TOEFL SKILLS & EXERCISES

#common_mistakes #confusing_words ⚜Earth 🆚 World 🆚 Planet⚜ 😨 I have friends in different parts of the earth. ✖️ 😇 I have friends in different parts of the world. ✔️ 😨 We must all work together to protect the earth. ✖️ 😇We must all work together to protect the planet. ✔️ ⚜earth/Earth = the ball-shaped object that we live on, usually seen as a planet in space: ▪️ 'The earth moves round the sun every 365 days.' ▪️ 'On the journey back to Earth, one of the spaceship's computers failed.' ⚜world = the ball-shaped object that we live on, usually seen in terms of people, countries, cities etc: ▪️'Tuberculosis is still common in some parts of the world.' ▪️ 'It's one of the largest countries in the world.' ▪️'You'll be seeing some of the world's leading golfers.' ⚜Note the expression all over the world (= everywhere in the world): ▪️ 'I have friends all over the world.' ⚜planet = the ball-shaped object that we live on, usually seen in terms of the natural environment: ▪️ 'This disaster could affect the whole planet.' ▪️'The planet is gradually getting warmer.' 🔅🔅🔅🔅🔅🔅 😨 The aliens were fascinated by life in earth. ✖️ 😇The aliens were fascinated by life on earth. ✔️ 😨 Mankind has lived in the earth for thousands of years.✖️ 😇Mankind has lived on the earth for thousands of years. ✔️ ⚜on (the) earth (NOT in (the) earth): ' ▪️Australia has some of the strangest animals to be found anywhere on earth.' ▪️'Peace on earth is still just a dream.'

#common_mistakes #confusing_words ⚜Presently 🆚 At present⚜ ⚜Presently is used to mean 'soon' in both British and American English: ▪️'The car will arrive presently to take Her Majesty back to the palace.' ⚜In American English presently is also used to mean 'now, at present, currently': ▪️'The President is presently undergoing minor surgery.' ⚜The American usage is gradually becoming accepted outside the USA, but careful users of British English consider it to be non-standard.

#common_mistakes #confusing_words ⚜Negligent 🆚 Negligible⚜ 😨There was a negligent amount of liquid in the test tube.✖️ 😇There was a negligible amount of liquid in the test tube.✔️ ⚜negligent = failing to take proper care, especially in your job; careless: ▪️'The court decided that the pilot of the crashed aircraft had been negligent.' ⚜negligible= (of an amount) so small that it has no effect and can be ignored: ▪️'The cost of maintaining the machine is negligible.'

#common_mistakes #confusing_words ⚜Quarrel 🆚 Argue ⚜ ⚜When people quarrel they argue angrily, especially for a long time about something that is unimportant: ▪️'If you two boys don't stop quarrelling, you can go straight to bed.' ⚜People can argue without feeling angry or looking silly: ▪️'Most evenings we would sit in the kitchen arguing about politics.'

#common_mistakes #confusing_words ⚜Nominate 🆚 Appoint⚜ 😨Mr.Tong was nominated manager of the company in 1984.✖️ 😇Mr.Tong was appointed manager of the company in 1984.✔️ ⚜nominate = suggest someone for election or selection (for a job or position): ▪️'We need to nominate someone to take over from Harry as our new public relations officer.' ⚜appoint = give someone a job or position: ▪️ 'Mr H. Wilks has been officially appointed as the society's new public relations officer.'

#common_mistakes #confusing_words ⚜Neglect 🆚 Forget⚜ 😨 Some teachers ⚜neglect = ⚜1⚜fail to look after someone or something properly: ▪️'The garden has been badly neglected and will require a lot of attention.' ⚜2⚜(formal) : fail to do something, especially something that you ought to do: ▪️'The public are demanding to know why the government neglected to warn them of the oil shortage.' ⚜forget = fail to realize something (and be guided by it): ▪️'Children tend to forget that their parents like to have fun too.'

#common_mistakes #confusing_words ⚜Rare🆚Scarce🆚Unusual ⚜ 😨 Water is very rare in some parts of the country.✖️ 😇 Water is very scarce in some parts of the country.✔️ ⚜If certain things are rare there are only a few of them in existence: ▪️'Rare coins are usually worth a lot of money. ▪️' A rare event is one that hardly ever happens: ▪️ 'I was lucky enough to witness one of her rare public performances.' ⚜To describe something that is usually common but for some reason is difficult to obtain at a particular time or in a particular place, use scarce: ▪️'After the war, food and clothing were scarce.' ▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️ 😨I think that my name is rare.✖️ 😇 I think that my name is unusual.✔️ 😨In San Francisco I saw some rare architecture.✖️ 😇In San Francisco I saw some unusual architecture .✔️ ⚜If something is different from what is usual, it is unusual: ▪️ 'The bread had an unusual flavour.' ▪️ 'Kit. That's an unusual name.' ▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️ 😨It is not rare that women have a job nowadays.✖️ 😇It is not unusual for women to have a job nowadays .✔️ ⚜not unusual (for sb) to do sth (NOT not rare): ▪️'It's not unusual to seebusiness people cycling to work these days.'

⚜#quiz ⚜#common_mistakes ⚜#confusing_words 🛑 Choose the correct words that best complete the sentences: