This is a guide to help learners to communicate easily in both speech and writing through a better understanding of the English language.
Elision
Elision is the omission of a vowel, consonant or syllable in writing or pronunciation. It is most frequently found with pronouns, auxiliary verbs and in negative expressions.
I’m (I am), Let’s (let us), Don’t (do not), They’re (they are), You’ve (you have) and Shan’t (shall not).
Elusive / illusory
An elusive person or animal is difficult to find or not often seen.
Susi managed to get an interview with an elusive philosopher.
‘Elusive’ also means ‘hard to grasp, express or define.’
Bernard’s poetry had an elusive quality about it.
‘Illusory’ means ‘false but seeming to be real or true.’
Your first impressions can often prove illusory.
Sam’s apparent success in his job was proved illusory when he was forced to resign.
Emigrant / immigrant
An emigrant is someone who leaves his own country in order to settle in another. An immigrant is someone who arrives from another country. An emigrant and an immigrant may be the same person seen at a different stage on his journey or from a different point of view.
There is a new wave of immigrants from Ukraine.
Emotive / emotional
‘Emotive’ means ‘making people have strong feelings.’
Child abuse is an emotive subject.
‘Emotional’ means ‘relating to your feelings or how you control them.’
Mothers provide emotional support when their children are in distress.
Endemic / epidemic / pandemic
An endemic disease or problem is always present in a particular place or among a particular group of people.
Violent crimes are now endemic in parts of Chicago.
An epidemic means a large number of cases of a disease that happen at the same time.
Over 1,000 people died during last year’s flu epidemic.
A pandemic is a disease that affects people over a very large area or the whole world.
The world has experienced a Covid-19 pandemic.
Enhance
‘Enhance’ means ‘to improve something.’
The publicity has enhanced his reputation.
According to grammarians, the verb ‘enhance’ cannot have a person as a direct object in the active form or as a subject in the passive form. You can say “Success has enhanced his prestige” but it is incorrect to say “Success has enhanced him.”
Enough / sufficient
‘Enough’ means ‘to the degree that is necessary or wanted.’ It is always used after a verb, adjective or adverb.
You can go to university when you are old enough.
The word ‘enough’ has its limitations as an adjective.
‘Sufficient’ means ‘as much as is needed for a particular purpose.’ It is an adjective.
Police only prosecute if there is sufficient evidence. For instance, you can say, ‘a sufficient quantity’, but not ‘an enough quantity.’ However, ‘enough’ remains more natural than ‘sufficient’ on most occasions. Instead of asking, “Do you have sufficient money?” ask “Do you have enough money?”
Enquire / inquire
‘Enquire’ is another spelling of ‘inquire.’ However, ‘inquire into’ has the additional meaning of ‘to investigate’ which provides a useful distinction between these two verbs.
Envelop / envelope
‘Envelop’ is the verb and ‘envelope’ is the noun.
We saw mountain peaks enveloped in mist.
Subhadra tore open the envelope and frantically read the letter.