Writing is a form of communication and the most effective writing is clear and concise. That is why we must continually strive for precise expression and economy of language by finding the exact word to express a specific meaning. Therefore, the dictionary becomes indispensable.
The complex nature of language sometimes makes writing difficult. Words often become confusing when they have similar forms and sounds. Indeed, a writer may have a correct meaning in mind, but an incorrect word choice can alter the meaning of the sentence or even make it totally illogical.
Incorrect: The minister
spoke of the soul's immorality.
Correct: The minister
spoke of the soul's immortality.
(Immorality means wickedness;
immortality means imperishable or unending life.)
Incorrect: Where is the
nearest stationary store?
Correct: Where
is the nearest stationery store?
(Stationary means immovable;
stationery is paper used for writing.)
Assignment:
Note that you must do both parts.
Part 1: Select 5 groups of words from the list below and write your own sentence for each word. List the word at the beginning of the sentence. For example:
Group 1:
Two
- I have two brothers.
To - I have to go to the store.
Too
- You have way too much time on your hands.
Part 2: Find 5 other pairs of words that are confusing (and not listed below); provide the words and the meanings along with a sentence for each word. Remember, use your dictionary! Here is an example:
Group 1:
Specially
(A distinctive purpose)
- The suit
had specially designed pockets to hold his cell phone.
Especially
(A noteworthy performance)
- She did especially well for her first time playing the game.
Below you will find a list of some words that may cause a writer difficulty.
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AFFECT
- to
influence
Lack of sleep affects the quality of your work.
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ITS -of or belonging to it The baby will scream as soon as its mother walks out of the room.
IT'S -contraction for it is It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood.
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ALLUSION -an indirect reference The professor made an allusion to Virginia Woolf's work. ILLUSION -a false perception of reality They saw a mirage, that is, a type of illusion one sees in the desert. |
LEAD -noun, a type of metal Is that pipe made of lead?
LED -verb, past tense of the verb "to lead" She led the campers on an over-night hike.
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ALL READY -prepared Dinner was all ready when the guests arrived.
ALREADY -by this time The turkey was already burned when the guests arrived.
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LIE -to lie down (a person or animal. hint: people can tell lies) I have a headache, so I'm going to lie down for a while. (also lying, lay, has/have lain--The dog has lain in the shade all day; yesterday, the dog lay there for twelve hours). LAY -to lay an object down. "Lay down that gun, Bubba!" the sheriff demanded. The town lay at the foot of the mountain. (also laying, laid, has/have laid--At that point, Bubba laid the gun on the ground). |
ALTOGETHER -entirely Altogether, I thought that the student's presentation was well planned.
ALL TOGETHER -gathered, with everything in one place
We were all together at the family reunion last spring.
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PASSED -verb, past tense of "to pass," to have moved The tornado passed through the city quickly, but it caused great damage. PAST -belonging to a former time or place Who was the past president of Microsquish Computers? Go past the fire station and turn right. |
ASCENT- climb The plane's ascent made my ears pop.
ASSENT -agreement
The Martian assented to undergo experiments.
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PRECEDE -to come before Pre-writing precedes the rough draft of good papers.
PROCEED -to go forward He proceeded to pass back the failing grades on the exam.
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BREATH -noun, air inhaled or exhaled
You could see his breath in the cold air.
BREATHE -verb, to inhale or exhale
If you don't breathe, then you are dead.
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PRINCIPAL -adjective, most important; noun, a person who has authority The principal ingredient in chocolate chip cookies is chocolate chips. The principal of the school does the announcements each morning. PRINCIPLE -a general or fundamental truth The study was based on the principle of gravity. |
CAPITAL -seat of government. Also financial resources. The capital of Virginia is Richmond. The firm had enough capital to build the new plant. CAPITOL -the actual building in which the legislative body meets The governor announced his resignation in a speech given at the capitol today. |
QUOTE -verb, to cite I would like to quote Dickens in my next paper.
QUOTATION -noun, the act of citing
The book of famous quotations inspired us all.
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CITE -to quote or document I cited ten quotes from the same author in my paper.
SIGHT -vision
The sight of the American flag arouses different emotions in different
parts of the world.
SITE -position or place
The new office building was built on the site of a cemetery.
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STATIONARY -standing still The accident was my fault because I ran into a stationary object.
STATIONERY -writing paper
My mother bought me stationery that was on recycled paper.
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COMPLEMENT -noun, something that completes; verb, to complete A nice dry white wine complements a seafood entree.
COMPLIMENT -noun, praise; verb, to praise
The professor complimented Betty on her proper use of a comma.
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THAN -use with comparisons I would rather go out to eat than eat at the dining hall.
THEN -at that time, or next I studied for my exam for seven hours, and then I went to bed.
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CONSCIENCE -sense of right and wrong The student's conscience kept him from cheating on the exam.
CONSCIOUS -awake I was conscious when the burglar entered the house.
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THEIR -possessive form of they Their house is at the end of the block.
THERE -indicates location (hint: think of "here and there") There goes my chance of winning the lottery!
THEY'RE -contraction for "they are" They're in Europe for the summer--again!
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COUNCIL -a group that consults or advises The men and women on the council voted in favor of an outdoor concert in
their town.
COUNSEL -to advise
The parole officer counseled the convict before he was released.
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THROUGH -by means of; finished; into or out of He plowed right through the other team's defensive line.
THREW -past tense of throw. She threw away his love letters.
THOROUGH -careful or complete John thoroughly cleaned his room; there was not even a speck of dust when
he finished.
TOUGH -however; nevertheless He's really a sweetheart though he looks tough on the outside.
THRU -abbreviated slang for through; not appropriate in standard writing We're thru for the day!
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ELICIT -to draw or bring out The teacher elicited the correct response from the student.
ILLICIT -illegal
The Columbian drug lord was arrested for his illicit activities.
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TO -toward I went to the University of Richmond.
TOO -also, or excessively He drank too many screwdrivers and was unable to drive home.
TWO -a number Only two students did not turn in the assignment.
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EMINENT -famous, respected The eminent podiatrist won the Physician of the Year award.
IMMANENT -inherent or intrinsic
The meaning of the poem was immanent, and not easily recognized.
IMMINENT -ready to take place A fight between my sister and me is imminent from the moment I enter my
house
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WHO -pronoun, referring to a person or persons
Jane wondered how Jack, who is so smart, could be having difficulties in
Calculus.
WHICH -pronoun, replacing a singular or plural thing(s);not used to refer to persons Which section of history did you get into?
THAT -used to refer to things or a group or class of people I lost the book that I bought last week.
WHO -used as a subject or as a subject complement; (see above)
John is the man, who can get the job done.
WHOM -used as an object Whom did Sarah choose as her replacement?
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Grading for this lesson:
Also be aware that you will have a chance to revise your work. More than 2 revisions will result in a lower grade. So read the directions carefully and make sure you meet the requirements. If you have many errors, but can tell us what we corrected and give us a good reason as to why (e.g. "because a comma needs to be there" is not acceptable, you need to tell us WHY a comma needs to be there), you may have a chance to increase your grade.. |
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