BOX SET: 33 Confusing Words in English - Learners' Questions Mega Class!

What's the difference between 'advice'  and 'advice'? That's what Shahnaz on  

YouTube would like to know and that's what  we're doing in this Learners' Question.

So, advice with a 'c' is an  uncountable noun - that's a d v i c e  

and notice the 's' sound - advice. It means  an opinion, recommendation or suggestion  

by someone that you should do something in a  certain situation. It's commonly followed by  

the prepositions 'about' or 'on' For example, you  need my advice about 'advice' - see what I did!  

Advice strongly collocates with the verbs 'give'  and 'take'. You can give advice or you can take  

someone's advice. For example, my friend gave me  some relationship advice but I thought it was bad  

so I didn't take it. You can do something  on someone's advice. For example,  

on my father's advice, I became a teacher  but I really wanted to be a lion tamer.

It can be followed by an infinitive verb.  For example, John! Look out for that lion!

My advice is to call a doctor  first thing in the morning.  

And, of course, as an uncountable noun, we can  make it countable by using 'a piece'. A piece  

of advice. I have three pieces of advice for  you: brush floss and use mouthwash every day!

Okay, this is a good time for me to remind  you about the Learners' Questions playlist!  

All your favorite Learners' Questions in  one easy to access place! Just click on  

the link and you'll go straight through to  our YouTube playlist! Who knows - maybe your  

question has already been answered! And if  you have a question for Learners' Questions,  

you can email us on [email protected]  - and don't forget at the end of this video  

there is a full summary slide with all  of the information that i've mentioned!

'Advise' is a regular verb - that's a d v  i s e and notice the 'z' sound -advise. It  

basically means give advice - in other words, give  someone your opinion, suggestion or recommendation  

as to what they should do in a certain situation.  Its prepositions are 'on' or 'about'. So, now I'll  

advise you on 'advise'. Second time! I did it  again! You can advise something. For example,  

when working with lions I advise fear - lots of  fear! You can advise someone to do something.

For example, my father advised me to choose a  different career. You can advise someone against  

doing something. For example, in the cage,  I advise against making any sudden movement.

Finally, you can advise that. For example,  

circus masters everywhere advise that people stop  disturbing lions - they recommend trying gorillas  

instead! Thank you very much for your question,  Shahnaz. I hope you found the answer useful! If  

anyone else out there has a question for  Learners' Questions, you can email us on  

learning.english at bbc.co.uk. I'll see you  next time on Learners Questions. Bye, guys.

What's the difference between 'fault', 'flaw'  and 'weakness'? That's what Helen wants to know  

and that's what we're doing  on this Learners Questions!

'Fault' is a noun which means a  mistake or problem in something.  

We commonly refer to technical faults, mechanical  faults and electrical faults when talking about  

machinery or computers. For example, the  train was delayed due to a mechanical fault.  

Fault can also be used to talk about who is to  blame for a mistake. You will often hear people  

say: it's your fault, it's his fault, it's her  fault or it wasn't my fault. For example, it is  

completely my fault that this video is so awesome.  I do not apologize. Finally, 'fault' can be used  

in reference to what we believe is a negative part  of somebody's personality or character. But don't  

judge anybody too harshly because remember we  all have our faults. Except me! Now for the noun  

'flaw'. 'Flaw' is a mark or a blemish which spoils  something's appearance. For example, this copy of  

the book has a tiny printing flaw on the cover  which makes it very rare and very valuable.

A flaw can also be a minor fault or weakness  in something making it less valuable or less  

effective and this is particularly common with  thinking or reasoning words, We can talk about a  

flaw in an idea, a flaw in an argument, a flaw in  a concept, a flaw in a design. For example, it's a  

nice idea but it has a serious flaw in it. Finally  we can talk about a flaw in someone's character  

or a character flaw. For example, my only  character flaw is that I'm very short-tempered.

Okay let's stop for a second so i can tell you  about the Learners' Questions playlist - every  

episode of learners questions is already there  for you and if you have a question maybe the  

answer is there already. So go and have a look. If  you have a question for Learners Questions you can  

email us on [email protected] and don't  forget at the end of the video there is a full  

summary slide. Now let's talk about the noun  'weakness' which is an area of something that  

lacks resilience or strength. For example,  vampires have several weaknesses: garlic,  

sunlight, religious iconography  or a stake through the heart.

Like 'fault' and 'flaw', a 'weakness' can  be something that makes something else less  

attractive or less effective. For example, in  my opinion, the weakness of texting is that  

it doesn't communicate body language which is  so important. Finally like 'fault' and 'flaw',  

'weakness' can also be used to describe a  problem in someone's character. For example,  

their love of money is a  worrying weakness in my opinion.  

Thank you very much for your question  Helen. I hope I answered it for you.  

If you have a question for Learners Questions you  can email us on learning.english.bbc.co.dot.uk  

and don't forget as soon as I finish this  there is a full summary slide. Thank you very  

much for joining me and I will see you next  time on Learners Questions. Bye everybody!

What's the difference between the  verbs 'lie' and 'lay'? That's why  

Alejandra emailed us and that's what we're  talking about on this Learners' Question.

Okay, our first verb is 'lie'. The past tense  is 'lay' and the past participle is 'lain'.  

'Lie' means to move into a horizontal or flat  position as you would do if you were going to bed.  

For example, if you don't feel well lie on  the bed. The verb 'lie' also means be in a  

particular place. If something lies somewhere,  it is somewhere. For example, the clothes lay  

all over the floor or my home lies five miles  east of London. In this way, using lie for place  

we can talk about where blame or responsibility  lies. Blame or responsibility lies with someone.

So, for example, the blame lies with him but as a  manager the responsibility lies with you. In the  

same way, and formally speaking now, you can use  'lie' to talk about the place where a person is  

buried. For example, Charles Darwin and Isaac  Newton lie in Westminster Abbey. Okay, now let's  

talk about the verb 'lie'. The past tense of which  is 'lied' and the past participle of which is  

'lied'. When you lie you speak falsely. You lie to  someone about something or about doing something.  

For example, he lied to his teacher about doing  his homework so he didn't get in trouble. Naughty!  

Unfortunately, lying is a pretty common occurrence  and as a result we have lots of fixed phrases that  

you can use to talk about it. So you can lie your  way into something, you can lie your way out of  

something, you can tell a bare-faced lie, you can  lie through your teeth or to emphasize that you're  

telling the truth you can say no word of a lie.  Okay, let's stop for a second so I can tell you  

all about the Learners Questions playlist! Yes,  all of your favorite Learners Questions in one  

easy to use place! Just click the link  and you'll be taken straight through!  

Who knows? Maybe your question is already there  and the answer is waiting for you to pick it up  

and if you have a question for  Learners' Questions, you can email us on  

[email protected]. And don't forget -  immediately after I finish speaking there is a  

full summary slide with all the information you  need to know on it! So make sure to check it out!

Now let's talk about the verb 'lay'. The past  tense of which is 'laid' and the past participle  

is 'laid'. When you lay something, you put  it down in a horizontal or flat position,  

often carefully. For example,  I laid the baby in her cot.  

There you go. Do not confuse this when you lie,  you put yourself in a flat or horizontal position.  

When you lay something, you put it in a flat or  horizontal position. For example, I laid the baby  

on the bed and then I lay next to the baby to  sleep. Because lay means put something down,  

we can talk about laying things like carpet  or railway track or in a metaphorical way  

we can lay a dead person to rest. So, for  example, Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin  

were laid to rest in Westminster Abbey. The  verb lay can also mean prepare. We talk about  

laying the table for dinner or laying a place for  someone. For example, Mom, how many places do I  

need to lay at the table for lunch? You can talk  about laying a fire - that's where you make a fire  

ready to burn or we can talk about laying a trap.  For example, the hunter laid three traps in the  

hopes of catching some dinner. And, of course any  animal which can push an egg out of its body lays  

that egg. Thank you very much for your email,  Alejandra. I hope we answered your question.  

If anybody else out there has a question  for Learners' Questions, you can email us on  

[email protected] And don't forget  - there is a full summary slide coming just  

after I finish speaking. I'll see you next  time on Learners' Questions! Bye everybody!

What are the differences between 'peek', 'peak'  and 'pique'. That's what Farshid on YouTube would  

like to know and that's what we're going to  be talking about in this Learners' Question!  

Okay, let's talk about peek - that's p-e-e-k. When  you peek at something you take a quick look at it,  

often sneakily so as not to be seen. For  example, you know when you see someone  

that you really really like but you don't  want them to see you looking at them? Well,  

she peeked at him over her textbook.  

Or, we often talk about peeking at something  or someone peeking over something like a wall.  

You can peek through the curtains and you can  peek into somebody's window. The verb peek also  

means protrude. If something peeks, it can  be partially seen from behind something.  

This paper is peeking from my pocket or how did  you find me? I saw your shoes peeking from under  

the curtain. Now the word 'peak' - p-e-a-k has  lots of meanings because it's applicable in a wide  

range of contexts. It basically means the highest,  strongest or most extreme point of something.  

The highest point in a graph, the tip of a  mountain or the busiest time. For example,  

the peak of this graph shows you shouldn't travel  to the peak of the mountain during peak times.  

Peak is also a verb and it means reach the  highest point - so you can peak a mountain,  

or "I've peaked", said the actor after collecting  his Oscar. Although that means that the only way  

is down! Okay, let's stop for a second so I can  take a breather - because all this explaining is  

tiring work! Why not take the opportunity  while I've paused to leave us a like or give  

us an example sentence in the comments below! We would love to see the language that you've  

learned so far! Remember - if you have a question  for Learners Questions, you can email us on  

[email protected]. We would love to hear  from you - and don't forget also that at the end  

of the video there is a summary slide with all the  information printed on it for you to read in your  

own time! Finally, we have pique - p-i-q-u-e. Now,  it's a verb and a noun and it's not very common  

but it's still used in two very nice expressions.  First of all, you can be in a fit of pique.

This means become irritated because someone  has been rude to you or insulted your pride.  

For example, she left the room in a fit  of pique because they insulted her work.  

Secondly, you can pique someone's interest or  curiosity - that means make them interested or  

curious. For example, these new inventions have  really piqued my interest. OK, Farshid on YouTube,  

thank you very much for writing to us.  I hope that has answered your question.  

If you have a question for us on Learners'  Questions, there's the email - you know what it is  

and don't forget there is a summary slide coming  immediately after this. See you next time, guys.

This week's Learners' Question comes from  

Marita in Spain who asks: could you explain the  difference between pop in, pop out and pop round?  

OK, Marita, we'll do our best.

Now these three pieces of language you've chosen  are phrasal verbs - that means they are a verb  

combined with a preposition. In this context, the  verb 'pop' means go somewhere for a short period  

of time. If you pop out, you leave the building  that you are in - possibly your house or your  

office and maybe you're going to run an errand, so  you might collect some milk, post a letter or go  

and have some lunch. For example, I'm just popping  out to get some milk. I'll be back in a minute.  

Pop in has the opposite meaning. This means you go  inside a building for a short period of time, For  

example, oh wait a minute, I need to pop in this  shop and buy some toothpaste. And we also use pop  

in when we visit someone in a very informal way  - so, oh you're home on Saturday, i'll pop in and  

see you. It's in this kind of situation that we  also use pop round - although pop round puts more  

focus on the traveling. So, for example, Sarah,  why won't you pop around and have a cup of tea?  

I haven't seen you in ages! Remember that being  a phrasal verb, we can change the preposition to  

suit the context. Two slightly different examples  would be - I need to pop up on the roof and fix a  

satellite dish, or are you looking for John?  He's just popped downstairs to speak to Tim.  

i hope that answers your question, Marita, thank  you very much for writing to us. If anybody else  

out there has a question about English you  can email us on [email protected].  

Please remember to include Learners' Questions  in the subject box and your name and the country  

that you're from. For more information, you  can go to our website bbclearningenglish.com.  

I'll see you next time on Learners'  Questions - thanks for tuning in. bye.

What's the difference between remember,remind,  recall and recollect? That's what Augustine  

from Spain wants to know and that's what  we're doing on this Learners' Questions.

The verb remember is about having a  memory about something - it's kind of  

complicated and it has lots of different verb  patterns so let's go through them together.  

First, there's remember + the object. For example,  

I remember this music from yesterday. Then  there's remember + a question word or that.  

For example, I suddenly remembered that I had  forgotten to lock the windows of my house.  

Then there's remember + ing. This is  where you remember something that you did  

before - so first the action and then remember.  For example, I remember making my first learners  

Squestions video - it was a little while ago  now. And then there's remember + the infinitive.  

This is where you remember now to do something in  the future. So first remember and then the action.  

For example, I must remember to make  another learners questions video tomorrow.  

Remind means make someone remember and  like remember it has a few verb patterns.  

So we can talk about remind + question word or  that. For example, the teacher reminded the class  

what was considered acceptable behavior. We can  talk about remind + somebody + an infinitive. For  

example, I have an app on my phone that reminds me  to pick up my dry cleaning. And finally something  

can remind somebody of something and in this way  we mean spark an associated memory. For example,  

oh that smell reminds me of the  cake my grandmother used to make.

Okay, let's stop for a second so i can tell you  all about the Learners' Questions playlist. Yes,  

all of your favorite Learners' Questions  in one easy to access place - if you have  

a question for Learners' Questions maybe the  answer is there already - so go check it out!  

If you have a question for Learners' Questions,  you can email us on [email protected]  

and don't forget as soon as i finish  talking there is a full summary slide.

Recall and recollect are both verbs that can  just mean remember - and like remember they  

have a couple of verb patterns in common. So we  can talk about recall or recollect + that or a  

question word. For example, I don't recall what  I did with my keys, then I recollected that I'd  

left them at work. we can also talk about recall  or recollect + ing - so do you recall seeing my  

last learner's questions episode? Do you recollect  learning about situation position and condition?  

If not, go check it out! Finally, recall  can be different from remember, remind and  

recollect because recall doesn't always just mean  remember. It can mean remember and communicate.  

For example, at his retirement party the professor  recalled some of the best moments in his career  

to his colleagues. Thank you very much for your  question Augustine, I hope I answered it for you.  

If you have a question for Learners' Questions,  you can email us on [email protected]  

and don't forget at the end of this  video there's a full summary slide,  

so make sure you check it out! I'll see you  next time on Learners Questions, bye everybody.

What's the difference between see, look and watch?  

That's why Shanu emailed us and that's what  we're doing on this Learners' Question.

Everybody knows that the verb  see means perceive something or  

receive information through your eyes. For  example, if you look over here you will see  

me. Don't forget that see in this meaning is a  state verb - there's no ing - just I see Dan.  

But did you know that the verb see can also mean  imagine? You can see something happening, see  

someone as something or see yourself as something  - where do you see yourself in five years time?  

In five years time, I see myself  as a serious news reporter.

Now for the verb look. Look is a regular verb - so  look looked looked. And notice that when we look,  

we direct our eyes to see something. For example,  if you look over here you'll see wait for it...me.  

Okay, let's stop for a second so I can check  if you have heard about the Learners Questions  

playlist - all your favourite learners questions  in one easy to access place. If you have a  

question about English maybe the answer is there,  so click on the link and go there straight away -  

if you have a question for Learners' Questions,  you can email us on [email protected]  

and don't forget as soon as i finish  speaking there is a full summary slide.

Look can also mean appear and it's usually  followed by an adjective - so a book can look  

interesting or food can look delicious. If we  combine look with the prepositions at into or  

over, we get the meaning examine or investigate.  For example, police are looking into reports of  

fraud at a local bank. Now let's talk about  watch! Watch is a regular verb so watch,  

watched, watched and there's that 't' again. If  you watch something you fix your vision on it  

to observe it. For example,  you are watching me - hooray.  

Watch can also mean be careful. We talk  about watching for something, watching out  

for something or watch + a question word. For  example, watch what you say about him he sees  

everything. Finally, watch can mean guard or  protect and we might say watch or watch over.  

For example, oh could you just watch my bag for  a second while I go to the loo, please? Thank  

you for your email, Shanu, i hope the answer was  useful to you if you have a question for learner's  

questions you can email us on learning.english  @bbc.co.uk and don't forget immediately after I  

finish speaking there is a full summary slide with  all the information that you need to know. Yhank  

you very much for joining me on this Learners'  Questions, i'll see you next time everybody, bye.

What's the difference between situation,  position and condition? That's what Giti  

from Iran wants to know and that's what  we're doing on this Learners Questions.  

Condition is a noun that describes the  physical state of something or someone.  

We usually talk about things being in good, bad or  terrible condition. For example, I bought this top  

three years ago and it's still in good condition  look how white that 'f' is! Conditions as a plural  

can refer to the environment - we talk about doing  something under good, bad or terrible conditions.  

For example, the storm meant that we had to  abandon climbing the mountain under such difficult  

conditions. And in this way we can talk about  living conditions or working conditions - that's  

the environment in which we live or work.  So, for example, this office needs more light  

to meet basic working conditions. Finally, we can  talk about a condition or conditions needing to  

be met or satisfied and that means that something  must be done before something else can happen. For  

example, in order to get this job you need to meet  certain conditions - qualifications, for example.  

Situation is a noun that refers  to a specific set of conditions  

in a particular place at a particular time.  After a natural disaster, for example,  

we might say that the situation in the country  is not good. We often combine other words with  

situation to create more specific contexts - we  can talk about the economic or financial situation  

and of course don't forget about situation  comedies or sitcoms as they're commonly known.  

These are tv shows that put a bunch of characters  in a specific place at a specific time. Okay,  

this is a great time for me to remind you to  check out the Learners' Questions playlist  

all of your favorite learners questions in one  easy to access place on our YouTube channel.  

If you have a question for Learners Questions,  you can email us on [email protected]  

and don't forget there is a full summary  slide immediately after this video.  

Position is a noun and a verb that refers to the  way or where something is placed for example the  

position of this 'f' is on my chest but we can  also refer to positioning something somewhere' For  

example, please position the flowers on a window  ledge to get maximum sunlight. In another way,  

position can refer to opinion -your position  is your opinion on something. For example,  

my position is that recycling is essential and  everybody's responsibility. Finally, position  

can mean job or role - when writing  to apply for a job you might write,  

I am writing to apply for the position of  producer as advertised on your website.  

Thank you for your question,  Git.iIi hope the answer was useful.  

If you have a question for Learners Questions,  you can email us on [email protected]  

and don't forget as soon as this video  finishes there is a full summary slide.  

Thanks very much for joining me on this Learners'  Questions, I'll see you next time. Bye, everybody.

How do we use tough, rough and stiff?  That's what Eugele sent us an email for  

and that's what we're doing  on this Learners' Questions.

All right, now before we get started it's  worth noting that these three words have  

lots of meanings and we're just going to cover the  most common ones. So for more information on them  

and other confusing words make sure to check  out our website bbclearningenglish.com. Okay,  

tough is an adjective and its noun is  toughness - something which is tough is  

very difficult to damage or very durable.  For example, this cup is very tough.

Tough can also mean difficult or challenging -  we talk about things like tough questions, tough  

circumstances or a tough read. My maths exam, for  example, was very tough - it was a tough exam.  

We can talk about food being tough -  that is food which is difficult to eat  

or to chew, you know when you get like a  really badly cooked steak and it's like

Now let's talk about rough. Rough is also an  adjective and its noun is roughness. Something  

which is rough is not smooth. We talk about  things like rough cloth, rough skin or a rough  

surface. For example, have you ever been  licked by a cat - their tongues are very rough.  

Okay, let's just stop for a second so I can  remind you to click subscribe and hit that  

bell so you stay up to date with all of the latest  learners questions. You wouldn't want to miss out  

on anything, would you? If you have a question  for Learners Questions, you can email us on  

[email protected] and don't forget at  the end of this video there is a full summary  

slide with all of the mentioned information on it,  so sit back relax and enjoy. Rough can also mean  

not exact. For example, you might make a rough  copy of something like a drawing or notes,  

or you can give someone a rough estimate. For  example, what time will you be here? Well,  

probably around four but  it's just a rough estimate.  

Rough can also mean difficult or challenging.  We can talk about rough circumstances or  

having a rough time. For example, John's  having a rough time, he just lost his job.  

Now let's talk about stiff. Stiff is also an  adjective and its noun is stiffness. Something  

which is stiff is not flexible or not easily  moved. We talk about things like stiff card,  

a stiff collar on a shirt or when you take your  jeans out of the wash and put them on they've gone  

stiff it makes it very difficult to walk in them,  and in this way we can talk about stiff muscles.  

This is when you have a part of your body a muscle  that doesn't want to bend or move. For example,  

if you sleep in a funny position and then wake  up, ah, with a stiff neck. Stiff can also mean  

difficult or severe - we can talk about stiff  punishment in relation to a crime or stiff  

competition. For example, there was a lot of stiff  competition at the job interview but I think I got  

it. Thank you for your question, Eugele, I hope  the answer has been useful. If anybody else out  

there has a question for Learners' Questions,  you can email us on [email protected]  

and don't forget as soon as I finish  speaking there is a full summary slide  

with all the information I've already mentioned.  I'll see you next time on Learners' Questions.

What's the difference between win,  earn and gain? That's why Esra 

emailed us and that's what we're  doing in this Learners' Questions.  

Win is an irregular verb so win, won have won.  It means achieve first place in a competition,  

contest, fight, argument, bet or  attempt at something. For example,  

let's play a game - are you ready?  One, two, three, you lose, I win!

Win can also mean get something that other  people are also trying to get and this is  

especially useful in a business context where we  talk about winning an order, winning a contract  

or winning the right to do something. For example,  the most successful bid will win the contract to  

build the bridge. Win can also mean gain the  support of someone - we talk about winning  

support, winning approval, winning the heart of  someone or winning someone over. For example,  

the politician's speech won over the hostile crowd  and they started cheering. Now, let's talk about  

earn, earned and have earned. And notice the 'd'  - when you earn, you receive an amount of money  

in exchange for your work. People earn an  amount of money but never ask them about it. Or  

a person can earn a living which is make money to  survive. For example, I could never earn a living  

as a translator because I'm not fluent in any  other language. Professional monkey, though....

In a business context, earn means receive as  profit. Companies earn, shares earn and accounts  

earn. For example, so far the movie has earned  three million, billion, squillion, jillion pounds  

(not a real number!) Alright, let's take a  break for a second so I can make sure that  

you have subscribed and clicked that bell  to stay up to date with all of our latest  

learners questions - we wouldn't want you missing  out now, would we? And if you have a question for  

Learners Questions, you know what to do. Email  [email protected] and don't forget  

as soon as I finish talking there is a full  summary slide, so sit back relax and enjoy.  

Earn can also mean receive something deserved  - we can talk about things like earning praise,  

earning respect or earning your place at a  particular organization. And quite frankly,  

after this video i think I've earned a nice cup of  tea. Now, let's talk about gain, gained and have  

gained. And there's that 'd' sound again. When  we gain, we get or obtain something positive.  

We can talk about gaining support, gaining an  advantage or gaining confidence. For example,  

in my first video I was quite nervous but since  then I have gained confidence. Gain can also mean  

increase in amount - things gain height, they  gain weight, they gain speed or they gain value.  

For example, actually my jeans are a little  bit tight today - oh no, have i gained  

weight?Finally we can talk about something  gaining ground or gaining traction or popularity,  

and this means becoming more popular and more  accepted by society. Things like ideas or  

movements, for example. Veganism is gaining ground  at the moment as more and more people become  

vegan. Thank you very much for your email, Ezra.  I hope I answered your question - if you have a  

question for Learners' Questions, you can email us  on [email protected] and don't forget as  

soon as I finish talking, there is a full summary  slide with all the information you need to know.  

I'll see you next time on Learners' Questions,  thanks for joining me. Bye, everybody!