Unit 3: Writing and Sentence Skills

Commonly Misused or Confused Verbs and Words

Commonly Misused or Confused Verbs and Words

In Unit 2 you already read a list of commonly confused vocabulary words. Here is another list of words that are often misused or confused by writers.

accept / except

To accept means to receive or agree to something, whereas except is usually a preposition meaning excluding, although it can also mean to leave out.

adapt / adopt

To adapt is to change ( oneself or something ) to become suitable for a particular condition or use. To adopt is to make something one’s own.

affect / effect

To affect means to have an effect on something. When the word is being used as a verb, the proper word to use is almost always affect; when it’s being used as a noun, the proper word to use is almost alwys effect.

already / all ready

Already means earlier or previously. All ready means all of us are ready.

afflict / inflict

To afflict is to torment or distress someone or something. It usually appears as a passive verb. To inflict is to impose punishment or suffering on someone or something.

allusion / illusion

An allusion is an indirect reference to something, a hint. An illusion is a false, misleading, or deceptive appearance.

altogether / all together

Altogether means completely. All together means as one group.

among / between

In most cases, use between for two items and among for more than two.

amount / number

Amount is used to refer to an uncountable quantity, number to refer to a countable quantity.

anyway

Anyway means in any way possible, or regardless. Anyways is incorrect. Don’t use it.

as / like

Like is a preposition; it take a noun object. As, when functioning as a conjunction, introduces a

subordinate clause. Remember, a clause is part of a sentence containing a subject and a verb.

as...as...

The idiom is as...as...

Example : That dress is as expensive as this one.

beside / besides

Beside means by the side of or next to. Besides means moreover or in addition to.

eminent / imminent

Someone who is eminent is prominent or outstanding. Something that is imminent is likely to happen soon or is impending.

fewer / less

Use fewer before a plural noun; use less before a singular one.

leave / let

To leave is to depart, to allow something to remain behind after departing, or to allow something to remain as it is. The irregular verb form left serves as both the simple past and the past participle. When leave is used in the third sense — to allow something to remain as it is — and followed by alone, this verb does overlap with let. To let is to allow or to rent out. These are the verb’s core meanings, but it also combines with several different prepositions to produce various specific senses. Let is irregular. One form ( let ) serves as present, past, and past participle.

neither...nor...

The correlative conjunction is neither...nor...

Example : We are neither tired nor hungry.

Avoid the redundancy caused by using nor after a negative.

Incorrect : Alice’s departure was not noticed by Sue nor Debby.

Correct : Alice’s departure was not noticed by Sue or Debby.

its / it’s

Many people confuse its and it’s. Its is possessive; it’s is a contraction of it is.

raise / rise

To raise is to lift up or to cause to rise or grow, and it usually has a direct object: You raise dumbbells, roof beams, tomato plants, and children. Raise is a completely regaulr verb. To rise is to get up, to go up, and to be built up. This verb never takes a direct object : You do not rise something; rather, something rises. The past and past participle forms are irregular; rose is the simple past, risen the past participle.

set / sit

To set is to put or place something, to settle it, or to arrange it. But set takes on other specific meanings when it combines with several different prepositions. Set is an irregular verb in that one form ( set ) serves as present, past, and past participle. Set usually takes a direct object : You set a ladder against the fence, a value on family heirlooms, or a date for the family reunion. To sit is to take a seat or to be in a seated position, to rest somewhere, or to occupy a place. This verb does not usually take a direct object. The irregular form sat serves as past and past participle. Usually, no direct object follows this verb.

than / then

Use than in making comparisons. Use then for time.

their / they’re

Many people confuse their, there, and they’re. Their is possessive; they’re is a contraction of they are. There has two uses: It can indicate place and it can be used as an expletive — a word that doesn’t do anything in a sentence except delay the subject.

Lie and Lay

The three most difficult verbs in the English language are lie, lie, and lay.

To lie:Recline; be at rest; be horizontal

To lie:Tell an untruth

To lay:Put or place something somewhere

Why are they so tough? Because each verb contains forms used by the other two! Using these verbs correctly takes a lot of practice.

To Lie ( recline )

I lie on the couch to read. I lie down to read.

NOT : I lied or laid or layed down.

I will lie on the couch. I will lie down on the couch.

NOT : I will lay on the couch.

I am lying down.

NOT : I am laying down.

I was lying down.

NOT : I was laying down.

Ok so far? Well, here’s the tough one :

Yesterday, I lay down for an hour.

NOT : I lied or laid or layed down.

( Yes, the past tense of lie is lay. )

I have lain down for several hours.

NOT : I have lied or laid or layed down.

( Ofcourse, if you can’t get your mouth around lain, you can always say you slept well! )

To Lie ( tell an untruth )

I lie.

I am lying.

I will lie.

I lied.

I have lied.

To Lay ( place or put ) something somewhere

Should I lay my book on the table?

I am laying my book on the table.

I will lay my book on the table.

I laid my book on the table.

I have laid my book on the table.

Lay or Lie?

Lay means “to place something down.” It is something you do to something else. It is a transitive verb.

Incorrect : Lie the book on the table.

Correct : Lay the book on the table. ( It is being done to something else. )

Lie means “to recline” or “be placed.” It does not act on anything or anyone else. It is an intransitive verb.

Incorrect : Lay down on the couch.

Correct : Lie down on the couch. ( It is not being done to anything else. )

The reason lay and lie are confusing is their past tenses.

The past tense of lay is laid.

The past tense of lie is lay.

Incorrect : I lay it down here yesterday.

Correct : I laid it down here yesterday. ( It is being done to something else. )

Incorrect : Last night I laid awake in bed.

Correct : Last night I lay awake in bed. ( It is not being done to anything else. )

The past participle of lie is lain. The past participle of lay is like the past tense, laid.

Examples : I could have lain in bed all day.

   They have laid an average of 500 feet of sewer line a day.

Layed is a misspelling and does not exist. Use laid.