CLASS 9 · LEARNING KNOWLEDGE
Word formation, collocations, and false friends in English
How it works
In the English language, it is important to know word formation (e.g. ‹happy› → ‹unhappy›, ‹success› → ‹successful›), typical word combinations (collocations such as ‹make a decision›, not *‹do a decision›), and so-called false friends. False friends are words that look similar in German but have a different meaning, such as ‹actual› (usually: really, real, actually present; not current) or ‹eventually› (finally, not possibly). Understanding these differences helps to avoid misunderstandings and to use correct English expressions.
Note
Pay attention to how English words are formed (e.g. prefixes and suffixes), which words are often used together (collocations), and which seemingly familiar words in English have a different meaning than in German (false friends).
Pay attention to how English words are formed (e.g. prefixes and suffixes), which words are often used together (collocations), and which seemingly familiar words in English have a different meaning than in German (false friends).
An example
Which of the following word formations is correct: ‹care› → ?
The correct derivation is ‹careful› (careful). ‹Care› + ‹-ful› forms an adjective that describes a property.
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50 Exercises
To the learning unit →Own explanation and own practice exercises by AmyMath. Subject reference framework: English. The topic assignment may vary by federal state.