One Sound, Two Meanings
One sound going in, two completely different things coming out.
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One sound going in. Two completely different things coming out.
Pairs that sound alike but mean different things, and how to tell them apart in writing and in Listening.
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Eight sentences, two options each. Decide before anyone explains anything.
The students left ______ bags in the hall.
Eight pairs, eight one-line tests. Nothing here needs to be memorised.
Every pair in this sprint has a one-line test you can run in about a second. Learn the tests, not the words.
That matters because these errors are not knowledge failures. You already know what it is means. The mistake happens at speed, under pressure, when your hand writes the sound your head heard. A test is something you can run at speed. A rule you half-remember is not.
One sound going in, two completely different things coming out.
One sound going in. Two completely different things coming out.
Ten items. Answer at speed — deliberating means the test has not stuck yet.
Ten quick items. Speed is the skill here — in the exam you will have about one second per decision, so run the test and move. If you find yourself thinking for more than a moment, that pair is the one to put on a flashcard.
Choose the correct sentence.
Three decisions made the reliable way: expand it first, then choose.
Chain 1
Sentence: ______ raining, so the match was cancelled.
Test — write the long version and see if it works:
It works, so the answer is:
Chain 2
Sentence: The college raised ______ fees for the third year running.
Test — try the same long version here:
It does not work, so the answer is:
Chain 3
Sentence: I still do not know ______ I will apply this year.
Test — swap in the small word that means the same thing:
It works, so the answer is:
Ten marked words. Eight are wrong — and two are traps you must leave alone.
A student's email, with ten words marked
I am writing about the accommodation I booked for September. Your website says the rooms are available from the first, but it's not clear weather that includes the weekend.
My brother came with me to view the flat last month and we where told the kitchen would be shared. There were four other students on the tour and all of their questions were about the same thing.
The rent is also higher then the figure on the original form. Everyone I have spoken to accept one person has had the same problem, so I do not think its only me.
I would be grateful if you could confirm the dates before I pay, because the deposit is too large to risk.