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Welcome back to Mistake Break, where we deal with strange mistakes - sometimes! ...and today, we’re talking about the word "strange"
Let's start with this example: "The children were told not to talk to strange people."
Strange people: This is not quite accurate; we should say not to talk to strangers."
"The children were told not to talk to strangers."
But here’s why? "Strange" is an adjective but we wanted to talk about a person, we needed a noun and that’s why I used "stranger" - it is both: a noun and means a person you don't know.
Here are 3 examples with stranger :
"Never take candy from a stranger." (from an unknown person.)
"A stranger knocked on the door, so I didn't open it." (The person who knocked on the door is unknown.)
"I felt like a complete stranger at the party, not knowing anyone." (so I felt like an unknown person there.)
And now we’ll listen to some examples with strange:
"There’s a strange smell coming from the fridge!" (A strange smell is an unusual smell.)
"My dog makes a strange noise when it sleeps." (The noise is unfamiliar, strange.)
Remember: "Strange" describes; "stranger" is a person. Join us next time for another Mistake Break!
Follow-Up Exercises: Strange vs. Stranger
Exercise 1: Spot the Difference
Read the sentences below. Find the error in each one and correct it using either strange or stranger.
My dog barks whenever a strange comes to the door.
It felt very stranger to be back in my old hometown after so many years.
The police are looking for a tall stranger man who was seen near the bank.
As a tourist, you meet a lot of new people and see a lot of stranger faces.
He told me a very stranger story about a haunted house.
Exercise 2: Guided Practice: "Sentence Surgeon"
Fill in the blanks with the correct word: strange or stranger. Think about whether the sentence needs a word to describe something (adjective) or a word for a person (noun).
There was a __________ silence in the room after he asked the question.
My mother always taught me not to accept gifts from a __________.
It's common to feel like a __________ when you start a new job.
She has a __________ habit of collecting old bottles.
The village is very small, so everyone notices when a __________ arrives.
Exercise 3: Podcast Script Lexical Gaps
Complete the transcript from the Mistake Break podcast episode by filling in the blanks with the correct words from the script.
"The children were told not to talk to __________ people": This is not quite accurate; we should say not to talk to "strangers."
"Strange" is an adjective but we wanted to talk about a person, we needed a __________.
"A __________ knocked on the door, so I didn't open it."
"There’s a strange __________ coming from the fridge!"
Remember: "Strange" __________ ; "stranger" is a person.
Answers & Feedback
Exercise 1: Spot the Difference
Correction: My dog barks whenever a stranger comes to the door.
Explanation: The sentence needs a noun (a person) that the dog barks at. "Strange" is an adjective and cannot be a person.
Feedback & Further Examples: If you can replace the word with "an unknown person," you need the noun stranger.
A kind stranger helped me find my lost wallet.
The cat is shy and hides from any stranger.
Correction: It felt very strange to be back in my old hometown after so many years.
Explanation: The sentence needs an adjective to describe the feeling. "Stranger" is a noun for a person.
Feedback & Further Examples: The word "felt" is often followed by an adjective that describes an emotion or a state.
It felt strange to receive a letter after all this time.
The house looked strange without any furniture.
Correction: The police are looking for a tall, strange man who was seen near the bank. OR The police are looking for a tall stranger...
Explanation: In "a tall stranger man," the word "stranger" is used incorrectly as an adjective. You can either use strange to describe the man ("a strange man") or use stranger as the noun itself ("a tall stranger").
Feedback & Further Examples: Remember, strange describes a noun, while stranger is the noun.
We saw a strange light in the sky. (Adjective describing 'light')
Don't be a stranger! Come visit us soon. (Noun for 'person')
Correction: As a tourist, you meet a lot of new people and see a lot of strange faces.
Explanation: The word here needs to be an adjective to describe the noun "faces."
Feedback & Further Examples: "Faces" is the noun, so the word describing it must be the adjective strange.
He collects strange objects from his travels.
They heard strange noises in the attic.
Correction: He told me a very strange story about a haunted house.
Explanation: The sentence needs an adjective to describe the "story."
Feedback & Further Examples: Just like "a good story" or "a long story," you need an adjective to modify the noun.
What a strange thing to say!
The movie had a strange ending.
Exercise 2: Guided Practice: "Sentence Surgeon"
Answer: strange
Explanation: An adjective is needed to describe the "silence."
Answer: stranger
Explanation: A noun is needed to identify the type of person not to accept gifts from.
Answer: stranger
Explanation: The phrase "feel like a..." requires a noun to complete the comparison.
Answer: strange
Explanation: An adjective is needed to describe the "habit."
Answer: stranger
Explanation: A noun is needed for the person who "arrives."
Exercise 3: Podcast Script Lexical Gaps
Answer: strange
Answer: noun
Answer: stranger
Answer: smell
Answer: describes
Bonus: Key Patterns & Takeaways
Here are a few patterns that are good to know:
…is a complete/perfect stranger (you don’t know them at all)
She’s a stranger to me!
There are a lot of foreigners visiting England. (NOT strangers)
be/ feel/ look/ sound/ smell strange
a bit / fairly / somewhat strange
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