Common Errors : Thanks

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Thank :
is used to express gratitude / appreciation / acknowledgment


For example :
1) He thanked them for helping him with that project.
2) I will send her a bouquet of flowers as a way to thank her for her services.

When you want to thank someone, you can tell them : “Thank you”.
"Thank You Smiley" "Animated smiley" "Thank you gif"
http://www.animateit.net/

Common Error : You CANNOT Say : Thanks you. This is WRONG. It should be :  
Thank you.
"Thank you animated" "Thank you glitter" "thank you cute"
http://www.commentsyard.com/
If you want to say it without the word “you”, then it should be “Thanks”. with 's'.

For example :
1) Thanks! You did a great job!
2) Thanks for the help.


3) You have found my little girl. Thanks!
To express relief / thankfulness / pleasure when something you have hoped for comes true, you can say “Thank goodness”.
NOT “Thanks goodness”.
It should be “Thank goodness” (no 's')

For example :
"Calvin and Hobbes" "Calvin animated" "Calvin and Hobbes animated" "Mischevious" "up to mischief" "naughty" "Calvin mischief" "Calvin mischievous"
1) Thank goodness you made it here safely.
2) Thank goodness my children are well-behaved.
3) You have passed your exam! Thank goodness!

Idioms :

Thanks to :
because of / due to / as a result of
"win" "lose" "win lose" "win lose cube" "dice" "win lose dice"For example :

1) Thanks to her, we won the competition.
2) Thanks to him, we lost.
3) Thanks to their hard work and dedication, the project was a success.
No thanks to :
without the benefit or help from someone / something
For example :
1) No thanks to her, we still managed to win the competition.
2) She started a successful business, no thanks to her lazy husband.

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Common Errors : Congratulations

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Congratulation 
I have noticed that some people write or say “Congratulation” when they want to wish someone. 
That is INCORRECT.
The correct interjection or phrase when you want to express joy or happiness for the success or good fortune of someone 
"Congrats" "Animated" "Congratulations Glitter" "Glitter" "Congratulations animated"
glitter-graphics.com
is “Congratulations”
Congratulations with - 's'

You CANNOT tell someone “Congratulation” without the 's'.
For example :
1) Congratulations!
"Baby" "birth of baby" "Congratulations baby" "Glitter" "Congratulations Glitter" "Congratulations animated" "Congratulations"
glitter-graphics.com
2) Congratulations on the birth of your daughter.
3) Congratulations! You have received the promotion!
4) Congratulations on winning the lottery!
5) Congratulations on your engagement.

You can also say : Congrats
"Congrats" "Animated Smiley" "Smiley" "Congrats" is the short form of the word
"Congratulations".

Congratulation (without the 's') can only be used as a noun in instances like this :
I would like you to send a congratulation letter to her.

"Congrats Smiley" "Animated" "Congrats" "Smiley" "Animated Congrats" "Well Done"
glitter-graphics.com
Other examples :
1) I forgot to congratulate her.

2) Thanks for congratulating me.

Another word you can use that also means congratulations is Felicitation.
For example :
1) I offer my felicitations to you.
2) She was sad that she did not receive any felicitations when the results were announced.
3) They held a felicitation function for the winners.


On the other hand, for any sad occasions such as misfortune (usually death), we say “Condolences”. It is an expression of sympathy.
For example :
1) He wrote a condolence letter to the widow.
Widow – a woman whose husband has died and she has not remarried.
Widower – a man whose wife has died and he has not remarried.
2) Please accept my heartfelt condolences on the loss of your friend.
"condolence book" "Sympathy" "Funeral" "Funeral book"
3) You can write your condolence message in that book.
4) The Prime Minister sent his condolences to the grieving family.
5) We wish to express our sincere condolences to your family on the passing of your aunt.
 
Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Difference between Cartoon and Carton

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Here is another common error I have come across. Both these words have different meanings and pronunciation. Incorrectly spelling the word can change the meaning of the sentence.
 
Cartoon

Pronounced as [kahr-toon]*
*from dictionary.com
It has 2 'o' - Cartoon
Cartoon :
1) Drawing in a newspaper that is usually meant to be funny.
3) Animated films for children / TV programs 

For example : 
Calvin and Hobbes.
Walt Disney Cartoons.
"Cartoon" "Thundercat"
Image : http://www.cartoon-list.com/
Spiderman.
Tiny Toon Adventures.
Thundercats.







We can also use the word Cartoon as an adjective to describe a person or situation that is funny and does not seem real. 
 
For example :
"Mr. Bean Dancing" "Funny Mr. Bean" "Bean animated"
http://www.animateit.net/
1) Mr. Bean seems like a cartoon character sometimes with all the fantastical things he does and trouble he gets into.
2) Her new boyfriend has such a cartoonish personality.
3) I do not like this storybook as the characters and plot are not believable; too cartoonish for my taste.
4) That band decided to use a cartoonish drawing for their CD cover.
Differences between Anime and Cartoons :

"anime" "cartoon"
Here are some of the differences between Japanese Anime and Cartoons :
1) The physical features in Japanese Anime are closer to real life than in Cartoons. In Anime, the characters look like real animated people, but in Cartoons, they sometimes don't even look like real people. The eyes are very expressive in Anime and the facial expressions convey the feelings of the Anime characters. On the other hand, in Cartoons, the physical features are not that close to reality. For example, the characters in Cartoons might have a small waist or the face and head may be out of shape.
2) Japanese Anime targets a wide range of age group. Most of the time, Anime is targeted towards adults and deals with mature subjects such as suicide. Cartoons are targeted towards children.
3) Anime is usually a series, which means you have to watch the entire series to know what is going on. Whereas Cartoons do not have any continuing storyline. You can watch Cartoons in any order as every episode has a different storyline and is not connected with the previous episode. 



 
Carton
Pronounced as [kahr-tn]*
*from dictionary.com (the 'o' is not pronounced)
It has 1 'o' - Carton

Carton
1) Cardboard or plastic box used for storage or shipping.
"egg carton" "egg container" "egg box" "dozen egg"
2) A container containing things for sale such as milk, eggs or cigarettes. These things are placed in the container and sold.

For example :
1) Please make sure the things are packed properly in a carton or they might get damaged. (damaged – spoilt)
2) Please buy me a carton of cigarettes.
"carton of milk" "milk container" "milk box"
Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net
3) That carton of milk looks like it has not been sealed properly.
4) I would like to seek your help to send these cartons for me. (seek - ask)





Difference between Crates and Cartons
Crates
"wooden crates"
are large shipping containers, made out of WOOD. Sometimes they are also made of steel and aluminum. They are used for packing or storing things.

Difference between Ample and Amble

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Ample
Ample

More than sufficient/enough.
a lot / an abundance / substantial / bountiful / plenty.
large / spacious.
For example :
"party food" "Birthday" "sandwiches" "food" "delicious"
Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net
1) She made sure there was an ample supply of delicious snacks during her son's birthday party.
2) For completing her work on time, her reward was ample.
3) We need to make sure there is ample storage room for all her antiques.
"Antique car" "Ford" "Old car" "Ford Model T"
Image : http://en.wikipedia.org/
* Antique – something belonging to the past and is not modern (usually more than 25 years old). Old-fashioned. 
For example : antique furniture / antique cars / antique collections
Antique shop – A shop selling antiques.
4) He always makes sure there are ample amounts of food during his dinner parties.
5) You don't have to get him any birthday presents, he already has an ample amount of toys.
6) I like to go to that shopping mall as there is always ample parking space.
7) The money I have saved is more than ample for the trip.


Amble


To go at a slow and easy pace or walk.
Stroll.

For example :
1) She ambled around the carnival with her husband.
2) Look at the horse ambling along the meadow.
Meadow : a grassy tract or field. Normally used for animals.
3) He ambled along the sandy beach looking for inspiration for his poems.

Difference between amble, ramble, wander and pace.
All these 4 words can be used to describe your walking but :
"shopping" "looking at stores" "buying dress"
Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net
amble : Is used for walking leisurely like when you go shopping. / Walking slowly while looking at things. / Walk without hurry.

ramble / wander : Is to walk (can be both at an easy or slow pace or walk hurriedly/quickly) but this is walking with no purpose or aim. / Like you have no sense where you are going.
For example :
1) They rambled through the bookshop until closing time.
2) The young boy wandered away from his mother.
You can also use ramble for speaking. Rambling on – to speak on and on (non-stop) with no proper aim or reason.
For example :
1) I hope the Chairman will stop her rambling soon.
2) I tend to ramble on in my blog.
"worried" "pacing Felix" "Felix the cat" "walk" "birth of child" "walk back and forth"
Image : http://www.animated-gifs.eu/
pace : to walk back and forth or up and down. Normally used when a person is worried or nervous about something.  
For example, when waiting for the birth of a child.
Pace is also used to show a single step.
For example :
Walk two paces to your right = Take two steps to your right.


Idioms :
Put someone through his paces
Means to test the ability of someone. / To show what one can do.

For example :
1) This test will really put you through your paces.
2) He put his new car through its paces to ensure it was worth the money spent on it.


Common Errors : Homophones - Aid/Aide

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Homophones are words that have different spellings and meanings but the SAME pronunciation.

Aid and Aide

both pronounced as [eyd]*
*dictionary.com
 
Aid

"Grant" "financial aid"
Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net
To give help or assistance.
To provide support or relief.
To facilitate.
Subsidy / Grant.

For example :
1) Without any financial aid, they might have to face bankruptcy.
2) The earthquake victims waited desperately for aid from the United Nations.
3) She is willing to offer any aid they might need.
"Flood victim" "flood rescue" "helping flood victim"
Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net
4) Let's hope they get some foreign aid, or they won't be able to survive.
5) We collected cash, food and clothes as aid for the flood victims.
"cane" "walking stick" "Brad Pitt hurt" "Brad Pitt walking stick" "Brad Pitt cane"
6) The actor walked with the aid of a cane when he injured his leg.
* cane = walking stick
7) The pie chart was a great visual aid for her presentation.
"businessman" "visual aid" "presentation" "presenting with visual aid"
Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net
* Visual aid = is something used during presentations or in the classroom during a lesson to make the explanation easier to understand such as posters, slides, pictures, objects, graphs and so on. For example, when explaining about the bones in a human body, a skeleton can be used as a visual aid.
8) Please help him as he has lost his hearing aid.
* Hearing aid = is a small amplifier worn to improve hearing. It is usually placed in or behind the ears. Those who have partial hearing loss usually wear hearing aids so that they can hear better. 


"sweeping" "servant" "cleaning lady" "cinderella" "housework"
Aide
An assistant / helper (person)
For example :
1) She hired a foreign aide for her mother, to aid with the household chores.
2) She decided to quit her job as a nurse's aide as the workload was too much.
"aide" "nurse" "aiding to walk" "helping to walk"
Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net
* Nurse's aide = A person who assists professional nurses in a hospital or medical centre by performing routine work like making beds and so on. A nurse's aide normally does not have any formal training or education.
3) The President walked with his hand on his aide who was there to help him.
4) An aide to the Minister said we will have the results next week.

aide-de-camp = A military/naval officer who serves as an assistant to a more senior military officer usually a general officer or admiral.

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