名人教英文：to spot the difference in words
some words may look the same but are not. others are the same but have different meanings or usage. we need to take care to spot the difference, lest we should be misunderstood. some examples are given below to illustrate the differences in the pairs of words, or in groups of words where common mistakes are made with respect to their meaning, usage and, in some cases, their grammatical structure.
1. accede /access /assess
accede (verb) 同意、登位
e.g. the hong kong government finally acceded to the request for setting the minimum wage at $28 per hour in 2011.
在2011年，香港政府最终同意最低工资每小时28元。
e.g. the queen of england acceded to the throne sixty years ago.
英女王60年前登位。
access (verb and noun) 门路、到达、通道
e.g. i have accessed the secret information.
我已有门路拿到秘密的新闻。
e.g. there is no access from this street to that school.
这条街没有通道到那间学校。
assess (verb) 评估
e.g. this piece of land is assessed at ten thousand dollars a square foot.
这地皮的估价是每平方呎1万元。
2. arise / rise
arise (verb) 从而发生
e.g. this problem arises from a lack of trust in management.
这问题是对管理层没有信心而引起的。
rise (verb and noun) 升起
e.g. he rises from a junior position.
他从低级升起。