Words From The Same Family - Hard v Hardly

Hard (adj) 

1. Sth that is not easy to bend, break or cut.

• I didn't get much sleep last night as the hotel bed was as hard as a rock.
• John took the chicken out from the refrigerator over two hours ago but it's still really hard. 

2. Difficult.

• I can only imagine how hard it must be being a single mother of two children.
• Daniel's daughter always complains about Science being a hard subject.

3. Require effort.

• Getting to the top of the hill was hard work but definitely worth it.
• Try giving the door a good hard push and see if it opens.

Hardly (adverb) - barely, almost not.

• The students sitting at the back of the class could hardly hear what the teacher was saying.
• Hannah hardly ate anything today as she was down with a terrible flu.
• The children hardly ever (= almost never) have time to do anything but study when they are preparing for their exams. 

Similes with As - As Sly As A Fox

Meaning - clever, cunning.

• Danny is as sly as a fox. I definitely wouldn't do business with him.
• James always manages to get his brother to do his chores for him. It's no wonder his parents say that he's as sly as a fox. 

Homophones - Plane v Plain

Plane (noun) - a vehicle designed specifically for air travel.

• We were caught in heavy traffic on the way to the airport yesterday. Thankfully, we arrived just in time to catch our plane.  
• I hope to get some rest once we board the plane.

Plain (adj) - with nothing added.

• My relatives have chosen to have plain white walls in the living room.
• It's no wonder Danny always skips dessert. He's used to plain food.

Homophones - Pray v Prey

Pray (verb) - to speak to a god either privately or in a religious ceremony.

• We're having the party in the garden. So, I'm praying for good weather tomorrow.
• John knelt in front of the alter and prayed silently before leaving the church in a haste (=rush).

Prey (noun) - an animal that is hunted and killed for food.

• The seal is a common prey of sharks.
• The tiger gave chase when its prey tried to escape.

Idiomatic Noun and Adjective Phrases - A Carbon Copy (Of Someone/Something)

Meaning - Someone or something that is a lot like another.

• People often remark (= say) that my brother is a carbon copy of my father.

• The market trend we are seeing is almost a carbon copy of what took place in the US five years ago. 

Homonym - Lie (As a Noun and Verb)

(verb) - to be in a horizontal position on a flat surface, like a bed or table.

• Randy enjoys lying on the beach for hours when he is on holiday.
• Poor Tim had to lie in bed for days when he sprained his ankle last week.

(verb) - to be untruthful.

• Ken lies so much that no one believes anything he says.
• Lenny was furious when she found out that her boyfriend had lied to her.

(noun) - something that you say that you know is untrue. 

• I always try to avoid people who like to spread lies and rumours.
• The football star insisted that the news about him having an affair was a lie.

Homonyms - Seal (As a Noun and Verb)

Seal

1. (noun) - a mammal that eats fish and lives on land and in the sea.

• The crowd really enjoyed the seals and dolphins performance at the zoo today.
• We sailed past a group of seals during our tour this morning. 

2. (verb) - to cover or close sth.

• Remember to seal the envelope before posting it.
• I hope the mall's management seals this massive ( = very big) hole before someone falls into it.

3. (verb) - to secure sth 

• James was over the moon (= very happy) when he managed to seal the deal after 2 hours of negotiation with his client.