Commonly Confused Words and Pet Peeves

1
Commonly Confused Wordsand Pet Peeves

• Round One

2
Theyre / Their / There

• Copy the sentences below, using the correct word.
• (Theyre / Their / There) house was destroyed by
  the hurricane.
• Put the television over (theyre / their /
  there).
• (Theyre / Their /There) not the ones who stole
  the candy.

3
To / too / two

• Copy the following sentences with the correct
  form of (to/too/two).
• You have (to/too/two) minutes to get to class.
• Were going (to/too/two) the movies.
• There are way (to/too/two) many warm-ups in this
  class.

4
Its / Its

• Copy the following sentences with the correct
  form of (its / its).
• 5. (Its / Its) been so long since Ive seen you.
• 6. I cant believe (its / its) finally Friday!
• 7. The dog managed to get (its / its) legs stuck
  in (its / its) doghouse.
• 8. (Its / Its) just a matter of time before a
  snake bites (its / its) owner.

5
Then / Than

• Copy the following sentences, using the correct
  form of (then / than).
• 9. I cant believe Im older (then/than) you.
• 10. I will take my time, (then/than) Ill go to
  class.
• 11. My shoes are much cleaner (then/than) yours.

6
Lose / Loose Your / Youre

• Copy the following sentences with the correct
  form of (lose/loose) and (your/youre).
• 12. His pants were (lose/loose) fitting.
• 13. Take (your/youre) feet off the desk.
• 14. We hope we dont (lose/loose) today.
• 15. (Your/Youre) not the first person to say
  that.

7
Through / Threw

• Copy the following sentences, using the correct
  form of (through/threw)
• We had to go (through/threw) the metal detectors.
• The president (through/threw) out the first pitch
  at the game.
• He (through/threw) up after getting off the
  roller coaster.

8
Whos / Whose

• Copy the sentences, using the correct form of
  (whos / whose).
• (Whos / whose) book is this?
• (Whos / whose) coming to the football game
  tomorrow?
• The man (whos / whose) house collapsed is now
  homeless.
• I need to know (whos /whose) with me.

9
Accept vs. Except

• Accept is a verb meaning to receive.
• Did you accept the gift?
• Except is a preposition that meansexcluding.
• We were busy every night except Tuesday.

10
Affect vs. Effect

• Affect is a verb meaning to influence.
• Try not to let unkind remarks affect you.
• Effect is usually used as a noun that means the
  result of.
• The effects of the hurricane were evident.

11
All together vs. Altogether

• All together is an adverb meaning in unison, or
  an adjective meaning in the same place.
• Please sing all together, now.
• We were all together for the holidays.
• Altogether is an adverb that means entirely.
• Her reaction was altogether unexpected.

12
Complement vs. Compliment

• The word complement is a noun and a verb. In
  either case, it refers to something that
  completes or goes well with something else.
• The sauce is a nice complement to the vegetables.
• The sauces complements the vegetables.
• The word compliment is also a noun and a verb,
  but it indicates the offering of praise or
  flattery to another person.
• He gave her a compliment about how she was
  dressed.
• He complimented her on her attire.

13
All ready vs. Already

• The words all ready mean all prepared
• We were all ready to leave.
• The word already means previously
• We have already painted the sets.

14
Formally vs. Formerly

• The word formally means in a proper or dignified
  manner, or according to strict rules.
• Did you dress formally for the party or wear
  everyday clothing?
• The word formerly means previously, or done in
  the past.
• The lake was formerly a valley.

15
Desert vs. Dessert

• The word desert means a dry region or to leave
  or abandon.
• He crossed the desert at night.
• She deserted her sister at Kennywood.
• The word dessert means the final, sweet course
  of a meal.
• The buffets food was great, except for the
  dessert, which was dry and bland.

16
Passed vs. Past

• The word passed means went by, beyond, over, or
  through.
• He passed the last car before reaching the
  checkered flag.
• The word past means time gone by, of a former
  time, or beyond.
• He told stories about the past.
• He has missed the past two days.
• He walked right past the snake.

17
Principal vs. Principle

• The word principal means the head of a school,
  or main or most important.
• Mr. Stephens is the principal.
• The principal export of Brazil is coffee.
• The word principle means a rule of conduct, or
  a fact of general truth.
• Her principles are very high.
• MLK supported a principle of non-violence.

18
Personal vs. Personnel

• The word personal is an adjective meaning
  individual or private.
• The store manager gave us personal attention.
• The word personnel refers to a group of people
  employed in the same work.
• Management asked personnel to come to work 10
  minutes earlier than last year.

19
Quiet vs. Quite

• The word quiet means silent or still.
• The library is now usually quiet.
• The word quite means completely, rather, or
  very.
• He was quite sure he was at school yesterday.

20
Waist vs. Waste

• The word waist means the midsection of the
  body.
• The pants are too tight around the waist.
• The word waste means a needless expense,
  unused material, or to use foolishly.
• Waiting in line is a waste of time.
• Do not waste too much time on video games.

21
Weather vs. Whether

• The word weather refers to conditions outdoors.
• The weather has been far from perfect this
  week!
• The word whether indicates an alternative or some
  doubt.
• You must decide whether you want to go or not.

22
Assure, ensure, insure

• Assure is a verb meaning to make certain by
  removing doubt or suspense to promise.
• I assure you that will not happen again!
• Ensure is a verb meaning to make certain by
  protecting to guarantee.
• The First Amendment ensures the freedom of
  speech.
• Insure is a verb meaning to arrange for
  monetary payment in case of loss, etc.
• What is the cost to insure both vehicles?

23
Anxious vs. Eager

• Anxious means apprehensive, or nervous, about
  something although, you might have an excitement
  for it as well.
• I am very anxious about the championship game.
• Eager means you await something with pleasant
  expectations.
• I am so eager for summer vacation!

24
Between vs. Among

• Whether you choose between two evils or among
  them depends on the number of evils.
• Between the devil and the deep blue sea.
  (Between usually is the choice as an object of
  the preposition when choosing between two).

25
Between vs. Among (cont.)

• I must choose among The Four Horsemen of the
  Apocalypse.
• (Among is usually, but not always, required
  for three or more)
• Between usually carries a more one-on-one
  connotation than among
• Differing ideologies have caused wars between
  nations, but a common enemy may yet bring peace
  among them.

26
Everyday vs. Every day

• Everyday is an adjective.
• Her everyday clothes made the rich kids scoff.
• Every day is an adverb telling when or how
  often.
• Every day, he comes into the classroom ten
  minutes late.

27
Everyone vs. Every one

• Everyone is a pronoun, which should be used only
  when you can substitute everybody.
• Everyone who answers the questionnaire will win a
  prize!
• Every one is a phrase made up of the adjective
  every and the pronoun one.
• Every one of the players was angry with their
  captain.

28
In, Into, and In to

• In means within.
• If you walk in a room, you move around within it.
• Into means from the outside to the inside.
• If you walk into a room, heads might turn as you
  enter.
• In to is two words to being a preposition and in
  being closely related to the preceding adverb.
• I turned my paper in to my teacher.
• Dont give in to temptation.

29
Its vs. Its

• Its is the possessive case.
• The dog took its bone back to its doghouse.
• The computer took its time loading.
• Its is the contraction for It is.
• Its too late!
• Its the only thing that makes them smile.

30
Lay vs. Lie

• Lay is a verb that means to put something in
  its place. The past tense is laid.
• Lay the napkins on the table, if theyve not
  already been laid.

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Lay vs. Lie (cont.)

• Lie means to rest, to recline, or to be in
  a certain place. It does not take a direct
  object.
• I might go lie down. Im not feeling well.
• The present participle is lying.
• I left the napkin lying on the table.
• One problem is that lay is the past tense of lie.
• The seed lay on the ground.
• Lain is the past participle of lie.
• The seed had lain on the ground without watering,
  so it died.

32
May versus Might

• Both usually point to the future, but may carries
  a more positive connotation than might. May
  shows better odds, too.
• We think we may play as early as Friday, but we
  might have to wait until Wednesday.

33
Cite vs. Site

• The word cite is a verb that means to mention or
  quote as an authority or example.
• The word site means a particular place.

34
Disinterested vs. Uninterested

• The word disinterested means impartial.
• Let a disinterested person judge the dispute.
  (an impartial person)
• The word uninterested means not interested in.
• The man is uninterested in our dispute. (not
  interested)

35
Peak vs. pique (as verbs)

• The verb peak means to achieve a maximum or to
  bring to a maximum.
• The popularity of the show Cheers peaked in the
  late 1980s.
• The verb pique means to provoke or arouse, or
  to provoke resentment or indignation.
• Which sport piques your interest the most hockey
  or football?

36
Elicit vs. Illicit

• The verb elicit means to bring out or to
  evoke.
• The teacher tried to elicit a response from the
  students.
• The adjective illicit means unlawful.
• The illicit material was confiscated immediately.

37
Adverse vs. Averse

• Adverse means unfavorable.
• That could have an adverse effect on your health.
• Averse means opposed or reluctant, and is
  usually followed by to.
• I am very averse to any vacation that poses a
  threat to my safety.

38
Continual vs. Continuous

• The word continual means repeated regularly and
  frequently.
• The continual interruptions became tedious.
• The word continuous means extended or prolonged
  without interruption.
• The broken siren made a continuous wail.

39
Coarse vs. Course

• The word coarse is an adjective meaning rough
  or crude
• I scraped my arm on the coarse cement.
• My skin is coarse during the winter months.

40
Coarse vs. Course (cont.)

• The word course is a noun meaning part of a
  meal, a series of studies, a playing field,
  or a path of action.
• It is a four course meal.
• The speech course made me nervous.
• The golf course was difficult to play.
• You are on a good course in life.