Today's topic: Frequently Confused/Misused Words and Phrases - A Top Ten List
1. Everyday/every day:
"Everyday" is an adjective which means "ordinary," "common," or "humdrum." Example: Paper cuts are an unfortunate part of an editor's everyday life.
"Every day" means each day. Example: I work out every day.
2. Affect/effect:
Use “affect” when you mean “to influence.” “Affect” can also mean “an emotion.”
3. Cite/site:
"Cite" is a verb that means to use as an example or to quote or use information from an outside source. Examples: Be sure to cite the source of this information. Cite your sources in APA style.
"Site" is a noun that means a location. Example: The city chose this lot as the site for the new public library.
4. Farther/Further:
"Farther" can be an adjective or an adverb. It means to or at a point in the distance. It refers to physical space. Examples: Jane went to Tennessee this summer, but next summer she'll go much farther, to Japan. I can run farther than you can.
"Further" can also be an adjective or adverb. Its meaning is more abstract. It can mean either "to a greater extent" or "in addition." Examples: The consultant cannot make a recommendation until she is further along in her assessment of our program. Further, she will require an additional two months in order to complete her assessment.
5. Few/Less:
Use "few" to refer to countable items, items that exist as individual units. Examples: I used fewer apples in this pie than I did in the last one. I ate fewer cookies than you did. He wrote fewer papers this semester than last.
Use "less" to refer to uncountable items, items that exist as lump sums. Example: He ate less ice cream than his sister. It rained less this spring than last. I'm less nervous about this presentation than I thought I would be.
6. Precede/Proceed:
"Precede" means "to come before." Example: Capitalize a job title if it immediately precedes the person's name, as in President Barack Obama.
"Proceed" means "carry on" or "continue." Example: Once the customs agent determined that my carry-on bag contained nothing more hazardous than mouthwash, he allowed us to proceed to the baggage claim area.
7. I.e./E.g.: This one can be tricky. I.e. and e.g. are both abbreviations of Latin phrases. I.e. stands for "id est," which means "that is" (many editors will tell you that i.e. is close in meaning to the phrase "in other words," or the word "namely"). E.g. stands for "exempli gratia," which means "for example."
There are a couple of mnemonic devices (memorization tricks) to help you remember which is which. For example, you could remember that e.g. looks like "egg," as in "for egg-sample." Goofy, but effective. You could also pretend that i.e. stands for "in essence," which pretty much sums up what i.e. means. You could also remember that i.e. means "in other words," which starts with "i," whereas e.g. means "for example" (example = e).
Use e.g. to introduce an example: "I love baked desserts, e.g., apple pie and pumpkin bread." Note that this isn't a complete list of ALL the baked desserts I love; it's just a couple of examples. If I had used i.e. here instead, it would seem as though these are the ONLY two baked desserts that I enjoy.
Use i.e. in place of the phrase "in other words," i.e., to provide further explanation or clarification. Example: She had to put her dog on a special diet, i.e., she fed him half a cup of high protein dry food three times a day.
Since this is a tricky one, I offer you this clear and concise guide: http://www.editing-writing.com/articles/whats-latin-got-to-do-with-it.shtml
Whose/Who's:
"Whose" is a possessive form of the word "who." Examples: Whose book is this? That's the woman whose ten year old son tried to sue her.
"Who's" is a contraction for "who is," or (less often) "who has." Examples: Who's ready for dessert? Who's already seen this movie?
Your/You're:
"Your" is the possessive form of "you." Example: You forgot your wallet.
"You're" is a contraction for the phrase "you are." Example: You're a great editor.
Complement/Compliment:
To "complement" means "to complete" or "to mix well with." Example: Those sapphires complement your blue eyes.
To "compliment" means "to flatter" or "to praise." Example: Five people have complimented me on my outfit today.
I hope you'll find these tips helpful. Happy scribbling!
Whitney Kurtz-Ogilvie, MFAW
1. Everyday/every day:
"Everyday" is an adjective which means "ordinary," "common," or "humdrum." Example: Paper cuts are an unfortunate part of an editor's everyday life.
"Every day" means each day. Example: I work out every day.
2. Affect/effect:
Use “affect” when you mean “to influence.” “Affect” can also mean “an emotion.”
Use
“effect” when you mean “to bring about” or “to cause,” or as a noun meaning “a result.” Also, use “effect” after these words:
a, an, any, the, take, into, no.
Examples:
“Her flat affect on learning of her child’s illness was disturbing.”
“The film affected me more than I expected.”
“Gloomy weather has a profound effect on him.”
“We can’t effect a new policy without the approval of the administration.”
3. Cite/site:
"Cite" is a verb that means to use as an example or to quote or use information from an outside source. Examples: Be sure to cite the source of this information. Cite your sources in APA style.
"Site" is a noun that means a location. Example: The city chose this lot as the site for the new public library.
4. Farther/Further:
"Farther" can be an adjective or an adverb. It means to or at a point in the distance. It refers to physical space. Examples: Jane went to Tennessee this summer, but next summer she'll go much farther, to Japan. I can run farther than you can.
"Further" can also be an adjective or adverb. Its meaning is more abstract. It can mean either "to a greater extent" or "in addition." Examples: The consultant cannot make a recommendation until she is further along in her assessment of our program. Further, she will require an additional two months in order to complete her assessment.
5. Few/Less:
Use "few" to refer to countable items, items that exist as individual units. Examples: I used fewer apples in this pie than I did in the last one. I ate fewer cookies than you did. He wrote fewer papers this semester than last.
Use "less" to refer to uncountable items, items that exist as lump sums. Example: He ate less ice cream than his sister. It rained less this spring than last. I'm less nervous about this presentation than I thought I would be.
6. Precede/Proceed:
"Precede" means "to come before." Example: Capitalize a job title if it immediately precedes the person's name, as in President Barack Obama.
"Proceed" means "carry on" or "continue." Example: Once the customs agent determined that my carry-on bag contained nothing more hazardous than mouthwash, he allowed us to proceed to the baggage claim area.
7. I.e./E.g.: This one can be tricky. I.e. and e.g. are both abbreviations of Latin phrases. I.e. stands for "id est," which means "that is" (many editors will tell you that i.e. is close in meaning to the phrase "in other words," or the word "namely"). E.g. stands for "exempli gratia," which means "for example."
There are a couple of mnemonic devices (memorization tricks) to help you remember which is which. For example, you could remember that e.g. looks like "egg," as in "for egg-sample." Goofy, but effective. You could also pretend that i.e. stands for "in essence," which pretty much sums up what i.e. means. You could also remember that i.e. means "in other words," which starts with "i," whereas e.g. means "for example" (example = e).
Use e.g. to introduce an example: "I love baked desserts, e.g., apple pie and pumpkin bread." Note that this isn't a complete list of ALL the baked desserts I love; it's just a couple of examples. If I had used i.e. here instead, it would seem as though these are the ONLY two baked desserts that I enjoy.
Use i.e. in place of the phrase "in other words," i.e., to provide further explanation or clarification. Example: She had to put her dog on a special diet, i.e., she fed him half a cup of high protein dry food three times a day.
Since this is a tricky one, I offer you this clear and concise guide: http://www.editing-writing.com/articles/whats-latin-got-to-do-with-it.shtml
Whose/Who's:
"Whose" is a possessive form of the word "who." Examples: Whose book is this? That's the woman whose ten year old son tried to sue her.
"Who's" is a contraction for "who is," or (less often) "who has." Examples: Who's ready for dessert? Who's already seen this movie?
Your/You're:
"Your" is the possessive form of "you." Example: You forgot your wallet.
"You're" is a contraction for the phrase "you are." Example: You're a great editor.
Complement/Compliment:
To "complement" means "to complete" or "to mix well with." Example: Those sapphires complement your blue eyes.
To "compliment" means "to flatter" or "to praise." Example: Five people have complimented me on my outfit today.
I hope you'll find these tips helpful. Happy scribbling!
Whitney Kurtz-Ogilvie, MFAW
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