Confusing and Misused Words - Alternate v Alternative

Alternate (verb) – to make sth happen or exist repeatedly one after another

Ø      He alternated working long hours in the office with short, frequent breaks.

Ø      Sarah alternated between swimming, yoga and hiking a few times a week.

Alternative

   1.      (adjective) – one of more things available as another possibility or choice.

Ø      We may need an alternative venue for the gathering in the event it rains.

2.     (noun) – sth that is different from what is usual and offers the possibility of choice

Ø      Wine is an alternative to beer.

Ø      There must be an alternative to spending the night at this old hotel.

Proverbs and Sayings - Don't count your chickens before they are hatched

Meaning – Do not be too confident that something will be successful.

Ø      We find it rather amusing that John is already talking about how he’s going to spend the money he stands to make from the lucrative deal. In fact, the manager even told John not to count his chickens before they’re hatched.

Ø      Randy seems to think that he can make a lot of money by starting his own business. His family was very quick to remind him about the challenging economic climate and cautioned him not to count his chickens before they are hatched. 

Similes with Like - Like a Hawk

Meaning – used to describe someone who sees or notices every small detail

Ø      Kent has got eyes like a hawk. He notices everything, right down to the amount of sugar we put into our coffee and tea.

Ø      It’s very stressful when the manager is in the office. He watches everyone like a hawk, and he doesn’t hesitate to point out our mistakes, no matter how trivial (= having little to no value or importance).

Grammar - Reflexive Pronouns

Compiled from Grammar Builder Book 3

The rules are:

1. A reflexive pronoun is used as the object in a sentence to show that the subject and the object are the same person or thing.

Ø      He (subject) hurt himself (object) while he was playing football.

* He and himself are the same person.

Compiled from Grammar Builder Book 3

2. When used as an object, a reflexive pronoun can come immediately after a verb or a preposition in a sentence.

Subject           Verb                   Reflexive pronoun

                                                     as object

Ø                  She           introduced                   herself                   to my friends.

    

     Subject       Verb                      Preposition     Reflexive pronoun

                                                                                    as object

Ø                  They         were     annoyed         with                 themselves.  

                                                               

3. The reflexive pronoun is placed at the end of the sentence or immediately after the subject to emphasise that a person does something without any help.

Ø      She caught the fish herself.                 (RIGHT)

Ø      She herself caught the fish.                 (RIGHT)

Ø      She caught herself the fish.                 (WRONG)

            * In such cases, the subject is not the object of the sentence. As                      such, we do not place it immediately after the verb.

Synonyms - Break

Meaning – fracture, shatter, crash

Ø      Danny suffered a terrible fall and fractured a few bones.

Ø      The vase shattered into a thousand tiny pieces when James accidentally dropped it this morning.

Ø      Paul was furious when he learnt that Vincent had crashed his motorbike into a tree. 

Common Idioms - At the Drop of a Hat

Meaning – A willingness to do something immediately.

Ø      Our manager expects us to show up at the office at the drop of a hat, even when it’s after office hours.

Ø      Danny really likes Jenny. It’s no surprise he showed up at her house at the drop of a hat when she invited him over for dinner.

Homonyms - Lead (As a Verb and Noun)

1.  (verb) – control

Ø     We were relieved when we heard Mark was leading the team.

Ø     I’ve asked Wendy to lead the team.

2.  (verb) – to be winning

Ø     After an hour, our team was leading by two points.

Ø     With one lap left to go, Norman led by less than five seconds.

3.  (verb) – influence

Ø      The ad led me to believe that the price applied to all drinks on the menu.

4.  (verb) – to show the way

Ø     I’m not familiar with this area. So, you’d better lead.

Ø     A black limousine carrying a hearse led the funeral procession.

Ø     I was led down a hall and into a small room for the interview.

5.  (verb) – direction

Ø     The trail of blood led the police directly to a small, white car.

6.  (verb) – to live

Ø     Randy was thankful to be able to lead a normal life despite being ill.

Ø     Despite being wealthy, Sally leads a very simple life.

7.  (noun) – a winning position

Ø     For the first time in ages, Harry is in the lead.

8.  (noun) – information

Ø      After weeks of investigation, the police finally have a lead in the case.