# Other common confusables



## Kell (May 28, 2002)

On the subject of their, they're and there and other words that are commonly incorrectly spelt or used, here is your definitive guide.

*Accept, except: Â *
She _accepted_ a gift of clothes (= took).
Everyone was sick _except_ me (= apart from).

*Advice, advise:*
He needs some paternal _advice_ (= noun).
I _advise_ you to see a doctor (= verb).

*All ready, already:*
We were _all ready_ for the visitors (= prepared).
I've _already had some_ (= previously).

*Ensure, insure, assure:*
The state's duty is to _ensure_ the safety of its* citizens (= guarantee) 
*See further down page for its and it's
You can _insure_ your TT against theft (= cover against loss)
She was not _assured_ until she saw him safe and well (= persuaded that all was well).

*Course, coarse:*
Three _course _meal, eighteen hole golf _course _, difficult _course _of action (= sequence or progression).
_coarse _ cloth, _coarse _ fishing, _coarse _ language (= rough or basic).

*Excercise, exorcise:*
He takes lots of_ exercise _(= fitness fanatic)
A priest was called to _exorcise _a ghost from the house (= expell, eradicate)

*Its, it's:*
The dog licked its paws (= belonging to the dog)
It's a fine looking car (= it is)

*Meter, metre*
Put some money in the parking _meter_ (= measuring instrument).
Try and park less than a _metre_ from the kerb (= unit of measurement).

*Proceed, precede:*
He _proceeded_ to ask a lot of questions. (= went on).
The first chapter _precedes _the second (= comes before, previous)

*Whether, weather:*
I wonder _whether_ it will rain (= if)
The _weather is hot and humid (= climate)

*Whose, who's*
Whose TT is that? (= who does it belong to)
Who's going to the shops? (= who is)

Here endeth the lesson._


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## scott28tt (Jul 30, 2002)

Kell, are you on a mission to improve people's use of the English language ???

Could get a job as Secretary of State for Education, or as a 'Grammar Tzar'


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## Kell (May 28, 2002)

Not me - I'm just providing fuel for the fire.

By the way, you missed a full stop from the end of your second sentence.


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## garyc (May 7, 2002)

Couching vacuous ideas in portentous prose impresses nobody. ;D


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## nutts (May 8, 2002)

accept except oneself 



> Couching vacuous ideas in portentous prose impresses nobody. ;D


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## scott28tt (Jul 30, 2002)

> By the way, you missed a full stop from the end of your second sentence. Â


AAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

Oh great, this is in the flame room, sod off will ya?


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## nutts (May 8, 2002)

ok, lets see if anyone knows the difference between flammable and inflammable?


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## nutts (May 8, 2002)

or assume and presume?


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## garyc (May 7, 2002)

Or inductive/deductive?


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## Kell (May 28, 2002)

What was vacuous? Or, for that matter, where was the idea?


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## Sim (Mar 7, 2003)

In the words of MC Hammer it's 'Grammar time.'


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## Kell (May 28, 2002)

Does that not make him MC Grammar?

Or is that a Scottish Grammatical guide.


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## garyc (May 7, 2002)

> What was vacuous? Â Or, for that matter, where was the idea?


Since the beginning of time, man has wrestled with the great questions of the universe. Humans have always sought to understand their place in creation. There is no society on earth that has not attempted to reckon with the human condition.

_Balderdash_. Generalizations like that are sure to sink your writing, because they almost always fall into one of two classes: the obvious and the wrong.

For starters, how do you know what has happened since the beginning of time? Is your knowledge of early Australopithecus robustus family structure extensive enough to let you compare it to Etruscan social organization? Have you read Incan religious texts alongside Baha'i tracts? Unless you've taken courses in omniscience, I'm guessing the answer's no. In that case, you're saying things you simply don't know, and certainly don't know any better than your audience. So it's either obvious to everyone, or a plain old lie.

Couching vacuous ideas in portentous prose impresses nobody. Simplicity, clarity, and precision will always win over ringing generalizations: don't think everything you write has to settle the mysteries of the ages in expressions worthy of Shakespeare. In the words of one of my favoritest writers in the whole wide world, Calvin Trillin, "When a man has nothing to say, the worst thing he can do is to say it memorably" ("Speak Softly," in Too Soon to Tell [New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1995], p. 123)


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## Dont I Recognise You (Oct 10, 2003)

one that always gets me.... and I'm not even sure if it is a real word :-[

infact, or indeed, possibly enfact, or in fact...

_infact_ it always comes up as a problem with my spell checker.


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## NaughTTy (Jul 9, 2003)

My pet gripe:

*Manufacture/manufacturer*
As in: The manufacturer could not manufacture it correctly.


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## Kell (May 28, 2002)

Not what does vacuous mean - I meant what was vacuous about my original post? Or was it the second post that vacuous?

(PS - nicely explained though.)


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## Kell (May 28, 2002)

amend or emend?


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## M44RT L (May 6, 2002)

inquire or enquire?


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## jdn (Aug 26, 2002)

If anyone is buying this lot a Christmas present may I suggest:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1861976127/ref=sr_aps_books_1_1/202-6309485-5369453

;D


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## garyc (May 7, 2002)

> What was vacuous? Â Or, for that matter, where was the idea?


Exactement mon ami.


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## Kell (May 28, 2002)

I still don't get it.

Have you taken your pills today Gary?


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## Steve_Mc (May 6, 2002)

First up I'd like to know where I sign for a course in omiscience. I like to think of myself as the pub bore knowitall, but would like some sort of certificate to back myself up occasionally ;-)

Re : assure / insure, how about insurance / assurance. The phrase "life insurance" can be said to be incorrect as you insure against things that _may_ happen (motor, marine etc.), whereas we are all _definitely_ going to die sometime, so the correct phrase is "life assurance".

Also * license / licence *

License - verb, such as "Licensed to kill"
Licence - noun, "My driving licence"

And * stationary / stationery *

It's a wander (;-)) we all sleep at night with all these errors.


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## raven (May 7, 2002)

What a great post. I'm also a complete bore about this sort of thing. :-[ 

One I always notice is the use of "none". For example, "None of them are present" is wrong because "none" is an abbreviation of "not one" ie, it's singular. SO, the sentence should read "None of them _is_ present". What is especially wonderful about this one, is that the correct version _sounds_ wrong, so I often find that when using it correctly in a document, someone tries to correct my "error". Which of course gives me the opportunity to explain it to them. 

Another one is the use of "better" / "best". The latter should not be used when talking about two objects eg "Z4 and Boxster - which is best?" should read "Z4 and Boxster - which is better?" 

Blimey, it's not often I get the chance to talk about these sorts of things.... :-/


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## Sim (Mar 7, 2003)

Wet and Whet - ha ha I've got one ;D


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## nutts (May 8, 2002)

and I always thought license was the US spelling of licence... :

Oh and Steve "It's a w*o*nder" Â : : 

;D



> ...Also * license / licence *
> 
> License - verb, such as "Licensed to kill"
> Licence - noun, "My driving licence"
> ...


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## John C (Jul 5, 2002)

Oh, I know, I know....

Apples and pears - you can't compare them, they are not the same!

Eh

Mmmm

I'll get me coat. :-/


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## saint (Dec 6, 2002)

lol


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## Dont I Recognise You (Oct 10, 2003)

> Oh and Steve "It's a w*o*nder" Â : :
> 
> ;D


unless, of course, the nightmares are making him sleep walk..... 

goodness me, how many more puns can we come up with :*

* Please note that this was a rhetorical question!


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