This is a guide to help learners to communicate easily in both speech and writing through a better understanding of the English language.
Sewer / sewage / sewerage
These words are sometimes confused.
A sewer is a pipe or passage under the ground that carries away waste material and used water from houses and factories.
Sewage is the mixture of waste from the human body and used water that is carried away from houses by sewers.
Chlorine is used in sewage treatment.
Sewerage is the system by which waste material and water is carried away in sewers and then treated to stop it being harmful.
Shade / shadow
Shade is slight darkness or shelter from the direct light of the sun made by something blocking it.
Let’s find a table in the shade.
A shade of something is slightly different from other ones.
There are various shades of opinion in the ruling party.
Shadow is darkness caused by something preventing light from entering a place.
My room was half in shadow.
If you have shadows under your eyes, there are small dark areas under them that show you are tired.
‘Shadow boxing’ is fighting with an imaginary opponent, especially as training for boxing.
‘A shadow puppet’ is a flat puppet that makes special shapes on a wall when you shine a light behind it.
Shambles / shambolic
‘Shambles’ means ‘an event or situation that is a complete failure because it has not been planned properly.’
He was accused of making a complete shambles of his speech.
‘Shambolic’ means ‘lacking organisation or planning.’
The way you run this business is totally shambolic.
Shanty
A shanty is a sailor’s song. The original spelling was ‘chanty.’ ‘Shanty’ has now displaced ‘chanty.’
Shanty also means a small, roughly built hut made from thin sheets of wood or plastic.
Poor people live in shanties.
Sharp / sharply / sharp-witted
‘Sharp’ means ‘having a very thin edge or point that can cut things easily.’
You can peel an apple using a sharp knife.
A person with a ‘sharp tongue’ often talks to people in an angry, unkind, or criticising way.
‘Sharply’ means ‘in a severe and disapproving way.’
“What do you mean by that?” Cynthia asked sharply.
‘Sharply’ also means ‘clearly and definitely.’
Opinion is sharply divided on the matter.
A ‘sharp-witted’ person is able to think and react very quickly.
Most politicians are sharp-witted.
Shear / sheer
‘Shear’ means ‘to cut the wool off a sheep.’
‘Sheer’ means ‘with no other feeling or quality mixed with it.’
It was sheer bliss not having to get up early on Sundays.
‘Sheer’ also means ‘straight up or down in any almost vertical line’
The mountains rise sheer from the sea.
Show / shew
‘Show’ means ‘to provide facts or information that make it clear that something is true or that someone exists.’
A general election will show which political party is the most popular.
‘Shew’ is an old spelling of ‘show.’
Shrink / shrinkage
Shrink’ means ‘to become smaller or to make something smaller through the effect of heat or water.
Hot water shrinks woolen clothes.
‘Shrink from’ is a phrasal verb meaning ‘to avoid doing something difficult or unpleasant.’
‘Shrinkage’ is the act of shrinking.
A ‘shrinking violet’ is someone who is very shy.
Sic
‘Sic’ in Latin means ‘so.’ It is inserted after a word or phrase to show that it has been copied exactly from an original. It usually means that the writer knows he is quoting something which is inaccurate.
She wrote, “The author Graham Green (sic) is much overrated. The writer is aware that ‘Green’ should be spelt ‘Greene.’
‘Significance / significant / significantly
‘Significance’ means ‘the meaning of a word, sign, or action, especially when this is not immediately clear.’
‘Significant’ means ‘having an important effect or influence, especially on what will happen in the future.’
The most significant political achievement will be the abolition of the death penalty.
‘Significantly’ means ‘in an important way or to an important degree.’
Health problems can be significantly reduced by careful diet.
As a noun, ‘sow’ means ‘a fully grown female pig.’
