Confused words
it's = it is or it has (It's dinner time = It is dinner time.)
its = belonging to it (The dog chased its tail. - similar to his or her)
I think its/it’s a shame that the team has lost its/it’s form.
Its/It’s not long since it was at the top of its/it’s league.
Personally I think its/it’s the fault of the manager. I know he
gave the team its/it’s attacking image but that's no good with
a defence like its/it’s got. Its/It’s a crying shame to have
the backs so far up the field. Its/It’s no help to the goalkeeper.
Even the pitch has lost its/it’s true surface since he came.
Now the ball bounces all over the place as though its/it’s a
ping-pong ball.
Confused words
it's = it is or it has (It's dinner time = It is dinner time.)
its = belonging to it (The dog chased its tail. - similar to his or her)
I think it’s a shame that the team has lost its form. It’s
not long since it was at the top of its league.
Personally I think it’s the fault of the manager. I know
he gave the team its attacking image but that's no
good with a defence like it’s got. It’s a crying shame to
have the backs so far up the field. It’s no help to the
goalkeeper. Even the pitch has lost its true surface
since he came. Now the ball bounces all over the
place as though it’s a ping-pong ball.
you're = you are (You're a hero. = You are a hero.)
your = belonging to you (Here's your medal)
When you’re/your young it's not easy to know
you’re/your own mind. At school you’re/your
expected to know all the answers in you’re/your
subjects. The teachers don't realise that you’re/your
not as experienced as they are. They say that
you’re/your careless and things like that when
you’re/your not at all. Then they mark you’re/your
work with comments like "Must try harder".
You’re/Your dad tells you to stop moaning as life was
much harder when he was a kid and you’re/your
much better off than he was, but I don't think he
really remembers.
you're = you are (You're a hero. = You are a hero.)
your = belonging to you (Here's your medal)
When you’re young it's not easy to know your own
mind. At school you’re expected to know all the
answers in your subjects. The teachers don't realise
that you’re not as experienced as they are. They say
that you’re careless and things like that when you’re
not at all. Then they mark your work with comments
like "Must try harder". Your dad tells you to stop
moaning as life was much harder when he was a kid
and you’re much better off than he was, but I don't
think he really remembers.
there's = there is or there has (There's no food left. = There is
no food left.)
theirs = belonging to them ( That food is theirs.)
There’s/Theirs no point in talking to them. They won't
listen. They think the ball is there’s/theirs. I've tried
to persuade them that it's ours but there’s/theirs no
doubt in their minds. There’s/Theirs another ball in
my garage.
there's = there is or there has (There's no food left. = There is
no food left.)
theirs = belonging to them ( That food is theirs.)
There’s no point in talking to them. They won't listen.
They think the ball is theirs. I've tried to persuade
them that it's ours but there’s no doubt in their
minds. There’s another ball in my garage.
two = the number 2
too = also, more than enough (too big) Remember: too many, too much, two o's.
to = if it is not one of the other meanings (He went to the cinema. It does not mean
much to me. Do you have to do that?)
Yesterday I went two/too/to see my friend, Sian. She wanted
two/too/to see my new summer tops. I bought two/too/to of them. At
first I thought they were two/too/to big and I thought I would have
two/too/to go back two/too/to the shop, but Mum said she would see
two/too/to them on her new sewing machine. Nia was there
two/too/to. She has been rude two/too/to me recently and I was not
pleased two/too/to see her. It was two/too/to bad of her two/too/to
say two/too/to Sian that I have no dress sense. I think she is
two/too/to faced. It's not as if Nia has such marvellous dress-sense
herself. Her skirts are either two/too/to long or two/too/to short and
she sometimes comes two/too/to school looking like a sack of potatoes.
two = the number 2
too = also, more than enough (too big) Remember: too many, too much, two o's.
to = if it is not one of the other meanings (He went to the cinema. It does not mean
much to me. Do you have to do that?)
Yesterday I went to see my friend, Sian. She wanted to see my new
summer tops. I bought two of them. At first I thought they were too big
and I thought I would have to go back to the shop, but Mum said she
would see to them on her new sewing machine. Nia was there too. She
has been rude to me recently and I was not pleased to see her. It was
too bad of her to say to Sian that I have no dress sense. I think she is
two faced. It's not as if Nia has such marvellous dress-sense
herself. Her skirts are either too long or too short and she sometimes
comes to school looking like a sack of potatoes.
Of and off - two confused words which sound different.
If it sounds like ov you spell it of
If it sounds like of you spell it off.
I have a large collection of/off CDs. On Saturday, I usually have some
money from my dad and then go down town. I get of/off the bus at the
bus station and go to Smiths. I usually buy the record which is top of/off
the charts and one more. One day I knocked a pile of/off the shelf. The
assistant was angry, but I think it was mean of/off her to shout at me,
though. Of/Off course I didn't mean to knock them of/off.
Suddenly a boy with lots of/off black hair was there helping me to pick
them up. "I knocked them of/off last week, " he said.
Of and off - two confused words which sound different.
If it sounds like ov you spell it of
If it sounds like of you spell it off.
I have a large collection of CDs. On Saturday, I usually have some
money from my dad and then go down town. I get off the bus at the bus
station and go to Smiths. I usually buy the record which is top of the
charts and one more. One day I knocked a pile off the shelf. The
assistant was angry, but I think it was mean of her to shout at me,
though. Of course I didn't mean to knock them off.
Suddenly a boy with lots of black hair was there helping me to pick
them up. "I knocked them off last week, " he said.
The I before E Rule
I before E e.g.. believe, thief
Except after C e.g.. ceiling, receive
When the sound rhymes with “bee" e.g.. not eight, neighbour
Exceptions (learn this sentence): The weird sisters seized the weir. (also protein)
1 He put in the last p___ce of the jigsaw. piece
2 I did not bel___ve him. believe
3 She rec___ved twenty cards. received
4 The teacher s___zed the letter. seized
5 The town was under s___ge. siege
6 The c___ling was painted orange! ceiling
7 She wrote to her n___ce. niece
8 It was a w___rd-looking creature. weird
Forming plurals
Words ending in –x, -sh, -ch, -ss, -zz
Most words add an s after the last letter to make the plural:
E.g. book > books; door > doors.
But words ending in hissing sounds (-x, -sh, -ch, -zz, -ss) add –es to make the plural.
E.g. fox - foxes, dish - dishes, church - churches, buzz - buzzes,
Change these singular nouns to plurals by adding s or es and write the
plural word.
box
wish
bush
mass
shop
loss
lash
dish
kiss
fax
pitch
branch
watch
address
Forming plurals
Words ending in –x, -sh, -ch, -ss, -zz
Most words add an s after the last letter to make the plural:
E.g. book > books; door > doors.
But words ending in hissing sounds (-x, -sh, -ch, -zz, -ss) add –es to make the plural.
E.g. fox - foxes, dish - dishes, church - churches, buzz - buzzes,
Change these singular nouns to plurals by adding s or es and write the
plural word.
boxes
wishes
bushes
masses
shops
losses
lashes
dishes
kisses
faxes
pitches
branches
watches
addresses
Words ending in -y
When there is vowel before the y, then add s.
day - days, key - keys, boy - boys, guy - guys, monkey - monkeys
If there is a consonant before the y, then change the y to ies.
lady - ladies, baby - babies, robbery - robberies
Write the full plural form of these words:
holiday
Try
Country
Memory
Party
Activity
donkey
journey
essay
valley
puppy
cry
robbery
sky
Words ending in -y
When there is vowel before the y, then add s.
day - days, key - keys, boy - boys, guy - guys, monkey - monkeys
If there is a consonant before the y, then change the y to ies.
lady - ladies, baby - babies, robbery - robberies
Write the full plural form of these words:
holiday = holidays
Try= tries
Country= countries
Memory= memories
Party= parties
Activity= activities
donkey= donkeys
journey= journeys
essay= essays
valley= valleys
puppy= puppies
cry= cries
robbery= robberies
sky= skies
Words ending in -o
If a word ending in o has a consonant before the o, add -es to make the plural:
cargoes, echoes, heroes, mosquitoes, potatoes, tomatoes, volcanoes,
Exceptions: pianos solos kilos zeros banjos photos memos dynamos
When a word ending in o has a vowel before the o then add -s to make the
plural:
rodeos, radios, patios, studios, kangaroos.
Write the full plural form of these words:
tomato
cargo
potato
photo
stereo
echo
patio
kilo
radio
studio
memo
hero
Words ending in -o
If a word ending in o has a consonant before the o, add -es to make the plural:
cargoes, echoes, heroes, mosquitoes, potatoes, tomatoes, volcanoes,
Exceptions: pianos solos kilos zeros banjos photos memos dynamos
When a word ending in o has a vowel before the o then add -s to make the
plural:
rodeos, radios, patios, studios, kangaroos.
Write the full plural form of these words:
tomatoes
cargoes
potatoes
photos
stereos
echoes
patios
kilos
radios
studios
memos
heroes
Words ending in -f, -fe and -ff
When a word ends in f or fe, change the f or fe to ves to form the plural:
loaf - loaves, leaf - leaves, knife - knives,
Some words just add s to form plurals:
dwarfs, chiefs, proofs, roofs, beliefs, cliffs,
Write the full plural form of these words:
half
wolf
roof
wife
leaf
shelf
life
thief
dwarf
loaf
chief
knife
Words ending in -f, -fe and -ff
When a word ends in f or fe, change the f or fe to ves to form the plural:
loaf - loaves, leaf - leaves, knife - knives,
Some words just add s to form plurals:
dwarfs, chiefs, proofs, roofs, beliefs, cliffs,
Write the full plural form of these words:
half =halves
wolf = wolves
roof = roofs
Wife= wives
leaf= leaves
Shelf= shelves
life= lives
thief= thieves
dwarf= dwarves
loaf= loaves
chief= chiefs
knife= knives