usage and the usual suspects: clearing up commonly confused words

Usage and the Usual Suspects

Clearing Up Commonly Confused Words

Introduction

The English language has many subtleties that can trip up even the most

seasoned writer. Hone your skills with these refreshers on commonly misused

words.

Your vs. You’re

“Your” means something that belongs to you.

“You’re” is the contraction of “you are.”

Examples:

You want to receive 5 stars for your article.

When you get 5 stars, you’re excited and proud.

Affect vs. Effect | The Basics

The majority of the time, “affect” is used as a verb and “effect” is used as a

noun.

To “affect” something means to change or influence it.

An “effect” is something that happens due to a cause.

Examples:

Too many grammar mistakes will affect your score.

Including citations can have a positive effect on your authority.

Affect vs. Effect | Tips & Tricks

When you affect something, it causes an effect. “A” comes before “E.”

“Affect” is generally a verb, or an action word, both of which start with “A.”

Affect vs. Effect | The Exceptions

“Effect” can function as a verb when it’s used to mean “to bring about.”

“Affect” can be a noun when talking about psychology. It refers to the mood

that someone appears to have.

Examples:

If you hope to effect change in your scores, reviewing WD posts can be

helpful.

When you receive a good score, you display a happy affect.

Advice vs. Advise

“Advice” is a noun meaning information about what could or should be done.

“Advise” is a verb meaning to give advice.

Examples:

When you take good advice, your scores improve.

We advise you to proofread articles carefully.

Accept vs. Except

“Accept” is a verb meaning to receive something.

“Except” can be used as a verb, conjunction or preposition, but it always has

the general meaning of leaving something out or excluding it from the

group.

Examples:

We accept articles with 3 or more stars.

Citations aren’t a requirement, except for in premium articles.

Accept vs. Except | Tips & Tricks

When you “accept” or receive something, imagine you are giving it an “A.”

When you ”except” something and leave it out, think of marking it with “X” as

something you don’t want.

I.E. vs. E.G.

“i.e.” is an abbreviation for the Latin term id est, which essentially means “that

is.” It is used to introduce further clarification or an exhaustive explanation.

“e.g.” is an abbreviation of exempli gratia, which means “for example.” It is

used to introduce an incomplete list of one or more examples.

Examples:

Citations are required in certain situations, i.e., for any numbers, stats,

research or studies, quotes, or hard-to-find information.

You should avoid first-person pronouns, e.g., “I,” “we,” or “us.”

I.E. vs. E.G. | Tips & Tricks

“i.e.” can also be thought of as “in other words” or “in essence,” all of which

start with “I.”

“e.g.” and “example” both start with “E.”

Lose vs. Loose

“Lose” is a verb meaning to suffer a loss, part with, or not keep possession of.

“Loose” is usually an adjective referring to something that isn’t tight. It can also

be a verb meaning “to release.”

Examples:

Children are often excited to lose their first tooth.

When you have a loose tooth, it is tempting to wiggle it.

Lose vs. Loose | Tips & Tricks

“Lose” only has one “O,” because the second is lost.

That vs. Which

“That” is used for restrictive clauses, meaning that you can’t delete the clause

without changing the meaning of the sentence.

“Which” is used for non-restrictive clauses, meaning that you can remove the

clause without changing the sentence’s meaning. Non-restrictive clauses

should be preceded by a comma.

Examples:

An article that stands out and is well-written is more likely to receive 5 stars.

Coming up with a unique angle, which is often difficult, will result in a higher

rating.

Then vs. Than

“Then” is an indicator of time that can mean “next” or “at that time.”

“Than” is used when making a comparison.

Examples:

You should proofread and then submit the article.

Premium articles have a higher word count than standard blogs.

Then vs. Than | Tips & Tricks

“Then” and “time” both have the letter “E.”

“Than” and “comparison” both have an “A.”

Its vs. It’s

“Its” is the possessive form of the pronoun “it.”

“It’s” is the contraction of “it is” or “it has.”

Examples:

It’s always nice to receive 5 stars.

An article’s introduction should include its controlling idea.

Its vs. It’s | Tips & Tricks

“Its” follows the pattern of other possessive pronouns, such as “his,” “hers,”

and “theirs,” which don’t use an apostrophe.

Like all contractions, “It’s” will always have an apostrophe.

Their, They’re and There

“Their” is a plural possessive adjective describing something that belongs to

“them.”

“They’re” is the contraction of “they are.”

“There” can indicate a location that is the opposite of “here,” or it can be a

pronoun used to introduce a sentence or clause.

Examples:

Clients sometimes include special considerations to explain their keywords.

When editors read a 5 star article, they’re excited.

There are many talented people working for WD.

Their, They’re and There | Tips & Tricks

“Their” is usually followed by a noun indicating what belongs to “them.”

“They’re” is often followed by a present participle (or “-ing” form of a verb).

Could’ve vs. Could of

“Could’ve” is the contraction of “could have.”

“Could of” is commonly misused for “could have” because “have” is

pronounced similarly to “of” (in unstressed contexts).

Examples:

Correct: I could’ve handled it. OR I could have handled it.

Incorrect: I could of handled it.

Fewer vs. Less

One rule is that “fewer” should be used when talking about something you can

count and “less” should be used for things that you can’t count.

Another rule you might use is that “fewer” is for plural nouns and “less” is for

singular nouns.

Examples:

When you proofread carefully, there are fewer mistakes in your work.

When you memorize grammar rules, proofreading takes less time to do.

Farther vs. Further

“Farther” and “further” both mean “at a greater distance.”

In American English, the distinction is that “farther” is for physical distance

and “further” for metaphorical or figurative distance.

In British English and Australian English, the distinction is not as important;

“further” is the more commonly used form.

Examples:

They walked farther down the road.

Driving on a flat tire can cause further damage.

Continual vs. Continuous

“Continual” refers to something that occurs over a long period of time but that

may be interrupted or happen intermittently.

“Continuous” refers to something that is unceasing or that exists or happens

without any interruption.

Examples:

We are continually editing well-written articles. (We do take breaks and time

away from work.)

The need for new articles and angles can feel continuous.

Everyday vs. Every day

“Everyday” is an adjective used to describe something common or informal.

“Every day” is an adverbial phrase that can be replaced by “each day,” referring

to something that happens on all the separate days.

Examples:

Writing is probably an everyday activity for you.

You might write a handful of articles every day.

The End.