This was originally part of chapter one, but I decided to split it up instead since there are quite a few of these. I actually used this during my final and it helped my immensely lol
I will come back from time to add more clarifications.
Some of these words or spellings are commonly confused, but there are some that are commonly used that I will point out as flat-out wrong and shouldn't be used.
There are several sections to this chapter: phrases & terms and words. When I say phrases & terms, I don't mean me things like expressions or proverbs. This isn't a section with me telling you things like how the phrase "nip it in the butt" is actually "nip it in the bud". I'm talking things like the difference between "there are times where" and "there are times when".
These sections contain subsections. While words are obviously terms, too, in the first section, when I say "terms", I am generally referring to things like when "that" should be used and when "which" should be used.
The second section is a about words you've different spellings of (e.g. "bare" & "bear"), words that sound extremely similar (e.g. "compliment" & "complement"), words you've heard two versions of (e.g. "toward" & "towards"). Words that have differences and a detailed explanation of when which should be used will automatically be put in the first section. Note that it includes a vulgarity at one point, only because I'm so annoyed seeing it misspelled all the time.
Even if you're looking for something in particular, I recommend skimming all the phrases, terms, and words. You may find there are some you don't even know you're using wrong!
Note:
n. — noun
v. — verb
adj. — adjective
adv. — adjective
pro. — pronoun
det. — determiner
prep. — preposition
cnj. — conjunction
abbrv. — abbreviation
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Section 1: What to Use?
Phrases
"Firstly", "second of all", "third", "Lastly", etc.
First... — "First of all" is a phrase I'm pretty sure I don't need to define for you, and I'm sure you know when it is used. You have also likely heard "first" & "firstly" used in cases where you might expect to see "first of all" used. Well, all three of these terms are acceptable to use in such cases.
Second of all — Second of all", "third of all", etc. are phrases you've likely heard used after the previously mentioned terms. However, these terms are incorrect and should not be used. Instead, use "secondly", "thirdly", etc. These are the correct terms to use, though they tend to be less popular with Americans.
Third... — And of course, you might have just heard "third", "fourth", etc. These are also correct, but less formal.
"Also" is also correct, but can get repetitive.
Lastly: "Lastly", "Last", "And last but not least", and "Finally" are all correct. I suppose you could say "also", but we don't really know it's your last point until you start talking.
INCORRECT: First/Firstly/First of all: that makes no sense. Second of all: you're a moron. Thirdly, I hate you.
CORRECT: First/Firstly/First of all: that makes no sense. Second/Secondly: you're a moron. Thirdly, I hate you. Lastly/Last/Finally, go die.
"And last but not least" wouldn't really make sense there, in my opinion.
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"Which" & "that"
What's the difference? Is there one? Sometimes we just end up using whichever we think sounds better, but is there a difference? The answer is yes. But what exactly is it?
"That" is a specification. "Which" is adding information, and when you use which, you use commas. No commas? You're gonna use "that".
INCORRECT: I like the café which sells the blondies.
CORRECT: I like the café that sells the blondies.
You are specifying here. Which café are you talking about? The one known for selling blondies. Therefore, use "that".
INCORRECT: The café that happens to sell my favorite blondies is having a Valentine's Day sale.
INCORRECT: The café which happens to sell my favorite blondies is having a Valentine's Day sale.
CORRECT: The café, which happens to sell my favorite blondies, is having a Valentine's Day sale.
The fact that the café has your favorite blondies isn't key to the sentence. It's not used to specify the store, and the sentence can be understood without it. Also, you must use commas here. Put them before and after the dependent clause (the part that isn't crucial to the sentence.
Note that, if I said, "The café that sells my favorite blondies is having a Valentines Day sale," it would be a correct sentence, but it would change the meaning. When I say it like that, I am specifying which café I'm talking about, as if you'll know because you know which café sells my favorite blondies.
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Terms
"Affect" vs. "effect"
affect — (v.) to influence: The medication has been positively affecting her behavior.
effect — (n.) an impact: The effect he had on her life was immense.
The only time you use "effect" as a verb is to mean "to produce a result". More often than not, "effect" will be used as a noun.
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"Lay", "laid", "lain" & "lie"
"I'm going to lay down." "I'm going to lie down." You're probably going to hear people say either of these, but in reality, one is wrong. I'm sure plenty of you know that, but what you don't know is what's the difference and when do we use which?
These two words are very similar. In the end something is on the floor or on a bed or on a table. Let's go over the difference. In the end, it's actually pretty easy to differentiate the two!
Note: Both as verbs and nouns, "lay" and "lie" have multiple definitions. Here we are focusing only on the cases where they are most commonly confused, as we see in the two sentences above.
Lay — a person does it to someone/something: I am laying her in bed. OR I am laying the book on the table.
Tip: Still confused? Try replacing it with "put". If it makes sense in the way you want it to, then "lay" is correct.
TIP EXAMPLE 1: I am putting the book on the table.
TIP EXAMPLE 2: I am putting her in bed.
"Laying her down in bed" is also totally acceptable.
Past tense & past participle: laid
Lie —
1. a person does it themselves: I am lying down on the grass.
2. a person/object is already/is staying in that position: meaning that you lay the pillow on the sofa, and you lie down on the sofa. BUT both you and the pillow lie/are lying on the sofa.
Past tense: Lay ; past participle: lain
That's right, "lay" also happens to be the past tense of "lie". But honestly, I don't think it's that hard once you get the hang of it.
PAST TENSE: The rug lay on the wooden floor. (definition 2)
PAST PARTICIPLE: He had lain awake in bed all night. (definition 1)
Tip: for past and present tense, "lie" is often followed IMMEDIATELY by "down".
***
"Real" vs. "really"
Note: as adverbs
You might have heard both of these, and I wouldn't be surprised if you think—or were even told—that "real" as an adverb is incorrect. Well, you're wrong. That is, if you're American. Some of you Americans might have been told by your English teachers that "real" as an adverb as wrong. As for myself, I was told that both "real" and "really" are used for Americans. There are a lot of things that are deemed incorrect in British English that are deemed correct or interchangeable with the "British way". "Real" vs "really" is one of those things. This is probably one of those things where whichever you use is influenced by the dialect of where you grew up.
INCORRECT FOR BRITISH ENGLISH: "That's real nice."
CORRECT FOR AMERICAN ENGLISH: "That's real nice." OR "That's really nice."
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"Who" vs. "whom"
No, "whom" is not just the fancy version of "who". Granted, 8 out of 10 people won't know the difference if you get it wrong.
who — used when referring to a person as a person: Who voted today?
whom — used when referring to a person as an "object": He is someone whom I love.
Tip: If you can replace it with I/we/he/she/they/it, then you should use "who". If you can replace it with me/us/him/her/their/its, then you should use "whom".
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Section 2: What's the Word?
Note: "Or" means I am telling you which word or spelling is correct, and "vs." means both spellings are correct, but they have different meanings, which I will explain.
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"All right" or "alright"
These two terms are synonymous. Both are acceptable to use, though the latter is more common. The prior is more common in the UK, but it is beginning to die out there as well.
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"Anyway" or "anyways"
The prior is correct. The latter is technically also correct, but it is considered slang.
***
"A while" vs. "awhile"
a while — (n.) used to refer to an amount of time: It took a while to get home.
awhile — (adv.) used to describe the amount of time you are doing an action: He's going to sleep awhile.
Tip:
1. Replace it with an adverb. If it makes sense, use "awhile". If it doesn't, use "a while".
"It took angrily to get home." It doesn't work. Use "a while".
"He's going to sleep angrily." It may be weird, but it makes sense. Use "awhile".
2. If there's ever a preposition in front of it or can be replaced by an amount of time, use "a while".
"We stayed at Grandma's house for..." Use "a while".
Note: "We stayed at Grandma's house happily," also makes sense. If you wouldn't say that, but you would replace it with a time if you were going to be specific, use "a while".
***
"Bear" vs. "bare"
bear —
1. (n.) the animal
2. (v.) to endure
bare —
1. (n.) to be naked; simple: the bare necessities
2. (v.) to uncover/reveal something literally or metaphorically: I bare myself so he can see my bruises OR I bare my soul to you (in this case it means to reveal your innermost secrets to someone)
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"Compliment" vs. "complement"
compliment —
1. (v.) to praise someone
2. (n.) a praise
complement — (v.) to complete something: That scarf complements your dress.
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"Confident" vs. "confidant"
confident — (adj.) self-assured
confidant — (n.) someone you can confide in
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"Drank" vs. "drunk"
drank — (v.) past tense of "to drink"
drunk — (adj.) inebriated
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"Earth" (capital "e") vs. "earth"
If you are talking about the planet, uppercase. If you're not, lowercase.
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e.g. vs ex.
Abbreviations, but I figured I'd add it since I get annoyed seeing them misused all the time.
e.g. — (abbrv.) example
ex. — (abbrv.) exercise
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"Ellipse" vs. "ellipsis" vs. "ellipses"
ellipse — (n.) a math term
ellipsis — (n.) a series of dots to denote omission of words, a sentence, or a section (...)
ellipses — (n.) the plural of "ellipsis"
***
"Farther" vs. "further"
farther —
1. (adv.) something that is physically getting more far: I stood farther away from John than Kim did.
2. (adj.) same principle as the previous: I am farther from home than ever before.
further —
1. (adv.) something that is emotionally/figuratively getting more distant: As he became more consumed in his alcohol, he grew further from his loved ones.
2. (adj.) same principle as the previous: He is further from you (emotionally/relationship-wise) than I would like to be.
***
"Ho" vs "hoe"
ho — (n.) something that's rude to call a person
hoe — (n.) a gardening tool
***
"Hung" vs. "hanged"
Note: explanation of past tense of "to hang", which means both definitions of these past tenses
hung — (v.) used when referring to an object: I hung the picture up over there.
hang — (v.) used when referring to a person who just took a ride on the hangman's knot: The man was hanged after being found guilty of murder.
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"Into" vs. "in to"
into — (prep.) going in something: I am going into the house.
in to — "in" followed by an non-conjugated verb: I am going in to talk with her.
The same principles apply to "onto" and "on to"
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"Its" vs. "it's"
its — (pro. OR det.) belonging to something: The dog likes its ball.
it's — (cnj.) "it is": It's not nice to say that.
***
"Ladder vs. latter"
ladder — (n.) something you climb
latter — (adj.) the second or last thing in a sequence of events: We can either go out or stay inside, but I'd prefer the latter.
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"Lose" vs. "loose"
lose —
1. (v.) to misplace something: Did you lose your jacket?
2. (v.) to fail: You are going to lose this game of chess.
loose — (n.) not secure; not fitting: This dress is loose.
***
"Nowaday" or "nowadays"
"Nowaday" was correct at one point, but now it's archaic. Nowadays, we use "nowadays".
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"Occupied" vs. "preoccupied"
occupied — (adj.) reserved, engaged
preoccupied — (adj.) concerned with something else; distracted; giving one's attention elsewhere
Not gonna lie, even with an explanation, this one can be pretty confusing.
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"OK", ok", or "okay"
Only OK and okay are acceptable
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"Precedent" vs. "precedence"
precedent — (n.) an example set for later actions
precedence — (n.) priority of importance
Tip: "precedence" is often used with the words "take", "have", or "give"
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"Principle" vs. "principal"
principle —
1. (n.) a fundamental law
2. (n.) a rule
3. (adj.) someone very respecting/honoring of principles: A man of principle.
principal — (n.) that person at school
Tip: I am so sorry for giving this overdone, annoying tip, but it works: if you're ever having trouble, remember that the "principal" is your "pal".
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"Proved" or "proven"
Either one is acceptable
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"Regardless" or "irregardless"
"Irregardless" is not a word.
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"Reassure" vs. "assure"
With "reassure" you're kind of doing it again; you're renewing their confidence.
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"Shutter" vs. "shudder"
shutter — (n.) the thing on blinds that moves so you can peak out or let in some sunlight: I flipped open the shutters a little so that I could see who was approaching.
shudder — (v.) trembling: I've been waiting outside for five minutes in this twenty degree weather, and I'm already shuddering.
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"Sweaty" vs. "sweetie
"Than" vs. "then"
than —
1. (prep.) used when making comparisons: I like you more than I like him.
2a. (cnj.) used as a function word to indicate the second member or the member taken as the point of departure in a comparison expressive of inequality —used with comparative adjectives and comparative adverbs
2b. (cnj.) used as a function word to indicate difference of kind, manner, or identity; used especially with some adjectives and adverbs that express diversity
3. (cnj.) rather than
4. (cnj.) other than
then — (adv.) used when describing a sequence of events: I shopped at the mall, then I went home.
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"Thesis" vs. "theses" vs. "thesises"
thesis — (n.) singular
theses — (n.) plural
thesises — (n.) formerly considered incorrect, it is now an acceptable plural form of "thesis" in American English; spellcheck may disagree, but it is now a legitimate term in American English
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"Toward" or "towards"
Either one is acceptable