Homophones - Break v Brake

Break (verb) 

1. to damage something. 

• Ken broke a cup as he was rushing for work this morning.
• Sam fell and nearly broke his wrist in the shower.

2. to destroy or end something.

• After what seemed like ages, Peter finally spoke and that broke the silence in the room.
• The robbers left empty-handed (= with nothing) when they failed to break the security code of the safe. 

Brake 

1. (noun) - a  device that makes a vehicle slow down or stop.

• Sally didn't realise she had no brakes on her bicycle and almost crashed into a tree.
• John suddenly slammed on his brakes when he saw a dog trying to cross the road. 

2. (verb) - to make a vehicle slow down or stop by using its brakes.

• Mark is very fond of braking sharply at the last minute. It's no wonder his family and friends don't trust him behind the wheel.
• Remember to brake gently when it gets icy.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Dear readers,

Before we all leave for the long festive holiday, I would like to take this opportunity to wish all our friends here a blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year! For those of you travelling, be safe on the road. Looking forward to even more exciting and amazing times in 2020!


May Naik

Homonyms - Tear (As a Verb and Noun)

1. (verb) - To pull apart.

• I tore my pants while hiking this morning.
• Be careful with the book or you just might tear its pages. 

2. (noun) - A hole in a piece of paper, cloth or                       other material.

• I noticed a small tear in one of the pages in this book. 
• Sally didn't notice the tear in her shirt till her mother mentioned it.

3. (noun) - Liquid that flows from the eye as a result of pain or unhappiness.

• Tears started flowing down Wendy's cheeks when she couldn't find her favourite doll.
• Did you notice the tears in his eyes when he talked about his mother?

Words From The Same Family - Dependent v Dependable

Dependent (adj) - to need help.

• Sam has three dependent family members - his parents and his younger sister.
• Despite being in his late 20s, Tim is still financially dependent on his parents. 

Dependable (adj) - can be relied upon.

• We are delighted to have a dependable babysitter to take care of our children.
• I need a dependable car as I travel a lot for work.

Words From the Same Family - Convenient V Conveniently V Convenience

Convenient (adj) - suitable for ones purpose/need

• Our neighbourhood mall's convenient operating hours made it extremely popular among the residents.
• It's so convenient that we live within walking distance from the office.
• What time would be convenient for me to call you tomorrow?

Conveniently (adverb) 

• I was delighted to learn that the train station was conveniently located near my hotel.

Convenience (noun) - being easy.

• We just love the convenience of living near the mall and office.
• Just for convenience, I am going to stay with my friend while I am in Singapore next month.

Homonyms - Wave (As a Verb and Noun)

1. (verb) - to move your had from side to side.

• Despite waving several times at the waiter, he didn't seem to notice us.
• I noticed Richard has the habit of waving his hands around a lot when he is talking. 

2. (noun) - water.

• Rachael loves listening to the sound of the waves crashing against the shore.
• The surfers are clearly enjoying riding the big waves at the beach.

3. (noun) - large number.

• Hong Kong has been hit by a wave of protests over the past few months. 
• A new wave of job losses is expected in certain industries next year.

Confusing and Misused Words - Past v Pass

Past (preposition, adverb) - position

• We live on Brighton Road, just past the supermarket.
• Was that James who just cycled past us in that bright orange cap? 
• Sally was so distracted on her phone that she walked right past us without noticing us.

Pass (verb) - to go past.

• I passed John in the hallway this morning.
• If you pass a supermarket today, please get some milk.
• Please step aside and let other people pass.
• Don't buy food that have passed their expiry date.