Download Grammar Pointers for the Developmental Exit Exam

Commonly Misused Words
1. There/Their/They’re
a. Their is referring to a noun (person, place, thing)
Example: Walmart is huge. Their grocery section is as big as
Kmart’s entire store.
b. Remember that they’re really means they are.
c. Use there any other time.
2. Accept/Except
a. Accept means that you take something or believe something to be true.
Example: I would be happy to accept the job promotion.
b. Except means everything but that. (Think of the word exception.)
Example: I like everything in the salad you made except the red
peppers.
3. Affect/Effect
a. Affect means you are influenced by something, or it is influencing
something.
Example: I was affected by my teacher’s lecture.
b. Effect means that a change is taking place.
Example: The effects of September 11th were huge for the United
States.
4. To/Two/Too
a. Only use too if you are referring to a large amount of something, or if you
can replace the word “too” with the word “also.”
b. Two means more than one.
c. Use to for everything else in a sentence.
5. Sit/Set
a. Sit means to literally sit down.
b. Set means to place something down.
Florida Gateway College, 2009
Prepared by: Christopher K. Shumaker
6. Lie/Lay
a. Lie literally means to recline or lie down.
Example: I am going to go and lie down.
b. Lay means to place something down.
Example: Please lay my car keys on the kitchen table.
If the sentence is past tense (meaning talking about yesterday), for the
word lie----use lay; for the past tense of the word lay, use laid.
Example: I went to lay down because of my headache. (past tense
of the word lie)
Example: I laid your keys on the kitchen table when I got home.
(past tense of the word lay)
7. Bad/Badly
a. Use the word bad as an adjective to describe a noun, or one of the five
senses.
Example: He felt bad. (Bad describes one of the five senses--feel).
He was bad. (Bad describes he)—badly doesn’t sound
right.
b. Use the word badly to modify (describe) an adjective or an adverb or
another verb.
Example: The cake was badly made. (Badly describes the verb
made).
8. Good/Well
a. Use the word good as an adjective to describe a noun, or one of the five
senses.
Example: I feel good. (Good is describing one of the five
senses—feel.)
I am good at karate. (Good is describing the noun I.)
b. Use the word well to describe an adjective or an adverb or another verb.
Example: He plays well. (Well is describing the verb plays.)
Florida Gateway College, 2009
Prepared by: Christopher K. Shumaker
9. Several people like to use the word a lot. If you are going to use it, remember that
it is two words and not one word. Most people like to spell the two words as one
word, alot, and that is incorrect. It should always be two words, a lot.
10. Never use the word “cause” in your work when you mean to use the word because.
11. There will NEVER be a comma placed before the word because in the middle of a
sentence.
Florida Gateway College, 2009
Prepared by: Christopher K. Shumaker