Commonly confused words in English, to avoid in your IELTS test

A guide to commonly confused words to learn their differences, and how to apply them correctly.

Mastering English involves understanding the nuances that differentiate seemingly similar words. It is easy to miss these differences, especially when they sound the same or can be used in multi-purpose ways, but its important to present to the IELTS examiner, how you can write correctly and clearly. Having the correct grammar and knowing the differences between key words in English, is something as someone who is developing their English language skills, is not only imperative to your IELTS exam, but its a life skill that will improve your usage of English.

Researches

"Research" can confusingly serve as both a singular and plural noun, referring to the act of studying materials to establish facts. "Researches," however, explicitly denotes multiple studies or investigations, highlighting the plurality of efforts.

• Correct: The scientist's researches into renewable energy are groundbreaking.
• Incorrect: He has made significant research on ancient civilisations.

However

The word "however" signals a contrast or a turn in the argument. Its placement is critical for maintaining the sentence's flow and meaning. When beginning a sentence, it suggests a contrast with the previous statement; in the middle, it introduces a pause for the contrastive element.

• Correct: I wanted to buy the dress; however, it was too expensive.
• Incorrect: I however think that we should reconsider our decision.

This/These vs. That/Those

"This" and "these" indicate proximity or immediacy, referring to objects or concepts close to the speaker or current in time. "That" and "those" create distance, pointing to things further away or events in the past.

• Correct: These cookies (here) taste better than those (there).
• Incorrect: Look at that problems we have to solve by tomorrow.

Who vs. That

"Who" specifically refers to people, adding a personal touch to the sentence. "That" is more general, used for objects, animals, and sometimes people, especially in a less personal context or when referring to a group.

• Correct: The woman who called earlier left a message.
• Incorrect: The friends that went to the beach had a great time.

Who vs. Whom

The difference between "who" and "whom" hinges on whether the pronoun is acting as the subject or object. "Who" acts as the subject performing an action, while "whom" serves as the object receiving the action.

• Correct: Whom did you ask about the directions?
• Incorrect: Who should I send this letter to?

Which vs. That

"Which" and "that" both introduce relative clauses, but "which" clauses are non-essential and punctuated with commas, whereas "that" clauses are essential to the noun they modify and do not use commas.

• Correct: The book, which I borrowed from the library, is fascinating.
• Incorrect: My car that has a broken window needs to be fixed.

Affect vs. Effect

"Affect" as a verb means to influence or make a difference to, while "effect" as a noun refers to the outcome or result of an action. Keeping the action (affect) and outcome (effect) distinction clear can help in their application.

• Correct: The speech deeply affected the audience. The effect was profound.
• Incorrect: His decision had a strong affect on the company's direction.

Learn these differences so that you write and speak in an accurate way, to clearly communicate in English.