Common Idioms - Burn Your Fingers; Get Your Fingers Burnt

Meaning – to suffer the unpleasant consequences of interfering in something, taking a risk, or acting foolishly

• I strongly believe that anyone who invests in property now will get their fingers burnt.
• Everyone feels sorry for Kent as he recently got his fingers burnt when his business failed to take off.

Homophones - Leak V Leek

Leak

• You really ought to get a plumber to fix that tap. It’s been leaking for the past 3 days.
• We were very fortunate that our mechanic noticed the oil leaking from our car when we sent it to him to be serviced.

Leek - a long, white vegetable with green leaves on top that tastes and smells like an onion.

·        Leek isn’t one of my favourite vegetables even though it smells and tastes like onion.

Confusing and Misused Words - Disability V Inability

Disability (noun) – a physical or mental handicap such as blindness or lameness.

• I have nothing but respect and admiration for people who refuse to let their disabilities stop them from pursuing their dreams.

Inability (noun)– the state of being unable to so something.

• Ben’s inability to converse in Mandarin puts him at a huge disadvantage given he’s applying for jobs in China.

Homonyms - Content (As an Adjective and a Noun)

As an adjective

• I’m quite content (=pleased) with what I already have.

As a noun

• John failed to find his house keys despite emptying out the contents of his bag. 

Homophones - Devise V Device

Devise (verb) – to invent a plan, system, object etc

• Jake is great at devising useful phone applications. It’s no surprise he’s so successful.

Device (noun) – a tool that has been invented for a particular purpose

• The special device used by the rescuers enabled them to successfully locate the people trapped in the collapsed building. 

Common Idioms - A Bull In A China Shop

Meaning:

1. somebody who is very clumsy or rough, knocking things over and causing damage.
• I always stay away from antique shops whenever I’m out with my brother. He’s like a bull in a china shop.

2. somebody who is not very sensitive or tactful.

• Despite knowing how delicate the situation was, Charles was like a bull in a china shop over dinner.

Grammar - Question Tags

The rules:

1.    Negative question tags with positive statements are used like             this:

• We were quite early, weren’t we?
• The Kents will be leaving for Canada tomorrow, won’t they?
• It has stopped raining, hasn’t it?
• Sarah does all the house chores herself, doesn’t she?

• The girls made muffins this morning, didn’t they?
• I look strange in this outfit, don’t I?
• Mark lives in Singapore, doesn’t he?

2.    Short forms like wasn’t and isn’t are used in question tags.

·         Tonight’s concert was great, wasn’t it?

3.    Pronouns are used in question tags. The pronoun in a question tag must agree with the subject of the statement.

·         John was upset last night, wasn’t he?

·         The children are hungry, aren’t they?

·         The dog has been fed, hasn’t it?