Nouns and Prepositions: OF: Noun Collocations With The Preposition OF

Nouns and Prepositions: OF
Useful noun collocations with the preposition OF in English.
 A cause of
 A photograph of
 Address of
 Advantage of
 Awareness of
 Disadvantage of
 Exhibition of
 Experience of
 Fear of
 Grasp of
 Habit of
 Knowledge of
 Love of
 Member of
 Memory of
 Method of
 Possibility of
 Problem of
 Process of
 Risk of
 Understanding of
 Cause of
 Example of
 Way of
 Relevance of
 A check for (amount of money)
 Reason for
 Admiration for
 Advertisement for
 Approval for
 Arguments for
 Bid for
 Case for
 Credit for
 Cure for
 Demand for
 Desire for
 Fondness for
 Hatred for
 Love for
 Need for
 Preference for
 Recipe for
 Reputation for
 Respect for
 Responsibility for
 Room for
 Search for
 Talent for
 Thirst for
 Arguments with
 Concern with
 Connection with
 Contact with
 Date with
 Dealings with
 Difficulty with
 Involvement with
 Link with
 Meeting with
 Quarrel with
 Relationship with
 Sympathy with
 A decrease in
 A fall in
 A rise in
 An increase in
 Belief in
 Change in
 Course in
 Delay in
 Difference in
 Difficulty in
 Experience in
 Growth in
 Interest in
 Lesson in
 Participation in
 Place in
 Success in
 Access to
 Addiction to
 Allusion to
 An attitude to
 An invitation to
 Approach to
 Change to
 Concern to
 Contribution to
 Damage to
 Dedication to
 Desire to
 Devotion to
 Invitation to
 Newcomer to
 Reaction to
 Reason to
 Reference to
 Relevance to
 Resistance to
 Response to
 Solution to
 Threat to
 Transition to
 Visit to
 Debate on
 Information on
 Hold on
 Agreement on
 Ban on
 Congratulations on
 Decision on
 Report on
 Agreement about
 Anxiety about
 Concern about
 Confusion about
 Debate about
 Decision about
 Information about
 Story about
 Excerpt from
 Transition from
 Prepositions and adjectives
 We commonly use prepositions after adjectives. Here are the most common adjective
+ preposition patterns.
adjectives preposition
aware, full Of They weren’t aware of the time.
different,
From Is French very different from Spanish?
separate
adjectives preposition
due, similar To This picture is similar to the one in our living room.
familiar, wrong With What’s wrong with Isabelle?
We were really surprised at the price of food in restaurants on
good, surprised* At
our holiday.
interested In Lots of people are interested in Grand Prix racing but I’m not.
responsible,
For Exercise is good for everyone.
good
worried, excited About We’re really excited about our trip to Argentina.
Adjectives + Prepositions: OF
Learn common adjective combinations with the preposition OF in English.
 Afraid of
 Ashamed of
 Aware of
 Capable of
 Certain of
 Conscious of
 Envious of
 Independent of
 Jealous of
 Proud of
 Silly of
 Typical of
Adjectives and Prepositions: FOR
Learn common adjective collocations with the preposition FOR in English.
 Eager for
 Eligible for
 Famous for
 Grateful for
 Notorious for
 Prepared for
 Ready for
 Renowned for
 Responsible for
 Respected for
 Suitable for
 Thankful for
Adjectives + Prepositions: WITH
List of adjective collocations with the preposition WITH in English.

 Associated with
 Bored with
 Blessed with
 Confronted with
 Crowded with
 Delighted with
 Disappointed with
 Fed up with
 Familiar with
 Pleased with
 Popular with
 Satisfied with
Adjectives and Prepositions: TO
List of common adjective collocations with the preposition TO.
 Attracted to
 Accustomed to
 Addicted to
 Allergic to
 Indifferent to
 Kind to
 Married to
 Receptive to
 Related to
 Similar to
 Superior to
 Unfriendly to
Adjectives + Prepositions: ABOUT
List of useful adjective collocations with the preposition ABOUT.
 Angry about
 Anxious about
 Enthusiastic about
 Excited about
 Furious about
 Happy about
 Nervous about
 Pessimistic about
 Sad about
 Serious about
 Upset about
 Worried about
Adjectives and Prepositions: IN
Learn useful adjective combinations with the preposition IN in English.
 Comfortable in
 Connected in
 Disappointed in
 Experienced in
 Interested in
 Polite/impolite in
 Present in
 Skilled in
 Slow in
 Successful in
 Talented in
Adjectives + Prepositions: BY
Here is a list of useful adjective collocations with the preposition BY.
 Amazed by
 Delighted by
 Disturbed by
 Excited by
 Fascinated by
 Impressed by
 Inspired by
 Astonished by
 Shocked by
 Surprised by
Adjective Preposition Combinations: AT
Learn common adjective preposition combinations with the preposition AT in English.
 Amazed at
 Angry at
 Annoyed at
 Awful at
 Bad at
 Brilliant at
 Clever at
 Delighted at
 Disappointed at
 Excellent at
 Excited at
 Good at
 Hopeless at
 Mad at
 Present at
 Skilled at
 Successful at
 Surprised at
 Terrible at
 Slow at
 Lucky at
Adjectives and Prepositions: FROM
 Made from
 Different from
 Safe from
 Absent from
 Free from
Adjectives + Prepositions: ON
 Keen on
 Based on
Verbs with Prepositions: TO
Learn useful verb collocations with the preposition TO in English.
 Adapt to
 Add to
 Agree to
 Apologize to
 Belong to
 Consent to
 Devote to
 Happen to
 Lead to
 Listen to
 Object to
 React to
 Refer to
 Reply to
 Speak to
 Talk to
 Turn to
Verbs + Prepositions: FOR

List of common verbs followed by the preposition FOR.
 Admire for
 Apologize for
 Apply for
 Ask for
 Blame for
 Care for
 Excuse for
 Head for
 Long for
 Pay for
 Pray for
 Prepare for
 Scold for
 Search for
 Vote for
 Wait for
 Wish for
 Work for
Verbs + Prepositions: FROM
List of useful verb preposition collocations in English – the preposition FROM.
 Abstain from
 Borrow from
 Escape from
 Graduate from
 Hide from
 Infer from
 Prevent from
 Prohibit from
 Protect from
 Recover from
 Rescue from
 Resign from
 Retire from
 Save from
 Separate from
 Stem from
 Suffer from
Verbs with Prepositions: ON
Learn common verb preposition combinations with the preposition ON in English.

 Agree on
 Base on
 Be on
 Blame on
 Comment on
 Concentrate on
 Congratulate on
 Count on
 Depend on
 Elaborate on
 Impose on
 Insist on
 Play on
 Pride on
 Rely on
 Work on
Verb Preposition Collocations: AT
 Aim at
 Arrive at
 Glance at
 Guess at
 Hint at
 Laugh at
 Look at
 Marvel at
 Peer at
 Point at
 Smile at
 Stare at
 Wink at
Verb + Preposition: ABOUT
Learn common verb collocations with the preposition ABOUT.
 Argue about
 Ask about
 Be about
 Boast about
 Care about
 Concern about
 Decide about
 Dream about
 Forget about
 Know about
 Laugh about
 Protest about
 Think about
 Worry about
Verbs + Prepositions: WITH
Learn frequently used prepositions after verbs – the preposition WITH.
 Acquaint with
 Agree with
 Associate with
 Charge with
 Clutter with
 Coincide with
 Collide with
 Compare with
 Comply with
 Confront with
 Confuse with
 Cover with
 Cram with
 Deal with
 Discuss with
 Help with
 Tamper with
 Trust with
Verbs with Prepositions: IN
Learn useful preposition collocations with verbs – IN in English.
 Absorb in
 Arrive in
 Be engrossed in
 Believe in
 Confide in
 Implicate in
 Involve in
 Participate in
 Result in
 Specialize in
 Succeed in
 Trust in
 Argue about
 Ask about
 Be about
 Boast about
 Care about
 Concern about
 Decide about
 Dream about
 Forget about
 Know about
 Laugh about
 Protest about
 Think about
 Worry about
Verbs + Prepositions: WITH
Learn frequently used prepositions after verbs – the preposition WITH.
 Acquaint with
 Agree with
 Associate with
 Charge with
 Clutter with
 Coincide with
 Collide with
 Compare with
 Comply with
 Confront with
 Confuse with
 Cover with
 Cram with
 Deal with
 Discuss with
 Help with
 Tamper with
 Trust with
Verbs with Prepositions: IN
Learn useful preposition collocations with verbs – IN in English.
 Absorb in
 Arrive in
 Be engrossed in
 Believe in
 Confide in
 Implicate in
 Involve in
 Participate in
 Result in
 Specialize in
 Succeed in
 Trust in
HOMONYM
Homonym definition: In English, homonym is a word that sounds the same as another word
but differs in meaning.
Homonyms can refer to both homophones and homographs.
A homophone is a word that is pronounced the same as another word but differs in meaning
and is spelled differently.
Homographs are words with the same spelling but having more than one meaning.
Homonyms examples:
Words that sound the same but have different meaning and are spelled differently
(homophones)
 Weak — Week
 Sun — Son
 See — Sea
 Plane — Plain
 Meet — Meat
Words that sound the same but have different meaning and are spelled the same
(homographs)
 Address – Address
 Band – Band
 Bat – Bat
 Match – Match
 Mean – Mean
 Right – Right
 Ring – Ring
Homonyms examples
Homonyms Examples
List of Homonyms with Examples

Learn list of homonyms in English with example sentences.
Address – Address
 I can give you the address of a good attorney.

 That letter was addressed to me.
Band – Band
 The band was playing old Beatles songs.

 She always ties her hair back in a band.
 Many insects are banded black and yellow.
Bat – Bat
 I am afraid of bats.

 It’s his first time at bat in the major leagues.
Match – Match
 If you suspect a gas leak do not strike a match or use electricity.

 Her fingerprints match those found at the scene of the crime.
Mean – Mean
 What does this sentence mean?

 He needed to find a mean between frankness and rudeness.
Right – Right
 I’m sure I’m right.

 Take a right turn at the intersection.
Ring – Ring
 What a beautiful ring!

 The children sat on the floor in a ring.
Rock – Rock
 Komuro formed a rock band with some friends while in college.

 To build the tunnel, they had to cut through 500 feet of solid rock.
Rose – Rose
 She has a rose garden.

 Sales rose by 20% over the Christmas period.
Spring – Spring
 I’m sorry to spring it on you, but I’ve been offered another job.
 He was born in the spring of 1944.
Stalk – Stalk
 He ate the apple, stalk and all.

 Snatching up my bag, I stalk out of the room.
Well – Well
 The conference was very well organized.

 The dog fell down a well.
Clip – Clip
 They are clips from the new James Bond film.

 The wire is held on with a metal clip.
Date – Date
 The date on the letter was 30th August 1962.

 She and Ron go to the park to date.
Drop – Drop
 The apples are beginning to drop from the trees.

 A single drop of blood splashed onto the floor.
Fly – Fly
 A fly was buzzing against the window.

 Let’s fly a kite.
Letter – Letter
 There’s a letter for you.

 “B” is the second letter of the alphabet.
Palm – Palm
 He held the bird gently in the palm of his hand.

 The coconut palm is a native of Malaysia.
Park – Park
 We went for a walk in the park.

 The tennis court is sometimes used as a car park.
Point – Point
 He’s just saying that to prove a point.
 Everything seemed to point in one direction.
Ruler – Ruler
 I have a 12 inch ruler.

 King Priam was a firm, but just ruler.
Saw – Saw
 Saw is a tool that has a long blade with sharp points along one of its edges.
 Last night, I saw a lovely girl.
Scale – Scale
 They entertain on a large scale.

 He somehow managed to scale the sheer outside wall of the tower.
Ship – Ship
 There are two restaurants on board ship.

 A new engine was shipped over from the US.
 The ships sink to the bottom of the sea.

 I felt chained to the kitchen sink.
Tie – Tie
 He had to tie her hands together.

 I wear a shirt and tie at work.
Trip – Trip
 We went on a trip to the mountains.

 Someone will trip over that cable.
Wave – Wave
 Huge waves were breaking on the shore.

 The people on the bus waved and we waved back.
Cool – Cool
 She swam out into the cool water.

 When tempers had cooled, he apologized.
Duck – Duck
 Every afternoon they went to the park to feed the duck.

 He had to duck as he came through the door.
Fall – Fall
 September had come and the leaves were starting to fall.
 The area is beautiful in the fall.
File – File
 Every file on the same disk must have a different name.

 We began to file out into the car park.
Foot – Foot
 My foot hurts.

 Once again it will be the taxpayer who has to foot the bill.
Left – Left
 Look left and right before you cross the road.

 The plane left for Dallas last night.
Nail – Nail
 The key was hanging on a nail by the door.

 I’ve broken my nail.
Watch – Watch
 I like watching TV every night.

 I glanced at my watch.
Can – Can
 Gabriella can speak French fluently.

 We drank a can of Coke each.
Homonyms Examples (Homophones)
Homonyms can refer to homophones (words that are pronounced the same as other words but
differ in meaning and are spelled differently).
Fort – Fought
 Just the three of you going to be holding the fort tonight.

 He fought many battles with the early Labor party in Lancaster and discrimination against
socialist employees was alleged.
Foul – Fowl
 He woke up with a foul taste in his mouth.

 Fish, fowl and meat, most with a decidedly Southwestern treatment, are represented on the
menu.
Groan – Grown
 Richard’s jokes make you groan rather than laugh.

 He had been a grown man with a small but independent income when he had taken Minnie
instead of her to wife.
Holy – Wholly
 The priest puts some holy water on the child’s head.

 The report claimed that the disaster was wholly unavoidable.
Hour – Our
 The interview lasted half an hour.

 We showed them some of our photos.
I – Eye
 I moved to this city six years ago.

 Ow! I’ve got something in my eye!
Know – No
 I know people’s handwriting changes as they get older.

“It was Tony.”
 “‘No, you’re wrong. It was Ted.”
Links – Lynx
 A love of nature links the two poets.

 They may be eagle-eyed or watch like a lynx.
Mail – Male
 He found a mountain of mail waiting for him.

 Many women earn less than their male colleagues.
Meet – Meat
 Maybe we’ll meet again some time.

 I gave up eating meat a few months ago.
Peace – Piece
 I wish she would just leave me in peace.

 He broke off a piece of bread and gave it her.
Right – Write
 Keep on the right side of the road.

 She had to write a report on the project.
Scene – Seen
 The police soon arrived at the scene of the crime.

 He crouched down so he couldn’t be seen.
Than – Then
 Natalie was prettier than her sister.

 I wish I had known then what I know now.
Weak – Week
 She is still weak after her illness.

 He comes to see us once a week.
Homonyms List
Homonyms can refer to both homographs and homophones.
Homophones List | Homonyms List
List of homonyms in English.
 Ad – Add
 Ail – Ale
 Air – Heir
 All – Awl
 Allowed – Aloud
 Alms – Arms
 Altar – Alter
 Ant – Aunt
 Arc – Ark
 Ate – Eight
 Auger – Augur
 Aural – Oral
 Baize – Bays
 Bald – Bawled
 Ball – Bawl
 Band – Banned
 Bard – Barred
 Bare – Bear
 Baron – Barren
 Be – Bee
 Beach – Beech
 Bean – Been
 Beer – Bier
 Berry – Bury
 Berth – Birth
 Billed – Build
 Blue – Blew
 Bored – Board
 Braid – Brayed
 Break – Brake
 Brews – Bruise
 Bridal – Bridle
 Broach – Brooch
 Buy – By/ Bye
 Capital – Capitol
 Cellar – Seller
 Census – Sense
 Cereal – Serial
 Chili – Chilly
 Choral – Coral
 Cite – Sight / Site
 Coarse – Course
 Complement – Compliment
 Coun – Counsel
 Deer – Dear
 Die – Dye
 Discreet – Discrete
 Doe – Dough
 Done – Dun
 Draft – Draught
 Dual – Duel
 Earn – Urn
 Ewe – You
 Farther – Father
 Faze – Phase
 File – Phial
 Find – Fined
 Fir – Fur
 Flaw – Floor
 Flea – Flee
 Flew – Flu/ Flue
 Flex – Flecks
 Flour – Flower
 For – Four
 Foreword – Forward
 Fort – Fought
 Foul – Fowl
 Gait – Gate
 Gamble – Gambol
 Genes – Jeans
 Gored – Gourd
 Great – Grate
 Groan – Grown
 Hart – Heart
 Hear – Here
 Heel – Heal
 Hi – High
 Him – Hymn
 Hoard – Horde
 Hole – Whole
 Holy – Wholly
 Hour – Our
 I – Eye
 Idle – Idol
 Incite – Insight
 Knead – Need
 Knew – New
 Knight – Night
 Knot – Not
 Know – No
 Leak – Leek
 Lessen – Lesson
 Levee – Levy
 Links – Lynx
 Loan – Lone
 Loot – Lute
 Made – Maid
 Mail – Male
 Main – Mane
 Manna – Manner
 Marshal – Martial
 Mask – Masque
 Maw – More
 Medal – Meddle
 Meet – Meat
 Might – Mite
 Mist – Missed
 Moose – Mousse
 Muscle – Mussel
 None – Nun
 Oar – Or
 Overdo – Overdue
 Pail – Pale
 Pain – Pane
 Pair – Pear
 Passed – Past
 Peace – Piece
 Peak – Peek
 Pedal – Peddle
 Plane – Plain
 Principal – Principle
 Profit – Prophet
 Rain – Reign
 Red – Read
 Right – Write
 Ring – Wring
 Rode – Road
 Role – Roll
 Rouse – Rows
 Rung – Wrung
 Sail – Sale
 Sauce – Seen
 Scull – Skull
 See – Sea
 Shoe – Shoo
 Side – Sighed
 Slay – Sleigh
 Soar – Sore
 Sole – Soul
 Some – Sum
 Sort – Sought
 Staid – Stayed
 Stalk – Stork
 Stare – Stair
 Stationary – Stationery
 Steal – Steel
 Stile – Style
 Sun – Son
 Tail – Tale
 Team – Teem
 Than – Then
 Their – There
 Throne – Thrown
 Tide – Tied
 To – Too / Two
 Toe – Tow
 Vain – Vein
 Vary – Very
 Wail – Whale
 Waste – Waist
 Way – Weigh
 Weak – Week
 Weather – Whether
 Where – Wear
 Which – Witch
 Who’s – Whose
 Won – One
 Would – Wood
 You’r – Your
Homographs List | Homonyms List
List of homonyms in English.

 Address – Address
 Band – Band
 Bat – Bat
 Match – Match
 Mean – Mean
 Right – Right
 Ring – Ring
 Rock – Rock
 Rose – Rose
 Spring – Spring
 Stalk – Stalk
 Well – Well
 Clip – Clip
 Date – Date.
 Drop – Drop
 Fly – Fly
 Letter – Letter
 Palm – Palm
 Park – Park
 Point – Point
 Ruler – Ruler
 Saw – Saw
 Scale – Scale
 Ship – Ship
 Sink – Sink
 Tie – Tie
 Trip – Trip
 Wave – Wave
 Cool – Cool
 Duck – Duck
 Fall – Fall
 File – File
 Foot – Foot
 Left – Left
 Nail – Nail
 Watch – Watch
 Can – Can
Homographs List (A)
Homographs examples that start with A.
Absent
 If you’re absent more than five times, you fail the course.
 He had absented himself from the office for the day.
Abstract
 The research shows that preschool children are capable of thinking in abstract terms.
 Abstracts of about 300 words should be submitted to the conference committee who
will decide which papers to accept.
Accent
 In the word ‘dinner’ the accent is on the first syllable.

 The women accent their eyes with makeup.
Address
 I can give you the address of a good attorney.

 That letter was addressed to me.
Advocate
 Those who advocate for doctorassisted suicide say the terminally ill should not have
to suffer.
 She’s a passionate advocate of natural childbirth.
Attribute
 Some economists attribute much of the rising wage inequality in this country to the
shift in favor of the most skilled workers.
 She spent most of the interview describing the company’s attributes to me.
Homographs List (B)
Homographs examples that start with B.

Back
 I’ll be back in a minute.

 She was the one who had fired him from his first job back in South Africa.
 Anna stood with her back to the window.
Ball
 Bounce the ball and try and hit it over the net.
 My hands were balled into fists.
Band
 The band was playing old Beatles songs.

 She always ties her hair back in a band.
 Many insects are banded black and yellow.
Bank
 I worked for a bank.
 He jumped in and swam to the opposite bank.
Bar
 She was sitting at the bar.

 I ate three bars of chocolate.
Bass
 I play bass in a jazz band.

 Fresh sea bass is a great delicacy.
Bat
 I am afraid of bats.
 It’s his first time at bat in the major leagues.
Blessedca
 I can’t see a blessed thing without my glasses.

 They brought the children to Jesus and he blessed them.
Bow
 This is done with a formal bow to the king or queen.

 She had a red bow in her hair.
Homographs examples – image 2
Homographs List (C)
Homographs examples that start with C.

Can
 Gabriella can speak French fluently.

 We drank a can of Coke each.
Capital
 Cairo is the capital of Egypt.

 You should write your name in capital letters.
Capture
 The robbery was captured on police video cameras.

 The two soldiers somehow managed to avoid capture.
Chest
 Her heart was pounding in her chest.

 In our family, we should have a medicine chest.
Clip
 They are clips from the new James Bond film.

 The wire is held on with a metal clip.
Cock
 A cock crowed as morning approached.

 He cocked a quizzical eyebrow at her.
Commune
 She lives in a commune.

 It is a place to commune with other women.
Compact
 The students’ rooms were compact, with a desk, bed, and closet built in.
 A compact was negotiated between the company and the union.
Compound
 Sulphur dioxide is a compound of sulphur and oxygen.

 A compound sentence contains two or more clauses.
Compress
 Snow falling on the mountainsides is compressed into ice.

 Apply a cold compress to the injury.
Conduct
 We are conducting a survey of consumer attitudes towards organic food.

 The Senator’s conduct is being investigated by the Ethics Committee.
Conflict
 Marx points out the potential conflicts below the surface of society.
 In other ways the activities of the councils tend to conflict with regional policy and
weaken its effects.
Conscript
 Young Frenchmen were conscripted into the army and forced to fight in Algeria.
 The average number of conscripts in training has fallen from 80,000 to about 15,000.
Consort
 Both can take new consorts but only their daughter can be the new Everqueen.
 He is known to have consorted with prostitutes.
Construct
 They constructed a shelter out of fallen branches.

 The list of constructs can be endless.
Content
 The content of the media course includes scripting, editing, and camera work.
 Andy was a good husband, and Nicky was clearly very content.
Contest
 Stone decided to hold a contest to see who could write the best song.
 His wife is contesting a seat on the council.
Contrast
 While there are similarities in the two cultures, there are also great contrasts.
 Her actions and her promises contrasted sharply.
Convert
 The stocks can be easily converted to cash.

 She is a convert.
Convict
 She was convicted of shoplifting.

 There was a report on the news about an escaped convict.
Cool
 She swam out into the cool water.

 When tempers had cooled, he apologized.
Court
 Four people will appear in court today, charged with fraud.

 His campaign team has assiduously courted the media.
Homographs List (D)
Homographs examples that start with D.

Date
 The date on the letter was 30th August 1962.

 She and Ron go to the park to date.
Dear
 His sister was very dear to him.

 Come along, my dear, take a seat.
Default
 The company is in default on its loan agreement.

 He defaulted on his child support payments.
Desert
 This area of the country is mostly desert.

 The village was deserted.
Dice
 We played dice all night.

 You move forward according to the number on the dice.
Digest
 Most babies can digest a wide range of food easily.

 If you’d rather receive your mail in large batches than have it trickle through, request
a digest where available.
Discharge
 Sewage is discharged directly into the sea.

 Nurses visit the mother and baby for two weeks after their discharge from the
hospital.
Discount
 Employees can buy books at a discount.

We cannot discount the possibility of further strikes.
Do
 You need to do more exercise.

 We’re having a do to celebrate his 30th birthday.
Down
 The sun was going down and it would soon be dark.

 He down the coffee in one gulp.
Drop
 The apples are beginning to drop from the trees.

 A single drop of blood splashed onto the floor.
Duck
 Every afternoon they went to the park to feed the duck.

 He had to duck as he came through the door.
Homographs List (E)
Homographs examples that start with E.

Effect
 My parents’ divorce had a big effect on me.

 Many parents lack confidence in their ability to effect change in their children’s
behavior.
Exploit
 Opposition leaders were quick to exploit government embarrassment over the

incident.
 His courage and exploit were legendary.
Extract
 They used torture to extract information about their families.

 I’ve only seen short extract from the film.
Homographs List (F)
Homographs examples that start with F.

Fall
 September had come and the leaves were starting to fall.

 The area is beautiful in the fall.
Fan
 He’s a big fan of Elvis Presley.
 He is turning on the electric fan.
Fast
 I’m early—my watch must be fast.

 Gandhi drank some orange juice to break his threeweek fast.
File
 Every file on the same disk must have a different name.

 We began to file out into the car park.
Finance
 The project will only go ahead if they can raise the necessary finance.
 He took a job to finance his stay in Germany.
Fine
 If you want to use cheese instead of chicken, that’s fine.

 Offenders will be liable to a heavy fine.
Fit
 His clothes did not fit him very well.

 You must be very fit if you do so much running.
Float
 I wasn’t sure if the raft would float.

 We stood and watched the Carnival float drive past.
Fly
 The pilot was instructed to fly the plane to Montreal airport.

Foot
 My foot hurts.
 Once again it will be the taxpayer who has to foot the bill.
Frequent
 She was a frequent visitor to the house.

 We met in a local bar much frequented by students.
Firm
 I’m working for a firm of accountants.

 These peaches are still firm.
Fly

 Let’s fly a kite.
Homographs List (G-H)
Homographs examples that start with G &H.

Gay
 I didn’t know he was gay.

 We don’t see gays being beaten to death in our country because of their sexuality.
House
 Let’s have the party at my house.

 The museum is housed in the Old Court House.
Homographs List (I)
Homographs examples that start with I.

Impact
 The report assesses the impact of AIDS on the gay community.

 The company’s performance was impacted by the high value of the pound.
Implant
 Prejudices can easily become implanted in the mind.

 The history of implants has been equally painful; implants can shift or turn
themselves upside down.
Incense
 Incense burned in a corner of the room.

 The decision incensed the workforce.
Incline
 I incline to the view that we should take no action at this stage.

 The council houses followed the curve of the road, which wound up a slight incline.
Increase
 The population has increased from 1.2 million to 1.8 million.
 There has been a marked increase in the use of firearms.
Insert
 They inserted a tube in his mouth to help him breathe.

 These inserts fit inside any style of shoe.
Insult
 I have never been so insulted in my life!

 The crowd was shouting insults at the police.
Interchange
 The new program should help solve some of the problems of data interchange between
companies with different computer systems.
 There were two identical copies of each object that were interchanged regularly between
trials.
Intimate
 We’re not on intimate terms with our neighbors.

 He was a wartime minister and intimate of Churchill.
Intrigue
 There was something about him that intrigued her.

 The young heroine steps into a web of intrigue in the academic world.
Invalid
 The treaty was declared invalid because it had not been ratified.
 She had been a delicate child and her parents had treated her as an invalid.
Invite
 They have invited me to go to Paris with them.

 Thanks for your invite.
Homographs List (L)
Homographs examples that start with L.

Lead
 She took the lead in the second lap.

 Lead exposure can be harmful to everyone, especially young children and babies.
Learned
 We all have different learned responses to anger.
I learned a lot from my father.
Leaves
 The plane leaves at 12.30.

 Add a few leaves of fresh basil to the salad.
Left
 Look left and right before you cross the road.

 The plane left for Dallas last night.
Letter
 There’s a letter for you.

‘B’ is the second letter of the alphabet.
Live
 We used to live in London.

 The club has live music most nights.
Homographs List (M)
Homographs examples that start with M.

Manifest
For the character to know and demonstrate their doom, their body must physically manifest the flaw
through an impairment.
 And I can’t help seeing the manifest in any case, I’ve always been interested in it.
Match
 If you suspect a gas leak do not strike a match or use electricity.

 Her fingerprints match those found at the scene of the crime.
Mean
 What does this sentence mean?

 He needed to find a mean between frankness and rudeness.
Might
 He said he might come tomorrow.

 I pushed the rock with all my might.
Mind
 There were all kinds of thoughts running through my mind.

 I hope you don’t mind the noise.
Minute
 I’ll be back in a few minutes.

 You’d better minute that point.
Moped
 There was hardly any traffic, just a few parked cars and a cluster of mopeds around the door
of the bar opposite.
 The week he died, we all sat around and moped.
Homographs List (N-O)
Homographs examples that start with N & O.

Nail
 The key was hanging on a nail by the door.

 I’ve broken my nail.
Novel
 I read a lot of novels.

 What a novel idea!
Number
 My phone number is 266998.

 I number her among my closest friends.
Object
 The object of the game is to improve children’s math skills.

 His supporters will certainly object if he is fired.
Offense
 The new law makes it a criminal offense to drink alcohol in public places.
 He played offense for the Chicago Bulls.
Homographs List (P)
Homographs examples that start with P.

Palm
 He held the bird gently in the palm of his hand.
 The tropical tree which grows near beaches or in deserts, with a long straight trunk and large
pointed leaves at the top, is coconut palm.
Park
 We went for a walk in the park.

 They had a sheet showing a car park and also cars to cut out.
Pen
 Write your essays in pen not pencil.

 You should pen a letter to the local paper.
Perfect
 Well I’m sorry—but nobody’s perfect.

 Mock trials help students perfect their legal skills.
Perfume
 She was wearing too much perfume.

 One bloom has the power to perfume a whole room.
Pet
 They have a pet a dog.

 He did not pet it, or stroke it: he stood staring.
Plain
 The plain fact is that nobody really knows.

 The grassy plain gave way to an extensive swamp.
Play
 You’ll have to play inside today.

 On the next play, Johnson ran 15 yards for a touchdown.
Point
 He’s just saying that to prove a point.

 Everything seemed to point in one direction.
Polish
 I give it a polish now and again.

Your essay is good, you just need to polish it a bit.
Pop
 The eight compilations range from teen pop to classical.
 I’ll pop over and see you this evening.
Present
 What can I get him for a birthday present?

 You’ve got to forget the past and start living in the present.
Produce
 They were unable to produce any statistics to verify their claims.

 The shop sells only fresh local produce.
Progress
 We have made great progress in controlling inflation.

 The course allows students to progress at their own speed.
Project
 The final term will be devoted to project work.

 They sought advice on how to project a more positive image of their company.
Punch
 These bullets can punch a hole through 20 mm steel plate.

 I managed to land a punch on his chin.
Homographs List (Q-R)
Homographs examples that start with Q & R.

Quarter
 It’s a quarter past twelve.

 I peel and quarter an apple.
Race
 There is a race between the two best runners of the club.

 We race each other back to the car.
Read
 Some children can read and write before they go to school.

 I was having a quiet read when the phone rang.
Rebel
 Some parts of the country fell into rebel hands.

 Most teenagers find something to rebel against.
Recall
 She could not recall his name.

 She has amazing powers of recall.
Research
 He has carried out extensive research into renewable energy sources.

 We have to research how the product will actually be used.
Resume
 She hopes to resume work after the baby is born.

 He gave a resume of the year’s work and wished the Society another successful year.
Retake
 Government forces moved in to retake the city.

 We had to do a retake before we got it right.
Right
 I’m sure I’m right.

 Take a right turn at the intersection.
Ring
 What a beautiful ring!

 The children sat on the floor in a ring.
Rock
 Komuro formed a rock band with some friends while in college.

 To build the tunnel, they had to cut through 500 feet of solid rock.
Rose
 She has a rose garden.

 They rose from the table.
Row
 We sat in a row at the back of the room.

 A row has broken out over education.
Ruler
 I have a 12inch ruler.

 King Priam was a firm, but just ruler.
Homographs List (S)
Homographs examples that start with S.

Saw
 Saw is a tool that has a long blade with sharp points along one of its edges.
 Last night, I saw a lovely girl.
Scale
 They entertain on a large scale.

 He somehow managed to scale the sheer outside wall of the tower.
Second
 This is the second time it’s happened.

 The water flows at about 1.5 meters per second.
Separate
 The school is housed in two separate buildings.

 Stir the sauce constantly so that it does not separate.
Ship
 There are two restaurants on board ship.

 The company continues to ship more computer systems than its rivals.
Sign
 Headaches may be a sign of stress.

 You forgot to sign the cheque.
Sink
 The ships sink to the bottom of the sea.

 I felt chained to the kitchen sink.
Slide
 You can slide the front seats forward if necessary.

 The economy is on the slide.
Spoke
 He drew every spoke in the wheels, and the whole affair looked as if it had been
instantaneously petrified or arrested.
 I spoke to her last Wednesday.
Spring
 I’m sorry to spring it on you, but I’ve been offered another job.
 He was born in the spring of 1944.
Stalk

 Snatching up my bag, I stalk out of the room.
State
 He was in a state of permanent depression.

 The Queen is on a state visit to Moscow.
Stick
 Don’t stick your fingers through the bars of the cage.

 The boys were throwing sticks and stones at the dog.
Subject
 I have nothing more to say on the subject.

 Biology is my favorite subject.
Suspect
 If you suspect a gas leak, do not strike a match or even turn on an electric light.
 He is the prime suspect in the case.
Homographs List (T-W)
Homographs examples that start with T & W.

Tie
 He had to tie her hands together.

 I wear a shirt and tie at work.
Tear
 I’ll tear the package open.

 She left the room in tears.
Toast
 I’d like to propose a toast to the bride and groom.

 I had a piece of toast for breakfast.
Too
 He’s far too young to go on his own.

 “I’m feeling hungry.” – “Me too.”
Trip
 We went on a trip to the mountains.

 Someone will trip over that cable.
Type
 There are three main types of contracts.

 This letter will need to be typed again.
Watch
 I like watching TV every night.

 I glanced at my watch.
Wave
 Huge waves were breaking on the shore.

 The people on the bus waved and we waved back.
Well
 The conference was very well organized.

 The dog fell down a well.
Wind
 The wind is blowing from the south.

 Give the handle another couple of winds.
Wound
 He died from the wounds he had received to his chest.

 He had been wounded in the arm.
What is a homophone? Learn homophone definition with examples.
Homophone definition: In English, a homophone is a word that is pronounced exactly or

nearly the same as another word but differs in meaning and is spelled differently.
Homophones are the most confusing words in the English language.
Homophone examples:
 Rode — Road
 Sauce — Source
 Scene — Seen
 See — Sea
 Side — Sighed
 Soar — Sore
 Sole — Soul
 Some — Sum
 Sort — Sought
 Stare — Stair
 Stationary — Stationery
 Steal — Steel
 Stile — Style
 Sun — Son
 Tail — Tale
List of Homophones with Examples
Homophones List (A)
Ad —– Add
 We put an ad in the local paper.

 Do you want to add your name to the list?
Ail —– Ale
 Make a kind of grand tour on my own, take the waters and cure what ails me.
 Deglaze pan with nut-brown ale and reduce liquid by half.
Air —– Heir
 Let’s go out for some fresh air.

 John was the sole heir to a vast estate.
All —– Awl
 All horses are animals, but not all animals are horses.
 An awl is an iron instrument used for piercing leather, but the word has been in punning use
since time immemorial.
Allowed —– Aloud
Homophones examples:
 Smoking is not allowed here.

 The pain made him cry aloud.
Alms —– Arms
 Parish priests were feeling the pinch through reduced income from alms and tithes.
 He had a pile of books in his arms.
Altar —– Alter
 The groom left the bride standing at the altar.
 I can’t alter the plans.
Ant —– Aunt
 Ants work hard all summer.

 My aunt lives in Canada.
Arc —– Ark
 The beach swept around in an arc.

 The ark is vast, designed to float, not sail – and there were no launching problems!
Ate —– Eight
 I ate three hot dogs.

 My parents died when I was eight.
Auger —– Augur
 These have parallel sides and an auger along which the excess wood escapes.
 Conflicts among the various groups do not augur well for the future of the peace talks.
Aural —– Oral
 The sound track gives us the aural before the visual cue; it is as if the thunder arrives before
the lightning.
 Like our oral culture, our society is atomized, disparate and largely obsessed with trivia.
Homophones List (B)
Baize —– Bays
 At the same time, away from the competitive baize, she was a loyal and warm-hearted
personality.
 He just crouches on the corner at lunchtime and occasionally bays, like a wolf or coyote.
Bald —– Bawled
 He combed his hair and tried to hide his bald patch.

 If you didn’t, you were bawled out, and that took an awful lot of getting used to.
Ball —– Bawl
 Tom caught the ball with one hand

 I couldn’t help it, I just started bawling.
Band —– Banned
 They formed a band when they were still at school.

 Leaders of the banned party were arrested last night.
Bard —– Barred
 I can be a bard, a philosopher, an actor.

 The gates are barred, the grass grows long, the paint peels.
Bare —– Bear
 The trees are already bare.

 I am afraid of bears.
Baron —– Barren
 Hariri is not the first political baron to have risen without the benefit of family connections.
 Thousands of years ago the surface was barren desert.
Be —– Bee
 Be quiet!
 A bee is buzzing around.
Beach —– Beech
 It’s a nice day for going to the beach.

 Copses of beech and alder appeared, straggling along the banks with their roots lost in a
tangle of briars and bracken.
Bean —– Been
 Tom doesn’t like green beans.

 I’ve never been to Japan.
Beer —– Bier
 He opened the fridge and got out a can of ice-cold beer.

 She made an effort to compose her mind to do just that, and kept her eyes firmly on the bier.
Berry —– Bury
 If you are determined to cultivate fruits, then the safest bets are berry bushes and nut trees.
 We hope to bury any speculation that there was a conspiracy.
Berth —– Birth
 You see them in dedicated lanes, hopefully being given a wide berth by cars.
 What’s your date of birth?
Billed —– Build
 You will be billed monthly for the service.

 They’re going to build on the site of the old power station.
Blue —– Blew
 They failed to put clear blue water between themselves and their competitors.
 She blew onto her coffee to cool it down.
Bored —– Board
 After a while, I got bored and left.

 The plan of the new building is displayed on a board at the back of the room.
Braid —– Brayed
 A worn braid feels rough and is best cut away and the line joined by a blood knot.
 The fisherman brayed laughter, pleased with his joke, and delighted to see the boy had
composed himself.
Break —– Brake
 I need a break.
 She stopped with a squeal of the brakes.
Brews —– Bruise
 In the days when most types of beer were dark, wheat brews were seen as being relatively
pale and often cloudy.
 Jenny looked as though she’d been crying, and there was a nasty bruise on her cheek.
Bridal —– Bridle
 She went to House of Design, a new Boston bridal house specializing in couture-quality
gowns.
 The boy walked up to it and pulled its head up with the bridle, leading it out of the trees.
Broach —– Brooch
 He decided not to broach the subject of divorce until his wife had recovered from her illness.
 Mrs. or Mme Wyatt wore patent-leather shoes and a smart brownish suit with a gold
brooch.
Buy —– By / Bye
 I want to buy a new coat.

 The telephone is by the window.
 Bye, Dave.
Homophones List – Image 1
Homophones List (C)
Capital —– Capitol
 The government is eager to attract foreign capital.

 This same senator also once got lost in a Capitol Hill garden after leaving a conference
committee on the House side.
Cellar —– Seller
 We don’t use our coal cellar anymore.

 She is a flower seller.
Census —– Sense
 A national census is taken every ten years.

 He felt an overwhelming sense of loss.
Cereal —– Serial
 Eaten with milk or cream, they made an acceptable breakfast cereal.

 Their letters of planning went back and forth like installments of a serial.
Chili —– Chilly
 The sauce needs more chili.

 I was feeling chilly.
Choral —– Coral
 The third and final section of the evening was choral.

 They spent $ 2 million on environmental measures, he said, and hired biologists to replant
coral that would be damaged.
Cite —– Sight / Site
 He was cited for bravery.

 Anne’s sight is very good for someone of her age.
 A site has been chosen for the new school.
Coarse —– Course
 The coarse sand was hot.

 Andy’s doing a one-year journalism course.
Complement —– Compliment
 The dark red walls complement the red leather chairs.

 Being compared to Abba is a great compliment.
Council —– Counsel
 He sent a letter to the council to complain about the noise.

 The judge asked counsel for the defence to explain.
Homophones List (D)
Deer —– Dear
 A deer makes tracks in the snow.

 Congratulations to you my dear brother on all your fine accomplishments in school.
Die —– Dye
 Do you believe in anything enough to die for it?

 Carbonless paper coated with chemicals and dye which will produce copies without carbon
paper.
Discreet —– Discrete
 He assured her that he would be discreet.

 The change happens in a series of discrete steps.
Doe —– Dough
 Ezra waited for the doe to open its eyes and look at him.
 Mix lemon juice and milk; stir into flour mixture until dough leaves side of bowl and forms a
ball.
Done —– Dun
 As soon as I’m done, I’ll give you a call.

 The claret dun nymph is at home in slow, peaty streams.
Draft —– Draught
 This is only the first draft of my speech.

 A cold draught of air blew in from the open window.
Dual —– Duel
 The piece of furniture serves a dual purpose as a cupboard and as a table.

 The officer challenged him to a duel.
Homophones List (E)
Earn —– Urn
 He did all sorts of jobs to earn a living.

 The soup urn had a lonely look.
Ewe —– You
 He’s helping to drive in the ewes for a mass ante natal clinic
 I have some news for you.
Homophones List (F)
Farther —– Father
 We decided not to go any farther.

 I love my father.
Faze —– Phase
 John was embarrassed, but it didn’t faze Mike a bit.

 The first phase of renovations should be finished by January.
File —– Phial
 Mendoza read over the file on the murders.

 The door irised open and he reached inside, drawing out the tiny phial before the door closed
up again.
Find —– Fined
 I can’t find the car keys.

 The company was fined £20 000 for breaching safety regulations.
Fir —– Fur
 You always clear away the soft topsoil till you get a fir base.
 There was cat fur all over the chair.
Flaw —– Floor
 There is a fundamental flaw in Walton’s argument.

 We are located on the seventh floor of the building.
Flea —– Flee
 A water flea that is starving in a crowded pond is the victim not of food shortage but of
competition.
 He gathered what money he had just in case Gallagher was forced to flee.
Flew —– Flu/ Flue
 A bird flew by and saw one of the half-eaten calves that I had dug up.
 Steven’s still in bed with flu.
 You may prefer central heating, and more controllable ventilation than permanently open
flue.
Flex —– Flecks
 She watched him raise one hand to rub the nape of his neck, then flex his shoulder muscles.
 Only a few flecks of gray could be seen in his full head of hair.
Flour —– Flower
 Sift the flour and salt into a bowl.

 What beautiful flowers!
For —– Four
 There’s a letter for you.p

 I choose number Four.
Foreword —– Forward
 He was asked if he would consider writing a foreword for her book.

 They ran forward to welcome her.
Fort —– Fought
 Just the three of you going to be holding the fort tonight.

 He fought many battles with the early Labor party in Lancaster and discrimination against
socialist employees was alleged.
Foul —– Fowl
 He woke up with a foul taste in his mouth.
 Fish, fowl and meat, most with a decidedly Southwestern treatment, are represented on the
menu.
Homophones List (G)
Gait —– Gate
 He was round and fat, he had an energetic gait, a bright, lively face, and laughing eyes.
 We went through the gate into the orchard.
Gamble —– Gambol
 Their religion forbids them to drink or gamble.

 Now, at seventeen, I could gambol in the forbidden delights of Elysium with no one tugging
at my hand.
Genes —– Jeans
 The actual number of human genes is still in dispute.

 Her hair looked dishevelled, as did the sweatshirt and jeans she was wearing.
Gored —– Gourd
 He was attacked and gored by a bull.

 I felt hollow, like a dried gourd, a few loose seeds shaking uselessly inside me.
Great —– Grate
 The movie was a great success.

 She took the two halves of the letter away, tore them in fragments, and burned them in her
grate.
Groan —– Grown
 Richard’s jokes make you groan rather than laugh.

 He had been a grown man with a small but independent income when he had taken Minnie
instead of her to wife.
Hart —– Heart
 Whoever slew a hart or hind was to be blinded.

 Regular exercise is good for the heart.
Hear —– Here
 I could hear the sound of traffic.
 This switch here controls the lights.
Heel —– Heal
 The sergeant clicked his heels and walked out.

 This will help to heal your cuts and scratches.
Hi —– High
 Hi guys!
 The house has a high wall all the way round it.
Him —– Hymn
 He took the children with him.

 The service began with a rousing hymn.
Hoard —– Horde
 They dug up a hoard of Roman coins.

 The elves defeated a huge horde of goblins.
Hole —– Whole
 The bomb blew a huge hole in the ground.

 She wasn’t telling the whole truth.
Holy —– Wholly
 The priest puts some holy water on the child’s head.

 The report claimed that the disaster was wholly unavoidable.
Hour —– Our
 The interview lasted half an hour.

 We showed them some of our photos.
Homophones List (I)
I —– Eye
 I moved to this city six years ago.

 Ow! I’ve got something in my eye!
Idle —– Idol
 I cannot afford to leave the land lying idle.
 She is the idol of countless teenagers.
Incite —– Insight
 Republicans have complained that Democrats are using Social Security scare tactics to incite
seniors groups and others to oppose the constitutional amendment.
 The article gives us a real insight into the causes of the present economic crisis.
Homophones List (K)
Knead —– Need
 On a lightly floured board, knead the dough for a couple of minutes.

 You don’t really need a car.
Knew —– New
 I wonder if he knew of the plan?

 The hardest part of this job is understanding the new technology.
Knight —– Night
 She’s still waiting for a knight in shining armor to come and rescue her.
 The accident happened on Friday night.
Knot —– Not
 Tie the two ropes together with a knot.

 She did not see him.
Know —– No
 I know people’s handwriting changes as they get older.

“It was Tony.”
 “‘No, you’re wrong. It was Ted.”
Homophones List (L)
Leak —– Leek
 Water had started to leak into the cellar.

 For a first course, there is a potato leek soup.
Lessen —– Lesson
 They gave her an injection to lessen the pain.

 Our first lesson on Tuesdays is French.
Levee —– Levy
 The last four of these sub-deltas were formed by levee breaches in 1839,1860,1874 and
1891.
 If the government wishes to raise tax revenue in order to subsidize the poor, it should levy a
tax on films.
Links —– Lynx
 A love of nature links the two poets.

 They may be eagle-eyed or watch like a lynx.
Loan —– Lone
 I had to take out a loan to buy my car.

 He was by no means a lone voice criticizing the government.
Loot —– Lute
 He refused to let his army enter and loot the city.

 Here too he started to write hymns which he would sing to his own accompaniment on a
lute.
Homophones examples illustrated with pictures – Image 3
Homophones examples illustrated with pictures – Image 4
Homophones List (M)
Made —– Maid
 The sky was clear and the sunlight had a brilliance and intensity that made her head reel.
 A maid pushed her cleaning cart down the path toward the cottages out back.
Mail —– Male
 He found a mountain of mail waiting for him.

 Many women earn less than their male colleagues.
Main —– Mane
 The main reason for living in Spain is the weather.

 She tossed back her mane of chestnut hair.
Manna —– Manner
 There is no mention in the story of the giving of water, or of food beyond the manna.
 I had hoped you would behave in a more responsible manner.
Marshal —– Martial
 Heston has been named grand marshal of the parade.

 He’d heard rumors that the military were planning to declare martial law.
Mask —– Masque
 Her sarcasm is a mask for her insecurity.

 Comus is a masque in which a young lady’s chastity is tried and not vanquished.
Maw —– More
 Millions of dollars were poured into the maw of defense spending.

 Children generally feel much more confident working in groups.
Medal —– Meddle
 She won a gold medal at the last Olympics.

 Church leaders shouldn’t meddle in politics.
Meet —– Meat
 Maybe we’ll meet again some time.

 I gave up eating meat a few months ago.
Might —– Mite
 I might be a few minutes late.

 Some teachers take everything a mite too serious.
Mist —– Missed
 We could just see the outline of the house through the mist.
 He missed 20 games after breaking a bone in his wrist.
Moose —– Mousse
 The team already knew that moose exposed to new predator populations are more
vulnerable.
 She would bake a chocolate mousse torte.
Muscle —– Mussel
 Rooney has pulled a muscle in his thigh and won’t play tomorrow.
 You can also try beef heart, mussel, chicken, liver prawn and the like.
Homophones List (N)
None —– Nun
 I wish I could offer you some cake but there’s none left.
 Georgiana later marries, and Eliza becomes a nun.
Homophones List (O)
Oar —– Or
 We took one oar each and rowed quickly to the shore.

 It can be black, white or grey.
Overdo —– Overdue
 Don’t overdo the salt in the food.

 Her baby is two weeks overdue.
Homophones List (P)
Pail —– Pale
 They filled their pail and container, and started the return journey.
 He looked very pale and drawn.
Pain —– Pane
 She felt a sharp pain in her leg.

 Omite peers through the pane, shakes her head and steps back.
Pair —– Pear
 She felt as if every pair of eyes in the room was on her.

 This pear smells nice.
Passed —– Past
 We passed a group of students outside the theatre.

 Study some past exam papers to get an idea of the questions.
Peace —– Piece
 I wish she would just leave me in peace.

 He broke off a piece of bread and gave it her.
Peak —– Peek
 Sales this month have reached a new peak.

 Shut your eyes and don’t peek!
Pedal —– Peddle
 She put her foot down on the accelerator pedal.

 Farmers come to Seoul to peddle rice.
Plane —– Plain
 She slept on the plane.

 The advantages were plain to see.
Principal —– Principle
 His principal reason for making the journey was to visit his family.
 The general principle is that education should be available to all children up to the age of 16.
Profit —– Prophet
 The shop’s daily profit is usually around $500.

 He sent for Teiresias, the old blind prophet, the most revered of Thebans.
Homophones List (R)
Rain —– Reign
 There will be heavy rain in most parts of the country.

 A higher synthesis, one ushering in a new reign of peace and harmony, under a benign and
ever just science.
Red —– Read
 We painted the door bright red.

 I was shocked when I read of his death.
Right —– Write
 Keep on the right side of the road.

 She had to write a report on the project.
Ring —– Wring
 She left a dirty ring around the bath.

 They are always trying to wring additional funds from the government.
Rode —– Road
 He rode away across the marshes.

 I ran down the road to see what was happening.
Role —– Roll
 They want to limit the role of government.

 I tried to roll him onto his side.
Rouse —– Rows
 We don’t want to rouse any suspicions.

 There were always rows when my dad got home.
Rung —– Wrung
 I have rung the world from these boxes and feel a great affection and gratitude towards
them.
 Sally wrung out the socks and hung them on the towel rack.
Homophones List – Image 3
Homophones List (S)
Sail —– Sale
 She always wanted to sail around the world.

 The use and sale of marijuana remains illegal.
Sauce —– Source
 Stir in fish sauce, coconut milk, sugar, and lime juice and bring to a simmer.
 Beans are a very good source of protein.
Scene —– Seen
 The police soon arrived at the scene of the crime.
 He crouched down so he couldn’t be seen.
Scull —– Skull
 You didn’t scull too badly today.

 Her skull was crammed with too many thoughts.
See —– Sea
 She looked for him but couldn’t see him in the crowd.
 The waste was dumped in the sea.
Shoe —– Shoo
 What’s your shoe size?

 You shoo the dog out of the kitchen.
Side —– Sighed
 They crossed from one side of London to the other.

 He sighed deeply at the thought.
Slay —– Sleigh
 Those old movies still slay me!

 Alternatives to skiing include a leisure pool, curling and skating on the nearby lake, indoor
tennis and sleigh rides.
Soar —– Sore
 She watched the dove soar above the chestnut trees.

 I had a sore throat and aching limbs.
Sole —– Soul
 Griffiths is the sole survivor of the crash.

He is really quite a sensitive soul.
Some —– Sum
 I need some apples for this recipe.

 Bill wants to spend a large sum on modernizing the farm.
Sort —– Sought
 He wondered if Rosa was in some sort of trouble.

 He sought revenge against Surkov for separating him from his wife and son.
Staid —– Stayed
 The museum is trying to get rid of its staid image.

 She stayed at home while the children were young.
Stalk —– Stork

 We always used to say the guys on the Ridge were lucky, the stork brought their babies.
Stare —– Stair
 It’s not polite to stare, you know.

 The second stair creaks when you step on it.
Stationary —– Stationery
 It is called a sinker because it sinks beneath you when you are stationary.
 You could say the same for luggage and stationery.
Steal —– Steel
 Inventors know that someone is always going to try to steal their designs.
 Sheffield is a major steel town.
Stile —– Style
 Continue on a clear path up the hillside to reach a stile on the ridge.

 The paintings are in an expressionistic style.
Sun —– Son
 The sun was shining and birds were singing.

 We have two daughters and a son.
Homophones List (T)
Tail —– Tale
 The male has beautiful tail feathers.

 His latest book is a delightful children’s tale about talking animals.
Team —– Teem
 We have a team of eight working on product development.

 With luck, in a year the place should begin to teem with federal workers.
Than —– Then
 Natalie was prettier than her sister.

 I wish I had known then what I know now.
Their —– There
 They washed their faces and went to bed.

 We could go back to my cottage and have lunch there.
Throne —– Thrown
 Queen Elizabeth came to the throne in 1952.

 The boat was thrown onto the rocks.
Tide —– Tied
 The body was washed up on the beach by the tide.

 She tied the newspapers in a bundle.
To —– Too / Two
 I walked to the office.

 The dress was too tight for me.
 I was in two minds about the book.
Toe —– Tow
 He kicked the earth with the toe of his boot.

 The car broke down and we had to get somebody to give us a tow.
Homophones List (V)
Vain —– Vein
 She closed her eyes tightly in a vain attempt to hold back the tears.
 The nurse was having trouble finding a vein in his arm.
Vary —– Very
 Class numbers vary between 25 and 30.

 The new building has been very much admired.
Homophones List (W)
Wail —– Whale
 Somewhere behind them a child began to wail.

 We saw a whale blowing a jet of spray high in the air.
Waste —– Waist
 Why waste money on clothes you don’t need?

 He put his arm around her waist.
Way —– Weigh
 I’m not happy with this way of working.

 The young birds weigh only a few grams.
Weak —– Week
 She is still weak after her illness.

 He comes to see us once a week.
Weather —– Whether
 The weather is very changeable at the moment.

 I asked him whether he had done it all himself or whether someone had helped him.
Where —– Wear
 I wonder where they will take us to.

 I always wear black.
Which —– Witch
 Which of the applicants has got the job?

 He wants me to be a witch.
Who’s —– Whose
 Who’s the money for?

 Whose house is that?
Won —– One
 Britain won five gold medals.

 There’s only room for one person.
Would —– Wood
 He said he would be here at eight o’clock.

 All the furniture was made of wood.
Homophones List (Y)
You’re —– Your
 You’re a good person.

 Dentists advise you to have your teeth checked every six months.
COLLOCATIONS
 Adverb + Adjective: Fully aware, Happily married, Highly controversial, Highly

effective, Highly probable, Highly profitable…
 Adverb + Adverb: Only just, Pretty well, Quite a lot, Quite enough, Quite often, Right
away…
 Adverb + Verb: Badly damage, Deeply rooted (in), Never knew, Quite agree…
 Adjective + Noun: Internal injury, Internal organ, Irreparable damage, Joint account,
Just cause, Key issue, Key role…
 Adjective + Preposition: Comfortable with, Concerned with, Nasty of, Nervous of, Nice
of, Furious about, Guilty about…
 Noun + Noun: Core values, Corporate finance, Cottage industry, Creation science,
Credit bureau, Credit union…
 Verb + Noun: Go on a date, Go on a picnic, Go on foot, Have a fight, Have a fit, Have a
game, Keep quiet, Keep records…
 Verb + Preposition: Allow for, Apologize for, Ask for, Object to, Pray to, Prefer to …
 Verb + Adverb: Go far, Go first, Go upstairs, Guess correctly, Hit hard, Judge harshly,
Know well…
 Noun + Preposition: Date with, Dealings with, Difficulty with, Debate on, Information
on, Hold on…
Collocation Definition
What is a collocation? learn collocation definition with useful examples.
Collocation definition: A collocation is two or more words that often go together. Some
collocation examples are “pay attention”, “fast food”, “make an effort”, and “powerful
engine”.
Collocations make it easier to avoid overused or ambiguous words like “very”, “nice”, or
“beautiful”, by using a pair of words that fits the context better and has a more precise
meaning. Using collocations will help your English sound naturally like a native speaker.
Collocation Examples
Examples of collocations with take, get, do, make, go…
 He had intended to take a holiday in New York.

 He wanted to see if he could get a job with us.
 I might take a lesson from you.
 My goals were to go back to school and get a degree.
 I’ll take a look at the website and let you know what I think.
 He was beginning to get angry.
 Couldn’t you do a favour and leave me alone?
 She should make a right choice.
 Could you do a report for me?
 We are to make a contract for a supply of raw silk with the company.
 I like to do homework.
 We need to make a deal for this project.
 The company is about to go bankrupt.
Examples of different types of collocations made from combinations of verb, noun,

adjective,…
 Adverb + Adjective: Fully aware, Happily married, Highly controversial, Highly effective,
Highly probable, Highly profitable…
 Adverb + Adverb: Only just, Pretty well, Quite a lot, Quite enough, Quite often, Right away…
 Adverb + Verb: Badly damage, Deeply rooted (in), Never knew, Quite agree…
 Adjective + Noun: Internal injury, Internal organ, Irreparable damage, Joint account, Just
cause, Key issue, Key role…
 Adjective + Preposition: Comfortable with, Concerned with, Nasty of, Nervous of, Nice of,
Furious about, Guilty about…
 Noun + Noun: Core values, Corporate finance, Cottage industry, Creation science, Credit
bureau, Credit union…
 Verb + Noun: Go on a date, Go on a picnic, Go on foot, Have a fight, Have a fit, Have a game,
Keep quiet, Keep records…
 Verb + Preposition: Allow for, Apologize for, Ask for, Object to, Pray to, Prefer to …
 Verb + Adverb: Go far, Go first, Go upstairs, Guess correctly, Hit hard, Judge harshly, Know
well…
 Noun + Preposition: Date with, Dealings with, Difficulty with, Debate on, Information on,
Hold on…
 …
Examples of collocations with prepositions at, in , on, to, with ….
 He’s brilliant at football.

 They are excellent at planning fun parties.
 The teacher was surprised at the student’s question.
 She has lost her belief in God.
 There was no change in the patient’s condition overnight.
 I need some lessons in how to set up a website.
 I congratulate you on your new job!
 I insist on Peter’s studying every day for two hours.
 Can we rely on this old car to get us there?
 I feel very proud to be a part of the team.
 People are scared to use the buses late at night.
 It’s nice to know you.
 You are blessed with many talents.
 Don’t be careless with your ATM card.
 The fall in retail sales is directly connected with the decline in employment.
Collocation Dictionary
Learn different types of collocations and list of 2500+ common collocations in English.
Verb Collocations List
List and examples of verb noun collocations from A to Z.
Collocations with Ask
List of common collocations with Ask.
 Ask a favour
 Ask a question
 Ask about
 Ask after somebody
 Ask for advice
 Ask for directions
 Ask for something
 Ask permission
 Ask sb out
 Ask if/ whether
Collocations with Break
List of useful collocations with Break.
 Break a bone/ your arm

 Break a code
 Break a habit
 Break a law
 Break a leg
 Break a promise
 Break a record
 Break a window
 Break even
 Break free
 Break ground
 Break loose
 Break new ground
 Break news
 Break one’s fall
 Break someone’s heart
 Break the bank
 Break the ice
 Break the mold
 Break the news to someone
 Break the rules
 Break the silence
 Break the spell
 Break wind
Collocations with Catch
List of important collocations with Catch.
 Catch (on) fire

 Catch a ball
 Catch a bus/ a train
 Catch a chill
 Catch a cold
 Catch a cold
 Catch a glimpse
 Catch a thief
 Catch a whiff
 Catch sight of
 Catch someone Red-Handed / Catch Someone In The Act
 Catch someone’s attention
 Catch someone’s eye
 Catch the flu
 Catch you Later!
 Catch your breath
Collocations with Come
List of essential collocations with Come.
 Come clean about

 Come close
 Come complete with
 Come early
 Come first
 Come into view
 Come last
 Come late
 Come on time
 Come prepared
 Come right back
 Come to a compromise
 Come to a conclusion
 Come to a decision
 Come to a realization
 Come to a stand still (idiom)
 Come to a stop
 Come to an agreement
 Come to an end
 Come to life
 Come to sb’s rescue
 Come to terms with
 Come under attack
 Come up with
Collocations with Do
List of useful collocations with Do.
 Do a course
 Do a deal
 Do a favour
 Do a good/great/terrible job
 Do a report
 Do anything/something/everything
 Do badly
 Do better
 Do business
 Do crosswords
 Do damage
 Do exercise
 Do experiments
 Do good
 Do gymnastics
 Do harm
 Do homework
 Do laundry
 Do nothing
 Do research
 Do someone a favour
 Do something right
 Do something wrong
 Do sums
 Do the cleaning
 Do the cooking
 Do the dishes
 Do the housework
 Do the ironing
 Do the math
 The maximum
 Do the minimum
 Do the paperwork
 Do the right thing
 Do the shopping
 Do the washing up
 Do well
 Do work
 Do your best
 Do your duty
 Do Your hair
 Do your makeup
 Do your nails
Collocations with Get
List of commonly used collocations with Get.
 Get a call
 Get a chance
 Get a clue
 Get a cold
 Get a degree/ a diploma
 Get a job
 Get a joke
 Get a letter (receive)
 Get a shock
 Get a splitting headache
 Get a tan
 Get a ticket
 Get a/the right
 Get angry
 Get changed (change clothes)
 Get cool
 Get dark
 Get divorced
 Get dressed/ undressed
 Get drunk
 Get enthusiastic
 Get fired
 Get frightened
 Get getting dark
 Get good/top/bad marks
 Get home (arrive)
 Get hot (ter)
 Get hungry
 Get into trouble
 Get lost
 Get married
 Get nowhere
 Get old
 Get one’s hair cut
 Get out of breath
 Get permission
 Get pregnant
 Get ready for
 Get sleep
 Get started
 Get stuck in a traffic jam
 Get the impression
 Get the message
 Get the sack
 Get the ticket (buy)
 Get tired
 Get to sleep
 Get together
 Get upset
 Get wet
 Get worried
Collocations with Give
List of collocations with Give.
 Give a call (a ring, a buzz)

 Give a chance
 Give a choice
 Give a damn
 Give a hand
 Give a headache
 Give a hug or kiss
 Give a lecture or speech or performance
 Give a ride
 Give advice
 Give an answer
 Give an example
 Give an idea
 Give an opinion
 Give birth
 Give credit
 Give evidence
 Give notice
 Give permission
 Give priority
 Give rise to
 Give sb a call
 Give sb a chance
 Give sb a lift
 Give sth a go
 Give the impression
 Give thought (to)
 Give up
 Give up hope
 Give way
Collocations with Go
List of common collocations with Go.

 Go abroad
 Go astray
 Go bad
 Go bald
 Go bankrupt
 Go blind
 Go crazy
 Go deaf
 Go finishing
 Go insane (idiom)
 Go mad/angry
 Go missing
 Go on a date
 Go on a picnic
 Go on foot
 Go online
 Go out of business
 Out of fashion
 Go overseas
 Go quiet
 Go sailing
 Go smoothly
 Go to the beach/to the movie
 Go to war
Collocations with Have
List of useful collocations with Have.
 Have a baby
 Have a backache
 Have a bad fall
 Have a bad temper
 Have a bath
 Have a birthday
 Have a bite
 Have a break
 Have a business trip
 Have a busy day
 Have a career/a goal
 Have a chance
 Have a chat
 Have a cold
 Have a competition
 Have a confrontation
 Have a conversation/chat
 Have a cup of tea/ coffee
 Have a dance
 Have a day off
 Have a depression/etc
 Have a discussion
 Have a dispute
 Have a doubt
 Have a dream
 Have a drill
 Havea drink
 Have a feeling
 Have a fight
 Have a fit
 Have a game
 Have a glass of wine
 Have a go
 Have a goal
 Have a good time
 Have a good/nice/etc day!
 Have a great weekend
 Have a haircut
 Have a hard time
 Have a headache
 Have a holiday
 Have a jacuzzi
 Have a jog
 Have a laugh
 Have a lecture
 Have a lesson
 Have a lie down
 Have a limp
 Have a lisp
 Have a listen
 Have a look
 Have a massage
 Have a meal
 Have a meeting
 Have a moment
 Have a nap
 Have a night mare
 Have a party/concert
 Have a passion for
 Have a plan
 Have a problem
 Have a quarrel
 Have a relationship
 Have a rest
 Have a ride
 Have a right
 Have a run
 Have a safe journey
 Have a salad
 Have a sandwich
 Have a scrub
 Have a shave
 Have a shower
 Have a smell
 Have a snack
 Have a snooze
 Have a stretch
 Have a stroke
 Have a swim
 Have a talk
 Have a taste
 Have a temperature
 Have a think
 Have a touch
 Have a try
 Have a walk
 Have a wash
 Have a wish
 Have a word
 Have a workout
 Have access (to)
 Have an accident
 Have an appointment with
 Have an argument
 Have an effect (on)
 Have an energy bar
 Have an event
 Have an exam
 Have an excuse
 Have an experience
 Have an ice-cream
 Have an idea
 Have an interview
 Have an opportunity
 Have breakfast/lunch/dinner
 Have difficulty
 Have faith
 Have food
 Have fun/a good time
 Have no education
 Have no fear
 Have patience
 Have rest
 Have room
 Have self-esteem
 Have sex
 Have skills
 Have some sugar/ milk
 Have something to eat
 Have soul
 Have success
 Have sympathy
 Have the chance (to)
 Have time
 Have trouble
 Have work
Collocations with Keep
List of collocations with Keep.
 Keep a diary
 Keep a promise
 Keep a secret
 Keep an appointment
 Keep calm
 Keep control
 Keep in touch
 Keep quiet
 Keep records
 Keep score
 Keep someone’s place
 Keep the change
 Keep your balance
Collocations with Make
List of commonly used collocations with Make.
 Make a break with somebody

 Make a bed
 Make a bundle (idiom)
 Make a cake
 Make a call
 Make a choice
 Make a comment
 Make a complaint
 Make a confession/an admission
 Make a contract
 Make a cup of tea
 Make a deal
 Make a decision
 Make a difference
 Make a discovery
 Make a dress
 Make a fire
 Make a fool of yourself
 Make a fortune
 Make a fuss
 Make a habit
 Make a joke
 Make a list
 Make a living
 Make a mess
 Make a mistake
 Make a move
 Make a note (of)
 Make a pass at
 Make a phone call
 Make a point
 Make a prediction
 Make a presentation
 Make a profit
 Make a promise
 Make a recovery
 Make a remark
 Make a reservation
 Make a rude gesture
 Make a salad
 Make a sales call
 Make a sandwich
 Make a snack
 Make a sound
 Make a speech
 Make a statement
 Make a suggestion
 Make a takeover bid
 Make a tea
 Make a threat
 Make amends
 Make an agreement
 Make an allusion
 Make an appearance
 Make an appointment
 Make an arrangement
 Make an attempt
 Make an effort
 Make an enquiry
 Make an exception
 Make an excuse
 Make an impression
 Make an objection
 Make an observation
 Make an offer
 Make arrangements
 Make believe
 Make breakfast/lunch/dinner
 Make changes
 Make coffee
 Make contact
 Make ends meet
 Make food
 Make friends
 Make fun of someone
 Make furniture
 Make love
 Make money
 Make noise
 Make one’s bow
 Make one’s own way back
 Make peace
 Make plans
 Make progress
 Make an effort
 Make room
 Make sb feel sth
 Make sense
 Make someone angry/mad/happy/sad
 Make sth easy
 Make sure
 Make the bed
 Make time
 Make tracks
 Make trouble
 Make up
 Make up your mind
 Make war
 Make your bed
Collocations with Pay
List of collocations with Pay.
 Pay a bill
 Pay a fine
 Pay a visit
 Pay attention
 Pay by credit card
 Pay cash
 Pay interest
 Pay one’s respects
 Pay someone a compliment
 Pay someone a visit
Collocations with Save
List of useful collocations with Save.
 Save electricity
 Save energy
 Save lives
 Save money
 Save one’s strength
 Save someone a seat
 Save someone’s life
 Save something
 Save space
 Save time
 Save yourself the trouble
Collocations with Say
List of collocations with Say.
 Say a few words

 Say a word
 Say for certain/sure
 Say good morning/afternoon
 Say goodbye
 Say hello
 Say no more
 Say nothing
 Say something
 Say sorry
 Say yes/no
Collocations with Take
List of essential collocations with Take.
 Take (sb) to court

 Take (sb’s) temperature
 Take a bite
 Take a bow
 Take a break
 Take a call
 Take a chance
 Take a class
 Take a decision (make)
 Take a holiday
 Take a lesson
 Take a look
 Take a message
 Take a nap
 Take a number
 Take a photo/ a photograph
 Take a picture
 Take a rest
 Take a risk
 Take a seat
 Take a shower (have)
 Take a step
 Take a taxi/bus/train/plane
 Take a test
 Take a while/ a minute/ five minutes
 Take action
 Take advantage (of)
 Take advice
 Take ages
 Take an exam/ a test/ a course
 Take an opportunity
 Take care
 Take care of
 Take charge
 Take drugs
 Take exercise
 Take hostage
 Take medicine
 Take notes
 Take notice
 Take part
 Take place
 Take pride in
 Take prisoner
 Take sb’s place
 Take someone’s temperature
 Take time
 Take time of (away form work for holidays or to do sth)
 Take turns
 Take up space
 Take your time
Collocations with Tell
List of important collocations with Tell.
 Tell a joke
 Tell a lie
 Tell a secret
 Tell a story
 Tell sb the time
 Tell the difference
 Tell the future
 Tell the time
 Tell the truth
 Tell your name
Other Verb + Noun Collocations
 Abuse drugs
 Accept (a) defeat
 Accept a challenge
 Accept an apology
 Accept an invitation
 Accept responsibility
 Achieve a goal
 Admit defeat
 Against the law
 Answer a letter
 Answer a prayer
 Answer a question
 Answer an advertisement
 Answer the door
 Answer the phone
 Apply for a job
 Attract attention
 Attract sb’s attention
 Balance a budget
 Bear a resemblance (to sb/sth)
 Beat a record
 Beat to death
 Blow your nose
 Book a flight
 Boost morale
 Bring about change
 Bring attention to
 Bring to an end
 Bring to justice
 Call a meeting
 Call a name
 Call a strike
 Call an election
 Call attention to
 Call in sick
 Call sb names
 Call the police
 Carry weight
 Cast a spell
 Cast a vote
 Cast doubt
 Cause trouble
 Change course
 Change the subject
 Change your mind
 Claim responsibility
 Close the gap
 Commit suicide
 Conduct research
 Consider a possibility
 Cost a fortune
 Cover costs
 Cross sb’s mind
 Cut costs
 Declare war
 Deliver a baby
 Doesn’t matter
 Drop the subject
 Earn a living
 Eke out a living
 Enter a plea
 Enter politics
 Exceed expectations
 Express concern
 Express interest (in)
 Extend a deadline
 Face a challenge
 Face the fact(s)
 Fail miserably
 Fall in love
 Fight a fire
 Fight a war
 Fight corruption
 Fill a gap
 Fill in a form
 Find time
 Fire a shot
 Follow a pattern
 Follow advice
 Follow directions
 Follow instructions
 Gain access
 Hold a referendum
 Hold an election
 Hold an inquiry
 Hold hands
 Hold office
 Hold sb hostage
 Hold sb prisoner
 Hold talks
 Hurt sb’s feelings
 Impose conditions
 Impose restrictions
 Impose sanctions
 Issue a permit
 Join a club
 Join forces
 Join the army
 Jump to a conclusion
 Kick a goal
 Kill time
 Know the score
 Lay the groundwork
 Lead the field
 Lead the way
 Lead the world
 Lead to believe
 Leading role
 Leave a message
 Leave home
 Leave school
 Light a fire
 Live at home
 Lose a game
 Lose a job
 Lose control
 Lose faith
 Lose hope
 Lose interest
 Lose money
 Lose weight
 Lose your life
 Lose your temper
 Love dearly
 Meet a need
 Meet a standard
 Meet a target
 Meet opposition
 Meet with approval
 Miss a flight
 Miss a goal
 Miss an opportunity
 Obey an order
 Offer a job
 Offer an explanation
 Offer condolences
 Offer your services
 Open an account
 Open an investigation
 Open fire
 Owe an apology
 Owe an explanation
 Pack a suitcase
 Part company
 Pass (the) time
 Pass a law
 Pass a test
 Pass the time
 Pick your nose
 Place an order
 Play a part
 Play music
 Pose a risk
 Pose a threat
 Press a key
 Pull a muscle
 Push a button
 Put on weight
 Put out a cigarette
 Put out a fire
 Put up prices
 Put up wages
 Put up your hand
 Quit a job
 Quit drinking
 Quit smoking
 Raise a family
 Raise doubts
 Raise hopes
 Raise money
 Raise questions
 Raise taxes
 Raise your voice
 Rapid growth
 Reach a verdict
 Reach an agreement
 Read aloud
 Repair damage
 Resort to violence
 Restore confidence
 Restore order
 Retain control
 Return a call
 Return fire
 Return home
 Run a business
 Run the risk of
 Safety net
 Satisfy a need
 Satisfy a requirement
 Satisfy demand
 Scare tactic
 Score a goal
 See reason
 Serve a purpose
 Serve interests
 Set a date
 Set a goal
 Set a record
 Set a standard
 Set a table
 Set an alarm
 Set fire to | set on fire
 Set menu
 Solve a crime
 Solve a problem
 Spend time
 Spend your life
 Stall for time
 Stand trial
 Stay awake
 Strike a balance (btw)
 Take time off
 Turn a corner
 Turn around
 Undergo surgery
 Undergo treatment
 Use sb’s phone
 Vote against
 Vote for
 Wage war
 Wait your turn
 Warm welcome
 Waste an opportunity
 Waste money
 Waste time
 Watch your weight
 Wave goodbye
 Win a game
 Win a war
 Win an award
 Win an election
 Worth a fortune
 Yield results
Inversion
Grammar > Words, sentences and clauses > Word order and focus > Inversion
from English Grammar Today
Inversion happens when we reverse (invert) the normal word order of a structure, most
commonly the subject-verb word order. For example, a statement has the subject (s) before
the verb (v), but to make question word order, we invert the subject and the verb, with an
auxiliary (aux) or modal verb (m) before the subject (s):
[S]She [V]sings.
[AUX]Does [S]she [V]sing?
[S]They [AUX]are [V]working.
[AUX] [S]Are they [V]working?
[S]Joe [M]can [V]swim.
[M]Can [S]Joe [V]swim?
See also:
 Questions
When does inversion happen?
The most common type of inversion is question word order (see above). Inversion also
happens in other situations.
Negative adverbs
In formal styles, when we use an adverb with negative meaning (e.g. never, seldom, rarely,
scarcely, hardly) in front position for emphasis, we invert the subject (s) and auxiliary
(aux)/modal verb:
Never [AUX]have [S]we witnessed such cruel behaviour by one child to another. (or We
have never witnessed …)
Seldom does one hear a politician say ‘sorry’. (or One seldom hears …)
Expressions beginning with not
We also invert the subject and verb after not + a prepositional phrase or a clause in initial
position:
Not for a moment did I think I would be offered the job, so I was amazed when I got it.
Not till I got home did I realise my wallet was missing.
Here and there
Inversion can happen after here, and after there when it is as an adverb of place. After here
and there, we can use a main verb without an auxiliary verb or modal verb:
Here comes the bus!
Here’s your coffee.
I opened the door and there stood Michael, all covered in mud.
She looked out and there was Pamela, walking along arm in arm with Goldie.
APOSTROPH
Apostrophe to show two words have been connected (contraction)
We sometimes connect two words to make one shorter word. We use an apostrophe to show
that we have left out one or more letters:
do not → don’t They don’t like salt in their food.

it is → it’s It’s a long way to walk.
is not → isn’t Isn’t that such a pretty dress?
you have → you’ve You’ve broken my watch!
cannot → can’t We can’t tell your father.
will not → won’t She won’t eat any vegetables.
wh-word + ’s, ’d, etc. What’s he doing? Who’d like some coffee?
Warning:
We use ’s for has and is:
She’s seen that movie already. (has)
He’s my brother. (is)
Warning:
We use ’d for had and would:
They’d never been to Japan before. (had)
She’d love to live in the USA. (would)
See also:
 Contractions
Apostrophe + s to show possession
When we show who owns something or has a close relationship with something, we use an
apostrophe + s after the name or the noun. When the noun is plural, we put the apostrophe
after the s:
Is that Frank’s camera?
There was a big teachers’ conference last week in Mexico City. (a conference for teachers)
See also:
 Possession (John’s car, a friend of mine)
Apostrophe with time
We can use an apostrophe + s to show duration. When the time noun is plural, the apostrophe
comes after the s:
For me, writing an essay involves at least an hour’s work.
It was just ten minutes’ walk from my house to my office. (the walk from my house to my
office takes just ten minutes)
When we write the time, we sometimes use o’clock:

14:00: two o’clock
18:00: six o’clock
See also:
 Telling the time
Apostrophe: typical error
 We use an apostrophe to contract it is to it’s. We don’t use an apostrophe with

possessive its:
The University is very proud of its gardens.
Not: … of it’s gardens.
There are three different ways to pronounce the 'ed' ending of regular verbs in the simple past
tense: / Id / , / t / or / d /.
The pronunciation depends on the sound at the end of the infinitve of the main verb and
whether it is voiced or not.
/Id / /d/ /t/

infinitives that end in the infinitives that end in a voiced infinitves that end in an
sounds sound unvoiced sound
/t/ or /d/
needed lived shopped
hated chilled picked
dated enjoyed wished
seated tried crunched
A voiced sound is one that vibrates in your throat when you say it. For more information and
for a technique for finding out whether a sound is voiced or not, download Nuala's
description below.
To see a list of voiced and unvoiced sounds, vist our Pronunciation Tips section here.
As well as some consonant sounds, all vowels sounds are voiced.

What is an inversion with a negative adverbial?

In formal English we can place a negative or restrictive adverb at the beginning of a
sentence to make the sentence more emphatic or dramatic. When we do this, the adverb is
then followed by an inversion: auxiliary verb + subject (+ verb). See the example below:
 I could find my keys nowhere. ⇒ Nowhere could I find my keys.
When there is no auxiliary verb, we use do/does (present) or did (past) as auxiliary.
 I understand the true meaning only now. ⇒ Only now do I understand the true meaning.
 I didn’t say anything until she arrived. ⇒ Not until she arrived did I say anything.
Common adverbs used with this structure

In the table below you can see some of the most common negative or restrictive adverbials
that are sometimes used at the beginning of the sentence for emphasis.

hardly, barely, scarcely, no sooner

We normally use hardly … when, barely … when, scarcely … when, and no sooner …
than in narratives with past perfect in the inversion.
We use no sooner … than (NOT that, or when)

Adverbial + clause + inversion

Note that after some adverbials, such as only if and only when we use a subordinate clause
(subject + verb), and that the inversion is never in the subordinate clause, but in the main verb
of the sentence. Check the sentence below:
 Only when I sleep can I forget about the accident. (NOT: Only when do I sleep I can…)
The same happens with other adverbials, such as not since and not until; we use a
subordinate clause (subject + verb) and the inversion is never in the subordinate clause, but in
the main verb of the sentence. Check the sentence below:
 Not since I was child have I had such a great time. (NOT: Not since was I child I’ve had …)
If you are in doubt, it’s always useful to look at the sentence without the negative adverbial at
the beginning.
 I can forget about the accident only when I sleep.

 I haven’t had such a great time since I was a child.
The main subject and verb are at the beginning of the sentence, and this is the element that
must be in the inversion.

not

We must always use not followed by another element before the inversion.
 Not often can we see such great expressions of art. (NOT Not can we see such great
expressions of art often.)
Adverbs of frequency

We can also use inversion after the negative or restrictive adverbs of frequency, such as
seldom, rarely, or never.
We often use never to talk about experiences. In that case, we normally use present perfect or
past perfect.
IT
We commonly use the pronoun it as both a subject and an object pronoun:
Don’t drink the milk. It smells terrible.
Has anyone seen my phone? I can’t find it anywhere.
We often use it in question tags:
That furniture is lovely. It isn’t too expensive for us, is it?
You know the flat with three bedrooms by the supermarket? It’s the best one we’ve seen so
far, isn’t it?
See also:
 Tags
 It, this and that in paragraphs
It as an ‘empty’ or ‘dummy’ subject and object
We can use it as an ‘empty’ subject or as an ‘empty’ object. It is ‘empty’ because it doesn’t

refer to anything in particular:
I know it’s going to rain today!
It’s getting a bit late now, so let’s watch a DVD at home, shall we?
She doesn’t like it when you are so quiet.
How long will it be before he gives up smoking?
Anticipatory it
We also use it to introduce or ‘anticipate’ the subject or object of a sentence, especially when
the subject or object of the sentence is a clause. Most commonly, such clauses are to +
infinitive and that clauses. We also call this use of it a ‘dummy’ subject, since the real subject
is another part of the sentence (real subject underlined):
It’s good that she’s doing more exercise. (or, more formally: That she’s doing more exercise
is good.)
It was nice to talk with them again. (or, more formally: To talk with them again was nice.)
It’s quite likely that we shall be late, so please do start without us.
I find it amazing that …
With verbs such as find or consider, it + adjective + that clause or it + adjective + to

infinitive, are commonly used to anticipate an object:
I find it amazing that they’ve never stopped arguing about football.
Not: I find amazing that they’ve …
I must say, local people will consider it to be an insult that they have not learned to speak a
few words of the language.
I find it surprising to see so many people here.
We also use it when a clause is the subject of a verb such as appear, seem, look, occur, which
hedge or soften the statement, making it less direct:
It seems they’ve all lost contact since they met at the wedding.
It occurred to me that we might visit them while we are in South Africa.
See also:
 Hedges (just)
It and cleft sentences (It was my friend who …)
We use it in cleft sentences. It emphasises the subject or object of the main clause:
It was his sister who ran the marathon in New York, wasn’t it?
[talking about a computer problem]
Was it the printer that caused the problem?
It was Mary they promoted, not Laura.
See also:
 Cleft sentences (It was in June we got married.)

It with the passive voice
It is common with the passive voice. It makes the sentence seem less personal and more
objective:
It was decided that we should all swim across the lake before breakfast.
It is accepted that research into cancer has advanced considerably in the last few years.

Nouns and Prepositions: OF: Noun Collocations With The Preposition OF

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Nouns and Prepositions: OF: Noun Collocations With The Preposition OF

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Nouns and Prepositions: OF

Useful noun collocations with the preposition OF in English.

Learn common adjective combinations with the preposition OF in English.

Adjectives and Prepositions: FOR

Learn common adjective collocations with the preposition FOR in English.

Adjectives + Prepositions: WITH

List of adjective collocations with the preposition WITH in English.

Adjectives and Prepositions: TO

List of common adjective collocations with the preposition TO.

Adjectives + Prepositions: ABOUT

List of useful adjective collocations with the preposition ABOUT.

Learn useful adjective combinations with the preposition IN in English.

Here is a list of useful adjective collocations with the preposition BY.

Adjective Preposition Combinations: AT

Learn common adjective preposition combinations with the preposition AT in English.

Adjectives and Prepositions: FROM

Verbs with Prepositions: TO

Learn useful verb collocations with the preposition TO in English.

Verbs + Prepositions: FOR

Verbs + Prepositions: FROM

List of useful verb preposition collocations in English – the preposition FROM.

Verbs with Prepositions: ON

Learn common verb preposition combinations with the preposition ON in English.

Verb Preposition Collocations: AT

Verb + Preposition: ABOUT

Learn common verb collocations with the preposition ABOUT.

Verbs + Prepositions: WITH

Learn frequently used prepositions after verbs – the preposition WITH.

Verbs with Prepositions: IN

Learn useful preposition collocations with verbs – IN in English.

Verbs + Prepositions: WITH

Learn frequently used prepositions after verbs – the preposition WITH.

Verbs with Prepositions: IN

Learn useful preposition collocations with verbs – IN in English.

Homonyms can refer to both homophones and homographs.

List of Homonyms with Examples

 I can give you the address of a good attorney.

 The band was playing old Beatles songs.

 I am afraid of bats.

 If you suspect a gas leak do not strike a match or use electricity.

 What does this sentence mean?

 I’m sure I’m right.

 What a beautiful ring!

 Komuro formed a rock band with some friends while in college.

 She has a rose garden.

 He ate the apple, stalk and all.

 The conference was very well organized.

 They are clips from the new James Bond film.

 The date on the letter was 30th August 1962.

 The apples are beginning to drop from the trees.

 A fly was buzzing against the window.

 There’s a letter for you.

 He held the bird gently in the palm of his hand.

 We went for a walk in the park.

 I have a 12 inch ruler.

 They entertain on a large scale.

 There are two restaurants on board ship.

 The ships sink to the bottom of the sea.

 He had to tie her hands together.

 We went on a trip to the mountains.

 Huge waves were breaking on the shore.

 She swam out into the cool water.

 Every afternoon they went to the park to feed the duck.