Introduction
Hello, lovely students, and welcome back to English with Lucy.
Do you know the difference between floor and ground?
What’s the difference between an opportunity and a possibility?
In this lesson, we’ll cover 12 nouns that often confuse English learners—their meanings, pronunciation, and how to use them in context. At the end, there will be a short quiz to test what you’ve learned.
1. Floor vs. Ground
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Floor: The flat surface inside a building that people can stand or walk on.
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Example: We sat on the floor in the living room and ate pizza.
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Also refers to levels in a building: first floor, second floor.
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Ground: The surface of the earth outside—soil, concrete, grass, etc.
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Example: We sat on the ground under a tree and had a picnic.
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British vs. American English:
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UK: “Ground floor” = level at the same height as the outside ground.
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US: “First floor” = ground level.
Special uses:
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Floor can also describe the surface of forests, caves, oceans:
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The forest floor was covered in moss.
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Sometimes interchangeable in casual speech:
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My ice cream fell on the ground/floor.
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2. Travel vs. Journey vs. Trip
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Travel (noun): The general activity of going to different places. Usually uncountable.
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Travel broadens the mind.
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Her travels in Italy were amazing.
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Journey: The act of going from one place to another, often long-distance.
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The journey to Paris took 3 hours.
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Trip: A short visit to a place with a return.
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I went on a business trip to Rome.
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Summary:
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Travel = general experience.
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Journey = A → B movement.
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Trip = Visit and return.
Example: Travel is my passion. I went on a trip to Edinburgh, and the train journey from London took 4 hours.
3. Opportunity vs. Possibility
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Opportunity: A chance to do something you want, usually positive.
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I had the opportunity to study in Spain.
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Possibility: Something that might happen or be true.
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There’s a possibility it will rain tomorrow.
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Example with both:
There’s a possibility my company will expand, and if it does, I’ll have the opportunity to move abroad.
4. Receipt vs. Recipe
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Receipt: Proof of payment, often a paper or electronic document. Pronounced /rɪˈsiːt/ (silent “p”).
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I can’t return it without the receipt.
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Recipe: Instructions for preparing a dish. Pronounced /ˈresəpi/.
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I followed the recipe for shepherd’s pie.
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5. History vs. Story
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History: The study/record of past real events (uncountable). Pronounced /ˈhɪstəri/ or /ˈhɪstri/.
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The invention of electricity was a turning point in history.
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Story: A narrative, real or imagined, often for entertainment (countable). Pronounced /ˈstɔːri/.
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My dad told me bedtime stories about dragons.
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6. Shade vs. Shadow
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Shade: A cooler, darker area where sunlight is blocked (uncountable).
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We sat in the shade under a tree.
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Shadow: The dark shape cast when something blocks light (countable).
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The tree cast a long shadow on the wall.
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Quiz
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When the fireworks started, everyone sat on the ground and looked up at the sky.
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My last business trip was exhausting.
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There’s a possibility the event will be canceled due to bad weather.
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I read the recipe wrong, so it tasted awful.
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We moved into the shade because it was getting too hot.
Conclusion
Which of these word pairs do you confuse most often?
Review the PDF linked in the description and try making your own example sentences.
See you in the next lesson!
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