When learning English, foreigners face the same problem - several English words are translated into their native language the same way, so it seems that they are interchangeable (for example, many do not know what the difference is between small and little). But in fact, such words are not synonyms - each of them has its own meaning and is used in certain cases. Sometimes the difference may not be very significant, and sometimes using one word instead of another is a gross mistake.
This article discusses the difference between the words small and little, sick and ill, high and tall, big and large.
Sick and ill: the difference
Two English adjectives, equally translated into Russian as “sick”, “suffering from a disease”. However, between them there is a difference both grammatical and semantic.
Sick is used in a sentence when it comes to some relatively mild or temporary illness, such as malaise, flu. In British English, this word may have the specific meaning of "nausea." It can be used with or without a noun.
I am sick with the flu. I get the flu.
She is sick. She's sick.
In turn, the word ill implies that a person is seriously and seriously ill, is used without a noun, and is usually a predicate in a sentence.
This patient is terminally ill. This patient is terminally ill.
High and tall: difference
Another pair of adjectives that are often mistaken for synonyms. Both mean high.
The difference between them is easy to remember. The word tall can be a definition for people, tall buildings, trees, and other objects if their height (length) is many times greater than the width.
How tall are you? How tall are you? (How tall are you?)
High is used when it comes to distance to the ground or other surface, as well as to measuring the height of objects (namely objects, not people's height).
Mount Elbrus is the highest mountain in Russia. Elbrus is the highest mountain in Russia.
Small and little: the difference
These two words are translated into Russian as “small” or “small”. The difference between small and little is that the first word denotes the small physical dimensions of something, and the second is used when it comes to someone's insignificance and unimportance. For example, the phrase small man means a person of small stature or thin physique (that is, physically “small”), and little man means a “small”, unimportant person holding a low position in any company or playing a minor role in society.
When it is necessary to indicate the age of a person, little is used (little brother - younger brother).
As for the grammar, the difference between small and little is that the word small is more universal - it can be used both in combination with countable nouns and uncountable. Little, in turn, can only be used when it comes to the uncountable.
He has a small number of friends. He has few friends. ("Friends" is a countable noun)
Give me a little money. Give me some money. ("Money" is an uncountable noun)
Small is always an adjective, and little can be both an adjective and an adverb (in the second case, this word is translated in the sentence as "a little", "a little").
She is a little tired. She is a little tired.
But at the same time only small has degrees of comparison and superiority (small - smaller - the smallest).
Big and large: the difference
Adjectives-antonyms of the words small and little. The difference between them is similar to the previous case: big denotes the high importance and importance of a person (for example, the well-known phrase “big boss” is important, “big” boss), and large, respectively, physical parameters (large boss - thick, large boss, and it doesn’t matter how high a position he occupies).
The word big can also indicate a person’s age.
This is my big brother. This is my older brother.
In this case, the computability or innumerability of the subject referred to in the sentence does not play a special role: both big and large can be used in both cases.
Big amount of money
Large amount of money - a large amount of money
Despite the fact that the second option is often used, the first one will also be clear and is not a grammatical error.