Business & Technical English- Easily Confused Words

Student A

By first of all reading out the word in italics and then the whole sentence, decide if the word you have and the word your partner has on each line have the same of different meanings.

1. This is an excellent company to work for- I love it!
2. I do all my shopping in just one department store- shopping around is just a waste of time.
3. You can smell that the air isn’t clean when you are near the area with all the chemical plants in it.
4. He never answers his mobile, so I have to leave a note on his computer screen asking him to get back to me
5. I don’t think receiving a free gift has ever influenced my buying decisions
6. A good presenter must always summarize the key points of what he or she has said before they give their final conclusion.
7. You have to dial zero twice before the international dialling code.
8. It’s really difficult to find anything in this town because there are no street signs.

Do you think any of the sentences above are true for your partner? Tell them which sentences and check.

Discuss the words and expressions below with a partner- do they have the same or different meanings?

• A bill/ A building
• A building/ An office building
• A cash register/ A till
• A claim/ A complaint
• A CV/ A resumé
• A freshman/ A new recruit
• A PET bottle/ A plastic bottle
• A post/ A post box
• A sales point/ A selling point
• A share/ A market share
• A sub/ An assistant
• Aluminium/ Aluminum
• An antenna/ An aerial
• An end user/ A consumer
• Customized/ Tailor made/ Bespoke
• Just 6%/ Exactly 6%
• Meet man to man/ Meet face to face
• Pay a premium/ Pay an additional charge
• Three kilos/ Three kilogrammes
• Wide/ Long

Ask about any you are not sure about, with your teacher or other students giving you examples in context first as hints.

Student B

By first of all reading out the word in italics and then the whole sentence, decide if the word you have and the word your partner has have the same of different meanings.

1. Even investing your money in blue chip companies is not a sure bet nowadays.
2. Once you are working for one department, you are unlikely to be able to switch.
3. I used to think working in a car factory was a terrible job, but it’s better than many of the service jobs that have replaced it.
4. Everyone was standing round the water cooler talking about whether the latest memo from the CEO meant job cuts or not
5. The economy class seats are pretty much always the same in any airline; it’s the service that makes the difference
6. The police sometimes set up checkpoints to check people’s documents or test for drunk driving.
7. I sometimes write nought so that it looks like a six when I’m not paying attention
8. I write my signature so quickly that it’s impossible to read my name.

Do you think any of the sentences above are true for your partner? Tell them which sentences and check.

Discuss the words and expressions below with a partner- do they have the same or different meanings?

• A bill/ A building
• A building/ An office building
• A cash register/ A till
• A claim/ A complaint
• A CV/ A resumé
• A freshman/ A new recruit
• A PET bottle/ A plastic bottle
• A post/ A post box
• A sales point/ A selling point
• A share/ A market share
• A sub/ An assistant
• Aluminium/ Aluminum
• An antenna/ An aerial
• An end user/ A consumer
• Customized/ Tailor made/ Bespoke
• Just 6%/ Exactly 6%
• Meet man to man/ Meet face to face
• Pay a premium/ Pay an additional charge
• Three kilos/ Three kilogrammes
• Wide/ Long

Ask about any you are not sure about, with your teacher or other students giving you examples in context first as hints.