Usage Eff Ups

Sometimes grammar school seems like a million years ago and all that conjunction junction stuff went right out the window. Absolutely everybody makes mistakes; sometimes the more you stare at pages the easier it is to gloss over a usage error or misspell. And these days, language is morphing rapidly, with new words being born all the time and with usage becoming more and more casual. As important as it is to go with the flow and to like, acknowledge that the inclusion of, like, the word like, is part of the patois, it is also important to have a firm grasp of the basics.

Writing is our craft, and we shall not and cannot ignore the rules. A sailor must learn the ropes before sailing down the mighty Hudson and so must writers learn the rules before setting out to write our novels, short stories, scripts or poems.

Here are some SUPER common mix-ups:

Accept, Except

accept = verb meaning to receive or to agree: He accepted their praise graciously.

except = preposition meaning all but, other than: Everyone went to the game except Alyson.

Affect, Effect

affect = verb meaning to influence: Will lack of sleep affect your game?

effect = noun meaning result or consequence: Will lack of sleep have an effect on your game?

effect = verb meaning to bring about, to accomplish: Our efforts have effected a major change in university policy.

Advise, Advice

advise = verb that means to recommend, suggest, or counsel: I advise you to be cautious.

advice = noun that means an opinion or recommendation about what could or should be done: I’d like to ask for your advice on this matter.

Conscious, Conscience

conscious = adjective meaning awake, perceiving: Despite a head injury, the patient remained conscious.

conscience = noun meaning the sense of obligation to be good: Chris wouldn’t cheat because his conscience wouldn’t let him.

Idea, Ideal

idea = noun meaning a thought, belief, or conception held in the mind, or a general notion or conception formed by generalization: Jennifer had a brilliant idea — she’d go to the Writing Lab for help with her papers!

ideal = adjective meaning embodying an ultimate standard of excellence or perfection, or the best; Jennifer was an ideal student.

Its, It’s

its = possessive adjective (possessive form of the pronoun it): The crab had an unusual growth on its shell.

it’s = contraction for it is or it has (in a verb phrase): It’s still raining; it’s been raining for three days. (Pronouns have apostrophes only when two words are being shortened into one.)

Lead, Led

lead = noun referring to a dense metallic element: The X-ray technician wore a vest lined with lead.

led = past-tense and past-participle form of the verb to lead, meaning to guide or direct: The evidence led the jury to reach a unanimous decision.

Their, There, They’re

Their = possessive pronoun: They got their books.

There = that place: My house is over there. (This is a place word, and so it contains the word here.)

They’re = contraction for they are: They’re making dinner. (Pronouns have apostrophes only when two words are being shortened into one.)

To, Too, Two

To = preposition, or first part of the infinitive form of a verb: They went to the lake to swim.

Too = very, also: I was too tired to continue. I was hungry, too.

Two = the number 2: Two students scored below passing on the exam.

We’re, Where, Were

We’re = contraction for we are: We’re glad to help. (Pronouns have apostrophes only when two words are being shortened into one.)

Where = location: Where are you going? (This is a place word, and so it contains the word here.)

Were = a past tense form of the verb be: They were walking side by side.

Your, You’re

Your = possessive pronoun: Your shoes are untied.

You’re = contraction for you are: You’re walking around with your shoes untied. (Pronouns have apostrophes only when two words are being shortened into one.)

One Word or Two?

All ready/already

all ready: used as an adjective to express complete preparedness: Her cleats tied, she was all ready for the soccer game.

already: an adverb expressing time: At last I was all ready to go, but everyone had already left.

All right/alright

all right: used as an adjective or adverb; older and more formal spelling, more common in scientific & academic writing: Will you be all right on your own?

alright: Alternate spelling of all right; less frequent but used often in journalistic and business publications, and especially common in fictional dialogue: He does alright in school.

All together/altogether

all together: an adverb meaning considered as a whole, summed up: All together, there were thirty-two students at the museum.

altogether: an intensifying adverb meaning wholly, completely, entirely: His comment raises an altogether different problem.

Anyone/any one

anyone: a pronoun meaning any person at all: Anyone who can solve this problem deserves an award.

any one: a paired adjective and noun meaning a specific item in a group; usually used with of: Any one of those papers could serve as an example.

Note: There are similar distinctions in meaning for everyone and every one.

Anyway/any way

anyway: an adverb meaning in any case or nonetheless: He objected, but she went anyway.

any way: a paired adjective and noun meaning any particular course, direction, or manner: Any way we chose would lead to danger.

Awhile/a while

awhile: an adverb meaning for a short time; some readers consider it nonstandard; usually needs no preposition: Won’t you stay awhile?

a while: a paired article and noun meaning a period of time; usually used with for: We talked for a while, and then we said good night.

Maybe/may be

maybe: an adverb meaning perhaps: Maybe we should wait until the rain stops.

may be: a form of the verb be: This may be our only chance to win the championship.