Writing+Tips

toc WRITING REMINDERS

Commonly Misspelled Words
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Commonly Confused Words
Words that sound alike or nearly alike but have different meanings often cause writers trouble. Here are a few of the most common pairs with correct definitions and examples: **ACCEPT**-to receive //ex:// He accepts defeat well. **EXCEPT**-to take or leave out //ex:// Please take all the books off the shelf except for the red one. **AFFECT**-to influence //ex:// Lack of sleep affects the quality of your work. **EFFECT**-n., result, v., to accomplish //ex:// The subtle effect of the lighting made the room look ominous. //ex//: Can the university effect such a change without disrupting classes? **A LOT** (two words)-many. **ALOT** (one word)-Not the correct form. **ALLUSION**-an indirect reference //ex//:The professor made an allusion to Virginia Woolf's work. **ILLUSION**-a false perception of reality //ex//: They saw a mirage: that is a type of illusion one sees in the desert. **ALL READY**-prepared //ex//: Dinner was all ready when the guests arrived. **ALREADY**-by this time //ex//: The turkey was already burned when the guests arrived. **ALTOGETHER**-entirely //ex:// Altogether, I thought that the student's presentation was well planned. **ALL TOGETHER**-gathered, with everything in one place //ex:// We were all together at the family reunion last spring. **APART**-to be separated //ex:// The chain-link fence kept the angry dogs apart. OR My old car fell apart before we reached California. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**A PART**-to be joined with //ex:// The new course was a part of the new field of study at the university. OR A part of this plan involves getting started at dawn. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**ASCENT**- climb //ex:// The plane's ascent made my ears pop. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**ASSENT**-agreement //ex:// The martian assented to undergo experiments. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**BREATH**-noun, air inhaled or exhaled //ex:// You could see his breath in the cold air. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**BREATHE**-verb, to inhale or exhale //ex:// If you don't breathe, then you are dead. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**CAPITAL**-seat of government. Also financial resources. //ex:// The capital of Virginia is Richmond. //ex:// The firm had enough capital to build the new plant. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**CAPITOL**-the actual building in which the legislative body meets //ex:// The governor announced his resignation in a speech given at the capitol today. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**CITE**-to quote or document //ex:// I cited ten quotes from the same author in my paper. //ex:// The sight of the American flag arouses different emotions in different parts of the world. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**SITE**-position or place //ex:// The new office building was built on the site of a cemetery. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**COMPLEMENT**-noun, something that completes; verb, to complete //ex:// A nice dry white wine complements a seafood entree. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**COMPLIMENT**-noun, praise; verb, to praise //ex:// The professor complimented Betty on her proper use of a comma. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**CONSCIENCE**-sense of right and wrong //ex:// The student's conscience kept him from cheating on the exam. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**CONSCIOUS**-awake //ex:// I was conscious when the burglar entered the house. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**COUNCIL**-a group that consults or advises //ex:// The men and women on the council voted in favor of an outdoor concert in their town. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**COUNSEL**-to advise //ex:// The parole officer counseled the convict before he was released. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**ELICIT**-to draw or bring out //ex:// The teacher elicited the correct response from the student. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**ILLICIT**-illegal //ex:// The Columbian drug lord was arrested for his illicit activities. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**EMINENT**-famous, respected //ex:// The eminent podiatrist won the Physician of the Year award. //ex:// The meaning of the poem was immanent, and not easily recognized. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**IMMINENT**-ready to take place //ex:// A fight between my sister and me is imminent from the moment I enter my house. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**ITS**-of or belonging to it //ex:// The baby will scream as soon as its mother walks out of the room. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**IT'S**-contraction for it is //ex:// It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**LEAD**-noun, a type of metal //ex:// Is that pipe made of lead? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**LED**-verb, past tense of the verb "to lead" //ex:// She led the campers on an over-night hike. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**LIE**-to lie down (a person or animal. hint: people can tell lies) //ex:// I have a headache, so I'm going to lie down for a while. (also lying, lay, has/have lain--The dog has lain in the shade all day; yesterday, the dog lay there for twelve hours). <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**LAY**-to lay an object down. //ex:// "Lay down that shotgun, Pappy!" The sheriff demanded of the crazed moonshiner. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">//ex:// The town lay at the foot of the mountain. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(also laying, laid, has/have laid--At that point, Pappy laid the shotgun on the ground). <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**LOSE**--verb, to misplace or not win //ex:// Mom glared at Mikey. "If you lose that new lunchbox, don't even think of coming home!" <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**LOOSE**--adjective, to not be tight; verb (rarely used)--to release //ex:// The burglar's pants were so loose that he was sure to lose the race with the cop chasing him. //ex:// While awaiting trial, he was never set loose from jail because no one would post his bail. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**NOVEL**-noun, a book that is a work of fiction. Do not use "novel" for nonfiction; use "book" or "work." //ex:// Mark Twain wrote his novel //Adventures of Huckleberry Finn// when he was already well known, but before he published many other works of fiction and nonfiction. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**PASSED**-verb, past tense of "to pass," to have moved //ex:// The tornado passed through the city quickly, but it caused great damage. //ex:// Who was the past president of Microsquish Computers? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">//ex:// Go past the fire station and turn right. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**PRECEDE**-to come before //ex:// Pre-writing precedes the rough draft of good papers. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**PROCEED**-to go forward //ex:// He proceeded to pass back the failing grades on the exam. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**PRINCIPAL**-adjective, most important; noun, a person who has authority //ex:// The principal ingredient in chocolate chip cookies is chocolate chips. //ex:// The principal of the school does the announcements each morning. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**PRINCIPLE**-a general or fundamental truth //ex:// The study was based on the principle of gravity. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**QUOTE**-verb, to cite //ex:// I would like to quote Dickens in my next paper. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**QUOTATION**-noun, the act of citing //ex:// The book of famous quotations inspired us all. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**STATIONARY**-standing still //ex:// The accident was my fault because I ran into a stationary object. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**STATIONERY**-writing paper //ex:// My mother bought me stationery that was on recycled paper. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**SUPPOSED TO**-correct form for "to be obligated to" or "presumed to" NOT "suppose to" <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**SUPPOSE**-to guess or make a conjecture //ex:// Do you suppose we will get to the airport on time? When is our plane supposed to arrive? We are supposed to check our bags before we board, but I suppose we could do that at the curb and save time. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**THAN**-use with comparisons //ex:// I would rather go out to eat than eat at the dining hall. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**THEN**-at that time, or next //ex:// I studied for my exam for seven hours, and then I went to bed. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**THEIR**-possessive form of they //ex:// Their house is at the end of the block. //ex:// There goes my chance of winning the lottery! <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**THEY'RE**-contraction for "they are" //ex:// They're in Europe for the summer--again! <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**THROUGH**-by means of; finished; into or out of //ex:// He plowed right through the other team's defensive line. //ex:// She threw away his love love letters. //ex:// John thoroughly cleaned his room; there was not even a speck of dust when he finished. //ex:// He's really a sweetheart though he looks tough on the outside. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**THRU**-abbreviated slang for through; not appropriate in standard writing //ex:// We're thru for the day! <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**TO**-toward //ex:// I went to the University of Richmond. //ex:// He drank too many screwdrivers and was unable to drive home. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**TWO**-a number //ex:// Only two students did not turn in the assignment. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**WHO**-pronoun, referring to a person or persons //ex:// Jane wondered how Jack, who is so smart, could be having difficulties in Calculus. //ex:// Which section of history did you get into? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**THAT**-used to refer to things or a group or class of people //ex:// I lost the book that I bought last week. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**WHO**-used as a subject or as a subject complement (see above) //ex:// John is the man who can get the job done. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**WHOM**-used as an object //ex:// Whom did Sarah choose as her replacement?
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|Accept / Except]
 * [|Affect / Effect]
 * [|A Lot / Alot]
 * [|Allusion / Illusion]
 * [|All Ready / Already]
 * [|Altogether / All Together]
 * [|Apart / A Part]
 * [|Ascent / Assent]
 * [|Breath / Breathe]
 * [|Capital / Capitol]
 * [|Cite / Sight / Site]
 * [|Complement / Compliment]
 * [|Conscience / Conscious]
 * [|Counsil / Counsel]
 * [|Elicit / Illicit]
 * [|Eminent / Immanent / Imminent]
 * [|Its / It's]
 * [|Lead / Led]
 * [|Lie / Lay]
 * [|Lose / Loose]
 * [|Novel]
 * [|Passed / Past]
 * [|Precede / Procede]
 * [|Principal / Principle]
 * [|Quote / Quotation]
 * [|Stationary / Stationery]
 * [|Supposed To / Suppose]
 * [|Than / Then]
 * [|Their / There / They're]
 * [|Through / Threw / Thorough / Though / Thru]
 * [|To / Too / Two]
 * [|Who / Which / That]
 * [|Who / Whom]
 * SIGHT**-vision
 * IMMANENT**-inherent or intrinsic
 * PAST**-belonging to a former time or place
 * THERE**-indicates location (hint: think of "here and there")
 * THREW**-past tense of throw
 * THOROUGH**-careful or complete
 * THOUGH**-however; nevertheless
 * TOO**-also, or excessively
 * WHICH**-pronoun, replacing a singular or plural thing(s);not used to refer to persons