Confusing pieces of paper

Students often get very confused about the different names of pieces of paper in English. This confusion is caused by two things, the first being the difference between British and American English, and the second being the problem of false friends or false cognates. This false friend problem is particularly noticeable between Spanish and English. Let's look at some of these confusing bits of paper.

A receipt ( ri'si:t) is a piece of paper that you are given when you buy something in a shop to prove that you have paid, and in case you want to exchange the item at a later date. A receipt is not something that you use in cooking, as that would be a recipe ('resipi), nor is it something that you get from your doctor to take to the pharmacy because that's a prescription.

Now maybe you are wondering what ticket means, since it obviously doesn't refer to the piece of paper you receive when you buy something in a shop. You do receive a ticket when you pay for something, but this is usually for access into a building, a form of transport, or to show that you have paid to take part in an organised game such as the lottery. Also, if you park your car illegally, you will get a parking ticket! The word ticket in Spanish is sometimes 'billete' and sometimes 'entrada', which can lead to further confusion since the word 'bill' exists in English too.

In British English a bill is what you ask the waiter for in a restaurant when you have finished eating and you wish to pay. In American English this is the check. A bill is also the letter you receive notifying you of the charges for a service you have used such as the telephone bill, the gas bill and the electricity bill. A bill in American English can also be the piece of paper that you pay with, for example a five-dollar bill. Although in British English this is known as a note; a five-pound note.

This leads us on to the final false friend for today. If a note is paper money and sometimes just a little message scribbled on a piece of paper, what do you call the numbers on the report that your teachers send to your parents? These are called marks or grades.

So let's practise! What words do you need to use to fill in the following gaps? Answers in the comments box please.

1. Our electricity has been cut off because we forgot to pay the _______!

2. My numbers came up on the lottery but I couldn't claim my prize because my dog had eaten my ________!

3. If you haven't got the ________, we can't exchange or refund the trousers.

4. I followed the _________ perfectly. I don't understand how I messed up the cake!

5. My parents are going to kill me, my _____ are terrible!

6. I'll pay the ______ this time, next time we eat out, you can get it.