16. Avenge and revenge
• Incorrect: I must revenge my father.
• Correct: I must avenge my father.
• Incorrect: I must revenge my enemy.
• Correct: I must take revenge on my enemy.
These two words are often confused. To 'avenge my father' means to ‘punish
someone who has hurt my father’.
17. Back and again
When used with a verb, back suggests a return to an earlier situation or a
movement in the opposite direction.
• Give me my watch back. (NOT Give me my watch again.)
• Take your money back.
• Put the book back on the shelf when you have finished with it.
• These mangoes aren't good. I am taking them back to the shop.
When used with a verb, again suggests repetition.
• I did not hear what you said. Please say it again.
• That was a lovely song. Can you play it again?
18. Bath and bathePerfect Your Sentences
In British English, the verb bath is used to mean 'wash oneself in a bath tub'.
• Children should bath regularly.
The verb bath is not used in American English. Instead, the expressions 'have a
bath' or 'take a bath' are used.
• As I was feeling hot, I took a bath.
In British English, bathe means 'swim for pleasure'. It is very formal. In an
informal style, we use the expressions 'have a swim' or 'go for a swim'.
• He said he had a good bathe.
In American English, bathe is used to mean 'take a bath'.
• I always bathe before I go to bed. (= I always take a bath before I go to
bed.)
Note that to lie in the sun is to sunbathe.
19. Beat and win
Beat is usually followed by an object which refers to the person you are playing or
fighting against.
• She always beats me at poker.
Win can also be followed by an object, but it usually refers to things like money or
prize. You can also win in a game, a race, a battle or an argument.
• She won the first prize in the quiz competition.
• She always wins when we play poker.
20. Because
• Incorrect: He did not come to school. Because he was ill.
• Correct: He did not come to school because he was ill.
This is a very common punctuation mistake. Because is a subordinating
conjunction. It must not be separated from its main clause by a full stop.Perfect Your Sentences
21. Because and because of
Because is a conjunction. It is used to join two clauses and is followed by a subject
and verb.
• We couldn’t go out because it rained.
• I did it because he told me to do it.
Note that the ‘because clause’ can come before or after the main clause.
• Because it was so hot, we went home.
• We went home because it was so hot.
Because of is a two-word preposition. It is used before a noun or a pronoun.
• We couldn’t go out because of the rain.
• I did it because of him.
22. Because and for
• Incorrect: I am glad for tomorrow is a holiday.
• Correct: I am glad because tomorrow is a holiday.
For is hardly wrong, but it is better to use because to introduce a casual clause.
23. Begin and start
There is little or no difference between begin and start. Begin is more common in
a formal style.
• He started / began working when he was 19.
• We will begin / start the next lesson tomorrow.
• It is time to begin / start work.
Cases where begin is not possible
We start (but not begin) a journey or a machine.
• We started in the morning and reached before sunset. (NOT We began in
the morning...)
• How do you start a washing machine? (NOT How do you begin a washing
machine?)
• At last the train started. (NOT At last the t