1、offer, provide, supply
這組詞都有“供給，裝備”之意。
offer: 常用詞，意為" 提出，提供，呈現"，表示向別人提供可接受也可拒絕的某物，如幫助，服務或物品，這可能是對方要求也可能是自己主動提出的。offer to help sb. 表示願意幫助某人；offer sb. sth./ offer sth. to sb.提供某人某物。例如：the river would offer power production estimated at 500,000 kilowatts if a dam were constructed. 如果築起水壩，這條河就能提供大約50萬千瓦的電力。an international corporation offered him a well-paid job, which he refused politely, since taking it would involve traveling abroad most of the time. 一家跨國公司向他許諾一份待遇優厚的工作，而他婉言謝絕了，因為接受那項工作就意味著大多數時間都得在國外出差。
provide: "供給，提供，裝備，準備"，強調有預見，並通過儲存或準備的方式為某事做準備，以在需要時提供所需物品。常用詞組：provide sb. with sth./ provide sth. for sb. 提供生活費，養活，為……做準備。例如：through the long days his wife sought by every possible means to provide him with occupation.在漫長的日子裡，他的妻子試圖用各種可能的辦法給他找事乾。as equipment improved, satellites began providing scientists with weather maps of the entire globe. 設備改進後，人造衛星開始向科學家提供整個地球的氣象圖。
supply: "供給，補充，彌補"，著重表示替換或不足所需之物以及彌補缺陷，滿足要求的意思，還可作名詞，意為“供給（量），物資，存貨”。常用短語：supply the market with new commodities 向市場供應新產品；supply a want 彌補不足；supply...for把……供給。the book would be incomplete without such discussions as i have tried to supply. 如果沒有我努力提供的這樣一些論述，這本書就會顯得不完整。what i admire most in my life is doctors and others supplying medical care to assistance recipients. 我一生中最敬佩的是那些向受援者提供醫療護理的醫生和其他人。
2、opinion, proposal,advice
advice: "忠告，意見", 指憑藉豐富的知識，足夠的經驗及正確的判斷,對他人提出自己的勸告，見解。my advice to you as a friend is that you should treat your wife with more consideration. 作為朋友，我給你的忠告是你要多體貼妻子。it was only by her husband's advice that julia had given up the idea. 只是在她丈夫的勸告下，朱莉亞才放棄了這個念頭。
opinion: "意見，看法，主張，見解"，可指個人或權威人士的判斷，主要表示對於有爭議，有疑問的事經過仔細考慮後得出的結論，但暗含其中有個人因素，可能有誤會或會遭到駁斥。常用詞組：in one's opinion 依某人看。the professors arguing about the cause of the disease, the young doctor listened attentively waiting for a chance to put forward his own opinion. 教授們在爭論著這種疾病的病因，而那位年輕的醫生專心傾聽著，等待著提出自己見解的機會。our doctor says it is due to a nervous disorder, but i think we should take another opinion. 我們的醫生說這是由於神經失調，但是我認為我們應該再請一位醫生診斷。
proposal：“提議，建議，請求（如求婚）”，指較為正式的建議等，提出以供別人參考，接受或實施，但也可能被拒絕。the steel industry refused to make any wage proposals until it obtained federal clearance for higher steel prices. 鋼鐵工業直到獲得聯邦政府提高鋼價的許可後才不再拒絕提出任何有關工資的提議。she told me that the second proposal of marriage which she received came from an italian prince. 她告訴我第二個向她求婚的是一個義大利王子。
3、outstanding, distinguished
這組詞都含有“傑出”之意。
distinguished: "卓越的，卓著的，傑出的", 一般指人的才華，品德達到受正式認可的水平，尤指因優越的品質而超越於同類之上，從而為公眾所知。其動詞詞組：distinguish a from b, distinguish between a and b （分辨a和b）。例如：dwight d. eisenhower was a distinguished general in american history, who made outstanding contributions to the victory of world war ii. 艾森豪是美國歷史上戰績卓著的將軍，他曾為二戰的勝利作出了傑出的貢獻。unlike their obscurer colleagues, distinguished composers do not have to struggle to get a hearing for their music. 著名的作曲家不像沒有什麼名聲的同仁，無須為自己的作品得到上演而奔波。his mind could no longer distinguish between illusion and reality. 他的頭腦已經不再能分清幻覺和現實。
outstanding: "傑出的，突出的"，非正式的普通用詞，一般指優於同類其他事物的人或事物，也可指某種與周圍環境截然不同的特點。these organizations have done outstanding work in promoting friendship and cooperation between the countries. 這些組織在促進鄰邦間友誼和合作方面作出了傑出的貢獻。he was one of the outstanding legislators who had to resign simply because they couldn't afford to serve any longer. 他是那些由於不能繼續工作而不得不辭職的傑出議員之一。
4、occupation, career, profession
occupation: "職業，事業", 是個較有概括性也較正式的詞。即某人經常做或訓練有素的工作。the report pointed out that society and occupation normally play an important part in determining mortality. 報告指出，社會與職業的因素在正常情況下對死亡有重要影響。you can see in her face that life was full of interest, expectation and occupation. 你可以在她臉上看到對她來說生活中充滿興趣，期望和事業。
career:“事業，職業“，指一個人為之受過訓練並願終生或相當長一段時間從事的職業。還含有 “生涯，生活歷程”之意。it was a thousand pities so clever a fellow should be shut out from a career. 這么聰明的一個人不能在事業上一顯身手，實在太可惜了。as far as i was concerned, it didn't make much sense to be changing careers at this point in my life. 就我個人來說，到了這個年紀改行乾別的，不會有多大出息。
profession: "職業"，指只有受過相當高的專門教育或訓練，具有了某種專業知識和技能並有創造力的人才能從事的職業，過去專指法律，醫學和神學，現在擴展到其他許多具有相當社會地位的工作，如教育，演藝等。常用詞組：by profession （就職業而言）。例如：he chose to make his friends mostly among members of the advertising profession. 他喜愛主要在以設計廣告為職業的成員中交朋友。he was found early that he had a vocation for the ministry, though he ended up in the law profession instead. 儘管他最後當上了律師,但人們發現他早年從事的是神職工作。
5、of one's own, one's own
這兩個詞組都是“自己的”的意思。
of one's own中的own作名詞用。整個短語表示“屬於某人自己”的意思，只作後置修飾語，修飾帶有a(n), this, that, some, any, no, one, two, 等限定詞的名詞或修飾one, nothing, something, anything 等不定代詞。例如：she has a mind of her own. 她頗有主見。i have nothing of my own. 我自己一無所有。the workers took him as one of their own. 工人們把他當作自己人。
one's own既可用作名詞，意指“自己的東西”；亦可用作形容詞，意指“自己的”。例如：this house is his own. (= this is his own house.) 這座房子是他自己的。（= 這是他自己的房子。）i saw it with my own eyes. 我是親眼看見的。she makes all her own dresses. 她的衣服都是她自己做的。
6、officer, officia
officer一般指“軍官”或引申而指組織近乎軍事化，穿特殊制服的工作人員，如警察等；也指商船的高級船員如大副，二副等。例如：he was promoted to the rank of the first officer. 他被提升為大副。
official一般指政府的“文職官員”，在美國它也可指運動會上的田徑賽裁判員。例如：everywhere he went he was accompanied by a group of officials. 他每到一處都有一群官員陪同。nepotism and corruption among government officials can ruin a nation without foreign aggression. 政府官員的裙帶關係和貪污腐化，雖無外患亦能毀滅國家。
7、on board, on the board, on the boards
on board泛指“在船上”，它還可指“在飛機（火車，共用車輛等）上”。這個習語也可接船名（如：on board the dongfeng 在東風號上）或船的類型（如：on board a liner在油輪上，on board a warship在軍艦上）。例如：as soon as i'm on board i always feel sick. 我一到船上，就總是感到噁心。he wasn't on board the ship when it sailed. 啟航時，他不在船上。the plane flew off after all the passengers came on board. 飛機等到全部乘客上來後才起飛。
on the board除可表示“在（具體的）這隻或那隻船上”外，還可表示“在會上討論（be discussed at a meeting）"的被動含義。例如：the plan is on the board. 那項計畫正在討論中。the problem will be laid on the board at the next meeting. 這個問題將在下一次會上討論。
on the boards中的boards是“舞台”的意思，其本義表示“在舞台上”，現常引申為“做演員，演出”，常用在連繫動詞be後作表語。例如：lily is on the boards, but katie can get nothing to do. 莉莉當上了演員，可是凱蒂卻找不到事乾。the play is now on the boards in beijing. 該劇目前在北京上演。
8、on earth, on the earth, in the earth
on earth有兩個意思：1.“在世界上”，相當於in the wold。2.“究竟，到底；一點也，全然”，相當於at all的意思和用法，這時它常用於疑問句，否定詞或最高級後加強語氣。例如：mary couldn't understand what on earth the teacher meant. 瑪麗不理解老師說的究竟是什麼意思。i feel like nothing on earth. 我感到說不出來的難過。
on the earth的意思是“在地球上”，用作地點狀語或連繫動詞be的表語。例如：it is said that there are probably over one million living creatures on the earth. 據說地球上可能有百萬多種生物。it is supposed at the present that human beings can only live on the earth. 據目前所知，人類只能生活在地球上。
in the earth儘管可譯成“在世界上”，實際上它含有“在地下”的意味。因此，指世界上空間的存在物不能用它。例如：the genie said he would show all the treasure in the earth to the man who would set him free.那妖怪說，他將讓放他出來的人看到世界上的所有寶藏。there is much petroleum in the earth. 地下有大量的石油。
9、on foot, on one's feet
on foot的本義為“步行”，用作方式狀語，它也常常轉義為“在活動中；在實行中，在進行中”，含進行時的被動意義，可用作表語或後置定語。例如：if the weather permits, i'll go to town on foot. 如果天氣許可，我將步行進城。a game of this kind is never played with the remainder of the financial community entirely unaware of what is on foot. 耍這類花招是決不可能在金融界其餘的人士毫無所知的情況下進行的。this is a plan on foot. 這是一項正在實施的計畫。
on one's feet中的feet任何時侯不可用單數形式foot替代。它常同動詞be, stand等連用，表示“站著”的意思；它還可指病人經過治療後“恢復健康”，指經濟狀況“恢復正常”或某人，某企業等“經濟獨立”。例如：a shop assistant is on her feet for most of the day. 售貨員幾乎是整天站著的。in three days you will be on your feet. 三天后你的病就會好的。he stood on his feet at last. 他終於在經濟上獨立了。
10、on purpose, in purpose, of purpose
這三個介詞短語都可用來指某人做某件事情帶有一定的目的，即表示“有意地，故意地；有目的地”的意思。這時它們均在句中作狀語,一般可以換用，只是on purpose最為常見，in purpose和of purpose基本廢棄。試比較："i'm sorry i stepped on your toe ; it was an accident." "it wasn't! you did it on purpose.""對不起,踩著你的腳了,我是無意的。" "不，你是故意的。"we sometimes turn back in purpose. 我們有時故意走回頭路。the insult was made of purpose. 這是故意侮辱人。
in purpose還可用作方面狀語，表示“在目的方面”的意思；有時還可表示“在意志方面”的意思，這時，可用of purpose替代。例如：they are similar in purpose. 他們目的相似。he is weak in purpose (or: of purpose). 他意志薄弱。peter is so infirm of purpose that it is useless to ask him for advice. 彼得這人優柔寡斷，向他徵求意見是徒勞無用的。
11、out of question, out of the question
這兩個短語只有一個the之差，但意思卻幾乎完全相反。
out of question中的question是“疑問”的意思，整個短語一起表明對一項事物或建議等的肯定，即“毫無疑問”的意思，通常用作狀語或者表語，其意思和用法與without question相當。例如：out of question, this plan can be fulfilled ahead of time. 毫無疑問，這個計畫可以提前完成。it is out of question that he will be appointed chief engineer of the railway. 毫無疑問，他將被任命為那條鐵路的總工程師。
out of the question中的question是“問題”的意思，整個短語表明對某項事物，要求或建議等的否定，即“不可能”的意思，一般用在連繫動詞be的後面作表語。例如：i have so much work to do that a holiday for me this year is out of the question. 我要做的工作太多，因此，今年我休假是根本不可能的事。raising more pigs is out of the question unless the fodder question is solved. 飼料問題不解決，多養豬是辦不到的。
12、only to do, only doing
only後接動詞不定式和現在分詞都被用作結果狀語。only to do的意思是“不料（卻）……，結果（卻）……", 表示一個沒有料到的結果。例如：i hurried to the supermarket, only to find it was closed. 我匆忙趕到超市，不料它已經關門了。he made a long speech only to show his foolishness. 他講了一大通，結果只是顯露了他的愚蠢。i went to see him, only to learn that he had left the city the night before. 我去看他，不料聽人家說他已經在前夜離開這個城市。
only doing的意思是“結果就……",表示一個意料之中的結果。例如：he died, only leaving nothing but debts. 他死了，結果只留下了一身債務。he dropped the plate, only breaking it into pieces. 盤子從他手中掉下來，結果摔成了碎片。he aimed, fired, only bringing down a red-necked bird. 他瞄準，射擊，結果打下了一隻紅頸鳥。