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Hello everyone and welcome back to English with Lucy. Today I am going to talk to you about seven words that learners of English commonly use incorrectly.

They commonly misuse these words. This video will help you find out if you are also making mistakes with these words, and I’ll show you how to use them correctly, and I’ll also show you what you were trying to say by misusing these words with the lesson.

So number one, a word that learners of English commonly misuse is career. Career.

We use the word career to talk about an occupation undertaken for a significant period of someone’s life with opportunities for progress.

However, many students make mistakes with this word and they use it, they incorrectly use it to talk about a university student’s main area of study. There are many reasons why students misuse it.

It can be a false friend in certain languages and it can just be down to misinformation.

For this definition, we would say degree in the UK or major in American English. We do not use career for this definition. So a correct sentence with career is, I started my career making teas and coffees, and now I’m the head of operations. That’s correct.

An incorrect example would be, My career was very challenging and I was relieved to graduate.

We should say my degree or my major was very challenging and I was relieved to graduate.

Number two. The second word that students tend to get wrong is salary. Salary. We use the word salary to talk about a regular fixed payment, which is usually expressed as an annual amount.

In some cultures you talk about your monthly salary, in the UK and normally in the US, we talk about annual salaries. I remember when I moved to Spain I was very confused when people were asking me how much I earned per month or how much I would like per month.

I had to times everything by 12 and then it didn’t even end up being the same number. Many students get confused with the word salary and use it to talk about what someone earns per hour or per day. Obviously this is incorrect.

Instead, we could say wage or rate. Your daily rate, your daily wage or your hourly rate or your hourly wage. An example of salary used correctly, I was given a promotion which increased my salary to 40,000 pounds per year. An example of an incorrect use of salary.

I negotiated a good salary of 15 pounds an hour. We would say instead, I negotiated a good wage or a good rate of 15 pounds an hour. Hopefully that is clear for you now.

Number three, the third word that students misuse is custom. Custom. We used the word custom to talk about behaviours that are specific to a particular place, culture or society.

However, many students incorrectly use the word custom to talk about personal habits or actions. Instead, we could use habit or we might just use the present simple. For example, I do this. I’m talking about something that I do on a regular basis. I don’t do that.

I do not do this on a regular basis. I do not have this habit.

So an example of the correct use of the word custom. I find it fascinating to learn about the customs and traditions of ancient cultures. An incorrect example. Some people like to eat breakfast every day, but I don’t have that custom.

Instead, we could say, I don’t do that or I don’t have that habit. But I don’t do that, the present simple sounds a lot more natural. Number four is nanny, nanny. We use the word nanny to talk about someone who is employed to regularly look after children in a household.

They usually have special training and qualifications. Now, many students will make the mistake of using the word nanny to talk about somebody who watches over children in exchange for money. They’re not necessarily officially employed.

For this case, we would use the word babysitter. I worked as a babysitter from the age of 14.

It wasn’t official employment, I had no contract. People in the village would text me and say, “Can you babysit my children on Friday night? I used to charge five pounds an hour. I was a babysitter. I had no qualifications, no work contract. I had no employment really.

It was just lucky if someone called me up.” So an example of the correct use of nanny would be when I was little we had a nanny who would pick me up from school every afternoon.

Every afternoon means an ongoing basis. They are employed by my family. I did not have a nanny. An incorrect use would be, I need to find a nanny to look after the children whilst we go out tonight.

What I’m actually talking about is a babysitter. We need to find a babysitter for tonight. It’s a one off, a one time basis.

Number five. The fifth word that students use incorrectly is client, client. And actually a lot of native speakers misuse this word as well.

I’m sure I have, but sometimes it’s hard to know if I’ve picked something up from non-native speakers without realising it because I’m with them so frequently. We use the word client to talk about someone who is provided a professional service. A professional service is provided to them.

For example, lawyers have clients. The lawyers provide a professional service to the clients.

Accountants have clients. Many students say the word client when actually they mean customer.

Customer. A customer is someone who is provided goods or a service in exchange for money.

So with a service it’s less professional and goods, well you’re not generally providing goods to a client, you’re normally providing a professional service.

There is a grey area, but in general it’s one or the other. An example, many of our marketing agency’s clients are small, independent businesses. That is client used correctly.

An incorrect example, I must be my local pubs best client. What we should really say is, I must be at my local pubs, best customer. I’m buying goods. I’m not being provided a professional service.

Now, number six is to lay. To lay, and this is very commonly misused also by native speakers, so don’t worry if you’re misusing it as well.

To lay means to place something in a resting position. Notice the word, something. We always have to lay an object, to lay something. Now, many students will use the word lay when actually they mean lie.

To lie does not require an object. It means to recline or rest in a flat position.

Now, number seven is another confusing one again, many natives get wrong. It is loose, loose.

This also sounds like my nickname, my mom calls me Luce. Everyone calls me Luce. You can start calling me Luce, but it’s spelled L-U-C-E not L-O-O-S-E. Now loose is an adjective meaning the opposite of tight, very, very tight, very, very loose.

However, many students especially in their writing, will write loose when actually they mean lose, the verb to lose. Meaning to misplace.

Now I think it’ll just be easier if I give you one correct sentence containing both words used correctly instead of confusing you with incorrect and correct examples. Just with this case.

I’m worried I’ll lose my watch because the strap is so loose.

I’m worried I’ll lose my watch because the strap is so loose.

You might think they look very similar and sound very similar, but it’s all about the final consonant in the word, lose with the z sound, loose with the s sound.

Lose, loose, loose the adjective, lose the verb.

Right , that’s it for todays lesson I hope you enjoyed it, I hope you learn something.