Question 310 - Difference between ‘artist’ and ‘asrtiste’Question 309 - using ‘is’ or ‘are’ with favouriteQuestion 308 - Difference between ‘sport’ and ‘sports’Question 307 - line up / queue up / jump the queueQuestion 306 - ‘a’ or ‘an’ before ‘one’ Question 305 - Soft drinkQuestion 304 - Difference between ‘raise’ and ‘increase’Question 303 - Difference between ‘evaluation’ and ‘assessment’ Question 302 - Teaching English through pop songsQuestion 301 - Meaning of ‘down to earth’Question 300 - Ask Graham reviewQuestion 299 - Football vocabularyQuestion 298 - Finding out how words are usedQuestion 297 - Other ways to say that someone is richQuestion 296 - Meaning of ‘wind up’Question 295 - Most common first namesQuestion 294 - Using ‘long time no see’ and ‘no can do’Question 293 - Types of doctorsQuestion 292 - Correct use of ‘matter’Question 291 - Answering questions in oral examsQuestion 290 - Using ‘glue’ to talk about peopleQuestion 289 - A letter to say you are leaving a schoolQuestion 288 - Why do we use ‘swine’ to talk about pigs?Question 287 - Difference between using ‘when’ and ‘that’ in relative clausesQuestion 286 - Difference between ‘tall’ and ‘high’Question 285 - Talking about future monthsQuestion 284 - Answering Yes/No questionsQuestion 283 - Two common questionsQuestion 282 - Talking about the Hong Kong dollarQuestion 281 - Learn everyday objects vocabulary, such as stationery and household itemsQuestion 280 - Difference between joining and taking classesQuestion 279 - Listening to native speakers from different countriesQuestion 278 - Difference between ‘lie down’ and ‘lay down’Question 277 - Meaning of ‘a slap on the wrist’ and ‘drive someone up the wall’Question 276 - ‘Thanks a lot’ can have a negative meaningQuestion 275 - How to start letters and emailsQuestion 274 - Difference between ‘ability’ and ‘capability’Question 273 - Difference between ‘set off for’ and ‘set off to’Question 272 - Difference between often, usually and always & more adverbs of frequencyQuestion 271 - Difference between ‘you are rude’ and ‘you are being rude’ Question 270 - Using the past tense to talk about factsQuestion 269 - Difference between ‘fade out’ and ‘fade away’Question 268 - Difference between 'log in' and 'log on'Question 267 - How to be a champion at the English Speech FestivalQuestion 266 - Time differences around the worldQuestion 265 - Difference between ‘fill’ and ‘fill up’Question 264 - Using ‘me’ or ‘to me’Question 263 - Difference between ‘compared with’ and ‘comparing with’Question 262 - Talking about pursuitsQuestion 261 - Answering questionsQuestion 260 - Difference between ‘avoid’ and ‘prevent’Question 259 -‘friendlier’ or ‘more friendly’Question 258 - Using ‘like’ in questionsQuestion 257 - Examples of present and past perfect tensesQuestion 256 - ‘in’ the team or ‘on’ the teamQuestion 255 - Using ‘kind of’ in the middle of sentencesQuestion 254 - How to make novels like ‘The Adventures of Tom Sawyer’ interesting for students Question 253 - Adding the possessive 's to names ending in ‘s’Question 252 - Talking about eldest children Question 251 - Singular or plural when talking about two thingsQuestion 250 - Meaning of ‘soft touch’Question 249 - Waiting listQuestion 248 - Asking and answering questionsQuestion 247 - What do school prefects wear?Question 246 - Difference between ‘on’ and ‘onto’Question 245 - How to become an English teacherQuestion244 - Learning ‘Exciting’ EnglishQuestion 243 -- Difference between ‘internal’ and ‘interior’Question 242 -- Preposition before Father's DayQuestion 241 -- Difference between ‘Chinese’ and ‘China’s’Question 240 -- Meaning of 'part company' and 'leave with your head held high'Question 239 --Using 'common'Question 238 -- Talking about strengths and weaknesses in interviewsQuestion 237 -- Difference between 'borrow' and 'lend'Question 236 -- Meaning & use of 'blinking idiot', 'good-for-nothing', 'stupid dummy' and 'catch him off guard'Question 235 -- Verb tense with 'first' and 'second' & 'take' or 'have'Question 234 -- Meaning of 'close of play' and 'meant to be'Question 233 -- Difference between a nation and a country & What is Tibet? Question 232 -- Using online dictionaries to find 'get on' 'get off'Question 231 -- Using 'a' or 'an'Question 230 -- Meaning of 'All Time High'Question 229 -- Meaning of 'fed up' and 'credit crunch'Question 228 -- Using 'he' or 'him'Question 227 -- Prepositions with 'playground'Question 226 -- How can I improve my writing?Question 225 -- Ending a letter or emailQuestion 224 -- Difference between 'classic' and 'classical'Question 223 -- Are 'could have done' and 'would have done' in the past perfect tense?Question 222 -- Difference between a rat and a mouseQuestion 221 -- Using "I'd"Question 220 -- Meaning of 'act up' and 'music to my ears'Question 219 -- Difference between 'to me'and 'for me'Question 218 -- Difference between 'national' and 'nationwide'Question 217 -- Using 'the' to talk about musical instrumentsQuestion 216 -- Using 'milk' to talk about making the most of a situationQuestion 215 -- Meaning of YuletideQuestion 214 -- Job titles (when to add 's' and 'al') Question 213 -- Difference between 'equipment' and 'facilities'Question 212 -- 'On/In the morning' & 'on/in time'Question 211 -- Meaning of 'on the cards'Question 210 -- Some prepositions of place and movementQuestion 209 -- The usage of 'different' and 'somehow'Question 208 -- Using 'kind of' and 'kinds of'Question 207 -- Difference between 'fun' and 'interesting'. Overuse of these words. Question 206 -- Meaning of 'let's play it by ear'Question 205 -- The difference between a job and a careerQuestion 204 -- 'in a train' or 'on a train'Question 203 -- Difference between 'when' and 'while'Question 202 -- Using the present continuous (e.g. it is starting) to talk about the futureQuestion 201 -- Difference between 'in a moment' and 'at the moment'Question 200 -- How to improve your EnglishQuestion 199 -- Saying you are Chinese (talking about nationality) Question 198 -- Difference between 'high' and 'highly'Question 197 -- Different ways to talk about coffeeQuestion 196 -- Using 'suffer'Question 195 -- Talking about checking something Question 194 -- Difference between 'UFO' & 'alien' and the meaning of 'treadmill' Question 193 -- Using 'spilt', 'ruin', 'stain' & 'spoil'Question 192 -- 'Lunchtime' or 'lunch time'Question 191 -- Difference between 'beggar' and 'busker'Question 190 -- Answering 'Why...?' questions with 'because'Question 189 -- Using 'footballers', 'going' and 'posters'Question 188 -- The HKCEE oral examQuestion 187 -- Talking about 'expensive' items and high pricesQuestion 186 -- Using 'home town' to talk about your parents' village in EnglishQuestion 185 -- Meaning and use of 'granted'Question 184 -- Using 'is' or 'are' with two objectsQuestion 183 -- The difference between 'dead' and 'died'Question 182 -- The difference between 'concern for' and 'concern with'Question 181 -- Difference between under & underneath and at home & in homeQuestion 180 -- Idioms with 'pay'Question 179 -- Pronouncing foreign words, such as ballet and cafeQuestion 178 -- Meaning of 'in bulk'Question 177 -- Different types of datesQuestion 176 -- Making plural nouns from words ending in 'y' (e.g. studies, monkeys)Question 175 -- Using 'discuss' and 'talk about'Question 174 -- Countable nouns such as 'reductions'Question 173 -- Meaning of 'Year of the Boar' and Chinese New Year in SingaporeQuestion 172 -- Using 'awaiting', 'longing for' and 'dying for' in writingQuestion 171 -- Saying 'put the desk and chairs back in their original place' informallyQuestion 170 -- Meaning of 'in for trouble' and 'way off'Question 169 -- Difference between 'model' and 'modelling'Question 168 -- Difference between fare, fee, bill, charge, cost, price & expensesQuestion 167 - Overused words in Hong Kong - moreover & phenomenonQuestion 166 -- Talking with native speakersQuestion 165 -- Meaning of 'flirt' and 'peck on the cheek'Question 164 -- Grammar and song lyricsQuestion 163 -- Online listening materials at English CampusQuestion 162 -- Describing hair loss in menQuestion 161 -- Meanings of 'See you around' and 'a bit of alright'Question 160 -- Different ways to show happiness for someoneQuestion 159 -- Describing pregnant womenQuestion 158 -- Usage of ‘Messrs’ in business lettersQuestion 157 -- Participating in solo verse speaking competitionsQuestion 156 -- Meaning of 'let me know how you get on' and 'Rome wasn't built in a day'Question 155 -- Prepositions before 'Sports Day' & dozen/dozensQuestion 154 -- Plural forms of animalsQuestion 153 -- Proper nounsQuestion 152 -- Using 'the' before place namesQuestion 151 -- Writing business e-mailsQuestion 150 -- Using the singular or plural form after collective nounsQuestion 149 -- Phrasal verbs often used in schoolQuestion 148 -- Difference between 'practice' and 'practise'Question 147 -- Difference between 'inform' & 'notify', 'level' & 'floor', 'buy' & 'purchase' and 'race', 'competition' & 'contest'Question 146 -- Omitting repeated words in sentencesQuestion 145 -- Avoid using 'I' in business writingQuestion 144 -- Talking about the weatherQuestion 143 -- Using 'good' and 'goodness' as nounsQuestion 142 -- Chat rooms for learning EnglishQuestion 141 -- The difference between anyone & anybody, everyone & everybody, no one & nobody, someone & somebodyQuestion 140 -- Idioms to describe talented peopleQuestion 139 -- Verbs that are not used in passive voiceQuestion 138 -- Level Playing FieldQuestion 137 -- The impersonal 'it'Question 136 -- When to follow verbs with gerunds and 'to infinitive' verbs Part 2Question 135 -- When to follow verbs with gerunds and 'to infinitive' verbsQuestion 134 -- How to use 'the following'Question 133 -- The difference between 'different' and 'differing'Question 132 -- Our NET translates a Chinese saying and explains the meaning of 'We have had words'Question 131 -- Two new idioms ('milk something' and 'fall just short')Question 130 -- How to use 'born'Question 129 -- The difference between 'under' and 'underneath'Question 128 -- The difference between 'there will be' and 'it will be'Question 127 -- The difference between 'talk to' and 'talk with'Question 126 -- The difference between 'prior' and 'previous'Question 125 -- Can we say 'Long time no see' in English?Question 124 -- English idioms about 'rat'Question 123 -- Seven phrasesQuestion 122 -- Free Websites for listening to English MusicQuestion 121 -- Uses of 'some' and 'as of'Question 120 -- Advice on Doing Comprehension ExercisesQuestion 119 - Others ways to say that you hate somethingQuestion 118 -- verbs followed by 'to + ing verbs'Question 117 -- Common English MistakesQuestion 116 -- 'In time' and 'On time'Question 115 -- 'Better you than me' and 'Do tell'Question 114 -- 'Play' and 'Play with'Question 113 -- Passive Voice Verb TensesQuestion 112 - Medicine and MedicationQuestion 111 - Others ways to say that you are angryQuestion 110 - "Cost"Question 109 - Big and LargeQuestion 108 - A Chinese IdiomQuestion 107 - The difference between "quick" and "fast"Question 106 - If you think your child's teacher made a mistakeQuestion 105 - Six idioms with "off"Question 104 - Helping your child speak EnglishQuestion 103 - How to use "would have had"Question 102 - "at" or "on" before a phone number?Question 101 - "you're dead meat", "back me up" and "call it a day"Question 100 - If he was the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, how would English be taught?Question 99 - "Suit", "match" and "goes with"Question 98 - 'state of being' or 'linking' verbsQuestion 97 - New School YearQuestion 96 - The goods will arrive in HK.Question 95 - Spot on, bottle out, gimmeQuestion 94 - Choose a good English nameQuestion 93 - WildQuestion 92 - 'believe' and 'believe in'Question 91 - 'sure' and 'ensure'Question 90 - Thank you for having meQuestion 89 - 'is' and 'being'Question 88 - A good sportQuestion 87 - Wear your heart on your sleeveQuestion 86 - Getting on my nervesQuestion 85 - From out of nowhereQuestion 84 - May God's peace be with you.Question 83 - How can I improve my English?Question 82 - Inquire and EnquireQuestion 81 - Math or Maths?Question 80 - Learn good English in Canada?Question 79 - A Letter to William Hung's FansQuestion 78 - What's up dude?Question 77 - A Grammar WebsiteQuestion 76 - Past Tense and Present Perfect TenseQuestion 75 - Success & SucceedQuestion 74 - through and acrossQuestion 73 - Making FriendsQuestion 72 - Pass the dictationQuestion 71 - Favourite QuestionQuestion 70 - Having "egg on your face"Question 69 - Touch onQuestion 68 - Food IdiomsQuestion 67 - William HungQuestion 66 - A good language websiteQuestion 65 - The meaning of 'by'Question 64 - Writing in a limited timeQuestion 63 - AgainstQuestion 62 - Reading helps writingQuestion 61 - Got it?Question 60 - 'Onset' and 'Obsess' Question 59 - PanicQuestion 58 - CrucialQuestion 57 - Shop 'til you dropQuestion 56 - You're grounded!Question 55 - Agree with / on / toQuestion 54 - In the newspaperQuestion 53 - A 'Mill Certificate'Question 52 - To be eaten or swallowedQuestion 51 - Passive Voice & Present TenseQuestion 50 - Walk the walk, talk the talk.Question 49 - Don't be smug.Question 48 - David LettermanQuestion 47 - in and on the treeQuestion 46 - Repeat HKCEE EnglishQuestion 45 - Get a 'D' in HKCEEQuestion 44 - FriendshipQuestion 43 - Writing MinutesQuestion 42 - A big gorilla on the tableQuestion 41 - SlowpokeQuestion 40 - Inner BeautyQuestion 39 - People's namesQuestion 38 - TrainersQuestion 37 - 411Question 36 - "Can you give me a hand?" "No can do."Question 35 - American SlangQuestion 34 - and & as well asQuestion 33 - I returned from England.Question 32 - Speak English like foreignersQuestion 31 - Dude & GeekQuestion 30 - I can't hear clearlyQuestion 29 - Clauses & PhrasesQuestion 28 - "not remember"Question 27 - On the one handQuestion 26 - Grammatical mistakesQuestion 25 - Arrive on the landQuestion 24 - RespectivelyQuestion 23 - Props, Lizzie.Question 22 - 12 o'clockQuestion 21 - See, Watch & ReadQuestion 20 - Talk of the devilQuestion 19 - Intransitive verbs & transitive verbs Question 18 - On assignmentQuestion 17 - RightQuestion 16 - Really urgent!Question 15 - Native speakers & English subtitlesQuestion 14 - ChickenQuestion 13 - Subtitles & ListeningQuestion 12 - Be a better teacherQuestion 11 - Improve my listeningQuestion 10 - Sports NewsQuestion 9 - Improve my pronunciationQuestion 8 - Improve my speakingQuestion 7 - Listening practiceQuestion 6 - SuggestQuestion 5 - Improve my EnglishQuestion 4 - He/She & TheyQuestion 3 - Improve language skillsQuestion 2 - English-learning websitesQuestion 1 - Advice to parents> Question 304 - Difference between ‘raise’ and ‘increase’ Dear Graham What is the difference between a 3% raise & a 3 % increase? I've seen it in a MC question? From YP Dear YP Both these words are used as nouns and mean that your pay has gone up by 3%. Both words can be used but ‘raise’ is more common. ‘Increase’ is often used as a verb. e.g. We will only get a 2% wage increase this year. ‘Raise’ is American English. We use ‘rise’ in British English. e.g. I got a 3% rise from my boss! You can see more uses of raise and increase at the Merriam-Webster website. Best wishes Graham Headquarters | Resources Depository | Teacher Net | Parents' Corner | Library | Subject iWorld School Directory | Inclusive Village | Small Campus | English Campus | HKReading City | Text-only Index