Certain sets of words in the English language tend to confuse people. I have found the following to be among them:
ANXIOUS / EAGER
Many folks use the adjective anxious when they mean eager. To feel anxious is to feel nervous; to be worried or concerned. To feel eager, on the other hand, is to feel happily excited.
INCORRECT: I’m anxious to see the movie. I’ve been looking forward to it all week.
CORRECT: I’m eager to see the movie. I’ve been looking forward to it all week.
CORRECT: I feel anxious about seeing the movie. The book was so good that I fear the movie may not live up to my expectations.
ALSO CORRECT: I’m eager to get started on this project, but I still feel a bit anxious about how it may turn out.
REMEMBER: The word anxious denotes an unpleasant feeling while eager implies a pleasant one.
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