I wonder why your mind wanders when there’s so much to be done. Despite the minimal difference in spelling, the meaning is very different.

• wonder (v.) – a question that you ask because you wish to know something
• wander (v.) – to walk around without a purpose

(a) wonder

If you ask yourself these questions:

• Am I ready?
  Will I be a responsible husband?
  Can I earn enough to support my family?

… it shows that you’re wondering if you could make a good husband to provide for your family.

Examples:

1. Have you ever wondered why it hurts to be divorced?
2. I wonder if I’d ever change to be a better person.
3. Every one is wondering about the events that led to our marital problems.

(b) wander

When you wander, you don’t think; you just walk aimlessly and without knowing where you’re going. If your mind wanders, it means your mind is not thinking of anything specific or important. When you daydream, your mind wanders.

Examples:

1. My mind was wandering at the meeting just now; it was just too boring.
2. Kids who wander without their parents are likely to be victims of kidnappers.
3. When I’m alone, my mind wanders and I start recalling the past.

Here’s a song and the lyrics for the word “wander“, and a link to the music.  If you’ve been camping when you were a kid, you might be familiar with the song.  Enjoy!

The Happy Wanderer (Click here for the music)

I love to go a-wandering,
Along the mountain track,
And as I go, I love to sing,
My knapsack on my back.

Chorus:
Val-deri,Val-dera,
Val-deri,
Val-dera-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha
Val-deri,Val-dera.
My knapsack on my back.

I love to wander by the stream
That dances in the sun,
So joyously it calls to me,
“Come! Join my happy song!”

I wave my hat to all I meet,
And they wave back to me,
And blackbirds call so loud and sweet
From ev’ry green wood tree.

High overhead, the skylarks wing,
They never rest at home
But just like me, they love to sing,
As o’er the world we roam.

Oh, may I go a-wandering
Until the day I die!
Oh, may I always laugh and sing,
Beneath God’s clear blue sky!

A couple of minutes ago, a student asked me:

• “Teacher, can I have a chair?”

Err…what? She wanted to borrow the visitor’s chair that was in front of me. I said “Yes, sure.”

Of course, I knew what she wanted, but it is inappropriate to substitute  “borrow” or “lend” with “have“.

“Have” in the sentence that the student made means “eat“.

Therefore, she’s actually saying:

• “Teacher, can I eat a chair?” (X) instead of,
• “Teacher, could I borrow a chair?”

Let’s see these examples:

• “I’d like to have some rice today.”
• “Can I have you for dinner today?”

What do you think?

Let’s get straight to the point:

antics (n.) * - funny or strange behaviour
antique (n.) – old and often precious items

Note:

* “antics” is always spelt with an “-s“.

Examples:

1. The teacher was not pleased with his students’ antics during the drama class.
2. The antics of that footballer each time he scores annoys the referee.
3. Antiques can be found in museums and homes.
4. My parents inherited lots of antiques from my late great grandparents.

An avid blogger and a regular visitor to this blog recently asked the difference between “peek” and “peep“. I seriously don’t know why English has so many minimal pairs. Why can’t every word be spelt differently? I wonder if other languages have the same phenomenon.

• peek (v.) – to look briefly while trying to avoid being seen
  
• peep (v.) – to look through something, usually a hole

Examples:

1. Let’s take a peek at what’s happening next door but make sure they don’t see us.
2. “No peeking, please. This is a test; you should’ve already studied that chapter long ago.”
3. I heard a loud noise outside, so I peeked through the window and saw our neighbours arguing.
4. Shh! I think there’s someone inside. I’m going to peep through the keyhole to find out.
5. John peeped through the small opening in the fence when he heard a noise.

I’m going to take a peek to see if there are any peeping Toms in the vicinity.

One minute here, the next minute there. Where am I heading eh? Isn’t “minutes” the plural for “minute“? Well, yes and no.

• minute (n.) - unit of time which equals to 60 seconds
• * minute (adj.) - very tiny
• ** minutes (n.) – a written record of what is said at a meeting

Take note:

• * minute (adj.) is pronounced as [mai-niut], not [mi-nit].
• ** minutes (n.) is always plural, so don’t forget the “-s“.

Examples:

1. I will be ready in five minutes [mi-nits], so please wait.
2. The bacteria is so minute [mai-niut] that it could not be seen with a naked eye.
3. The minutes of the meeting must be distributed within two weeks. (√)
   The minute of the meeting must be distributed within two weeks. (X)

Do you have a minute to help me read the minutes of the previous meeting? The secretary’s handwriting is so minute that I need a magnifying glass to read it!