12 Confusing English Nouns

Hello lovely students and welcome back to English with Lucy. Tell me this, do you know the difference between the floor and the ground? What's the difference between an opportunity and a possibility?

In this video, I am going to show you the 12 nouns that often confuse my students. We'll discuss their meanings, their pronunciation, because that part is really important, and how to use the words in context. There's a short quiz at the end to test what you've learned.

Also, and I think you'll like this, I have created a PDF with all of the information in this video, plus lots of extra information. It has an extra quiz and a link to some secret interactive exercises that you can really check your knowledge. If you'd like to download this for free, click on the link in the description box or scan that QR code there.

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Okay. Pair number one, the floor versus the ground. Let's clear any confusion once and for all.

The floor refers to the flat surface of a room that people can stand or walk on. It is usually inside. The ground refers to the surface of the earth outside.

It might be soil, concrete, grass and so on. Floor generally inside, ground generally outside. For example, we sat on the floor in the living room and ate pizza.

We sat on the ground under a tree and had a picnic. Floor also refers to the levels of a building. First floor, second floor, for example.

And here's where it gets confusing. In British English, we use the term ground floor for the floor at the same level as the ground or earth outside. My office is on the ground floor.

Notice that I used the preposition on, not in. Note that the ground floor is called the first floor in North American English. Another point of confusion.

Now, I said the floor is generally inside, but it isn't always inside. We also use floor to refer to the surface of the earth in a forest, ocean, or cave. For example, the forest floor was covered in moss.

The floor of the cave was wet and slippery. Sometimes we will use ground and floor interchangeably. For example, my ice cream fell on the floor.

My ice cream fell on the ground. Now, you will hear English speakers using floor outside. My ice cream fell on the floor, for example.

But what I've just explained should give you a general indication. Okay, our next pair is journey versus trip. We also need to talk about travel, too.

These are words that my students mix up all the time. So, let's clear up the confusion. Let's start with travel.

As a noun, it refers to the general activity of traveling, going to a different place. It's often uncountable, so we don't use uh or the. I can't say a travel.

An example, people say that travel broadens the mind. It can also be used in the plural. For example, Eloise was telling me about her travels in Italy.

This implies a variety of places and experiences. We can't say that sentence in the singular. It would not be correct to say Eloise was telling me about her travel.

Lastly, you will hear travel used in many compound nouns like travel insurance or travel sickness. Let's move on to journey. We use journey to focus on the act of moving from one place to another and it's often used for longer distances.

The journey to Paris will take about 3 hours or how was your journey. This is like how was your drive? A trip is when you go somewhere and then return usually staying for a short amount of time.

For example, I've just been on a trip to Rome or tell me about your trip. We can often talk about going on a day trip, a business trip, a camping trip, or a shopping trip. For example, Tim's away on a business trip.

On a trip. So, travel is the general activity or experience. Journey is the act of getting from A to B and trip is the visit to a place.

One final example. Travel is my passion. I recently went on a trip to Edinburgh and the train journey from London took 4 hours.

Here's some homework. See if you can write a sentence like that with all three words in the comments. Right.

Pair number three is opportunity versus possibility. An opportunity is a situation that allows you to do something you want. It tends to be positive.

We often say you have the opportunity to do something. For example, when I was at uni, I had the opportunity to spend a semester in Spain. Another example, the internship was a wonderful opportunity for me.

A possibility is something that might happen or might be true. For example, have you considered the possibility that it might rain tomorrow? Or there's a strong possibility that the plan might fail.

Let's see an example with both words. There's a possibility that my company will expand next year. and if it does, I might have the opportunity to move abroad.

We also use possibility to talk about the different options available to us. For example, what kind of food do you want? The possibilities are endless.

Our next pair of confusing words is I want you to think about how you would pronounce them. We have receipt and recipe. Let's see if you can put the right word in these sentences.

I wanted to bake a cake, so I asked my mom for a I bought a cake from the shop. And after I paid, I got a have a think. In the first gap, we have recipe.

And of course in the second receipt. Now my students are not just confused about the meanings of these words but by their pronunciation too. Receipt has two syllables.

We stress the second one. The P is silent. Ignore the P.

Receipt. Receipt. It's a really stupid word.

It could be so much simpler. A receipt is often a piece of paper or now more often an electronic document that shows that you've paid for something. In a shop, you might hear, "Would you like a receipt?

" Or you might say, "I'd like to return this, but I've lost my receipt. " Recipe, on the other hand, has three syllables. Receipt two, recipe three.

We stress the first one, and the second is awah. Recipe. Recipe.

I know it's tempting to say receipt, but it's recipe. It's a list of ingredients and instructions telling you how to cook something. For example, have you got a good recipe for shepherd's pie?

Okay. Pair number five is history versus story. History is uncountable.

It's a description or study of facts or real events that happened in the past. Notice that we either don't pronounce the O in history or we pronounce it as a schwah. History or history.

So that can be three or two syllables. I prefer to history. It's more efficient.

An example, I'm really interested in the history of France or the invention of electricity was a turning point in human history. Story is a countable noun. A story is a description of events that can be real or imagined and we often tell stories to entertain people or share our experiences.

It's pronounced with a long or sound. Story. An example.

My dad used to tell me bedtime stories about dragons and princesses. Here's another example with the words together. I always thought the story of King Arthur was just a myth, but it turns out some parts might actually be rooted in history.

Okay, our final pair number six is shade versus shadow. Quite tricky. Shade is a darker, cooler area where direct sunlight is blocked.

The focus is on the area, not the shape created. And we often talk about shade as a way to escape the heat or sunlight. Shade is uncountable.

Some examples. Let's sit in the shade under that tree. Or, I moved my chair into the shade to avoid getting sunburnt.

A shadow is a dark shape that appears on a surface when something blocks the light. It's the silhouette of an object or person. The focus is more on the shape or the outline.

And shadow is countable. Shade uncountable shadow countable. Some examples.

Your shadows so long in the evening light. Did you notice that when you were a child that you would walk in the evening and see that your shadow looked like a giant? My dad's a scientist and I remember being very young, probably four, and asking him why.

And he drew me a diagram. Another example, the tree cast an interesting shadow on the wall behind it. Something casts a shadow.

That's the verb we use. So shade is all about the darker, cooler area where light is blocked. Shadow is the dark shape created when something blocks the light.

Okay, it's quiz time. Are you ready to test what you've learned? Let's begin with number one.

When the fireworks started, everyone sat on the and looked up at the sky. Is it floor or ground? It is ground because we don't set off fireworks inside.

Remember to share your score in the comments section. Number two, my last business was exhausting. I visited three cities in three days.

Is it travel or trip? It should be trip. Number three, there's a real that the event will be cancelled due to bad weather.

Is it opportunity or possibility? There's a possibility. Four.

I tried to make paella last night, but I think I read the wrong. It tasted awful. Recipe or receipt?

It should be the recipe. And our final question number five. We moved into the because it was getting too hot.

Is it shade or shadow? It should be shade. You're moving into the cool, darker area.

Okay. How did you do? What was your score?

Let me know in the comments. I'd also love to know which of those pairs you mix up the most often. And with that, we're at the end of the lesson.

Remember to download the PDF to review everything we've covered. The link is in the description box or there's a QR code just there. I will see you in the next lesson.

Bye.