Word of the Week

Hi, let's talk about words again this week . One of the biggest problem areas is words that sound alike but have different meanings. An example is to, too and two. These are problems for a number of reasons. First, if you don't understand their different meanings.

To - Is always a preposition before a verb - e.g. - He went to the store.
Two - Is an adjective describing quantity - e.g. - There were two eggs in the basket.
Too - Is an adverb and means "as well as" - e.g. - He went too.

This seems simple but when your mind is tired at 3 in the morning, it is tempting just to want to get the assignment done. This can lead to mistakes. Unfortunately, your spell checker will not fix these errors and you will be stuck with them. A simple solution is to re-read your work in the morning or to let someone else help you re-read your work. They will often see the careless error your mind passed over three times.

Let's consider three other commonly misused words: there, they're and their.

The first word there can have a number of functions inside a sentence. Here are a few examples:

There is the book. (Explicative) He found the book lying there. (Adverb)
There is the telephone. (Popular use - Explicative)
There is no evidence to support this theory so we must question its validity. (There + to be, formal use)

The second word they're is always a contraction of the words "they are."
Example: They're going to the theatre tonight.

The third word is always a possessive pronoun.
Example: They bought their house last year.

Let's consider one more common problem, loose and lose. Loose is adjective that describes an object that is not fastened properly. Lose is a verb that means "to misplace" or "not to win". (See Hacker, Diane. The Canadian Writer's Reference. p. 96)

Example - The loose button fell off her jacket.
Example - Jack used a hammer to repair the floorboard because it was loose.

Example: The home team will lose the game.
Example: Lose the attitude. (Colloquial, non standard English, use in dialogue not academic papers)
Example: Did you lose your last dollar?

If you understand the meaning of these words, you will make fewer errors. However, anyone who is overtired, overworked and/or anxious can make grammar mistakes. The best way to eradicate mistakes is not simply to understand how to use the right word in the right place, but to give yourself the time to edit your work properly. Unedited, poorly spelled assignments with bad grammar often create the impression that you don't care, even when you do. Give yourself a break. Finish an assignment and find the time the next day to check for grammar mistakes by re-reading your own work or finding a friend to help you re-read your work, after ensuring your friend's grammar is up to the job.

KB