COMMON MISTAKES

Malaysian Style It's seven twenty o'clock.American Style It's seven twenty.

Malaysian Style Your coat is broken.American Style Your coat is torn.

Malaysian Style Susan didn't make a fault anyway.American Style Susan didn't make a mistake anyway.

Malay Style Would you mind posting this letter for me ? Yes, certainly.

American Style Would you mind mailing this letter for me ? Of course not. OR ( Not at all )

Malaysian Style He becomes better.American Style He got better.

Malaysian Style We'll have a hearing test tomorrow.American Style We'll have a listening test tomorow.

Malaysian Style I recommend you to take a long vacation.American Style I recommend that you take a long vacation.

Malaysian Style The last bus leaves at eleven o'clock. It's about eleven now, Hurry up!

American Style The last bus leaves at eleven o'clock. It's nearly ( almost ) eleven now, Hurry up!

Malaysian Style It was still bright outside.American Style It was still light outside.

Malaysian Style I very enjoyed it.American Style I really enjoyed it.

Malaysian StyleIf you determine to make the grade in the entrance examination,

you must work extra hard.

American Style

If you are determined to make the grade in the entrance examination,

you must work extra hard.

Malaysian StylePlease handle this gold watch carefully. It worths more than five

thousand dollars.

American StylePlease handle this gold watch carefully. It is worth more than five

thousand dollars.

Malaysian Style I ran into Maria yesterday morning. She looked healthily.American Style I ran into Maria yesterday morning. She looked healthy.

Malaysian Style I am the only son in the family. I have not brothers. American Style I am the only son in the family. I have no brothers.

Malaysian Style My borther has been busy in preparing for his final examination.American Style My brother has been busy preparing for his final examination.

Malaysian Style Who cooked this salad American Style Who made this salad ?

Malaysian Style Different from me, she is proficient in English.American Style Unlike me, she is proficient in English.

Malaysian Style Little children are difficult to understand that.American Style It is difficult for children to understand that.

Malaysian Style Don't step on the grass.American Style Keep off the grass.

Malaysian Style I get my salary twice a month.American Style I get paid twice a month..

Malaysian Style Would you like a drink ?American Style Would you like something to drink ?

Malaysian Style Let me examine your pulse.American Style Let me feel your pulse.

Malaysian Style I have no exercise talent.American Style I am not athletic.

Malaysian Style Don't expect me too much.American Style Don't expect too much from (of ) me.

Malaysian Style I know his face.

American Style I know him by sight.

Malaysian Style I forget my hat in the house.American Style I left my hat in the house.

Malaysian Style Lend me some money, for instance 500 dollars, LinAmerican Style Lend me some money, say 500 dollars, Lin

Malaysian Style I have a free time.American Style I am free.

Malaysian Style The sun rises from the East.American Style The sun rises in the East.

Malaysian Style The thief got in from the window.American Style The thief got in through the window.

Malaysian Style He cannot read and write.American Style He cannot read or write.

Malaysian Style Where is here.American Style Where are we.

Malaysian Style How heavy are you ?American Style How much do you weigh ?

Malaysian Style He was talking in a high voice.American Style He was talking loud.

Malaysian Style Most Westerners have high noses.American Style Most Westerners have long noses.

Malaysian Style Are you home tomorrow. American Style Are you at home tomorrow.

Malaysian Style How does she look like ? American Style What does she look like ?

Malaysian Style This is the way how I did it. American Style This is how I did it. or This is the way I did it.

Malaysian Style How do you think about Taiwan. American Style What do you think about Taiwan.

Malaysian Style How can I do ?American Style What can I do ?

Malaysian Style I visited her ill mother in the hospital.American Style I visited her sick mother in the hospital.

Malaysian Style There is a limit in my patience.American Style There is a limit to my patience.

Malaysian Style Please wait inside the white line.American Style Please wait behind the white line.

Malaysian Style Is your house insured for fire ?American Style Is your house insured against fire ?

Malaysian Style I introduce Mr. Smith to you !American Style May I introduce Mr. Smith to you !

Malaysian Style She was first prize.American Style She took first prize.

Malaysian Style Do you have any automatic camera ? Yes I have it .American Style Do you have any automatic camera ? Yes, I have one.

Malaysian Style That was a traffic accident on my way here. It is why I was late. American Style That was a traffic accident on my way here. That is why I was late.

Malaysian Style She is wearing blue jeans pants.American Style She is wearing blue jeans.

Malaysian Style Keep the right.American Style Keep to the right.

Malaysian Style Last night I didn't keep my diary.American Style Last night I didn't write anything in my diary.

Malaysian Style The train was late about an hour.American Style The train was about an hour late.

Malaysian Style I was ten minutes late for the English lesson. American Style I was ten minutes late for the English class.

Malaysian Style How many Chinese letters do you know ?American Style How many Chinese characters do you know ?

Malaysian Style He is fighting for his life.

American Style He is fighting for his bread.

Malaysian Style Why do you say like that.American Style Why do you say that.

Malaysian Style I have no house to live.American Style I have no house to live in.

Malaysian Style What a dirty face ! Look at the mirror.American Style What a dirty face ! Look in the mirror.

Malaysian Style He lost conciousness for a long time. American Style He was unconcious for a long time.

Malaysian Style He made a world record.American Style He set a world record.

Malaysian Style Her marriage was happy. American Style Her married life was happy.

Malaysian Style Maybe I think so. American Style I think so.

Malaysian Style The club's members are 55. American Style There are 55 members in the club.

Malaysian Style They didn't understand my mind.American Style They didn't understand what I was thinking.Malaysian Style I saw it on the newspapers.American Style I read ( saw ) it in the newspapers.

Malaysian Style He is a liar, and you are one too.American Style He is a liar, and you are too.

Malaysian Style Open page 20 of your books.American Style Open your books to page 20.

Malaysian Style Our Chinese students are diligent.American Style We Chinese students are diligent.

Malaysian Style Don't make the office out of order.American Style Don't leave the office in a mess.

Malaysian Style I like to paint this door to black.

American Style I'd like to paint this door black.

Malaysian Style I have a Chinese pen friend.American Style I have a Chinese pen pal.

Malaysian Style Give me a phone.American Style Give me a phone call.

Malaysian Style Is there any place for me in the car.American Style Is there any room for me in the car.

Malaysian Style Let's play together.American Style Why don't you come over ?

Malaysian Style I was very pleasant today.American Style I had a very good time today.

Malaysian Style This steak is soft.American Style This steak is tender.

Malaysian Style His new book will be sold well.American Style His new book will sell well.

Malaysian Style There're a lot of sparrows stopping on the telephone lines.American Style There're a lot of sparrows sitting on the telephone lines.

Malaysian Style He hit me strongly.American Style He hit me hard.

Malaysian Style My pay cannot support my living.American Style My pay is not enough to live on.

Malaysian Style He wants to establish a sweet home.American Style He wants to establish a happy home.

Malaysian Style Why don't you take a driving license.American Style Why don't you get a driving license.

Malaysian Style Last year I went to Seattle. I liked there very much.American Style Last year I went to Seattle. I liked it very much.

Malaysian Style My mother likes to drink thick tea.American Style My mother likes her tea strong.

Malaysian Style I think it will not rain tomorrow.American Style I don't think it will rain tomorrow.

Malaysian Style Is your camera this kind ?American Style Is your camera like this ?

Malaysian Style His house was struck by thunder last night.American Style His house was struck by lightning last night.

WORDS DIFFERENTIATIONS

Another vs The other

another - another thing or person means an additional thing or person of the same type as one that already exists.

The other - the other thing or person means the only remaining thing or person except the existing one.

* Have another piece of cake.

* Please fetch another cup for me.

* That's quite another matter.

* Both my uncles are abroad, one in Paris and the other in New York.

* One of them is yours; the other is mine.

When we are given two options, we say one or the other.

When we are given more than two options, we say one or another.

Anyway vs Any wayanyway - ( in any case ) ( at any rate )

* Anyway, we can try.

* " I can give you a lift if you wait ". No, I'll walk. Thanks, anyway.

* I will not change my mind, anyway.

any way - any possible method

* If there is any way in which you can help me tide over the difficulties, let me know.

* He could not find the way to the village in any way.

* I cannot manage it any way.

Asleep vs Sleeping

asleep - someone who is asleep is sleeping.

Asleep is adj being placed in front of the verb to be. It cannot be used before a noun.

* Looking at the asleep baby. ( wrong )

* Looking at the sleeping baby. ( right )

sleeping - ( present participle of sleep )

Sleeping is adj that precedes a noun such as sleeping baby etc. While it is used after the verb to be, it is functioning as a verb.

* Who is that sleeping man ?

* Keep an eye on the sleeping baby.

* Let sleeping dogs lie.

accept vs except

accept - is a verb

* We accept your apology.

* Do you accept credit cards?

except - is a preposition.

* All of us failed the test except John.

* The museum is open daily except Mondays.

cross vs across

across - is a preposition

* I want to go across the road.

* They're building a new bridge across the river.

cross - is a verb

* I want to cross the road.

* Look both ways before you cross over

already vs all ready

already - means ' before the time specified '.

* We had already prepared lunch by noon.

* The concert had already begun by the time we arrived.

all ready - means ' completely prepared '.

* She is all ready to go.

* We are all ready to study English.

effect vs affect

affect - is a verb; it means ' to influence '.

* Smoking affects your health

* It's a disease which affects mainly older people.

effect - may be a verb or a noun. The verb effect means ' to cause to happen'. The noun effect means ' the result '.

* What are the effects of pollution ?

* The radiation leak has had a disastrous effect on the environment

beside vs besides

beside - means ' next to '.

* May I sit beside you ?

* Our school was built right beside a river.

besides - means ' in addition to '.

* Besides tennis, he is good at football.

* Do you play any other sports besides football and basketball?

boring vs bored

bored - is used to describe how we feel

* Staying at home all day makes me feel so bored.

* He was getting bored with the same thing every day.

boring - is used to describe the person or thing that makes us feel bored.

* The film was really boring.

* She finds opera boring.

compliment vs complement

compliment - is to praise.

* He complimented me for helping the poor family.

* I must compliment you on your handling of a very difficult situation.

complement - is to go well with another thing.

* The necklace complements the suit.

* The music complements her voice perfectly

elder vs older

elder - is used to compare the ages of people within a family.

* Let me introduce you to my elder sister.

* You should listen to the advice of your elders.

older - is used to show the difference in years.

* Carlos is a year older than Shabby

* He's a couple of years older than me

a few vs few

few - means ' not many '

* Few people live to a hundred years old.

* Few things in this world give me more pleasure than a long bath

a few - means ' some '.

* You will have to wait a few minutes.

* There are a few cakes left over from the party

little vs a little

little - means ' not much '

* He cannot help you because he has little knowledge of the subject.

* There's so little choice

a little - means ' some '.

* If you add a little salt to the soup it will taste better.

* He gave a little smile.

Altogether vs All together

All together - Used of a group whose members acted or were acted upon collectively

* At the class reunion, we sang the college song all together.

* The books lay all together in a heap.

Altogether - Entirely, with all included or counted, with everything considered

* The work is altogether unnecessary.

* It was not altogether her fault.

in the end vs at the end

At the end - at the time when something ends.

* I'm going away at the end of January.

* At the end of the concert, there was great applause.

In the end - finally

* He got more and more angry. In the end he just walked out of the room.

* Jim couldn't decide where to go for his holidays. He didn't go anywhere in the end.

because vs because of

because - is a conjunction; it is followed by a clause.

* I took a taxi because I was late.

* We can't go to Julia's party because we're going away that weekend.

because of - is a preposition; it is followed by a noun or noun phrase.

* She failed the examination because of her laziness.

* The train was delayed because of bad weather.

bring vs take

bring - used for a movement from a further to a nearer place

* Bring your book to me.

* If you come to my house tomorrow, bring your friends with you.

take - used for a movement from a nearer to a further place

* He often takes his children to the beach.

* You can take my calculator with you, but you must bring it back when you have finished with it.

cloth vs clothes

cloth - material used for making clothes; a piece of garment

* He wiped up the mess with an old cloth.

* Get a cloth and wipe the table, please.

clothes - garments worn on the body

* His clothes are always beautifully ironed and so he looks very smart.

* It's time you bought some new clothes. You look very untidy these days.

character vs characteristic

character - moral nature; combination of qualities which distinguishes a person, place or thing

* London has a character of its own.

* In searching for a life partner, we must look for someone of good character.

characteristic - a quality, a trait

* His kindness is one of his most pleasing characteristics.

* One of the most important characteristics of a good student is diligence.

* His one negative characteristic was his very hot temper.

dissatisfied vs unsatisfied

dissatisfied - not satisfied with the quality of something

* I am dissatisfied with the quality of your work.

* We were very dissatisfied with the hotel so we complained to the manager

* I feel very dissatisfied with my new car. It isn't really going well at all

unsatisfied - not satisfied with the quantity of something

* The demand for Volvo in the U.K. is still unsatisfied.

* After two plates of rice and curry, his appetite was still unsatisfied.

disinterested vs uninterested

disinterested - unbiased, impartial

* Judges at all times must be disinterested in cases they are involved in.

* After their argument, they looked for a disinterested party to solve their dispute.

* Certain countries participated in wars for their own reasons. They were not totally disinterested.

uninterested - not interested, bored

* He was uninterested in the entire proceedings and just sat there reading a book.

* Very few people went to see the procession. The rest were totally

uninterested.

elicit vs illicit

elicit - to draw out facts or information from someone

* the police finally managed to elicit the truth from the suspect.

* A good teacher is able to elicit information from his pupils.

illicit - illegal

* The sale of illicit drugs is a serious problem.

* He was involved in the illicit transportation of goods over the Thai-Malaysian border.

* The prosecuting lawyer was able to elicit a confession from the defendant regarding his illicit involvement in gambling.

principal vs principle

principal - chief, main; a head of college or organization; a sum of money

* My principal aim is to become a lawyer.

* After teaching for twenty years he became the principal of a private college.

* If you leave a principal of $50,000 on fixed deposit you will earn a good interest every

month.

principle - a basic truth, a law of nature; a rule of behavior

* He based his life on a few simple principles.

* The underlying principle of his management style is compassion.

*This machine works on the same principle as the motor car engine.

lose vs loose

lose - to fail to keep or find; to be deprived of

* If you lose your book you must get a new one.

* If we lose another match we will not qualify for the finals.

loose - free; untied; not fastened; not controlled

* They dared not go in because the dog was loose.

* When the birds were let loose they flew immediately to the nearest tree.

* She has a very loose tongue. She told everyone my secret.

lie vs lay

lie - to rest; to recline

* If I lie down in the afternoon, I soon fall asleep.

* There were many other people who were lying in the park.

* When I came in she was lying on the sofa fast asleep.

lay - to place; to put in a certain position

* If you lay the table, I shall make the tea.

* She laid her book on the bedside table and went to sleep.

hanged vs hung

hanged - executed by hanging

* The prisoner was hanged at dawn today.

* In the days of the Wild West, men were hanged from the nearest tree by the lynch mob.

hung - suspended

* The picture was hung above the sideboard

* They hung the bags from the pegs on the wall of the changing room.

* The wet clothes were hung out to dry in the sun.

homework vs housework

homework - studies carried out at home in preparation for school

* He forgot to do his Maths homework.

* In addition to a full day's lessons. pupils have quite a lot of homework to do at night.

* She looks forward to the school holidays and a rest from lessons, teachers and homework.

housework - domestic work, household chores

* She doesn't mind doing all housework but ironing.

* It is not fair to let Mother do all the housework, so we try to help her when we can.

ensure vs assure

ensure - to make sure; to make sure something will happen

* The medicine will ensure you a good night's rest.

* You must always ensure that all doors and grilles are locked before going to bed.

assure - to inform confidently, to promise, to persuade

* I assure you the medicine will work.

* He hastened to assure the hotel guests that the water shortage would not affect them.

historic vs historical

historic - important in history

* Welcome to historic Melaka.

* Independence Day is a historic day for any nation.

* When man first landed on the moon it was considered a feat of historic importance.

historical - concerning history as a subject

* He is a member of the National Historical Society.

* She really loves reading historical novels about 18th century Europe.

formally vs formerly

formally - ceremonially, according to custom

* She was formally crowned Miss World last night.

* The exhibition was formally opened by the Minister of Education.

formerly - previously, in earlier times

* He was formerly the Prime Minister of Russia.

* East Timor was formerly part of Indonesia.

* Muhammad Ali was formerly known as Cassius Clay.

English vs The English

English - the English language

* English is chosen as one of the official languages to be used during meetings at the UN.

* English is also the official language in India.

* Hard Times is an English novel, written by Charles Dickens

The English - the English people

* The English have a wonderful sense of humor.

* The English belong to the white race.

Everyday vs Every day

Everyday - is an adjective used before a noun to mean "ordinary" or common

* Snatch thefts have become an everyday occurrence in our country.

* She has a few silk dresses for special occasions and many cotton dresses for everyday wear.

Every day - is an adverbial phrase meaning "without missing a day"

* The newspaper is delivered to his house every day.

* Older people can keep fit by walking briskly for half an hour every day.

indoor vs indoors

indoor - is an adjective

* Snooker is an indoor sport.

* The high percentage of death and disease is linked to indoor air pollution.

indoors - is an adverb.

* You should stay indoors if you are not well.

* Come indoors, it's cold outside.

mature vs matured

mature - fully grown and developed; ripe

* At sixteen he is not mature enough to live alone.

* University students are usually mature enough to manage their own lives.

* The picked the mature fruit from the tree and took it home.

matured - of wine, vinegar, etc; undergone the maturing process.

* The wine was matured in casks for six years.

* Before it is ready to drink the wine is matured in large barrels for several years.

price vs prize

price - cost, amount needed to buy something; loss or suffering to attain something

* The price of quality goods is high.

* What is the price of the pair of shoes in the window ?

* There is a price to pay when one is a famous film star.

prize - an award given for winning a competition, lottery, etc.

* She won the third prize in the essay competition.

* He spent all the prize money he won in the lottery on a new car.

stationery vs stationary

stationary - not moving

* He hit a motor-cyclist then collided with a stationary bus.

* When learning to shoot we begin with a stationary target before we try to hit a moving target.

stationery - writing materials

* I buy all my stationery from the bookstore next door.

* The manager was angry because his staff took office stationery for their personal use.

If you need pens and pencils, you will find them in the stationery department.

weather vs whether

weather - climatic conditions

* If the weather is good we can go for a brisk walk.

* The weather in England at this time of the year is usually very cold.

whether - if

* I am not sure whether I will be able to come tomorrow.

* Contact me about whether you can come or not.

Wood vs Woods

Wood - material which forms the trunks and branches of trees.

* All the furniture here is made of wood.

* The wood is rotting.

* The woodcutter collected two bundles of wood.

Woods - area of lands covered with growing trees, or forest.

* We came upon a clearing in the woods.

* After dinner Alice slipped away for a walk in the woods with Artie.