=============borrow vs lend To lend=============
Meaning: to hand out usually for a certain length of time
Banks lend money
Libraries lend books
For example: "My mother lent me some money, and I must pay her back soon"
To borrow: Meaning: to take with permission usually for a certain length of time
You can borrow money from a bank to buy a house or a car
You can borrow books for up to 4 weeks from libraries in England
For example: "I borrowed some money off my mother, and I must pay her back soon."
! For a happy life - Never a borrower nor a lender be.
brought past tense of the verb to bring
For example: "She brought her homework to the lesson."
! There is an 'r' in brought and an 'r' in bring = they belong together.
==============by vs until=============
Both words until and by indicate “any time before, but not later than.”
If something happens until a particular time, you stop doing it at that time.
For example:
They lived in a small house until September 2003.
(They stopped living there in September.)
We also use until in negative sentences.
For example:
Details will not be available until January.
(January is the earliest you can expect to receive the details.)
If something happens by a particular time, it happens at or before that time.
For example:
You have to finish by August 31.
(August 31 is the last day you can finish; you may finish before this date.)
We also use by when asking questions.
For example:
Will the details be available by December?
(This asks if they will be ready no later than December.)
==============complement vs compliment ============
Complement is a verb, which means to make something seem better or more attractive when combined.
For example: "The colours blue and green complement each other perfectly."
Compliment is a noun, which means a remark that expresses approval, admiration or respect.
For example: "I am often complimented on this web site."
==============either vs too =============
Either is used with a negative verb when you are agreeing with something someone doesn't do or like etc.
For example:- B agrees with A in the negative
A - "I don't like cheese." B - "I don't like it either."
A- "I haven't seen Lord of the Rings." B - "I haven't seen it either."
Too is used with an affirmative verb when you are agreeing with something someone does or likes etc.
For example:- B agrees with A in the positive
A - "I love ice-cream." B - "I love it too."
A- "I've seen Gladiator." B - "I've seen it too."
==============fewer vs less=============
Use fewer for things you can count (individually), and less for things you can only measure
For example:
There were fewer days below freezing last winter. (Days can be counted.)
I drink less coffee than she does. (Coffee cannot be counted individually it has to be measured.)
See the grammar pages for more information on countable/uncountable nouns.
==============How do you do vs How are you=============
If I had a Euro for every time someone got this one wrong - I'd be a rich bunny!
How do you do?
This is not a question. It is another, very formal way of saying "Hello." It is also very British.
The correct response is; "Pleased to meet you." or "How do you do." or just "Hello."
We only really use it the first time we meet someone.
How are you?
This is a question.
A polite response is; "I'm fine thanks. And you?"
For more on this topic see here.
==============I vs me =============
Usually we choose the correct form by instinct.
For example;-
Give that to me. (not to I)
But there are still times when people make mistakes with these two pronouns. I/me is difficult when it is coupled with another pronoun or with a noun. This is when you have to think about the subject/object in a sentence.
For example;-
The teacher gave the homework to my friend and me. (not I)
! If you don't understand why the above sentence is correct, simplify the sentence by dealing with the two people separately.
The teacher gave the homework to my friend.
+
The teacher gave the homework to me.
=
The teacher gave the homework to my friend and me.