Common Idioms - Come to Blows

Meaning : to begin fighting with fists or weapons

• It’s no secret that James and Ben dislike each other, but no one ever expected them to come to blows over a parking space.  

Homonyms - Rear (As a Verb and Adjective)

1.   (adj) – at the back of sth

·         Did you realize your rear tyre was flat?

·         John’s poor dog is walking with a slight limp as it has injured one of its rear legs.

2.   (verb) – to care for young animals or children until they are able to care for themselves

·         Sam has always said that if he owned a farm, he would plant vegetables and rear chickens. That way, he’d never run out of food!

Homophones - Lessen V Lesson

Lessen (verb) – make less strong

• Do you have any pain killers that could help lessen the pain?
• Moderate exercise and a healthy diet can help lessen the risk of heart disease.

Lesson (noun)

• There are many lessons to be learnt from this economic crisis.
• I’m glad John looks forward to his guitar lesson every Friday.

Similes with As - As Bright As a Button

Meaning: clever, lively

• My young nephew is as bright as a button. He could count and identify colours even when he was barely two years old!

Confused and Misused Words - Intense V Intensive

Intense (adj)   

1.          very strong

·        Many people recently fell sick from the intense heat.

·        John suddenly felt an intense pain in his back and groaned loudly.

2.          very serious (for people)

·         Ashley’s very intense for a teenager. It’s no wonder she takes everything so seriously.

Intensive (adj) – involving a lot of effort or activity in a short span of time

• After 3 months of intensive Mandarin lessons, I was ready to take a break.
• In a desperate attempt to lose weight, Sam signed up for an intensive weight loss program.

Homonyms: Novel (As a Noun and Adjective)

1.              (noun): a long printed story

·                    Carol loves to stay home and curl up with a good novel                            when she is not spending time with family or friends.

2.              (adj) : new and original (used for ideas and suggestions)

·                    That’s such a novel idea! What made you think of it?

Proverbs and Sayings - Ignorance is Bliss

Meaning – It is often better not to know something if the truth is unpleasant.

• Those closest to Sally have long suspected her boyfriend of cheating on her. Some have even tried to warn her, but she wouldn’t listen. I suppose she thinks ignorance is bliss.  

• It puzzles me why John refuses to see a doctor about the numbness he’s experiencing in his leg. After all, the doctor might be able to treat it fairly easily. I suppose he thinks ignorance is bliss.