Post by Feather on Apr 4, 2009 15:42:19 GMT -5
Spelling & Homonym Errors
1. There, their, and they're –
These are NOT the same word, and they can NOT be used interchangeably! Be sure to use each one ONLY under the correct circumstances.
- "There" is used to refer to a place (as in "Not HERE but THERE").
- "Their" is possessive. It means "belonging to THEM" (as in "this is their house")
- "They're" is a contraction of "they are" (as in "they are going to the store" = "They're going to the store"
2. Where, we're, and were
These are three different words entirely. They each mean something drastically different than the others, and should only be used in their proper places.
- "Where" refers to location. (as in "Where are you?")
- "Were" is the past tense of "are" (as in "We were in the car.")
- "We're" is a contraction of "we are" (as in "We're coming to the party.")
3. Accept and except
These two words, while they sound very similar, do NOT mean the same thing.
- "Accept" is to receive something or to admit someone or something to a group. (as in "They would not accept her because she smelled like rotten eggs")
- "Except" refers to an exception, or something which is excluded. (as in "They invited everyone except her best friend.")
4. Who's and Whose
These also sound very much alike, but are NOT the same.
- "Who's" is NOT possessive. It means "who is". (as in "Who's your daddy")
- "Whose" is possessive. It means "belonging to whom" (as in "Whose shirt is this?").
5. Its and it's
This is probably one of the most common errors made.
-"Its" is the possessive of "it" (as in "The dog was happy with its new toy")
-"It's" is a contraction of "it is" (as in "It's not my fault")
6. Then and than
In everyday speech, most people pronounce these as if they were the same word. They aren't!
-"Then" refers to time. (as in "I woke up, then I went to the bathroom.)
-"Than" refers to comparison. (as in "I have more toys than you.")
7. Your and you're
-"Your" is the possessive of "you". (as in "May I borrow your pencil?")
-"You're" is the contraction of "you are" (as in "You're my best friend")
Note: "You're's" is NEVER correct!
8. To, too, and two –
- "To" - this preposition is used in reference to something else. "It looks like that TO me." or "We are going TO the store"
- "Too" is used in situations like "there are too many" or "I'm too tired".
- "Two" is simply the spelled out version of the number 2. It's never used in any other situation.
(This is credited to Kendall of RPGC)
1. There, their, and they're –
These are NOT the same word, and they can NOT be used interchangeably! Be sure to use each one ONLY under the correct circumstances.
- "There" is used to refer to a place (as in "Not HERE but THERE").
- "Their" is possessive. It means "belonging to THEM" (as in "this is their house")
- "They're" is a contraction of "they are" (as in "they are going to the store" = "They're going to the store"
2. Where, we're, and were
These are three different words entirely. They each mean something drastically different than the others, and should only be used in their proper places.
- "Where" refers to location. (as in "Where are you?")
- "Were" is the past tense of "are" (as in "We were in the car.")
- "We're" is a contraction of "we are" (as in "We're coming to the party.")
3. Accept and except
These two words, while they sound very similar, do NOT mean the same thing.
- "Accept" is to receive something or to admit someone or something to a group. (as in "They would not accept her because she smelled like rotten eggs")
- "Except" refers to an exception, or something which is excluded. (as in "They invited everyone except her best friend.")
4. Who's and Whose
These also sound very much alike, but are NOT the same.
- "Who's" is NOT possessive. It means "who is". (as in "Who's your daddy")
- "Whose" is possessive. It means "belonging to whom" (as in "Whose shirt is this?").
5. Its and it's
This is probably one of the most common errors made.
-"Its" is the possessive of "it" (as in "The dog was happy with its new toy")
-"It's" is a contraction of "it is" (as in "It's not my fault")
6. Then and than
In everyday speech, most people pronounce these as if they were the same word. They aren't!
-"Then" refers to time. (as in "I woke up, then I went to the bathroom.)
-"Than" refers to comparison. (as in "I have more toys than you.")
7. Your and you're
-"Your" is the possessive of "you". (as in "May I borrow your pencil?")
-"You're" is the contraction of "you are" (as in "You're my best friend")
Note: "You're's" is NEVER correct!
8. To, too, and two –
- "To" - this preposition is used in reference to something else. "It looks like that TO me." or "We are going TO the store"
- "Too" is used in situations like "there are too many" or "I'm too tired".
- "Two" is simply the spelled out version of the number 2. It's never used in any other situation.
(This is credited to Kendall of RPGC)