VOCABULARY BUILDING

*English for Today by Ganiu Abisoye Bamgbose (GAB)*

*FREQUENTLY COlNFUSED AND MISUSED ADJECTIVES*

1. *absolute*: complete, perfect; *obsolete*: no longer used; no longer useful. Even with his obsolete tools, he had absolute victory.

2. *adverse*: bad, injurious; *averse*: not liking, opposed. The masses are averse to war but I pray that won’t be the adverse effect of this economic situation.

3. *acquisitive*: being in the habit of acquiring; *inquisitive*: trying to find out too many details about something or someone. I don’t like her inquisitive nature although I like her acquisitive habit.

4. *ardent*: eager, passionate; *arduous*: hard to do. An ardent student will do any task, no matter how arduous.

5. *beneficial*: useful; *beneficent*: kind, doing good. GAB is beneficent so he does this beneficial work.

6. *ceremonial*: connected with a ceremony; *ceremonious*: observing formalities. I admired one ceremonious officer during the ceremonial parade.

7. *comprehensive*: thorough, broad; *comprehensible*: that can be easily understood. The book is comprehensive but it is not comprehensible.

8. *continual*: regular, being repeated; *continuous*: without interruption. All of you that have always used them interchangeably, now, do you want your blessing to be continual or continuous?

9. *desirable*: worthy of having or doing; *desirous*: feeling or having a desire. She has a desirable physique so she thinks everyman is desirous of her.

10. *eligible*: qualified; *illegible*: unreadable. You can’t be eligible with your illegible writing.

Ganiu Abisoye Bamgbose (GAB)
Academic Advisor, Distance Learning Centre, University of Ibadan;
&
Doctoral Student of English, University of Ibadan.