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!Buenos dias! Vamos una semana más con nuestro podcast de los martes. Hoy voy a seguir con algunos verbos que se confunden muchas veces entre sí. Escucha este podcast «english verbs often confused», que espero que te resulte interesante. Y recuerda que siempre puedes pedirme que hable de algún tema de tu interés mediante el formulario de contacto.
¡Hasta pronto!
Tabla de contenidos
Confusing verbs
Hello, friends! Here we are again, ABC English levels and Valentine. Get to know more about us and our courses on our web site englishlevels.es. Remember to try our new, self-study, completely interactive, game-like courses from A1 to C1 levels. Topical vocabulary, a variety of audio and video materials, entertaining themes, the system testing your pronunciation and even a teacher leading you through the lessons – all these are in our eLive English courses. You’ll feel like in a real classroom! Don’t miss them! You can try the free demo here.
Today we continue talking about some other English verbs that are often confused. They are six groups today.
1. Hope/expect/wait
Hope — want sth to happen;
Expect — think sth is going to happen;
Wait – stay in one place, without doing much, until somebody comes or something happens. «Wait» usually takes the preposition for or to+infinitive.
E.g., I hope it doesn’t rain tomorrow — we’re having a barbecue. You can say I want it not to rain tomorrow.
I expect Marina will be late – she always is. If you say «I think Marina will be late,» the meaning will be the same.
There were a lot of people waiting to board a plane.
2. Mind/matter
Mind — be annoyed or worried by sth (so always needs a person as subject);
Matter — be important, often used with «it».
E.g., Does your teacher mind if you don’t go to all the classes? The meaning: is your teacher annoyed/worried/against because of this?
Does it matter if you don’t go to all the classes? Meaning: is it important if you don’t go to all the classes?
3. Steal/rob
One more pair of English verbs often confused:
Steal — take sth that is not yours. The object of steal must be a thing;
Rob — to take sth that is not yours from a person or place. The object must be a person or a place, not a thing.
E.g. He stole money from the bank. «Money» is the object, and it is a thing.
He robbed the bank. «The bank» is the object, and it is a place. They robbed him in the park. «Him» is the object and it is a person.
4. Hear/listen
Hear — receive sounds with your ears, it’s a physical ability;
Listen — to make an effort or to pay special attention to hear sth.
E.g., I heard what you were saying although I was outside the door. I received the sounds of your voice.
You never listen to what I tell you.
I heard some quiet music upstairs, and I saw my son listening to some soft jazz.
5. Look/seem
Look — give an impression from what you can see;
Seem — give a general impression.
E.g., Mario looks ill — he’s very pale. I can see it.
Maria seems unhappy but I don’t know why. She gives me such an impression. She looks as usual but seems unhappy.
6. Lie (lay, lain)/lay (laid)
Lie – to be in or to move into a horizontal position; you do it yourself (remember that when we speak falsely, we also lie but in the past tenses we lied);
Lay – to put something in a horizontal position; you need an object.
E.g., To do this exercise, lie on your back and relax. He lay awake all night.
Please, lay the baby on the sofa. I laid aside the book and went to make dinner.
I know it’s confusing. Try to use the rhythm of sounds in a particular phrase to help you. For instance, A Lady laid her purse on the table. A lion lies under the tree. Also, an analogue can help. Remember «rise» and «raise» from the previous podcast? «Rise» and «lie» have the same sound /ai/ and they both don’t need an object. «Raise» and «lay» share the sound /ei/ and both need an object. You raise a pen and then lay it. You rise from the sofa and then lie on it again.
Practice
What about practising a little?
6 sentences. Mind the tenses! You can see the right answers under the sentences.
1. Hope/expect/wait
I didn’t … to see you so soon.
2. Mind/matter
Do you … my opening the window?
3. Steal/rob
I know who’s … your car.
4. Hear/listen
Did you … the noise on the left?
5. Look/seem
I don’t know him very well, but he … a nice person.
6. Lie/lay
Charly couldn’t walk anymore. He … down right on the dusty road and … his heavy rucksack beside.
(Key: 1 expect, 2 mind, 3 stolen, 4 hear, 5 seems, 6 lay down, laid his rucksack)
This is all for today. Leave your comments below and follow us. Next Tuesday we’ll learn some phrasal verbs and idioms about work.
This was ABC English Levels and me, your Valentine. Good luck!