Thursday, May 11, 2017

Forest vs Woodland

Forest is a word that brings along vivid images of dangerous animals and an area dotted with dense vegetation. A forest is an area that has its own charm and biodiversity that is important for the ecosystem. There are variations of a forest, also there are similar terms that are used to describe similar areas. Woodland is a term that is commonly used whenever one tries to describe an area that is similar to a forest in UK. However, the word becomes simply woods in US. Many people seem to be confused between a forest and woodland because of their similarities. However, they are not synonyms and have many differences that will be highlighted in this article.

The word forest connotes a vast expanse of land covered with trees and vegetation. Since ancient times, it has meant an area that is dangerous and rather uninhabited. Royalties used forests as their hunting ground for the game that was found in abundance and later the wood from such forests also used to be felled for use in human civilizations. Woodland, jungle, wood are other terms that are used to describe an area with dense vegetation and trees. However, woodland is used when the tree cover is lighter and there are more open spaces than are there in a forest.

Any area, whether in plains or in mountains capable of sustaining heavy growth of trees can have forests. As such there are many types of forests such as rainforest, boreal forests, and tropical and so on. On the basis of their permanence, forests are classified as evergreen and deciduous. In general it is seen that types of climate and types of trees are the main deciding factors in classification of forests.

What is the difference between Forest and Woodland?

When we talk of differences between woodlands and forests, it is seen that there is great canopy cover in case of forests. In fact different tree leaves and branches often meet or interlock. On the other hand, there are many open spaces in woodlands and the density of trees is much less. With a large spacing between trees, light easily penetrates through in the case of woodland while it is common to have areas in forests where sun light never reaches the ground. Another difference lies in the quality and quantity of fauna. Larger animals are found in forests while in woodlands there is smaller and lesser number of animals found.

Credit to: http://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-forest-and-vs-woodland/

Tuesday, April 11, 2017

Faithful vs Loyal

Loyal is the term, which is widely associated with a group, cause or country. It means to be faithful and honest to the group or country to which someone belongs. A citizen is loyal to the constitution of his country, and an employee is loyal to the objectives and mission of his organization. Now it becomes your prime responsibility to be available in the time of need or the case of any emergency. It also becomes your responsibility to protect your cause, group, organization or country in front of your opponents. Being loyal is not an ordinary thing. It is being said that a loyal member is more worthy than thousands of members. In fact, being loyal or loyalty is an honor, which never comes in the faith of scurvy people.

Faithful means to show honest, trust and unconditional love to someone. It is equally used for humans and animals. Faithful presents in a personal relationship. Relation of husband and wife, shopkeeper relations with customers, individual relations with his family or our relations with God all are kind of faithful. We always try to remain in a state of full faith and shows our full devotion in any circumstances. It is entirely buildup on trust. In the case of animals, dog and horse are considered as faithful to man. It is a more sensitive relationship as once a person considered as unfaithful it becomes harder to be trusted next time. By mutual understanding and fulfilling the promises or expectations faithfulness goes to its higher stage.

http://www.differencebtw.com/difference-between-loyal-and-faithful/

Intelligent vs Smart

For many people, there is no difference between smart and intelligent, because the words seem to be interchangeable. However, there is a difference between the meanings and use of these words.

Smart can be applied to learned inferences, such as making smart business or emotional decisions. Smart is an earned status. When we study and learn, we become smarter in the subject matter. Book smart or street smart, we have to put effort into becoming smarter.

Intelligence, on the other hand, is something with which you are born. Your IQ is a measurement of your intelligence, and doesn’t change because it is a measure of your ability to learn. This can apply to terms we chronically associate with intelligence, like math, or it can apply to your ability to learn negotiation of emotional issues. In either case, it is inherent, and it simply stems from your genetic makeup.

Smart can also be applied to sarcasm. We have ‘smart alec’ answers, or we can be ‘smart’ when answering a question or talking in a conversation. We don’t apply intelligent to the idea of being sarcastic.

Intelligent is used as a higher level of measured intellect. We give a higher compliment when we tell someone they are intelligent, versus when we tell them that they are smart. Intelligence is directly related to our own degree of sophisticated knowledge.

Smart can also be applied to describe appearance. If you are a smart dresser, or you represent yourself in a smart way, this in no way implies that you have intelligence. It means that you are appropriate for the conditions, and that you look very good. We don’t imply that you are an intelligent dresser.

Intelligence also implies a certain degree of higher education. Whether you’ve actually completed a higher education, or you have yet to do so, we refer to intelligent people as those we assume to have completed a higher level of education than high school. While there are those who are intelligent who never go to college, the implication is essential when understanding the description offered.

1. Smart is a learned application.

2. Smart is an earned status.

3. Intelligence is the measurement of your ability to become smarter through learning.

4. Smart can be applied to sarcasm.

5. Intelligence infers a higher degree of intelligence when compared to smart.

6. Smart can be used to describe appearances.

7. Intelligence implies higher learning levels, and higher education.

http://www.differencebetween.net/miscellaneous/difference-between-smart-and-intelligent/

Difference Between Hilarious and Funny

ilarious vs Funny

English language has many words for something or someone who is amusing and makes us laugh. Funny and hilarious are two words that are very commonly used to describe a picture, event, or an object that brings laughter on our face. We see a commercial on TV and refer to it as funny and humorous. We also use the word hilarious to describe to something that is too funny. What then is the difference between hilarious and funny? Are these words merely synonyms or is there more to these words than meets our eye? Let us find out.

Funny

Funny comes from fun, and anything that provides fun is funny. When you read a comic strip and find it amusing, you are forced to laugh. Similarly, you laugh when you see or hear a funny remark. There can be a funny person, situation, remark, scene, episode, story, or just about anything that amuses us or makes us laugh. The most common examples of funny in sentences are as follows.

• She spoke in a funny manner

• He made a funny remark at the party

• The movie was really funny from start to the end

Funny is also used in a few other ways such as when something is amiss, suspicious, odd, or curious.

• Do not act funny with me, young man.

• Do not forget to tell the funny sensations you have in your stomach.

Hilarious

Hilarious is a word that is used as an adjective for a situation, person, incident or an object that causes great merriment or amusement. Humorous cartoons and stories are also referred to as hilarious. Hilarious has many synonyms, and funny is certainly one of them. When describing a comedy film, the word hilarious is often used to refer to comic situations that are created. The word hilarious is used when someone or something is quite funny. If you come out of a theater and tell your friend that the movie was hilarious, all you want to convey is the fact that the movie was extremely funny.

What is the difference between Hilarious and Funny?

• Hilarious and funny mean the same thing, but there seems to be a difference in the degree of funniness.

• Something is funny when it makes you laugh, but it becomes hilarious when it is extremely funny.

• Something funny will make you laugh, while something hilarious will make you roll on to the floor and laugh uncontrollably.

http://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-hilarious-and-vs-funny/

Careful v. Cautious: One Helps You - The Other Holds You Back

Be careful!

It’s what your mom shouted out the door as you left with the car for the first time. It’s probably also what your dad said when he taught you how to balance a checkbook. And it’s a quality most of us want in a brain surgeon or financial planner.

But being careful isn’t the same thing as being cautious.

For example: Imagine you’re about to make a big presentation.

How would you enter the room if you’re cautious? Chances are you’d come across as worried and anxious before you even opened your mouth.

Now imagine what a careful person might do. They’d go over their slides 37 times, double check their facts, arrive 30 minutes early, and walk into the room knowing that they had done everything they could do to set themselves up for success.

Cautious people worry that they’re not doing the right thing. Careful people gather enough information to make the best decisions they can.

As we scratch and claw our way out of the recession, the prevailing emotion in business today is fear. Companies are reluctant to make new investments. People are worried about the future. Organizations are often paralyzed by angst. Those left standing have emerged battered, sober, and determined not to repeat the excessive mistakes of the past.

Being careful in an unforgiving economic climate is a good thing. It’s also an intelligent approach when it comes to taking care of your possessions, nurturing your relationships, deciding who to marry, maintaining good dental hygiene, and the aforementioned brain surgery and financial planning. (Money and scalpels aren’t areas where you want to play fast and loose.)

Yet when we cross the line from careful to cautious, we often do ourselves more harm than good.

Words only have the power that we give them. But the adjectives that we use to describe ourselves set the tone for our decision-making.

The difference between cautious and careful is that cautious is an emotion, a fear based emotion at that. Being careful is an action; they’re things you can do, like gathering data, getting additional input, studying experts, etc.

Being cautious makes you afraid; being careful can make you more confident.

Compare and contrast a cautious boss or parent with a careful one.

How would the cautious leader handle the company or family finances? How would that differ from the careful person? Who do you think will wind up with more money in the bank?

What about providing direction for the team? Would you rather work for a cautious leader or a careful one? Who would you rather have working for you?

How about strategic planning? Who’s more likely to invent a new product or raise more successful children? The cautious person who worries and second-guesses themselves? Or the careful person who makes well thought-out decisions?

The leadership challenge of the next decade is to take fear off the table.

Next time you’re faced with a decision, instead of saying, “We need to be cautious,” tell your team or family, “I’d like us to consider this very carefully.”

Asking people to be cautious stalls decision-making. Asking them to be careful gets them more engaged.

The days of shoot ‘em up cowboy leadership are over. But that doesn’t mean we have to be wimps.

Cautious leaders paralyze people. Careful leaders possess the kind of confidence that others want to follow.

Lisa Earle McLeod is keynote speaker, author, columnist and business consultant who specializes in sales and leadership training. Her newest book, The Triangle of Truth, has been cited as the blueprint for “how smart people can get better at everything.” Visit www.TriangleofTruth.com for a short video intro.

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-earle-mcleod/careful-v-cautious-one-he_b_799849.html
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The two words are close in meaning, but cautious connotes more intensity as to concern or fear of consequences. The two words may be used in similar contexts with cautious carrying more emphasis, but no, they would not be used in the exact same contexts.

https://forum.wordreference.com/threads/careful-and-cautious.336474/

Tuesday, March 28, 2017

Warranty vs Guarantee

I would say there is a difference:

guarantee:

"a formal assurance that certain conditions will be fulfilled, especially that a product will be of a specified quality"

warranty:

"a written guarantee promising to repair or replace an article if necessary within a specified period." ...

A warranty is a type of guarantee; in the case of a product guarantee/product warranty, it's basically the same thing - the company undertakes to repair or replace your goods if they go wrong. Guarantee can also be used to express:

"I promise, this plane will fly."

"I guarantee you, this plane will fly."

http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/35788/warranty-vs-guarantee

Monday, March 27, 2017

What times are you open? vs What time do you open?

I presume this is a difference between American and Irish English, but if I said "What time are you open on Saturday?" I would mean "At what time do you open on Saturday?" If I wanted to know the space of time, I would have to say "What times are you open on Saturday?" We would hardly ever leave out the on from "on Saturday".

https://forum.wordreference.com/threads/what-time-are-you-do-you-open-on-saturday.1328945/

Don't ever vs Never

I don't ever go / I never go

Either sentence is acceptable. However, be aware that the different forms "don't ever" and "never" usually have slightly different connotations. When spoken without emphasis, "never" is a simple statement of fact. To say "I never take the bus," says nothing about why you don't - it might well be that you just like to walk and the distance is short, for instance. To say "I don't ever take the bus", since you have chosen a more cumbersome phrase, suggests that you specifically avoid taking the bus, and that there is some strong motivation on your part for doing so.

Similarly, when using the phrases as part of a prohibition, "Don't (you) ever say that," is a stronger command than "Never say that," and the first suggests that if you do "say that" then the speaker will be personally upset with you.

At least, that's the AmE way I've always heard it used.

http://ell.stackexchange.com/questions/61610/i-dont-ever-go-i-never-go

Sunday, March 26, 2017

Could you tell me the difference between come in and come on in?

There is no difference in meaning. I think "come in" is the most common. "Come on in" may be used more often if the people have been talking outside. It is slightly more relaxed and friendly.

Alternative ways of saying the same thing are "come inside" and "step inside"

I hope this helps.

......................

"Come in!" is more formal than "Come on in!", and doesn't have the same degree of enthusiasm and pleasure.

"Come in" is what I'd say to somebody I didn't know or like. "Come on in!" is what I'd say to somebody I really cared about, like a close friend or family member.

https://forum.wordreference.com/threads/come-in-come-on-in.320877/

The kettle is boiling? or The water is boiling?

When a kettle of water is boiling, do native speakers say?

The kettle is boiling.

The water in the kettle is boiling. OR

The water is boiling.

.....................

In my family, it would always be "Kettle's boiling - it's your turn to make tea."

All your sentences are correct, but I think "The water is boiling" is not very common, and "The water in the kettle is boiling." is so unlikely as to be non-existent. It's just too long.
.............

Until it is actually boiling you could say 'the kettle’s on the boil'.

...........
Interesting, either a kettle or a jug.

Any of your sentences would be appropriate, the jug/kettle has boiled.

http://forum.thefreedictionary.com/postst36195_The-kettle---water-is-boiling-.aspx

Thursday, March 23, 2017

This evening vs Tonight

I think different people use the words in different ways.

I'd say this evening for between about 5 pm to 9 pm today. And tonight from about 9 pm today to midnight, or perhaps a few hours into the morning.

A certain amount depends on context, and on the shared habits of the people speaking.

Something like a lecture or a film that starts at 7 o'clock could equally be described as both. But 'tonight' can apply to the whole night (until the next morning), so only this is appropriate for events at midnight or 1 a.m.

https://forum.wordreference.com/threads/tonight-this-evening.1969069/

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Look out / Watch out and Be careful

Generally speaking, I would use "Look out!" to warn someone of danger that seems imminent.

I would be more likely to use "Be careful" to warn someone of potential/possible danger.

We could also say 'Watch out!'

'Look out' and 'watch out' call attention to immediate danger. 'Be careful' is more general and can apply to daily tasks. For example, a jeweler must be careful in his daily tasks. A good chef must be careful in measuring the ingredients. A pilot must always be careful.

Credit: http://thegrammarexchange.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/340600179/m/783100182/xsl/print_topic

Monday, March 20, 2017

May I follow/see/lift/walk you home?

May I follow you home? This may mean that you've never visited their home and wish to follow them in order to know where it is.

May I see you home? It may mean that you want to be absolutely sure that they make it to their house.

May I lift you home? It is used when someone who has a car offers a ride to someone who doesn't have a car.

May I walk you home? It is used when, say, a friend, accompanies someone to their home. It is often used by people who are dating. The guy may wish to accompany his partner home. Or vise versa.

https://forum.wordreference.com/threads/may-i-you-home.291416/

Monday, March 13, 2017

Arrive home vs. Get home vs. Come home

He arrived home at 6:00.
He came home at 6:00.
He got home at 6:00.
What is the difference betwen them?

To me your three sentences have the same basic meaning, however "He came home at 6:00." has a more definite sense that the speaker was also there (at home) when "he" arrived. In other words, the perspective is slightly different.

Your other two sentences could be used more easily by someone who is reporting the time "he" arrived, but wasn't actually there to witness "his" arrival.

http://www.english-test.net/forum/ftopic16137.html

The difference between words: popular and common

Many of my students mix up the words “popular” and “common”. The difference between them is very important for effective communication. The word “popular” is used to describe things or people that many people like, but “common” is used to describe things that happen a lot. When something is common, maybe people like it, but maybe they don’t. For example:

Johnny Depp is one of the most popular actors in Hollywood right now.

Going to look at cherry blossoms in April is extremely popular in Japan.

Toy race cars are very popular with young boys, but they’re not so popular with young girls.

Working overtime is very common in Japan.

When Japanese people travel, it’s common for them to buy many souvenirs for their family and friends.

Heart problems are common among people who are 65 years old or over.

It’s important that you don’t confuse these two words. If you say something like heart problems is popular, it will sound very strange because that would mean that many people like to have heart problems which is obviously not true.

https://englishhelponline.me/2010/07/05/the-difference-between-words-popular-and-common/

Wednesday, March 8, 2017

How long will you stay? vs How long will you be staying?

A question from Ben in Germany:
Hi, my name is Ben, I'm from Germany, I live in Rostock. My question is what is the difference between "How long will you be staying in London?" and "How long will you stay in London?" What's the difference?

Callum Robertson answers:
This is quite a difficult question to answer. First off, I should say that if you used either of these forms you would be understood without difficulty and they are both asking for the same information. The answer would be a period of time, three weeks, 10 minutes, a couple of years, for example.

But which is the most natural, which are you likely to hear? Well first let's look at the different forms. How long will you stay in London? This is what's commonly called the 'future simple'. How long will you be staying in London is the 'future continuous', also called the 'future progressive'.

To understand the difference, I think it might be useful to look at an example showing the differences between a present simple and continuous.

Nowadays, these days or today?

Why do you say 'a one-way ticket' and not 'an one-way ticket'?

When to use "a" or "an"... this is one of the more complicated things in English grammar.

A banana, a house, a penguin...

An apple, an igloo, an elephant...

The basic rule is, we use "an" instead of "a", to seperate vowels. We don't say "a elephant", we say "an elephant", to seperate the a from the e.

HOWEVER...

so then why wouldn't we say "an one way ticket"? Well... we only seperate vowels in a phonetic sense... phonetic, as in, what the word sounds like, rather than how it is spelled.

"one way ticket" may start with the vowel O... but it it sounds like "Wun way ticket"... a "W" sound...

We don't say "a ostrich"... we say "an ostrich"... because the O in "ostrich" is pronounced as a vowel... but the O in "one" is pronounced as the consonant "w".

Make sense? No, of course it doesn't, English is just ridiculous sometimes.

Technically, we are also (sometimes) supposed to use "an" instead of "a" before a "h", even though h is not a vowel. As in, "it would be an honor..." We don't say "an house", we say "a house". When it is a silent "h", we are supposed to use "an"...

I'm so glad I grew up with this language, because I'd hate to have to learn it at school...

https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20140815053933AALXVQh

Catch the bus vs Take the bus

Catching a bus describes the process of getting to a stop/station, waiting and boarding.

Taking a bus describes the entire process, including the journey itself.

Much of the time, the distinction isn't important. For example:

"How did you get to work today?"

"I caught a bus." (The listener infers that having caught the bus, you stay on it)

"I took the bus." (You have described the journey)

However, it could be relevant:

"I read a book while I was taking the bus" (yes: reading while the bus is moving)

"I read a book while I was catching the bus" (unlikely: reading while stepping onto the bus, paying the driver, etc.)

It is a similar meaning to catch as catching a fish, or catching a ball. You and the bus are apart, and then you bring yourself into contact with it through your own effort. If you try to catch a bus, and fail, you miss it.

One other thing, you catch a bus at a specific place:

"You can catch the bus to Coventry on Smith Street"

But you take the bus from a place:

"You can take the bus to Coventry from Smith Street"

http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/53764/catch-vs-take-a-bus-train

2-hour break vs 2 hours of breaks

If she wants one break lasting two hours, I would say:
Her mother allowed her a two-hour break a day.

If she could have breaks totalling two hours, I'd say:
Her mother allowed her two hours of breaks a day.

Sunday, March 5, 2017

Find vs Look for

No, "look for" and "find" do NOT both mean searching.

In the post you quoted, the person made it clear, I thought.

"Searching" and "looking for" are ongoing activities. You look or search until that single moment when you find it. The act of finding is instantaneous, so it cannot have a progressive form.

Lets say you throw a stone off a very tall cliff. The stone falls for a long time and then it hits the ground. There are many seconds when you can say it's falling but only on moment when it's hitting. While it falls, you don't say "the stone is hitting the ground." It fell for a long time then hit the ground. It's the same with looking for and finding. You look for a time and then hopefully in an instant you find it.

Unlike the stone that must eventually hit the ground, however, there is no guarantee that something lost will be found. Thats why you can ask someone to look, but only ask that they TRY to help you find. It might never be found.

.......................

You will hear utterances such as "Can you find it for me?" Natural responses could, "I'll try", "Well, I'll look", or "I don't know yet".

The message behind the words may well be, "I want you to look for it and, I hope, find it", this does not mean that 'look for' and 'find' mean the same thing. I think that Barb has made the difference very clear; I just wanted to add the note on that question.

https://www.usingenglish.com/forum/threads/174305-find-vs-look-for/page2

Hobby vs Interest

Hobby is something you practice or do regularly. Theoretically, it takes 21 days to form a hobby ( even if you dislike the action)

Interest is something that you have a liking for and you may or may not do it. You can get interested into something in a second.

My hobby is swimming.

I am very much interested in skydiving. But have never done it.

Turn your interests into hobbies

Draw vs Paint

Sketching:
Before a complete drawing we draw the sketch of the drawing, and we work freehand, meaning that we draw the multiple-cross lines and it lacks the details that a complete drawing may have. Pencils, ink, and charcoal can be the medium through which sketching is done. Sketching is done on low quality papers like newsprint, etc.

Drawing:
Drawing means full art drawn using colored pencils, markers, graphite pencils, or pens to create a full picture by drawing single-pass lines that looks more neat and clean than free hand sketching. Drawing is done on high quality papers like drawing paper, Bristol paper, etc.

Painting:
In painting, multiple layers of colors are placed on each other (first background, then first layer of paint, then second, and so on) by use of brush and water- or oil-based paint. A painting may look complete after finishing it but some paintings don’t seem too complete until the end of the process.

.....................

Drawing is dry (e.g. using a pencil or pen), painting needs paint and a brush

http://ell.stackexchange.com/questions/7533/paint-vs-draw-difference-in-meaning

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Look at, see or watch?

When we look at something, we direct our eyes in its direction and pay attention to it:

[the speaker is sitting at her computer]

Come and look at this photo Carina sent me.

Look at the rabbit!

"I speak only English" vs "I only speak English"

In the first sentence, only modifies English, and there is always the implication with the first version that you can speak another language, you just won't. In the second sentence, only modifies speak, implying that it is the only language that you are capable of speaking.

https://forum.wordreference.com/threads/difference-between-i-speak-only-and-i-only-speak.1575024/

Monday, February 13, 2017

Cách hỏi "Đã ăn cơm chưa?"

1/ Đã ăn cơm chưa?
Have you eaten yet?

2/ Đã ăn cơm trưa chưa?

In BE it is considered incorrect to use "yet" with "did" or any other verb in the preterite. However, it is quite common in American speech.

In BE, the preterite is used for an action completed in the past.

Have you had your lunch [yet]?
Yes, I've had my lunch.
Yes, I had lunch at 12.
No, I haven't had lunch [yet].
I would use "did" if talking about some time in the past.

Did you have lunch yesterday?
No, I was so busy, I didn't have time to stop for lunch.
Yes, I had lunch with the boss. She took us all to lunch at the new Thai restaurant.

3/

If you are talking about a common, or regular occurrence, you can say
"Do you have your lunch in the canteen every day?"
"Do you have your lunch at 12 o'clock on Monday?"

https://forum.wordreference.com/threads/have-you-had-your-lunch.615438/

Wednesday, February 8, 2017

Feast vs Banquet

Banquet: An elaborate and formal evening meal for many people
Một bữa tiệc lớn, tỉ mỉ, trang trọng (nghi thức) vào buổi tối cho nhiều người

Feast: A large meal, typically a celebratory one
Một bữa tiệc lớn có nhiều thức ăn, điển hình là một bữa tiệc đánh dấu một ngày, sự kiện quan trọng...

(Theo Oxford: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/banquet)

Feast không nhất thiết có nhiều người tham dự. Chữ "lớn" trong định nghĩa của Feast muốn nói đến lượng thức ăn. Bạn có thể có Feast cho một mình bạn, hoặc với hàng trăm người
(Also, a feast doesn't have to have very many people participating. That "large" in the definition refers to the amount of food, not necessarily the number of people. You can have a feast all by yourself or with hundreds.)

Banquet thì trang trọng hơn, bàn ăn được trang trí công phu, và thức ăn được phục vụ tại bàn, và thường chỉ có 3 hoặc 4 món. Feast thì thường không mang tính nghi thức lắm, và thường có nhiều thức ăn và người ta có thể ăn túy thích.

(A banquet is more formal, the tables are richly decorated, and the food is served at the table and there are usually only three or four dishes, take for example the Nobel banquet in Sweden: http://tinyurl.com/9bz4227 A feast is usually not as formal, and there is often more food and people can eat as much as they want, for example a Thanksgiving feast: http://tinyurl.com/9vjegtv)

(Theo: https://forum.wordreference.com/threads/banquet-vs-feast.2504229/)