Download Confused Words

Confused Words
List A
Their, There, or They’re?
• Their: a possessive pronoun,
always modifies a noun.
• Farmers spent all their time
working the land.
Their, There, or They’re?
There: Can be used either as an
expletive at the beginning of a
sentence or as an adverb.
• There are many obstacles to a
good harvest.
• The fields over there will be
planted tomorrow.
Their, There, or They’re?
• They’re: A contraction of they
are.
• They’re deciding what crops to
plant this year.
To, Too, or Two?
• To: A preposition; begins a
phrase or an infinitive.
• to the party, to the movies
• to graduate, to pass
To, Too, or Two?
• Too: An adverb (modifies
adjectives and other adverbs)
• Too tired, too stressed
To, Too, or Two?
• Two: a number
• Two assignments, two dollars
Your or You’re?
• Your: A possessive pronoun,
always modifies a noun.
• Your car is cool.
• I wasn’t invited to your house.
Your or You’re?
• You’re: A contraction for you
are.
• You’re going to love Jamaica.
• You’re my favorite class!
Then or Than?
• Then: An adverb usually used to
refer to time.
• The class read the novel, and
then they took the test.
Then or Than?
• Than: Used in comparisons.
• She is smarter than he is.
• I like English more than I like
math.
Its or It’s?
• Its: Possessive pronoun, always
modifies a noun.
• The dog chased its tail.
Its or It’s?
• It’s: Contraction for it is.
• It’s almost time for finals.
Whose or Who’s?
• Whose: Possessive pronoun,
always modifies a noun.
• Whose car is in the fire lane?
Whose or Who’s?
• Who’s: Contraction for who is.
• Who’s going to the game
tonight?
List B
Cause or Because?
• Cause: Noun meaning a reason
for an action or condition.
• The cause of his death was skin
cancer.
Cause or Because?
• Because: A conjunction meaning for
the reason that or the fact that.
• Note: Do not use because after the
word reason.
Incorrect: The reason she failed is
because she didn’t study.
Correct: The reason she failed is that
she didn’t study.
OR
She failed because she didn’t study.
Have or Of?
• Do not use the preposition of in
place of the verb have.
• Incorrect: I wish I would of
gone on the trip.
• Correct: I wish I would have
gone on the trip.
Sight, Site, or Cite?
• Sight: Noun meaning something
that is seen or the process of
seeing.
• The Grand Canyon is quite a
sight.
Sight, Site, or Cite?
• Site: Noun meaning the place,
scene, or point of an occurrence
or event .
• This is the site of the accident.
Sight, Site, or Cite?
• Cite: Verb meaning to quote by
way of example, authority, or
proof.
• Please cite your sources.
Among or Between?
• Both of these are prepositions.
Among implies three or more
things. Between is generally
used with only two things.
• I spotted her among the crowd.
• She was between two seniors.
Right, Write, Rite, or Wright?
• Right: The word right is spelled
with “three-letter i,” i.e., igh.
• Citizens have the right to
assemble.
• Go two blocks and then turn
right.
• He always thinks he’s right, and
everyone else is wrong.
Right, Write, Rite, or Wright?
• Write: the present tense form
of the verb to write.
• Please write me a letter.
Right, Write, Rite, or Wright?
• Rite: A rite is a ceremonial act.
• Catholics celebrate the rite of
the Mass.
• A boy’s first haircut is a rite of
passage.
Right, Write, Rite, or Wright?
• The word wright is from an Old
English word meaning worker or
maker. A wheelwright makes
wheels. A shipwright makes
ships or boats. The word is
more common now in a literary
sense. One who writes plays is a
playwright.
List C
Good or Well?
• Well is an adverb which means
that it modifies verbs,
adjectives and other adverbs
• Good is an adjective, so it
modifies nouns.
Good or Well?
• Unfortunately, there are
exceptions to this rule just to
keep us on our toes. "Well" may
be used when describing if
something is proper, healthy, or
suitable. As in, "I am well
(healthy) today."
Good or Well?
• That is a good song. (Good is
modifying the noun, song.)
• You sang the song very well.
(Well is modifying the verb,
sang.)
• The bike is pedaling well. (Well is
modifying the verb, pedaling.
Bad or Badly?
• Bad is an adjective describing
nouns and pronouns.
• She was in a bad accident.
• Badly is an adverb that answers
how about the verb.
• She was hurt badly in the
accident.
Real or Really?
• Real: Adjective, meaning that it
modifies nouns.
• This is a real diamond.
• Really: Adverb, meaning that it
modifies verbs, adjectives, and
other adverbs.
• I am going to run really quickly
to the store.
List D
Principal or Principle?
• “Principal” is a noun and adjective
referring to someone or something
which is highest in rank or
importance.
• In a loan, the principal is the more
substantial part of the money.
• Mr. Whalen is the principal.
Principal or Principle?
• “Principle” is only a noun, and
has to do with law or doctrine.
• The workers fought hard for
the principle of collective
bargaining.
Whether or Weather?
• The climate is made up of
“weather”; whether it is nice
out depends on whether it is
raining or not.
Council or Counsel?
• An official group that
deliberates, like the Council on
Foreign Relations, is a “council”.
• All the rest are “counsels”: your
lawyer, advice, etc.
Desert or Dessert?
• That impoverished stretch of
sand called a desert can only
afford one “S.” In contrast,
that rich gooey extra thing at
the end of the meal called a
dessert indulges in two of them.
Loose or Lose?
• This confusion can easily be avoided
if you pronounce the word intended
aloud. If it has a voiced Z sound,
then it’s “lose.” If it has a hissy S
sound, then it’s “loose.”
• He tends to lose his keys.
• She lets her dog run loose.
List E
Fewer or Less?
• Fewer: Used with objects that
can be counted.
• Fewer tests, fewer classes
• Less: Used with qualities or
quantities that cannot be
counted.
• Less land, less money, less
talking
Farther or Further?
• Farther: Refers to distance.
• I drive farther to work now
that I moved.
• Further: Means “to a greater
extent” or “additional”.
• Her plan is further developed.
Affect or Effect?
• Affect: Almost always a verb
meaning “to influence”.
• Lack of studying affected my
grade.
Affect or Effect?
• Effect: May be used as a noun
meaning “result” or as a verb
meaning “to bring about” or “to
cause”.
• We knew the effects of the
medication.
• The tractor effected a drastic
change in farming.
Accept or Except?
• Accept: A verb meaning “to
receive”.
• We will accept your offer.
• Except: A preposition meaning
“other than” or “leaving out”.
• They have everything except
water.
Lay or Lie?
• Lay means “to put or set
(something) down”. Its principal
parts—lay, laying, laid, and
laid—are usually followed by a
direct object.
• Chickens lay eggs.
• Bricklayers lay bricks.
Lay or Lie?
• Lie means to recline. Its
principal parts—lie, lying, lay,
and lain—are never followed by
a direct object.
• Go lie down.
• The purse is lying at her feet.
Raise or Rise?
• Raise = to bring something up
• raise my grade, raise your hand,
raise the Titanic, raise the
dead, raise kids
• Rise = to go up by oneself
• watch the sun rise and the
bread rise.
Some others you need to know:
• No or know?
• New or knew?
• Through or threw?
• Our or are?
• A lot (Alot is not a word!)
• Feel, fell, or fill?
• Where, wear, or we’re?
• Here or hear?
• Adapt (to change) or Adopt (to
take as one’s own)?
• All ready (expression meaning
“ready”) or already (adverb
meaning “even now” or “by or
before this time.”)