun [C usually singular] the most impor- tant judge of a court of law, especially a very important court in a country chiefly /"tSi;.fli/ adverb mainly: The island chiefly attracts upmarket tourists. * magazines intended chiefly for teen- agers Kchief of Lstaff noun [C] one of the highest-ranking offi- cers in the armed forces chieftain /"tSi;f.t @ n/ noun [C] the leader of a tribe chiffon /"SIf.Qn/ /SI"fA;n/ " noun [U] a very thin, almost transparent cloth of silk or nylon " adjective [before noun] us describes food which is made light, especially by adding the clear part of eggs which have been beaten: lemon chiffon pie chignon /"Si;.njQ/ /-njA;n/ noun [C] a woman’s hair- style where the hair is arranged in a knot or roll at the back of her head chihuahua /tSI"wA;.w@/ noun [C] a very small dog with large eyes and smooth hair chilblain /"tSIl.bleIn/ noun [C] a painful red swelling on the toes or fingers, caused by cold weather child /tSaIld/ (plural children) " noun [C] 1 . E a boy or girl from the time of birth until he or she is an adult, or a son or daughter of any age: an eight-year-old child * As a child I didn’t eat vegetables. * A small group of children waited outside the door. * Both her children are now married with children of their own. * Jan is married with three young children. * They campaign for the rights of the unborn child. c See also brainchild 2 disapproving an adult who behaves badly, like a badly behaved child: He’s such a child if he doesn’t get his own way. 3 a child of sth someone who has been very influenced by a particular period or situa- tion: Me, I’m a child of the sixties. " idioms be child’s play informal to be very easy: Using computers nowadays is child’s play compared to how dif- ficult they were to use twenty years ago. . Children should be seen and not heard. saying said to emphasize that you think children should behave well and be quiet . (great) with child old use (very) pregnant Lchewing Kgum Important words to learn: . E Essential . I Improver . A Advanced 234 The Top 10 Irregular Verb Mistakes The following list from the Cambridge Learner Corpus shows the ten irregular verbs that cause the most difficulty for advanced students of English. The bold letters in this list show you the letters in these verbs forms that students most often get wrong: Verb Correct inflection 1 write writing 2 pay paid 3 occur occurred 4 study studying 5 develop developed 6 choose chosen 7 be being 8 happen happened 9 rise rose 10 prefer preferred Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary, 3rd edition © Cambridge University Press 2008 Writing essays Note that in this dictionary an entry for an irregular verb will show the irregular forms at the start of the entry. feel excited . Lglue Ksniffing noun [U] Drugs, glue sniffing and under-age drinking are prevalent amongst the older teenagers. gluey /"glu;.i/ adjective (gluier, gluiest) covered with glue glum/glVm/ adjective (glummer, glummest) informal 1 dis- appointed or unhappy, and quiet: You look glum. What’s up? * He’s very glum about the company’s prospects. . glumly /"glVm.li/ adverb "I’ll never find another job at my age," she said glumly. . glumness /"glVm.n@s/ noun [ U] glut /glVt/ noun [C] a supply of something that is much greater than can be sold or is needed or wanted: The fall in demand for coffee could cause a glut on/in the market. * The current glut of graduates means that many of them will not be able to find jobs. . glut verb [T often passive] (-tt-) Higher mortgage rates and over-building left some markets glutted with unsold houses. gluten /"glu;.t @ n/ /-8 @ n/ noun [U] a protein which is contained in wheat and some other grains: a gluten- free diet glutinous /"glu;.tI.n@s/ /-8I-/ adjective sticky: Short- grain rice turns into a soft glutinous mass when cooked. glutton /"glVt. @ n/ /"glV8-/ disapproving " noun [C] a person who regularly eats and drinks more than is needed " idioms be a glutton for sth to like something very much: Sophie is a glutton for books. . be a glutton for punishment to be someone who seems to enjoy doing something that you consider unpleasant: He’s a real glutton for punishment, taking on all that extra work without getting paid for it. gluttonous /"glVt. @ n.@s/ /"glV8-/ adjective disapproving eating and drinking more than you need . gluttonously /"glVt. @ n.@.sli/ /"glV8-/ adverb gluttony /"glVt. @ n.i/ /"glV8-/ noun [U] disapproving when people eat and drink more than they need to: They treat Christmas as just another excuse for gluttony. glyKcemic Lindex noun [S] ( abbreviation GI) a system for listing foods according to how quickly they increase the level of sugar in your blood glycerine, us also glycerin /"glIs. @ r.i;n, -In/ /- .rIn/ noun [U] a colourless sweet thick liquid which is used in making explosives and medicines and for making foods sweet c Compare nitroglycerine glycerol /"glIs. @ .rQl/ /-rA;l/ noun [U] specialized glycer- ine glycogen /"glaI.k@U.dZ@n/ /-koU-/ noun [U] specialized a substance found in the liver and muscles which stores carbohydrate and is important in controlling sugar levels in the blood gm noun written abbreviation for gram GM /%dZi;"em/ adjective [before noun] abbreviation for genetically modified KGM Lfood noun [CorU] genetically modified food: food from crops whose genes have been scientifically chan- ged: Agricultural companies have failed to convince con- sumers that GM foods are safe. GMO /%dZi;.em"@U/ /-"oU/ noun [C] abbreviation for genetically modified organism: a plant or animal whose genes have been scientifically changed GMT /%dZi;.em"ti;/ noun [U] abbreviation for Greenwich Mean Time gnarled /nA;ld/ /nA;rld/ adjective rough and twisted, especially because of old age or no protection from bad weather: a gnarled tree trunk * The old man drew a long gnarled finger across his throat. gnat /n&t/ noun [C] a very small flying insect that bites animals and people gnaw /nO;/ /nA;/ " verb [I + prep; T] bitek 1 to bite or chew something repeatedly, usually making a hole in it or gradually destroying it: Babies like to gnaw hard objects when they’re teething. * A dog lay under the table, gnawing on a bone. feel worriedk 2 to make you feel worried or uncomfortable: The feeling that I’ve forgotten some- thing has been gnawing at me all day. " phrasal verb gnaw away at sth to gradually reduce or spoil something: Bad debts are continuing to gnaw away at the bank’s profits. gnawing /"nO;.IN/ /"nA;-/ adjective continuously uncomfortable, worrying or painful: I’ve had gnawing doubts about this project for some time. * After three days, we felt an agonizing, gnawing hunger. gneiss /naIs/ noun [U] specialized a type of metamorphic rock that contains light and dark bands formed of minerals such as quartz and mica gnocchi /"njQk.i/ /"njA;.ki/ plural noun small round balls made from potato or wheat flour mixed with water, that you eat in soup or with sauce gnome /n@Um/ /noUm/ noun [C] 1 an imaginary, very small, old man with a beard and a pointed hat, in tradi- tional children’s stories 2 a model of a gnome used as a garden decoration: I don’t think garden gnomes are in very good taste. 3 the gnomes of Zurich literary the powerful bankers (= people who own or control banks) from Switzerland who control a lot of money, much of it belonging to foreign governments gnomic /"n@U.mIk/ /"noU-/ adjective formal describes something spoken or written that is short, mysterious and not easily understood, but often seems wise: Peter is always coming out with gnomic utterances/pronounce- ments. GNP /%dZi;.en"pi;/ noun [U] specialized abbreviation for Gross National Product: the total value of goods and services produced by a country in one year, including profits made in foreign countries c Compare GDP gnu /nu;/ noun [C] (plural gnu or gnus) a large African animal with a long tail and horns that curve to the sides, which lives in areas covered with grass go /g@U/ /goU/ " verb (going, went, gone) move/travelk 1 . E [I usually + adv/prep] to travel or move to another place: We went into the house. * I went to Paris last summer. Have you ever been there? * We don’t go to the cinema very often these days. * Wouldn’t it be quicker to go by train? * Does this train go to New- castle? * Where do you think you’re going? Shouldn’t you be at school? 2 . E [I usually + adv/prep] to be in the process of moving: Can’t we go any faster? * We were going along at about 50 miles an hour. * to go down the road * to go up/down stairs * to go over the bridge * to go through a tunnel * figurative I’ve got a tune going around/round in my head (= I am continually hearing it) and I just can’t remember the name of it. 3 . E [I] to move or travel somewhere in order to do something: [+ -ing verb] We go shopping every Friday night. * I’ve never gone skiing. * They’ve gone for a walk, but they should be back soon. * [+ to infinitive] She’s gone to meet Brian at the station. * There’s a good film on at the Odeon. Shall we go? 4 where has/have sth gone? . A said when you cannot find something: Where have my keys gone? leavek 5 . E [I] to leave a place, especially in order to travel to somewhere else: Is it midnight already? I really must go/must be going. * She wasn’t feeling well, so she went home early. * mainly uk What time does the last train to Bath go? * I’m afraid he’ll have to go (= be dis- missed from his job) - he’s far too inefficient to continue working for us. * This carpet’s terribly old and worn - it really will have to go (= be got rid of). 6 to go . A mainl y us If you ask for some food to go at a restaurant, you want it wrapped up so that you can take it away with you instead of eating it in the restaurant: I’d like a cheeseburger and strawberry milk shake to go, please. gluey Important words to learn: . E Essential . I Improver . A Advanced 612 Collocation Mistakes A collocation is a combination of two or more words that are frequently used together. In this dictionary, collocations are shown in the example sentences that come after the definitions. You will see them clearly because they are shown in bold letters: tions, trains, etc: a railway station/timetable/siding, etc. * Thomas Grant worked on the railway(s) for fifty years. raiment /"reI.m@nt/ noun [U] old use clothes rain /reIn/ " noun [U] 1 . E drops of water from clouds: Rain is forecast for tomorrow. * Come inside out of the rain. * We had heavy/light rain all day. * We got caught in pouring/torrential (= a lot of) rain without either rain- coats or umbrellas. * There will be showers of rain/rain showers (= short periods of rain) in the east. * It looks like rain (= as if rain is going to fall). 2 the rains [plural] the season of the year in tropical countries when there is a lot of rain: Villagers are now waiting for the rains to come so that the rice will grow. * This is the third year in a row that the rains have failed. " idiom come rain or shine whatever happens: Come rain or shine, I’ll see you on Thursday. " verb [I] . E If it rains, water falls from the sky in small drops: I think it’s starting to rain. * It’s raining hard/ heavily (= a large amount of rain is falling). " idioms It never rains but it pours. uk (us When it rains, it pours. ) saying said when one bad thing happens, fol- lowed by a lot of other bad things, which make a bad situation worse . It’s raining cats and dogs! old-fash- ioned something that you say when it is raining heavily . rain on sb’s parade to do something that spoils some- one’s plans: I’m sorry to rain on your parade but you’re not allowed to have alcohol on the premises. " phrasal verbs rain (sth) down to fall in large amounts, or to direct something in large amounts, usually force- fully or violently: Bombs rained down on the besieged city. * Her attacker rained down blows on her. rain sth off uk (us rain sth out) If an event is rained off, it cannot start or continue because it is raining: His hockey match was rained off. rainbow /"reIn.b@U/ /-boU/ noun [C] . A an arch (= curved shape) of different colours seen in the sky when rain is falling and the sun is shining: The tropical butterfly’s wings were shimmering with all the colours of the rainbow. Lrain Kcheck us " noun [C] 1 a piece of paper that you are given by a shop when something which is advertised for sale at a certain price is not available. This piece of paper allows you to buy the product at the advertised price when it becomes available. 2 a ticket that allows you to see an event at a later time if bad weather stops that event from happening " idiom take a rain check (on sth ) informal used to tell someone that you cannot accept their invitation now, but would like to do so at a later time: Mind if I take a rain check on that drink? I’ve got to work late tonight. raincoat /"reIN.k@Ut/ /-koUt/ noun [C] a coat which protects the wearer against rain: a plastic raincoat raindrop /"reIn.drQp/ /-drA;p/ noun [C] a single drop of rain rainfall /"reIn.fO;l/ /-fA;l/ noun [U] rain, or the amount of rain that falls: Heavy rainfall ruined the match. * The average annual rainfall in this region: 750 mm. rainforest mainly uk, mainl y us rain forest /"reIn.fQr.Ist/ /-fO;r-/ noun [C or U] . A a forest in a tropical area which receives a lot of rain: a tropical rainforest Lrain Kgauge noun [C] a device for measuring how much rain falls rainstorm /"reIn.stO;m/ /-stO;rm/ noun [C] a weather condition with strong wind and heavy rain Lrain Kwater noun [U] water that has fallen as rain, rather than water which has come from a tap rainy /"reI.ni/ " adjective raining a lot: We had three rainy days on holi- day, but otherwise it was sunny. " idiom save/keep money for a rainy day to save money for a time when it might be needed unexpectedly: Luck- ily she had saved some money for a rainy day. raise /reIz/ " verb [T] liftk 1 . E to lift something to a higher posi- tion: Would all those in favour please raise their hands? * He raised the window and leaned out. * Mary Quant was the first fashion designer to raise hemlines. increa- se k 2 . E to cause something to increase or become bigger, better, higher, etc: The government plan to raise taxes. * I had to raise my voice (= speak more loudly) to make myself heard over the noise. * The inspector said that standards at the school had to be raised. * Our little chat has raised my spirits (= made me feel happier). existk 3 . E to cause to exist: Her answers raised doubts/fears/suspicions in my mind. * This discussion has raised many important issues/problems. * The announcement raised a cheer/laugh. * I want to raise (= talk about) two problems/questions with you. * I want to start my own business if I can raise (= obtain) the money/cash/capital/funds. * formal The chapel was raised (= built) as a memorial to her son. developk 4 . E to take care of a person, or an animal or plant, until they are completely grown: Her parents died when she was a baby and she was raised by her grandparents. * The lambs had to be raised by hand (= fed artificial milk by people) when their mother died. * The farmer raises (= breeds) chickens and pigs. * The soil around here isn’t good enough for raising (= growing) crops. card games k 5 If you raise another player in a game of cards, you risk more money than that player has risked: I’ll raise you. * [+ two objects] I’ll raise you $50. stopk 6 formal to end or stop: They agreed to raise the trade embargo if three conditions were met. * After three weeks the siege was raised. communicatek 7 to communicate with someone, especially by telephone or radio: I’ve been trying to raise Jack/Tokyo all day. " idioms raise (a few) eyebrows to cause surprise or shock: Jemma’s miniskirt raised a few eyebrows at the board meeting. . raise your game to make an effort to improve the way that you do something: They’re going to have to raise their game if they want to stay in the Premiership this season. . raise your hand to/against sb to hit someone: Never raise your hand to a child. " noun [C] us for rise (= increase in pay) She asked the boss for a raise. -raiser /-reI.z@ r / /-z / suffix a person or thing that causes the stated thing to exist or be obtained: a money-raiser * These new taxes are designed to be a rev- enue-raiser. raisin /"reI.z @ n/ noun [C] a dried black grape raison d’e ˆ tre /%rez.A~;"det.r@/ /%reI.zA;n-/ noun [C usually singular ] (plural raisons d’e ˆ tre) a reason for existence: Her job is her raison d’e ˆ tre. the Raj /D@"rA; d Z/ noun [S] the period of British rule in India: the days of the Raj rajah /"rA;.dZ@/ noun [C] a male Indian ruler c See also rani rake /reIk/ " noun [C] toolk 1 a garden tool with a long handle and long pointed metal parts sticking out in a row at the bottom, used for making the earth level or for collecting leaves, etc. mank 2 old- fashioned a man, raiment Important words to learn: . E Essential . I Improver . A Advanced 1172 As well as the collocations that you see in the example sentences, you will find collocations in small blue boxes in the main dictionary. These blue boxes have the words ‘Word partners for . . .’ at the top. Here is an example of a Word partner box for the word house: night)? * He returned in the early/small hours (= at night, after midnight) . 4 work long/regular/unsocial, etc. hours used to describe how many hours in the day you work or what part of the day you work: She’sa nurse so she often works unsocial hours. * He’s paid well but he works long hours. 5 for hours (and hours) . I informal for a very long time: I waited for him for hours. 6 at all hours (of the day and night) disapproving repeatedly during the day and the night: They keep ring- ing me up at all hours (of the day and night). " idioms after hours after the usual hours of work . hour after hour . A for many hours without stopping: I sat by her bedside for hour after hour. . your hour has come literary If you think your hour has come, you think you are going to die: I thought my hour had come when he pointed his gun at me. . (from) hour to hour If some- thing changes from hour to hour, it is different every hour. . in sb’s hour of need literary when someone urgently needs help: She helped me in my hour of need. . out of hours mainly uk (us after hours) If you drink in a bar out of hours, you drink alcohol at a time when it is not allowed by law . till all hours disapproving very late: He stays up drinking till all hours. hourglass /"aU@.glA;s/ /"aUr.gl&s/ noun [C] a glass container filled with sand that takes one hour to move from an upper to a lower part through a narrow opening in the middle, used especially in the past to measure time Lhourglass Kfigure noun [C usually singular ] If a woman has an hourglass figure, she has a very small waist. Lhour Khand noun [C usually singular ] the part on a clock or watch which points to the hours. It is shorter than the minute hand. hourly /"aU@.li/ /"aUr-/ " adjective 1 . A done or happening every hour: There’s an hourly bus service into town. * Take two tablets at hourly intervals. 2 hourly fee/rate, etc. the amount that is charged or earned every hour " adverb . A once every hour: Trains call here hourly. Word partners for house build / buy / rent / sell a house . a beautiful / fine / derelict / rambling house . a terraced / semi- detached / detached house house " noun /haUs/ (plural houses /"haUzIz/ ) homek 1 . E [C] a building which people, usually one family, live in: a detached/semi-detached house * to buy/ rent a house * house prices * She lives in a little house uk in/us on Cross Street. c See also farmhouse; roadhouse 2 [C usually singular] all the people living in a house: Try not to wake the whole house when you come in! 3 [C] a building where animals are kept: the monkey/lion house at the zoo * a hen house 4 [C] a building or part of a building which is used for a special purpose: the Sydney Opera House * Broadcasting House businessk 5 a business or organization of the stated type, especially one that produces books or designs clothes: a publishing house * a fashion house * uk a curry house (= South Asian restaurant) musick 6 [U] (also house music) popular dance music with a fast regular beat, usually produced on electronic equipment: House music first appeared in the late 1980s. school groupk 7 [C] uk any of a small number of groups which the children in a school are put in for sports and other competitions: an inter-house football match familyk 8 [C] an important family, especially a royal one: The British Royal Family belong to the House of Windsor. politicsk 9 [C] an organization which makes laws, or its meeting place 10 the House the members of the organization which makes laws: The House began sit- ting at 3 p.m./rose at 2 a.m. 11 [S] the group of people who suggest a subject for a debate: The motion for tonight’s debate is, "This house believes that capital pun- ishment should be abolished." theatrek 12 [C] the people watching a performance, especially in a theatre: The opera played to a full/packed house. " idioms get on like a house on fire informal If two peo- ple get on like a house on fire, they like each other very much and become friends very quickly: I was worried that they wouldn’t like each other but in fact they’re get- ting on like a house on fire. . get/put your own house in order to solve your own problems: You should put your own house in order before you start telling me what to do! . go (all) round the houses uk to waste time doing or asking something in a very complicated way . house of cards a complicated organization or plan that is very weak and can easily be destroyed or easily go wrong . on the house If you have something on the house, it is given to you free by a business: All the drinks were on the house. " verb [T] /haUz/ to give a person or animal a place to live, or to provide space for something: It will be difficult to house all the refugees. * The museum houses the big- gest collection of antique toys in Europe. Lhouse arKrest noun under house arrest legally forced to stay in your house as if it were a prison: The opposition leader has just been put/placed under house arrest. houseboat /"haUs.b@Ut/ /-boUt/ noun [C] a boat which people use as their home, often kept in one place on a river or canal housebound /"haUs.baUnd/ adjective unable to leave your home, especially because you are ill: She’s been house- bound since the accident. housebreaker /"haUs%breI.k@ r / /-k / noun [C] a person who illegally enters a house in order to steal something . housebreaking /"haUs%breI.kIN/ noun [U] housebroken /"haUs%br@U.k @ n/ /-%broU-/ adjective us for house-trained housebuyer /"haUs%baI.@ r / /- / noun [C usually plural] a person who wishes to buy, or is buying a house or other form of place to live in Lhouse Kcall noun [C] when a doctor or other health worker comes to your home, usually to give treatment LHouse ComKmittee noun [C] in the US, a group of people chosen by the House of Representatives to consider a particular matter: He appeared before the House Committee on Space, Science and Technology. housefly /"haUs.flaI/ noun [C] a small common fly often found in houses houseful /"haUs.fUl/ noun a lot of people or things in your house: We’ve got a houseful of visitors at the moment. houseguest /"haUs.gest/ noun [C] mainly us a person who stays at someone else’s house for one or more nights household /"haUs.h@Uld/ /-hoUld/ noun [C; + sing/pl verb ] . A a group of people, often a family, who live together: By the 1960s, most households had a TV. * household chores * household expenses householder /"haUs%h@Ul.d@ r / /-%hoUl.d / noun [C] the person who owns or is in charge of a house Khousehold Lname noun [C] a famous person that most people know of: He was a household name in the 1950s. hourglass Important words to learn: . E Essential . I Improver . A Advanced 700 If you use common collocations when you are writing and speaking, your English will sound more natural and be easier to understand. Remember that collocations exist in all languages, but different words go together in different languages. In some languages you ‘do a mistake’, but in English, you ‘make a mistake’. On the other hand, while in some languages you ‘make your homework’, in English you ‘do your homework’. Use the lists below to learn how to avoid the most common mistakes with collocations. 1 Verb + noun This list shows you the ten mistakes that advanced students most often make when they choose a verb to go with a noun. In most cases it is clear what the student means, but the problem is that the combination of verb + noun that they have used is not a collocation, does not sound natural, and is considerd to be incorrect. In each case, a more natural verb + noun combination with the same meaning is shown under the incorrect combination. Noun1 : experience Example: ✗ I know several people who have made the same experience. ✓ I know several people who have had the same experience. Noun:2 friend Example: ✗ I found it difficult to find friends and felt very lonely. ✓ I found it difficult to make friends and felt very lonely. Noun:3 research Example: ✗ It is impossible to make any research without the Internet. ✓ It is impossible to do any research without the Internet. Noun:4 work Example: ✗ Francesca makes her work very efficiently. ✓ Francesca does her work very efficiently. Noun:5 mistake Example: ✗ People often do the same mistakes. ✓ People often make the same mistakes. Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary, 3rd edition © Cambridge University Press 2008 Noun:6 survey Example: ✗ I made a survey of the level of job satisfaction in our department. ✓ I carried out/did a survey of the level of job satisfaction in our department. Noun:7 effort Example: ✗ It is worth doing an effort to live a healthier life. ✓ It is worth making an effort to live a healthier life. Noun:8 child/children/baby Example: ✗ They married young, got two children, and led an ordinary life. ✓ They married young, had two children, and led an ordinary life. Noun:9 business Example: ✗ I spent two days in the office making business by phone. ✓ I spent two days in the office conducting/doing business by phone. Noun:10 change Example: ✗ They suggested doing some changes to the schedule. ✓ They suggested making some changes to the schedule. 2 Adjective + Noun This list, from the Cambridge Learner Corpus, shows the ten mistakes that students make most often when they choose an adjective to go with a noun. In most cases it is clear what the student means, but the problem is that the combination of adjective + noun that they have used does not sound natural and is considered to be incorrect. In each case, a more natural adjective + noun combination with the same meaning is shown under the incorrect combination. 1 Noun: number/amount/quantity Example: ✗ a big number of tourists/students/ customers etc. ✓ a large number of tourists/students/ customers etc. ✗ a big amount of money/food/ information etc. ✓ a large amount of money/food/ information etc. ✗ In my country we eat a big quantity of pasta. ✓ In my country we eat a large quantity of pasta. 2 Noun: choice Example: ✗ They offer only a little choice of cold snacks. ✓ They offer a limited/narrow choice of cold snacks. 3 Noun: range/variety/choice Example: ✗ There is a big range of study materials available. ✓ There is a wide range of study materials available. ✗ They provide a big variety of hot meals every day. ✓ They provide a wide variety of hot meals every day. ✗ They offer a bigger choice of meals. ✓ They offer a wider choice of meals. 4 Noun: noise Example: ✗ Suddenly there was a big noise. ✓ Suddenly there was a loud noise. 5 Noun: pressure Example: ✗ I am already overworked and under high pressure. ✓ I am already overworked and under great/a lot of pressure. 6 Noun: importance Example: ✗ This fact is of very big importance to me. ✓ This fact is of very great importance to me. 7 Noun: amount Example: ✗ They earn a high amount of money. ✓ They earn a large amount of money. Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary, 3rd edition © Cambridge University Press 2008 8 Noun: tree/building/person Example: ✗ It is a high building. ✗ He is not very high. ✓ It is a tall building. ✓ He is not very tall. 9 Noun: progress Example: ✗ I have made quite big progress in speaking English. ✓ I have made great/a lot of progress in speaking English. 10 Noun: decrease Example: ✗ There was a little decrease in profits in the second year. ✓ There was a slight decrease in profits in the second year. The Top 10 Verb + Verb Combination Mistakes This list shows the ten mistakes that advanced students most often make when they put one verb after another verb. In each case the form of the second verb is incorrect. 1 Main Verb: suggest ✗ suggest (sb) to do sth ✗ I suggest to send our colleagues on a similar course. ✓ suggest (that) sb do sth ✓ I suggest (that) we send our colleagues on a similar course. 2 Main Verb: recommend ✗ recommend to do sth ✗ I recommend to employ a part-time assistant. ✓ recommend doing sth ✓ I recommend employing a part-time assistant. 3 Main Verb: look forward to ✗ look forward to do sth ✗ I look forward to hear from you. ✓ look forward to doing sth ✓ I look forward to hearing from you. 4 Main Verb: need ✗ need do sth; need doing sth ✗ We need resolve a lot of other important problems. ✓ need to do sth ✓ We need to resolve a lot of other important problems. 5 Main Verb: consider ✗ consider to do sth ✗ I would like you to consider to refund at least some of my money. ✓ consider doing sth ✓ I would like you to consider refunding at least some of my money. 6 Main Verb: want ✗ want do sth ✗ If you want have the body you have always dreamed of, you must join a gym. ✓ want to do sth ✓ If you want to have the body you have always dreamed of, you must join a gym. 7 Main Verb: be used to ✗ be used to do sth ✗ You should be used to work in teams and be computer literate. ✓ be used to doing sth ✓ You should be used to working in teams and be computer literate. 8 Main Verb: (would) like ✗ would like do sth ✗ I would like thank the families for their help. ✓ would like to do sth ✓ I would like to thank the families for their help. 9 Main Verb: can ✗ can to do sth ✗ We need to find new markets where we can to sell our products. ✓ can do sth ✓ We need to find new markets where we can sell our products. 10 Main Verb: help ✗ help (sb) doing sth ✗ My job was to help operating the roller- coaster. ✓ help (sb) to do sth; help (sb) do sth ✓ My job was to help (them) to operate the roller-coaster.• My job was to help (them) operate the roller-coaster. Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary, 3rd edition © Cambridge University Press 2008 . rain without either rain- coats or umbrellas. * There will be showers of rain/rain showers (= short periods of rain) in the east. * It looks like rain (= as if rain is going to fall). 2 the rains. rain or shine whatever happens: Come rain or shine, I’ll see you on Thursday. " verb [I] . E If it rains, water falls from the sky in small drops: I think it’s starting to rain. * It’s raining. noun [C] a single drop of rain rainfall /"reIn.fO;l/ /-fA;l/ noun [U] rain, or the amount of rain that falls: Heavy rainfall ruined the match. * The average annual rainfall in this region: