Confusing words:

Don’t get confused!

Wenn das Verwechseln von Wörtern Verwirrung stiftet, ist

es an der Zeit, etwas dagegen zu unternehmen.

Die Übungen auf diesen vier Seiten werden Ihnen helfen,

Verwechslungen in Zukunft zu vermeiden.

1. Not this word but that one (5 points)

Michele has to proofread a translation from German into English about a hotel. Unfortunately, in some sentences, the translator has chosen the wrong English equivalent of the German word. Here are some of the tips she will be passing on to the German translator. Complete the words by filling in the missing vowels.

A In a hotel, the Empfang is not the “receipt”

but the “r c pt n”.

B The designer armchairs in the lounge are bequem. This doesn’t mean they are “convenient”; it means they are “c mf rt bl ”.

C The Erlaubnis you need to use the hotel’s conference equipment is not a “permit” but “p rm ss n”.

D The trees in the hotel garden provide some Schatten, but this is not a “shadow” — it is “sh d ”.

E To save energy, the windows and outer walls of the hotel got new Isolation. This is not “isolation”, but “ns l t n”.

2. One letter makes the difference (6 points)

Peter is proofreading an advertisement from an insurance company. In each of the words in brackets, one letter is wrong. Find it and write the correct word on the line.

“You are in a hurry to catch the bus and forget to turn off the water tap in the kitchen. When you come home, your flat is flooded. Your neighbours on the floor below are also (A)

( effected); water is dripping from the ceiling of their kitchen. This is where we come in. We

(B) ( ensure) your home against any kind of damage, even (C) ( mayor) ones. Call us now! We will be glad to

(D) ( advice) you on the best solution. And you can benefit from our

(E) ( currant) low (F)

( prizes).”

3. They sound the same but… (8 points)

Michele is checking the answers to a quiz for the website of a language school in Brighton. The two missing words in each sentence sound the same but are spelled differently and have a different meaning. We have provided the two words in brackets. Fill in each gap with the appropriate choice.

4. Similar, but not the same (8 points)

A family business that makes breakfast cereals is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Michele notices that, in its jubilee brochure, the author was often not sure which of two similar words to use. Choose the correct words to complete the text.

“Graham company making grows production the cereals, Field 50 ingredients very years (A) we (C) found/founded ago. also economic/economical. we (B) operate need. Beside/Besides This a farm our makes that our

From (D) classic/classical the beginning, breakfast we have produced cereals, such the as

cornflakes. But our employees soon started to

create new forms of muesli, which are

(E) sometime/sometimes rather exotic.

At first, our founder was (F) critic/critical

of this. But then he saw it as a (G) historic/

historical development. The founder’s grandson, who studied (H) economics/economy at

the London Business School, joined the

company last month.”

5. One or more? (6 points)

Peter discovers that the author of the texts below got confused about singular and plural forms. Choose the correct form of the words in bold. (A) Interest is/Interests are very low at the moment. As a result, the (B) saving/savings for our company amounts/amount to more than £1,000 a month.

After finishing her (C) study/studies in industrial mathematics, she started work at an insurance company and is now head of the (D) damage/damages department.

Every year, young (E) people/peoples from all over the world do voluntary work in humanitarian projects in Africa.

Unfortunately, the goods we had ordered didn’t arrive on time. They got stuck at (F) custom/customs.

6. The agony of choice (10 points)

The next document is a translation from German into English. The translator was not sure which word to use and offered Michele several choices. Choose the correct English word for each German word in brackets and put it in the appropriate form.

“Last week, the government (A) ( verabschieden) a significant change to its taxation (B) ( Politik), including major tax cuts for firms. This had a positive impact on the financial situation of a lot of companies. Their share (C) ( Kurs) went up. This particularly helped many banks that had had to (D) ( abschreiben) losses on bad loans.

Under the new rules, firms — and individuals — will be able to (E)

( verdienen) more before they have to pay tax. And firms that had had to (F)

( einstellen) the operation of some of their

(G) ( Anlagen) in times of crisis, should now be able to (H) ( einstellen) staff again. The recovery of the economy can be seen as an (I) ( Verdienst) of the government’s (J) ( Politik).

7. Preposition problems (7 points)

Michele reads to Peter extracts from the news section of a company’s internal newsletter. The author got some prepositions wrong. They are printed in bold. Complete the gaps with the correct prepositions.

Michele: Here’s the first one: “Jane Miller fell down the stairs and broke her leg. Thanks go to Paul from HR, who looked for her until the ambulance arrived.” Peter: Oh, that’s funny. They mean “Paul looked

(A) her”.

Michele: Next one. “Staff get a ten per cent discount on all pizzas at Luigi’s. Enjoy taking your partner around the restaurant.”

Peter: Well, I’d prefer to be taken (B) to

Luigi’s.

Michele: Here, they’re complaining about the office lighting: “The new ceiling lights do not give up enough light.”

Peter: They “don’t give (C) enough light”. Michele: OK. Next. “Paul Simpsons bought a mountain hut near Interlaken and invites everybody to ‘come across to his hut’.”

Peter: How about “come (D) to his hut”? Michele: Great! Listen to this one: “Renovation work on the outer walls will last for another month. During that time, we will have to put off lots of noise.”

Peter: That sounds like we’ll just delay the noise. I think he meant “we will have to put (E) lots of noise”.

Michele: Next news item. More than £3,000 were raised at the anniversary party — to “help families that can’t get around on their low incomes”.

Peter: If I had a low income, I wouldn’t get around much either. They mean “families that can’t get

(F) on their low incomes”.

Michele: Great! Here’s the last one: “Mr Parker, our retired CEO, sends his regards to everyone. Dorothy Cooper ran at him during her holiday on Tenerife.” Peter: Poor Mr Parker, being run at by Dorothy! They must mean that “she ran (G) him”.