There are many more commonly misplaced words than the ones listed below. Just be
aware that taking your time and following the revision tips (Section
14) will help you avoid misusing words.
Then and than
The spellchecker will likely not notice the following mistake:
I would rather use the toothbrush
then the comb to clean my teeth.
This should read:
I would rather use the toothbrush than the comb to clean my teeth.
For clarity, write "and then" to signify a time sequence:
would rather comb my hair, and then brush my teeth.
For comparisons, just write than:
I would rather comb my hair than brush my teeth.
Since "then" often follows "if," do a word search for "if"
in your document. After each "if," check and make sure you have not accidentally
written "than" instead of "then." A spellchecker often fails
to find this error.
Except and accept
These words are basically opposite in meaning. A verbal reading of your paper will
help you minimize misusing them:
Right: Except for the budget section, I accept your proposal.
Wrong: Accept for the budget
section, I except your proposal.
In the second sentence, the spellchecker may notice one of the mistakes, but not
both.
Affect and effect
These words create much confusion, and for good reason. In some cases, the verb
forms can even have the same meaning. In general however, to affect means
"to impact." To effect means "to create":
I effected change = I brought about change.
I affected change = I influenced the change, but did not cause it.
For clarity, avoid using "effect" as a verb because in the noun state
there is a clear difference between the two words. Affect means an emotion
(a rarely used meaning), and an effect is the result of something:
One effect of a hole in the ozone layer could be increased skin cancer.
To decide if you are properly using effect as a noun, try substituting result
in the sentence. If it makes sense, then you have probably used it correctly:
One result of a hole in the ozone layer could be increased skin cancer.
Which and what
What and which are called determiners, and they are used when asking
questions.
The main difference in usage relates to choices. Use what if the person answering
has an unlimited number of choices to pick from when answering the question.
Use which if it is believed the answerer has a restricted set from which to pick
an answer.
The following examples can help to make the distinction more clear.
What are other people doing?
Which activity did you like the best?
What cars do you own?
Which car do you drive the most?
What were the first symptoms?
Which symptoms appeared first?
The last two sentences may seem identical in meaning. However, the first sentence
implies an initial question, asking for a list of the symptoms that have not yet
been determined. The second question, using which, implies that a list
of symptoms has already been provided, and the questioner needs to know which symptoms
from that list appeared first. See the Sample Sentences sections for examples
using which and what in flashcards.
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