Pair words

Some words often appear as a pair (as a phrase).  Do you know them?

1.  ins and outs
2.  ups and downs
3.  dos and don'ts
4.  hustle and bustle
5.  ebb and flow
6.  round and round

Pronunciation

We are nearing oral for the P6 students.  Hence, let us begin a little collection of words that are pronounced differently.  Many of these words have a different pronunciation from what they seem as they are borrowed from foreign languages (e.g. French, Spanish, etc.).

Words with different pronunciation than what is spelt:

NOTE: I am not following IPA or any convention of phonics especially here; am just sounding them out using familiar words)
1.  Alkali (al-ka-lie)
2.  Alibi (a-ler-by)
3.  Facade (fe-sard)
4.  Subpoena (sub-pee-na)
5.  Rendezvous (ron-day-voo)
6.  Quay (key)
7.  Parquet (par-kay)
8.  Suite (sweet)
9.  Photographer (Fer-to-grapher)

Usage of short forms, informal words

Students somehow do not understand that short forms of words and contractions (I'm, didn't, can't, etc.) should not be used for proper writing.  If they are to appear, they should always appear within quotes.

If you were to abbreviate a term, you should write it out in full the first time it is mentioned and provide its abbreviation in brackets.  For example, I had been to the United States of America (the USA).  The USA is a very very big country.

You simply should not use words like 'didn't', 'couldn't', etc., in proper writing, lest you are writing them in dialogue.

Also, the usage of informal words should be shunned.  I am not sure if there is a proper stand on this but when I was teaching in school, words like 'mom', 'dad', etc., are always marked as spelling errors.  True, even the tuition centre that I teach in has its model compositions using 'mom' and dad' outside quotes.  However, I always caution the children that I teach that I believe that school teachers frown upon the usage of those words in proper writing.

Last but not least, I do not like to use the word 'kids' to meant 'children'.  Check in the dictionary if you do not know what I mean!

Different spellings for different forms of the word

There are some words coming from the same root word that have different spellings when the forms are changed.

1 - curious -> curiosity
2 - vigour -> vigorous
3 - pronounce -> pronunciation
4 - explain -> explanation
5 - furious -> ferocity
6 - monster -> montrous
7 - generous -> generosity
8 - four -> forty (but nine -> ninety)
9 - labour -> laborious

Are there any others?

Common errors

This starts my collection of common errors of words mixed up by many of my students in their writing:

respond (verb) vs response (noun)
WRONG:  I had no respond from my father when I asked him for permission to go out.
CORRECT:  I had no response from my father when I asked him for permission to go out.

advise (verb) vs advice (noun)
WRONG: Father adviced me to study hard for the upcoming examinations.
CORRECT: Father advised me to study hard for the upcoming examinations.

save (verb) vs safe (noun)
WRONG: I tried to safe my neighbour whose house was on fire.
CORRECT: I tried to save my neighbour whose house was on fire.

relieve (verb) vs relief (noun)
WRONG: I heaved a great sigh of relieve when he got down safe.
CORRECT: I heaved a great sigh of relief when he got down safe.

letter vs alphabet
WRONG: 'A' is an alphabet.
CORRECT: 'A' is a letter in the alphabet.

horn is a noun, not a verb!
WRONG: Father horned at the inconsiderate driver who changed lanes suddenly.
CORRECT: Father sounded his horn at the inconsiderate driver who changed lanes suddenly.

Commonly mis-spelt words:
embarrassed; referred vs offered; stifle a yawn, immediately, curiosity (no 'u' after 'o'), continuous, refrigerator (no 'd')