Lesson 2 - Commonly Misused Words

         Let’s say I came up to you and said the following: “Except that theirs nothing left among you and I. Its over!”

         If I said that sentence out loud, you might not see a lot wrong with it. However, if I were to send this in a document of some kind, like this message, you’d hopefully all glare at the mistakes that are present. If you don’t see what I’m talking about, don’t feel bad. I shall enlighten you all on the trickier problems of word choice.

Its vs. It’s

         I’ll start with one of the easiest and most misused words in writing. I made this mistake all the time until I took my grammar course at NIU. I’ll tell you exactly what my teacher told me, and hopefully you’ll get this right every time.

         “Its” is the third person possessive form of “it.” Not sure what that all means? How about an example or three?

Example 1: The orc scratched its head and grunted.
Example 2: Having been worn full of holes, the backpack had been used past its usefulness.
Example 3: “Its back legs shouldn’t bend that way!” the veterinarian screamed.

         “It’s” is the contraction “it is.” Here are a few examples.

Example 1: “It’s wonderful to see you!” the girl shouted across the room.
Example 2: Everyone else in the room wondered why it’s necessary to shout.

         Simple as pie! If you are wondering which to use, try saying “it is” in place of the its. If it works, then add an apostrophe!

There, Their, or They’re?

         Their - Third person plural

Example: I washed their armor like they asked, but the goblins were still unhappy.

         They’re - This means “they are”

Example: I wonder why they’re so unhappy with me. I cleaned away all the mud.

         There - This is the most common use of the three. It can be an adverb or pronoun.

Adverb Example: “Take the armor over there,” the leader muttered.
Pronoun Example: There have been many days when I just wanted to go back home.

Accept vs. Except

         Here’s a more difficult one. I always have to take a minute and think about the meaning of both these words before I continue writing.

         Accept is a verb, and it means “to receive something willingly.”

Example: I accepted the gift with a bright smile and cheerful laugh.

         Except is a preposition, and it means “all but” or “excluding.”

Example: Everyone can go to the dance except David.

         Poor David…

A lot vs. Alot

         Never, ever, ever, ever use “alot.” Thankfully, most word processors will catch this one for you.

Affect vs. Effect

         This is another one that makes me stop and think about what I’m typing. I still have problems with these two, and I often go back and look over the rule myself.

         They can both be verbs or nouns, which makes things even tougher.

Affect (verb) -- to hold an influence on something
Effect (verb) -- to bring about

Example 1: I hope these grammar lessons affect your ability to write better.
Example 2: The drugs have effected the patient badly.

Affect (noun) -- emotion
Effect (noun) -- result

Example 1: His face looked so lifeless that it showed no affect at all.
Example 2: The effect of fluorocarbons on our ozone layer is extremely detrimental.

         This is just one you have to sludge through and learn, folks.

Among vs. Between

         Both of these words mean to be in the middle of something. The way to remember which one to use is to see how many things you are talking about. If you’re talking about two people or objects, use between. If you’re talking about more than two, use among.

Example 1: The students talked among themselves before class.
Example 2: The fight broke out between Bob and Darren, and no one could break them apart.

Farther vs. Further

         It’s the old Matrix thing with these two. Is it reality or imagination? Don’t know what I’m talking about? It’s ok, I rarely understand half the things I say, either.

         Farther is used when you are describing physical distance. Further refers to mental distance.

Example 1: I threw the ball much farther than I expected.
Example 2: You should try to develop your thesis further for a better grade.

Fewer vs. Less

         I always forget about this one! This one is tricky, so pay attention.

         Fewer is used for what are called “count nouns.” Count nouns refer to those nouns that can be easily counted. Examples of count nouns might be marbles, soda cans, or students. Less is used for what are called “mass nouns.” Can you guess what those are? Those are ones where the noun can’t be easily counted. Examples of mass nouns might be quarts, stress, or energy.

Example 1: I answered fewer questions correctly than my friend Eduardo.
Example 2: I weigh less than I did a month ago! (Don’t I wish…)

In Conclusion…

Use this as a guide for those tough words. I know that there are some other ones out there, and if you have questions, feel free to ask. Send comments to my writing.com e-mail or to [e-mail]. I won’t bite, but I can’t make any promises about my pet monkey. Good little, Jo-Jo!