Grammar, Style, and Usage
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English homophones are one of the most confusing parts of the language. There are hundreds of them; they all sound the same; and their spellings generally aren’t that different either. Such is the case with today’s words: bear vs. bare. Not only do these words by themselves confuse writers, but they are also found in ... Read more The post Bear With Me or Bare With Me appeared first on Writing…
These two words are actually quite different in their meanings and in the subject who commits the act itself. Yet despite their differences, they are regularly confused with one another. This is understandable, however. These words aren’t used too much in everyday conversation, and they are somewhat similar in their sound and function. They are ... Read more The post Imply vs. Infer: What’s the…
Since English has been spoken for hundreds of years, some constructions and word combinations that were invented several centuries ago seem odd today. The noun well-being seems like it could be formed as a compound, like wellbeing, or left as separate words, as well being, but despite its length history, only one spelling has ever ... Read more The post Wellbeing or Well-Being – Which is Correct?…
When speaking or writing English, using the past tense can be confusing. There are many types of tenses when referring to events that have already happened. To make matters worse, English contains many irregular verbs that are conjugated in ways that don’t immediately make sense. This lack of consistency can (and does) lead to quite ... Read more The post Began vs. Begun: What’s the Difference?…
Many British English words that end in -our lose the U when they cross the pond into American English, like odour, colour, honour, etc. The word glamour also has an alternative spelling where it drops its U to become glamor. So, by extension of the same rule, should you use glamour with British audiences and ... Read more The post Glamor or Glamour – What’s the Difference? appeared first on…
American culture tends to idolize youth. At this stage of life, the possibilities seem endless, and people are bold, vigorous, and attractive. The English language itself seems to have a fascination with the word youth; it can be used in at least three different ways—and can even be pluralized to youths. It can be difficult ... Read more The post Youth or Youths – Which is Correct? appeared first…
When you want someone to give you fitness advice or instruct you on how to perform an important task, do you need a trainer or trainor? Since a person who watches over you is a supervisor and a person who judges your performance is an evaluator, it makes sense that someone who trains you in ... Read more The post Trainer vs. Trainor – What’s the Difference? appeared first on Writing Explained .
There are many verbs in English that do not follow the standard rules of conjugation. These verbs are irregular verbs. They follow their own rules, and there is often no easy way to remember those rules since they differ so widely. Sweep is one such verb. While regular English verbs take the –ed suffix in ... Read more The post Sweeped or Swept – Which is Correct? appeared first on Writing…
English words that sound alike but are spelled differently and have differing meanings are called homophones. Like most languages, English has many homophones, and they can all be confusing. Summery and summary sound identical when pronounced aloud, but they have different meanings that never overlap. One is related to the four seasons, and the other ... Read more The post Summery vs. Summary –…
When you avoid something, do you stear clear or steer clear of it? If you see steer and think an ox who has not yet turned four, you aren’t wrong. Steer has multiple uses, though, and another one is to navigate. The word stear, though, is a little trickier. Most word processors flag it as ... Read more The post Stear Clear vs. Steer Clear – Which is Correct? appeared first on Writing Explained .
