If you are studying English as a second language, you probably agree with me that sometimes its very confusing. Since I was six I’ve been having my ups and downs with the language, but I keep hanging in there trying to break the code. Still have a long way to go though.
Some English words are so confusing that many experienced writers have to pause for a second and think when they are about to type certain words. Some words are so close to others in spelling or meaning that they cause confusion, time after time. For this reason, it’s a good idea to study the most common word mix-up’s, to avoid problems that vex writers everywhere.
If you can conquer these common problems, you’ve made a giant leap forward in the language of Shakespeare. Here are some frequent offender words provided by Grace Fleming in her article Confusing Words. This is what she said about confusing words:
“affect/effect: To affect is to produce an effect. Still confused? Affect is usually a verb meaning “to impact or influence.” It might help to remember that “a” is for action and “e” is for result.
accept/except: Accept is a verb, meaning to take willingly. Except is a preposition, meaning “other than.” Remember the phrase “I will accept any food except spinach.” The words “accept” and “except” are in alphabetical order in that sentence. Hey, it’s silly but it might work.
conscience/conscious: Have you ever been present when somebody fainted? It’s scary, because nobody knows which word to use. It’s that bad. Seriously, many well-educated people stumble over this one! “Conscious” is an adjective, meaning “aware,” “awake,” or sometimes “on purpose.” Use this one if somebody faints. It might help to think of other “state of mind” words that have the same ending, like “serious,” or “delirious.” “Conscience” is your sense of right and wrong. It rhymes with “sense.”
fewer/less: If you can get this one right, you’ll be ahead of most of the English-speaking population. You’ll hear this mix-up all over the media! Few and fewer refer to objects that can be numbered. Less refers to a quantity of something non-specific. It might help to think of “less” as a “lump” word. Examples: I have “fewer” dimes and “less” money than you.
it’s/its: The apostrophe in “it’s” poses a real problem for some people. Many people think of possession when they see it. But it’s is a contraction, meaning “it is” or “it has.” It might be helpful to think of the possessive pronoun its in a group with “hers” or “his.” No apostrophe!
to/too: This is probably the most common problem pair, but once you get the difference, it seems so simple! To is a preposition that indicates location or direction, but it also can be used in front of a verb to make an infinitive, like “to eat” or “to swim.” That sounds more difficult than it is. Too is an adverb meaning “excessively” or “additionally.” Either way, this word indicates “an extra amount.” Just think of the extra “o” in too!
whose/who’s: Again, the apostrophe in who’s creates confusion, because it tricks people into thinking it indicates possession. It doesn’t! Who’s is the contraction for “who is” while whose is the possessive form of who. Examples: Whose turn is it to feed the dog? Who’s going to do it?”
Do you feel better now, after getting the grasp of some confusing English words? I’ll bet you do. Don’t let the language intimidate you. Good Day.
You missed further and farther.
Hi Richard:
It’s true. I’ll take them on in the future. I hope these small explanations will help those struggling with the language. I know they cleared my doubts a few years back.
Take Care,
Omar.-
I know lots of people get especially upset about apostrophe errors, but my pet peeve is the fewer/less business. I’ve been known to have discussions with store managers about signs that say, for example, “Ten items or less”.
Another one that drives me crazy is quote/quotation. “Quote” is a verb, “quotation” is a noun. As in, “She quoted Voltaire, but the quotation wasn’t familiar to the crowd.”
It’s really kind of fun to think about all this. I wonder how many other pair we could come up with?
How about this one? The signs that say “No Smoking Allowed.” Does that mean everyone can smoke but it’s okay if you don’t want to because not smoking is permitted.
I would interpret the sign this way: “No smoking is allowed here, but you can smoke elsewhere.” There’s a law in Panama prohibiting people to smoke in public places (e.g., restaurants, offices, buses, hospitals, and so forth). You can smoke inside your house if you want to.
Bye,
Omar.-
When the sign simply says, “No Smoking” I read that to mean exactly what it says. You can’t smoke in that location. But when it says “No Smoking Allowed” it leaves open the question to the alternative I mentioned above, which is you can smoke but no smoking is also permitted.