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If
any of the following pairs of words are easily confused, you might
try this sort of activity as a class exercise with a more
advanced group of students.
cook
and cooker
One
is the person who cooks and the other is the stove
that food is cooked on. But which is which...?
- He
was a really good cook and his spaghetti made me think
I was in Italy.
- The
cooker was really dirty and I could see that it hadn't
been cleaned for weeks.
dessert
and desert
One
is the sweet food that is served at the end of a meal. The
other is an area of land where nothing grows and there is
very little water. But which is which...?
- For
dessert I had chocolate cake with whipped cream and then
a bowl of cherries.
- The
hot desert sand cut into our faces and we had to close
our eyes.
satisfactory
and satisfying
One
of them describes something that gives you a feeling of fulfilment.
The other describes something that it good enough to be acceptable.
But which is which...?
- The
doctor said he was making satisfactory progress but it
seemed very slow to me.
- There's
nothing more satisfying than concluding an agreement after
five days of talks.
alternate
and alternative
One
describes something that you can choose to have or do instead of
something else. The other describes an activity that is off then
on, then off then on again. But which is which...?
- We
could see our father only on alternate weekends. Unfortunately
not every weekend.
- There
is no alternative to a prison sentence for such a serious
crime.
principle
and principal
One
of them describes a general rule or set of beliefs that you try
to adhere to. The other means first in order of importance or the
person in charge of a school. But which is which...?
- He
was a man of very few principles who later came to regret
the path his life had taken.
- His
principal interest in life was to look after the welfare
of others.
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