Accept vs Except

These two English words are sometimes confused by native speakers. Please accept my invitation to learn the difference with this lesson. Accept Accept is a verb that means "to receive, admit, regard as true, say yes." I can't accept this gift. e was accepted to arvard. !o you accept this theory" #y offer was immediately accepted. e asked me to marry him, and I accepted. The noun acceptance refers to the "act or process of accepting, approval, or agreement." Except Except is a preposition that means "e$cluding." e bought a gift for everyone e$cept me. I know everyone here e$cept the children. Except is also a con%unction that means "if not for the fact that" or "other than." I would help you, e$cept I'm too busy. e never calls me e$cept to borrow money. Except is a fairly uncommon verb that means "to leave out, e$clude." I hate lawyers, present company e$cepted. &hildren are e$cepted from these rules. The noun exception means "e$clusion" or "one that is e$cepted." The Bottom Line The confusion between accept and except is due to their somewhat similar spelling and pronunciation. In fact, it's rather strange that they do get confused, because the meaning of accept and the meaning of except when used as a verb are more or less opposites. In the ma%ority of situations, when you want to use a verb, that verb is accept. Except is rarely used as a verb, but when it is, it means "to leave out" not "to receive or agree to."

Amused vs Bemused

The English words amused and bemused are confused by some native English speakers. Amused Amused means entertained or made to laugh. I was amused by his antics !o you think she was amused" I am not amused The noun amusement refers either to the state of being amused or to something that amuses is obvious amusement pleased me 'hat amusements do you have planned for the party" Bemused Bemused means to find something confusing or pu((ling. I was bemused by his sudden decision to )uit *ou look bemused+ should I repeat the )uestion" ,emused, he asked me to e$plain The noun bemusement means confusion or pu((lement. e stared at me in bemusement I shook my head in bemusement The Bottom Line I'm sure the confusion between amused and bemused comes out of the fact bemused is less common and so when people hear it for the first time, they notice the similarity to amused and think the two words must have a similar meaning. In fact, amused and bemused mean two completely different things. -ust remember that you are amused at an amusement park .like /reat 0merica or !isneyland1, and you are bemused when you don't understand. The misuse of bemused is so common in writing that I often have to read the sentence several times in order to determine whether the person really meant bemused .confused1 or amused .entertained1. I remember one author who consistently said bemused to mean "slightly amused." I didn't find it amusing in the slightest. 231

Amused vs Bemused

The English words amused and bemused are confused by some native English speakers. Amused Amused means entertained or made to laugh. I was amused by his antics !o you think she was amused" I am not amused The noun amusement refers either to the state of being amused or to something that amuses is obvious amusement pleased me 'hat amusements do you have planned for the party" Bemused Bemused means to find something confusing or pu((ling. I was bemused by his sudden decision to )uit *ou look bemused+ should I repeat the )uestion" ,emused, he asked me to e$plain The noun bemusement means confusion or pu((lement. e stared at me in bemusement I shook my head in bemusement The Bottom Line I'm sure the confusion between amused and bemused comes out of the fact bemused is less common and so when people hear it for the first time, they notice the similarity to amused and think the two words must have a similar meaning. In fact, amused and bemused mean two completely different things. -ust remember that you are amused at an amusement park .like /reat 0merica or !isneyland1, and you are bemused when you don't understand. The misuse of bemused is so common in writing that I often have to read the sentence several times in order to determine whether the person really meant bemused .confused1 or amused .entertained1. I remember one author who consistently said bemused to mean "slightly amused." I didn't find it amusing in the slightest. 231

Affect vs Effect

The English words affect and effect are often confused by native speakers 3 don't let their mistakes affect your English. Affect Affect is a verb with several different meanings. 4. To have an influence on, contribute to a change in 'hat you do affects all of us This decision will affect the outcome of the elections Inflation is affected by natural disasters 5. To touch, move+ to act on the emotions of I was profoundly affected by this movie is actions were not affected by her pleas 6. To simulate e likes to affect a ,ritish accent 7he always affected her eccentricity In psychology, affect is a noun which refers to a "feeling" or "emotion"2 *our son's lack of affect e$plains why you find it difficult to gauge his moods. Effect Effect is most commonly used as a noun, and has three meanings. 4. 8esult, something brought about by someone or something 'hat was the effect of her decision" 7ide effects include nausea and fatigue I don't think it will have any effect on the outcome The law will go into effect tomorrow *ou can clearly see the cause and effect 5. 7omething that gives the impression9sense of something else The special effects were ama(ing #irrors will give the effect of a larger space e said that %ust for effect 6. Effects can refer to belongings !id you bring any personal effects" 0s a verb, to effect means "to bring about, lead to a result"

The only way to effect change is to participate 'hat is the best way to effect these improvements" This should effect a whole new way of thinking about it The Bottom Line The confusion between affect and effect comes out of the fact that affecting something leads to an effect. The two )uestions " ow were you affected"" and "'hat was the effect on you"" mean almost e$actly the same thing. 'hen you want to use one of these words as a noun, the one you want is probably effect. 'hen you want a verb, most of the time you want affect. Effect is used as a verb only when it has a direct ob%ect and only when you mean "to bring about, lead to." The difference between to affect and to effect can be seen here2 To affect the results 3 To influence, have an impact on the results To effect the results 3 To bring about, lead to the .desired1 results

Borrow, Lend, Loan

'hat's the difference between borrow, lend, and loan" Two of them are synonyms and the third is the opposite 3 lend me your eyes and I'll tell you about them. Borrow Borrow means to take something from someone, with permission and with the intention of giving it back. The past tense and past participle are borrowed. &an I borrow the car" *ou can borrow a pen from him. I need to borrow some money. 'hat happened to the books I borrowed from the library" Lend Lend is %ust the opposite 3 it means to give something to someone, with the e$pectation that s9he will return it. The past tense and past participle are lent. *es, I'll lend you the car. e'll be happy to lend you a pen. I can't afford to lend you any money. The library lent me those books three weeks ago. Lend can also be used figuratively, to mean to contribute, impart, or offer2 The yellow wall will lend a feeling of warmth.

*our story lends itself to numerous interpretations. Loan Loan is a synonym for lend, used by 0mericans, but only for the concrete meaning .the opposite of borrow1, not the figurative one. The past tense and past participle is loaned. *es, I'll loan you the car. e'll be happy to loan you a pen. I can't afford to loan you any money. The library loaned me those books three weeks ago. Loan is also a noun, which indicates whatever ob%ect was loaned. I'll have to get a loan to buy this house. The loan of my car was on condition that you fill it with gas. The Bottom Line Borrow means "to take," while lend and loan mean "to give." If you continue to have trouble with this, try substituting "take" for borrow and "give" for lend or loan 3 the correct word will immediately be clear. *ou can only borrow something from someone2 Loan (or lend) me a pen is correct, ",orrow me a pen" is not. .-ust as "give me a pen" is right, but "take me a pen" isn't.1

Assure, Ensure, Insure

These three English words all mean "to make sure or certain" and are commonly confused, even by native speakers. This lesson will ensure that you understand the difference. Assure Assure most commonly means "to remove doubt about, to guarantee, to set one's mind at rest." It is a verbal statement of certainty. Assure is the only one of these three verbs that can be used with a person as the direct ob%ect. I assure you that we will be on time. e assured us that there were no delays. Assure can also mean ensure .see below1. In ,ritish English, assurance is used as a synonym for a particular type of insurance .see below1. Ensure

Ensure means "to make sure or certain" and must be followed by a direct ob%ect. Ensure indicates the action of guaranteeing, as opposed to the spoken guarantee indicated by assure. 'inning the lottery ensured our happiness. is loyalty will ensure your safety. Insure Insure refers to the provision of insurance2 coverage against a specified loss. #y new car is not yet insured. :ur house was insured when the storm hit. In ,ritish English, assure is used instead of insure when referring to insurance that is guaranteed to be paid .e.g., life insurance, because you are definitely going to die at some point1, as opposed to car or fire insurance .which cover you against a loss that may or may not occur1. Insure can also mean ensure 3 to make sure of. The Bottom Line Assure, ensure, and insure can all mean "to make sure or certain of"2 ard work will assure9ensure9insure your success. In my opinion, however, ensure is the only word that should be used here. ,eyond that meaning, assure also indicates a verbal guarantee, and insure refers to the action of guaranteeing coverage in the case of loss.

Everyday vs Every day

Everyday and every day are commonly confused in English. There's no difference in pronunciation, but using the wrong one when writing is a mistake in the everyday English you use every day. Everyday Everyday is an ad%ective that means commonplace, ordinary, or normal. These shoes are great for everyday wear *ou shouldn't wear an everyday outfit to the wedding !on't use the everyday dishes 3 it's a special occasion Every day Every day means "each day." I go to the park every day I have to work every day this week e$cept ;riday

Every day I feel a little better The Bottom Line Everyday is a single word and is an ad%ective, so it's the one that is used in front of a noun to describe something as normal or commonplace. Every day is an ad%ective .every1 plus a noun .day1, and it means each day.

Good vs Well
The English words good and well are often confused by native and non3native speakers of English 3 this is a good lesson that will put you well on your way to understanding the difference. Good Good is an ad%ective, which means that it modifies nouns. This is a good movie 'hat a good idea< *ou speak good English Good can be used with copular verbs .that is, verbs which e$press a state of being, such as to be, to seem, and to appear1, but it is still an ad%ective modifying a noun, not a verb. This movie is good is ideas are good *our English is good Well Well is an adverb, which means that it modifies verbs, ad%ectives, and other adverbs. !id the movie do well at the bo$ office" It was a well3defined idea *ou speak English well Well can be used as an ad%ective to mean "in good health." *ou look well I don't feel well

Hers vs Her's
'hat's the difference between ers and er!s" Hers

"ers is the third person singular feminine possessive pronoun 3 it replaces "her" = noun. Is this his or hers" I found a book 3 is it hers" I can't find my keys, but hers are on the table. ers is a better idea. is and hers towels Her s Though you may see er!s written even by native speakers, it is incorrect. "ers should never have an apostrophe. Its Its is the possessive form of "it." That's an interesting device 3 what is its purpose" I saw Les #is$rables during its initial run. This stove has its own timer. The bird lost some of its feathers. 'here is its head office"

Theirs vs Their's
'hat's the difference between t eirs and t eir!s" Theirs % eirs is the third person plural possessive pronoun 3 it replaces "their" = noun. Is this yours or theirs" e found a book 3 is it theirs" I can't find my keys, but theirs are on the table. Theirs is a better idea. Theirs is over here. Their s Though you may see t eir!s written even by native speakers, it is incorrect. % eirs should never have an apostrophe. The Bottom Line The idea that t eirs needs an apostrophe comes out of the fact that on virtually every other word, !s indicates possession, so English speakers sometimes think

t eirs should be spelled t eir!s. owever, this is always incorrect 3 t eirs is the only correct spelling. !urs &urs is the first person plural possessive pronoun 3 it replaces "our" = noun. Is this yours or ours" e found a book 3 is it ours" e can't find his keys, but ours are on the table. :urs is a better idea. The pleasure is ours. !ur s Though you may see our!s written even by native speakers, it is incorrect. &urs should never have an apostrophe. W o!s is a contraction of who is or, less commonly, who has. 'ho's watching T>" !o you know who's going to speak" 'ho's ready to go" 'ho's in the kitchen" 'ho's this" 'ho's already eaten" Whose W ose is the possessive of who or, somewhat controversially, which. 'hose book is this" !o you know whose car this is" I know a woman whose kids study there. 'hose side are you on" 0n idea whose time has come. The Bottom Line The trouble here is due to the apostrophe, which on ??@ of English words indicates possession, but on this one simply indicates a contraction. If you can replace the word with w o is or w o as, use w o!s. If not, use w ose.

Who vs Whom

#any English speakers do not know the difference between w o and w om. In some places, it hardly matters, because using w o when you should use w om is so common that it's not even considered much of a mistake. ,ut for those who want to know the difference between w o and w om, here is an e$planation. Who W o is an interrogative pronoun and is used in place of the su"#ect of a )uestion. 'ho is going" 'ho are you" Is this who told you" W o can also be used in statements, in place of the sub%ect of a clause. This is who warned me. -ack is the one who wants to go. 0nyone who knows the truth should tell us. Whom W om is also an interrogative pronoun, but it is used in place of the o"#ect of a )uestion. 'hom is this story about" 'ith whom are you going" 'hom did they tell" 0nd w om can be used in statements, in place of the ob%ect of a clause. This is the man whom I told you about. -ohn is the man whom you met at dinner last week. W om is always the correct choice after a preposition. The students, one of whom is graduating this year, failed the test. Aisa is the girl with whom I'm driving to #aine.

Your vs You're
'hat's the difference between your and you!re" *our presence on this page means you're about to find out. $our 'our is the second person possessive ad%ective, used to describe something as belonging to you. 'our is nearly always followed by a noun. 'hat is your name"

Is this your pen" *our book is on the table. This is your chair and this is mine. 'hat happened to your dog" *our being here is causing some problems. $ou re 'ou!re is the contraction of "you are" and is often followed by the present participle .verb form ending in 3ing1. *ou're going to be late. Is that what you're wearing" I think you're lying. If you're ready, we can go. I can't believe you're a doctor< 'hen you're my age, you'll understand. The Bottom Line The confusion between your and you!re occurs because the two words are pronounced pretty much the same. The ironclad rule 3 no e$ceptions 3 is that if you're able to replace the word with "you are," you're saying you!re. :therwise, your only choice is your. $ours 'ours is the second person possessive pronoun 3 it replaces "your" = noun. Is this yours or theirs" e found a book 3 is it yours" I can't find my wallet, but yours is on the table. *ours is a better idea. *ours sincerely $our s Though you may see your!s written even by native speakers, it is incorrect. 'ours should never have an apostrophe. The Bottom Line The idea that yours needs an apostrophe comes out of the fact that on virtually every other word, !s indicates possession, so English speakers sometimes think

yours should be spelled your!s. owever, this is always incorrect 3 yours is the only correct spelling.

Loose vs Lose
The words loose and lose are mi$ed up in writing+ for some reason, many people write loose when they really mean lose. ,ut there's no reason to lose your mind worrying about this, %ust lose the e$tra o< Loose Loose is an ad%ective, the opposite of tight or contained. #y shoes are loose I have a loose tooth There's a dog running loose in the street Lose Lose is a verb that means to suffer the loss of, to miss. I win< *ou lose< !on't lose your keys I never lose bets The Bottom Line 7imple carelessness leads people to write loose when they mean lose. -ust remember that lose has one o, and loose has two. 7tart with loose, lose an o, and what do you get" Lose<

%arther vs %urther
These two English words are very similar+ keep reading for further information. %arther (art er means "more far9distant" in physical distance. Tom ran farther than ,ill. 'hich is farther, Bew *ork or Aos 0ngeles" (art est means "the most far9distant." I prefer the seat farthest from the window. Pluto was once considered the farthest planet from the sun. %urther

(urt er means "more far9distant" figuratively or non3physically, and can also mean "more9additional"2 Bothing could be further from the truth. 'ho is further along in her research" !o you have any further ideas" (urt er is also a verb2 "to advance"2 This class will further your understanding of ethics. (urt est means "the most far9distant" figuratively. That is the furthest thing from my mind. The Bottom Line #any English speakers use both fart er and furt er to mean "more far" in space, but only furt er can be used for non3physical distance and to mean "more." If you are talking about actual distance, you can usually use either word without raising any eyebrows, but keep furt er in mind for all of your English furt ering efforts.

Fewer vs Less
The words fewer and less are commonly confused in English, or rather, less is used while fewer tends to fall by the wayside. *ou'll be less confused and make fewer mistakes after reading through this lesson. %ewer (ewer is used with countable nouns2 people, animals, chairs, shoes. *ou know fewer people than I do. There should be fewer books on the table. I have fewer ideas than everyone else. ;ewer of us show up each year. Less Less is used for uncountable, usually abstract nouns2 money, happiness, snow, idealism. I hope less snow falls this year. 'e need more money and less debt. I have less computer savvy than you. *ou should spend less of your time complaining. Less is also used with ad%ectives and adverbs2 I'm less happy than I used to be. e runs less )uickly than you.

The Bottom Line Less is the more common word, there's no doubt about it. ,ut many speakers seem to use it all the time, even in the relatively fewer constructions that need fewer. -ust remember that if the noun can be preceded by a number .one person, three dogs, si$ of us, nineteen problems1, it should be modified with fewer. :therwise, less is best.

En&lish 'pellin&( I Before E

'hether to spell any given word with ie or ei can often stump native English speakers. In school many of us were taught the mnemonic device "I before E e$cept after ) or when sounding like A as in neig bor and weig ." This is a fairly good rule, but it has a lot of e$ceptions. I "efore e .with a long e sound1 belief thieves piece shield lien hurried Except after c receive receipt ceiling deceive conceit !r when soundin& li)e a neighbor weigh vein eight veil rein 7o much for the rule... here are some other e$ceptions. Lon& i sound height seismic heist !ther sounds Exceptions sheik either leisure sei(e protein caffeine Exceptions sufficient science deficient species science

heifer forfeit their weird deity *e + ver" "e&innin& with i reintroduce reinforce reinvigorate ,er"s that end in e + in& being seeing agreeing fleeing

e vs

yse!f

#e, myself, and I may refer to the same person, but they are not interchangeable. #yself should be the one you hear the least, but it's often used incorrectly in place of me. -e #e is an ob%ect pronoun, which means that it refers to the person that the action of a verb is being done to, or to which a preposition refers. They want me to study more. Tell me a story. ,etween you and me, he's right. &arol wants to meet with -ohn and me tomorrow. The book was written entirely by me. Please call illary or me with any )uestions. -yself #yself is a refle$ive or stressed pronoun, which means that, generally speaking, it should be used in con%unction with the sub%ect pronoun I, not instead of the ob%ect pronoun me. I bought myself a car. I myself started the company. I did the laundry by myself. I feel like myself again.

Tired of waiting, I %ust did it myself. The Bottom Line #yself can be used for stress, but most grammarians won't allow it to be used alone 3 they re%ect constructions like "&arol wants to meet with -ohn and myself" .correct2 with -ohn and me"1 and "The book was written entirely by myself" .correct2 by me personally1. -ust remember that myself can be refle$ive .I'm doing something to9for myself1 or emphatic .I myself1. :therwise, you probably want to use me.

Weather vs Whether
The words weat er and w et er have nothing in common other than their pronunciation, but English speakers are sometimes unsure which one to use. ;ind out whether you need to correct your spelling. Weather Weat er is usually a noun2 ow's the weather" The weather is always great this time of year 'hat's the weather like in 7pain" Weat er is also a verb that means "to be affected by the weather"2 That house is really weathered ;iguratively, weat er means "to get9live through"2 I know we can weather this crisis Whether W et er is a con%unction that introduces possibilities or alternatives2 !o you know whether he is coming" *ou'll do it whether you like it or not 'hether you win or lose, you'll have done your best .Bote the correct spelling2 w et er. 0 "wether" is a male sheep .usually castrated1. The Bottom Line The words weat er and w et er are pronounced identically, hence the confusion in spelling. -ust remember that w et er is more or less interchangeable with "if," while weat er indicates the temperature and atmospheric conditions.

Bi. vs 'emi.

The English prefi$es bi3 and semi3 are often mi$ed up by native speakers. 0 semi3 annual reading of this lesson will help more than a bi3annual one. Bi. Bi3 comes from the Aatin meaning two. 'hen used with a temporal word, bi3 means "every two" or "every other." This maga(ine is published bi3weekly, every other ;riday. &ongressional elections are held biennially, on even3numbered years. The C.7. celebrated the bicentennial of its 4DDE founding in 4?DE. 'emi. *emi+ comes from the Aatin meaning alf. 'hen used with a temporal word, semi3 means "twice." :ur semi3annual meetings are in -anuary and -uly. I get paid semi3monthly, on the Fth and 4?th of each month. The semi3weekly deliveries occur on #onday and Thursday. The Bottom Line The confusion between bi+ and semi+ occurs because both prefi$es are related to the concept of two. ,ut bi3 means something that happens every other .week, month...1, or every two .weeks, months...1, while semi3 indicates something that happens twice every .week, month1 or every half .week, month1.

e"#" vs i"e"
The Aatin abbreviations e,g, and i,e, are commonly used in English, and nearly as commonly mi$ed up. If this sounds like you, i,e,, you are never sure whether to use e,g, or i,e,, read through this lesson to learn the difference. e/&/ e,g, stands for exempli gratia, which means "for e$ample." Cse e,g, to introduce one or more possibilities among many. I like root vegetables, e.g., potatoes. .Potatoes are %ust one of many types of root vegetables1 e wastes his money on %unk, e.g. cars that don't run. . e also buys old T>s and >&8s1 I'll listen to anything, e.g., country3western, rap, light %a((. .&ountry3western, rap, and light %a(( are %ust a few of the many types of music that I'll listen to1

0n easy way to remember what e,g, means is to think of it as standing for "e$ample given." 0lternatively, %ust say "eg" out loud 3 it sounds %ust like the first syllable in e$ample. i/e/ i,e, stands for id est which means "that is." Cse i,e, when what you are introducing is e)uivalent to or an e$planation of what comes before it in the sentence. I like root vegetables+ i.e., the ones that grow underground. e wastes his money on %unk+ i.e., stuff that he will never get around to fi$ing. I'll listen to anything+ i.e., I like any kind of music. ,asically, i,e, means "in other words." It's used to reword or provide an alternate e$planation. The Bottom Line e,g, and i,e, are both Aatin abbreviations. ,oth introduce additional information, but e,g, offers an e$ample while i,e, e$plains or rewords. If you can replace the abbreviation with "for e$ample," use e,g, If you can replace it with "in other words" or "that is," use i,e,

Addition vs Edition
These two English words are sometimes confused by native speakers. This lesson will make a nice addition to your English understanding. Addition Addition refers to something that is added. 0re you good at addition" 'hat's DFG plus ?HH" e bought a car in addition to the truck he got last week. The new addition on their house cost over fifty thousand dollars. Edition Edition refers to something that is edited9published. The new edition of the book will be published ne$t month. !o you prefer the daily or weekly edition of the news" e gave me a first edition of Alice in Wonderland. The Bottom Line The confusion between addition and edition is due to their somewhat similar spelling and pronunciation. Their meanings, however, are completely unrelated. 0ddition has to do with adding, while edition has to do with editing9publishing.

Apostrophe s
The English apostrophe s and s apostrophe cause a lot of problems, even for native speakers. This lesson's task is to help you learn about possessives and contractions that need apostrophes and plurals that don't. The apostrophe has two purposes in English2 4. To indicate that one or more letters was dropped in a contraction2 it is I it's we are I we're does not I doesn't of the clock I o'clock 5. To indicate possession2 a1 singular with 's Tom's book -eannie's idea the girl's toys .toys belong to one girl1 b1 plural with s' the books' covers my brothers' %obs the girls' toys .toys belong to several girls1 The apostrophe should never be used when you are %ust talking about something that is plural, with no possession. The girl's walked by I The girls walked by #y brother's are tall I #y brothers are tall 'elcome traveler's I 'elcome travelers The Bottom Line -ust remember that the apostrophe has a purpose2 to indicate a contraction or possession. It does not indicate a plural 3 the letter s does a fine %ob of that all by itself.

Lay vs Lie
The English verbs lay and lie are commonly confused by even native English speakers. I'm not lying when I say that you can now lay your fears of not knowing the difference to rest. Lay Lay is a transitive verb, which means that it must be used with a direct ob%ect. The past tense and the past participle of lay are both laid.

Please lay the books on the table. I laid the books on the table. ave you laid the books on the table" ave you ever seen a chicken lay an egg" The chicken %ust laid two eggs. "Bow I lay me down to sleep..." e laid himself down to sleep. Lie Lie is an intransitive verb, which means it cannot have a direct ob%ect. The past tense of lie is lay and the past participle is lain. Aie down ne$t to me. I lay down ne$t to her. e has lain down with us. I %ust want to lie in bed all day. *esterday, he lay in bed all day. !on't lie on the floor< I lay on the floor last week and you didn't say anything. Lie .past tense lied1 means to say something untrue. !on't lie to me. e lied about where he got the money.