usage and the usual suspects: clearing up commonly confused words

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Usage and the Usual Suspects Clearing Up Commonly Confused Words

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Page 1: Usage and the Usual Suspects: Clearing Up Commonly Confused Words

Usage and the Usual Suspects

Clearing Up Commonly Confused Words

Page 2: 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.

Page 3: Usage and the Usual Suspects: Clearing Up Commonly Confused 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.

Page 4: Usage and the Usual Suspects: Clearing Up Commonly Confused Words

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.

Page 5: Usage and the Usual Suspects: Clearing Up Commonly Confused Words

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.”

Page 6: Usage and the Usual Suspects: Clearing Up Commonly Confused Words

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.

Page 7: Usage and the Usual Suspects: Clearing Up Commonly Confused Words

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.

Page 8: Usage and the Usual Suspects: Clearing Up Commonly Confused Words

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.

Page 9: Usage and the Usual Suspects: Clearing Up Commonly Confused Words

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.

Page 10: Usage and the Usual Suspects: Clearing Up Commonly Confused Words

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.”

Page 11: Usage and the Usual Suspects: Clearing Up Commonly Confused Words

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.”

Page 12: Usage and the Usual Suspects: Clearing Up Commonly Confused Words

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.

Page 13: Usage and the Usual Suspects: Clearing Up Commonly Confused Words

Lose vs. Loose | Tips & Tricks

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

Page 14: Usage and the Usual Suspects: Clearing Up Commonly Confused Words

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.

Page 15: Usage and the Usual Suspects: Clearing Up Commonly Confused Words

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.

Page 16: Usage and the Usual Suspects: Clearing Up Commonly Confused Words

Then vs. Than | Tips & Tricks

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

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

Page 17: Usage and the Usual Suspects: Clearing Up Commonly Confused Words

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.

Page 18: Usage and the Usual Suspects: Clearing Up Commonly Confused Words

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.

Page 19: Usage and the Usual Suspects: Clearing Up Commonly Confused Words

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.

Page 20: Usage and the Usual Suspects: Clearing Up Commonly Confused Words

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).

Page 21: Usage and the Usual Suspects: Clearing Up Commonly Confused Words

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.

Page 22: Usage and the Usual Suspects: Clearing Up Commonly Confused Words

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.

Page 23: Usage and the Usual Suspects: Clearing Up Commonly Confused Words

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.

Page 24: Usage and the Usual Suspects: Clearing Up Commonly Confused Words

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.

Page 25: Usage and the Usual Suspects: Clearing Up Commonly Confused Words

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.

Page 26: Usage and the Usual Suspects: Clearing Up Commonly Confused Words

The End.