Commonly Confused Adjectives
Added by Tomasz H. 28 July 2014 in category: English, Learning tips, Lexicon
Each vs Every
Use each with individual or separate items -> The apples are 5$ each.
Use every when describing the frequency of actions or things in a group -> John goes to the park every weekend, Every apple in the basket is red.
Few vs A few
Few represents a ngative quantity or shortage -> Few students passed the exam.
A few represents a positive quantity (but can be used only with countable nouns) -> Only a few books were damaged in the fire.
Little vs A little
Little expresses a diminutive size or a negative quantity -> There is little water in Africa.
A little represents positive quantity -> We need only a little butter to make the muffins.
Many vs Much
Many is used with countable nouns -> Mark doesn't have many friends.
Much is used with uncountable nouns -> John doesn't have much money.
High vs Tall
High is used to descirbe an object's position from the ground -> These mountains are high.
Tall measures the size or height of vertical items -> The Eiffel Tower is very tall.
Sick vs Ill
Being sick can refer to actually throwing up or vomiting, but it can also be used for being generally unwell -> John felt sick after roller coaster ride.
Ill is more common and general term for when you're unwell -> I fell ill after the weekend.
Less vs Fewer
Less is compatible with uncountable nouns -> Less pollution is better for cities.
Fewer is used with countable nouns -> If pepole threw out fewer bottles, the cities would be cleaner.
Farther vs Further
Farther is used for distance -> How much farther is the supermarket?
Further implies a metaphorical advancement -> Further topics we'll discuss next week.
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