As for listening, how can I differentiate “befriend” from “be friend”?
Native speaker’s answer
Rebecca
Great question! It's a little difficult to explain over text but I will try my best. In most situations, we do not say "be friend." We say "be my friend," or "be friends." "Be friend" is grammatically incorrect. However, "befriend" will not have a pause like "be friend" would. I recommend slowing the speed down on the video and listen very closely. Listen to it several times and you will soon notice that there isn't a pause with "befriend." Keep increasing the speed of the video by small increments. If you are practicing your listening skills with a native English speaker, you can always ask them to speak slowly. More than likely, this native English speaker will be happy to help!