PHRASAL VERBS: LOOK

LOOK INTO: investigate.
LOOK UP TO SB.: admire.
LOOK DOWN ON SB./STH.: think that someone or something is less important than you.
LOOK BACK: to think about the past.
LOOK AROUND: to search.
LOOK AFTER: to take care of.
LOOK FOR: try to find something or someone.
LOOK FORWARD FOR STH./-ING.: to anticipate something with pleasure.
LOOK AHEAD: to think about the future.
LOOK AT: contemplate / consider.
LOOK UP: consult a reference book.

ACTUAL(LY)

This is an example of what has been called FALSE FRIENDS.

ACTUAL means 'real'. "He looks older but his actual age is 40".

ACTUALLY means 'really' or 'in fact'. It may be used to correct misunderstandings:
"Hello, Peter. How are you?" "Actually, my name is John".
It also may be used to precise or to introduce unexpected information:
"She was so angry that she actually left".
"I've got a new girlfriend. Actually, we're thinking about getting married".

ANOTHER vs. OTHER

ANOTHER comes from the combination AN + OTHER, so ANOTHER will be used in those cases where we would use A/AN, that is, before singular countable nouns.

For example, “Would you like a glass of water?” ---- “Would you like another glass of water?”

On the contrary, OTHER will be used in those cases where we wouldn’t use A/AN, that is, with the definite article THE, a possessive adjective (my, your, his …), SOME or ANY; or any plural countable or uncountable noun.

Some instances: “I left my wallet in my other trousers”; “Are you free any other day of the week?”

FOOD - MEAL - DISH

Can you distinguish those three words?
FOOD (comida) is a generic term describing anything you can eat. It may refer to certain types of food:
- frozen food (comida congelada)
- canned food (comida enlatada)
- spicy food (comida picante)
- cat/dog/baby (comida para gatos ...)
- Italian/Chinese ... food (comida italiana, etc.)
- junk/fast food (comida rápida)

DISH (plato cocinado)  refers to something prepared to be eaten. For instance, 'the typical dishes in Spain are paella and tortilla".
MEAL (comida - evento) may refer to the occasion when food is eaten or the food which is eaten on such an occasion. For example, 'doctors recommend at least five meals a day'.

Everyday vs Every day

Maybe you have asked yourself why 'every day' can be written 'everyday' as well. Do you know the difference? It's quite simple.
EVERYDAY is an adjective. It means 'commonplace' or 'ordinary'.
EVERY DAY is a temporal expression. It means 'each day'.

Have a look at these two examples:
- Don't use the everyday dishes. Today's a special occasion.
- I have to work every day.

Phrasal Verbs

A phrasal verb consists of a verb and a preposition or adverb that modifies or changes the meaning; 

'give up' is a phrasal verb that means 'stop doing' something, which is very different from 'give'.  

 The word or words that modify a verb in this manner can also go under the name particle.

Phrasal verbs can be divided into groups:

Intransitive verbs
These don't take an object.
'They had an argument, but they've made up now'.
Inseparable verbs
The object must come after the particle.
'They are looking after their grandchildren.'
Separable verbs
With some separable verbs, the object must come between the verb and the particle:
'The quality of their work sets them apart from their rivals.'

With some separable verbs, the object can go before or after the particle, though when a pronoun is used it comes before the particle:
Turn the TV off.
Turn off the TV.
Turn it off.

Download a list of phrasal verbs here. 
If you are interested in doing some exercises, click here.

Commonly confused words

Take a look at these two sentences – one of them contains a mistake:

I poured over book after book.

We pored over the catalogues.

Are you sure which one is right? There are a lot of words in English that look or sound alike but have very different meanings, such as pore and pour. It’s easy to get them confused so it is interesting to study them.

Follow the link to learn more.

False Friends

False friends are pairs of words or phrases in two languages that look or sound similar, but differ in meaning. They can cause difficulty for students learning a foreign language because students are likely to identify the words wrongly due to linguistic interference.

actually: en realidad (‘nowadays’, ‘at present’:  actualmente)
to advertise: anunciar (‘to warn’:  advertir, avisar)
advice: consejo (warning, notice:  aviso)
argument: discusión, pelea (plot: argumento)
to assist: ayudar (attend: asistir)
billion: mil millones (trillion: billón)

cap: gorra (layer: capa)
career: carrera profesional, ocupación luego del estudio (degree: carrera universitaria)
carpet: alfombra (folder: carpeta)
cartoon: dibujos animados (cardboard: cartón)
casualty: víctima, herido (coincidence: casualidad)
collar: cuello de las prendas de vestir (necklace: collar)
college: facultad, colegio universitario (school: colegio)

complexion: tez, tono de la piel (build: complexión)
conductor: director de orquesta (driver: conductor)
(to be) constipated: sufrir de estreñimiento (to have a cold/chill: estar constipado/resfriado)
contest: concurso (to answer: contestar)
costume: traje, disfraz (custom, habit: costumbre)
curse: maldición (course: curso; year: curso escolar)
deception: engaño (disappointment: decepción)
dessert: postre (desert: desierto)
disgust: asco, repugnancia (annoyance, quarrel, trouble o to be upset: disgusto/estar disgustado)
economics: economía (cheap: económico, barato)
embarrassed: avergonzado/a (pregnant: embarazada)
estate: propiedad, bien inmueble, patrimonio (state: estado)
eventually: finalmente, tarde o temprano (by chance, possibly: eventualmente)
exit: salida (success: éxito)
fabric: tela (Factory: fábrica)
familiar: conocido, familiar (adjective) (relative: pariente, conocido - noun)

fastidious: exigente, quisquilloso, maniático, meticuloso (tiresome, annoying: fastidioso)
hardly: apenas, difícilmente (strongly: duramente)

idiom: modismo, locución (language: idioma)
influenza: gripe (influence: influencia)
inhabitant: habitante (uninhabited: inhabitado)
to intend: tener la intención de (to try: intentar)
intoxicated: ebrio (with food poisoning: intoxicado)
involve: involucrar (wrap: envolver)
jam: mermelada (ham: jamón)
large: grande, extenso (long: largo)
lecture: conferencia (reading: lectura)
lentil: lenteja (contact lens: lentilla; contact lenses: lentillas)
letter: letra del abecedario o carta (lyrics: letra de una canción)
library: biblioteca (bookshop: librería)
mayor: alcalde (bigger: mayor; old person: persona mayor)
misery: tristeza (poverty: pobreza)
notice: nota, anuncio (a piece of news: noticia)
office: oficina (trade, job: oficio)
ordinary: común (vulgar: ordinario)
pan: cacerola, cazuela (bread: pan)

petrol: gasolina  (oil, petroleum: petróleo)
pie: pastel (foot: pie)
place: lugar (square: plaza)
policy: política (pólice: policía)
to pretend: aparentar, fingir (to expect: pretender)
prize: premio (Price: precio)
to quit: abandonar, dejar (to remove or to put away: quitar)
quote: cita  (fee, installment or payment: cuota)
to realize: darse cuenta (to make: realizar)
to record: grabar (to remember: recordar)
regular: de tamaño normal (bad, not so good: regular)
relatives: parientes (relative: relativo – adjective-)
to remove: quitar, eliminar (to stir: remover)
resort: centro turístico o recurso (spring: resorte)
rope: cuerda, soga (clothes: ropa)
rude: maleducado, descortés (rough: rudo)
sane: cuerdo (healthy: sano)
sensible: sensato (sensitive: sensible)
sensitive: sensible (related to the senses: relacionado con los sentidos)
soap: jabón (soup: sopa)
spade: pala (sword: espada)
stationery: artículos de papelería (stationary: estacionario)
to stay: quedarse (to be: estar)
to stir: revolver un líquido (to stretch: estirar)
stranger: desconocido, forastero (foreigner: extranjero)
to stretch: estirar, extender, ensanchar (to take in, to narrow: estrechar)
suburb: barrio rico periférico de la ciudad (slum: suburbio de casas pobres)
success: éxito (event: suceso, acontecimiento)
to support: apoyar (to put up with: soportar)
sympathetic: comprensivo (nice, likeable: simpático)
sympathy: compasión, comprensión, pésame (friendliness, affection: simpatía)
target: objetivo (card: tarjeta)
terrific: fenomenal, genial (terrifying: terrorífico)
to translate: traducir (to move: trasladarse)
tramp: vagabundo (trap: trampa)
vacuum: vacío (vaccine: vacuna)
zealous: entusiasta (jealous: celoso)