Practice Makes Perfect: Exploring Grammar - Muschla Gary Robert 2010

Strange Creature
Confusing words
Usage and proofreading

Word usage is an important part of grammar. Words like accept and except, good and well, and lay and lie are easy to mix up. Even if you understand the meanings of these words, you may make mistakes with them if you are not careful. Because these words, and words like them, are easily confused, they may slip into your speaking and writing. You can avoid making usage mistakes by (1) understanding the meanings of easily confused words, and (2) proofreading your written work with care.

The tip sheets and worksheets that follow focus on word usage and proofreading. The first tip sheet identifies several of the most easily confused words, and Work-sheets 9.1 through 9.4 provide practice in recognizing and using these words correctly. The next tip sheet offers guidelines for proofreading for grammar mistakes, and Worksheets 9.5 through 9.14 focus on proofreading practice, which provides a general review of grammar.

Tip sheet

Confusing words

Some words in English are easily confused. They result in many mistakes for speakers and writers. The following list contains some of the most common of these words.

✵ accept—except

accept (verb)—to receive or to agree to

except (preposition)—not including; leaving out; but

✵ all ready—already

all ready (adjective)—completely prepared

already (adverb)—by this time

✵ breath—breathe

breath (noun)—air inhaled and exhaled

breathe (verb)—to inhale and exhale air

✵ council—counsel

council (noun)—an official group

counsel (verb)—to offer advice

counsel (noun)—advice

✵ country—county

country (noun)—a nation

county (noun)—a part of a state in the United States

✵ dairy—diary

dairy (noun)—a place where milk is produced or stored

diary (noun)—a personal journal

✵ desert—dessert

desert (noun)—very dry land

dessert (noun)—food served at the end of a meal

✵ its—it’s

its (pronoun)—possessive form of it

it’s (contraction)—it is

✵ later—latter

later (adverb)—after a certain time

latter (adjective)—the second of two

✵ lay—lie

lay (verb)—to set or place something down

lie (verb)—to recline or to rest

✵ loose—lose

loose (adjective)—not tight

lose (verb)—misplace; not win

✵ picture—pitcher

picture (noun)—a drawing or photograph

pitcher (noun)—a container for holding a liquid; a baseball player

✵ quiet—quit—quite

quiet (adjective)—little or no noise

quit (verb)—to stop

quite (adverb)—very

✵ their—there—they’re

their (pronoun)—possessive case of they

there (adverb)—in, at, or near a particular place

they’re (contraction)—they are

✵ threw—through

threw (verb)—past tense of throw, meaning to toss through the air

through (preposition)—going into one side and out the other

✵ whose—who’s

whose (pronoun)—possessive case of who

who’s (contraction)—who is

✵ your—you’re

your (pronoun)—possessive case of you

you’re (contraction)—you are

9.1 Strange Creature

Reports of a strange creature in a lake in Scotland go back nearly two thousand years. What is the name of this creature?

To answer the question, match each word on the left with its definition on the right. Write the letter of each answer in the space above its number at the bottom of the page.