collins cobuild

What’s the difference between bear and bare?

This week we are looking at two words which are sometimes confused: bear and bare. bear Bear can be a noun or a verb. A bear is a large, strong wild animal with thick fur and sharp claws. The bear stood on its hind legs. If you bear a… Read More

National Grammar Day

Saturday 4 March marks National Grammar Day (henceforth, for brevity, NGD). Time to move into top grammar gear. Are you a tad hazy about the difference between a conjunction and a preposition? And what exactly are parts of… Read More

What’s the difference between aloud and loudly?

This week we are looking at two words which are sometimes confused: aloud and loudly. aloud If you read aloud a book or apiece of writing, you say the words while you are reading them. She read aloud to us from the newspaper. If you think… Read More

What’s the difference between alone and lonely?

This week we are looking at two words which are sometimes confused: alone and lonely. alone If you are alone, you are not with any other people. I wanted to be alone. Lucy spends most of her time alone in the flat. Make sure that you… Read More

What’s the difference between affect and effect?

This week we are looking at two words which are sometimes confused: affect and effect. affect Affect /əˈfekt/ is a verb. To affect someone or something means to cause them to change, often in a negative way. More than seven million people have been affected by… Read More

What’s the difference between accept and except?

This week we are looking at two words which are sometimes confused: accept and except. accept function playAudio(url) { new Audio(url).play(); } Accept /əkˈsept/ is a verb. If someone offers you something and you accept it, you agree to take it. I never accept presents from clients. Your… Read More

What’s the difference between borrow and lend?

This week we are looking at two words which are sometimes confused: borrow and lend. borrow function playAudio(url) { new Audio(url).play(); } If you borrow something that belongs to someone else, you use it for a period of time and then return it. Could… Read More