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13. Choose the Right Word:
Beyond learning the difference between commonly confused words, this writing guide principle asks a writer to choose the word with the best connotations for the context of the sentence, paragraph, and paper. For example, in a paper that is analyzing the poetry of William Wordsworth, a careful writer would not write:
Incorrect: “In his poem “Elegiac Stanzas” William Wordsworth talks about his brother’s death at sea and its effect upon his view of nature.
Correct: “In his poem “Elegiac Stanzas” William Wordsworth articulates his brother’s death at sea and its effect upon his view of nature.
Why “articulates” and not “talks about”? “Articulates” is the right word because William Wordsworth is not talking in his poem and the casual “talks about” is too informal for the context of the effect of death upon one’s view of nature.
So, when choosing between the casual word and the more formal word, look to the context of the sentence, paragraph, and paper.
Commonly Confused Words:
-accept / except
-affect / effect
-allusion / illusion / delusion
-connote / denote
-disinterested / uninterested
-farther / further
-good / well
-imply / infer
-ingenious / ingenuous
-lie / lay
-lose / loose
-past / passed
-prescribe / proscribe
-than / then
-where / when
-accept / except:
-accept means to receive
-except means to leave out or exclude.
Incorrect: If you except the invitation, you'll have to go.
Correct: If you accept the invitation, you'll have to go.
Incorrect: I can resist anything accept coffee.
Correct: I can resist anything except temptation.
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-affect / effect:
-affect: to influence (v)
-effect: a changed state de to an action (n)
-effect: to succeed in doing something (v)
Incorrect: If you except the invitation, you'll have to go.
Correct: If you accept the invitation, you'll have to go.
Incorrect: Low grades are an affect of low motivation.
Correct: Low grades are an effect of low motivation.
Incorrect: The student senate wanted to affect change in the administration of the school.
Correct: The student senate wanted to effect change in the administration of the school.
-allusion / illusion / delusion:
allusion: reference to fact, history, or literary text.
illusion: something that deceives the senses.
delusion: false belief held in the face of fact.
Incorrect: The author created an illusion to Paradise Lost.
Correct: The author created an allusion to Paradise Lost.
Incorrect: The ghost was an delusion created by lights and fog.
Correct: The ghost was an illusion created by lights and fog.
Incorrect: The belief that education is a panacea to all ignorance is a illusion.
Correct: The belief that education is a panacea to all ignorance is a delusion.
-connote / denote:
connote: to imply or suggest meaning
denote: to have a specific / dictionary meaning
Incorrect: When students answer questions at a disciplinary meeting, hesitation may denote guilt.
Correct: When students answer questions at a disciplinary meeting, hesitation may connote guilt.
Incorrect: A waving white flag at war connotes surrender.
Correct: A waving white flag at war denotes surrender.
-disinterested / uninterested
disinterested: free from bias
uninterested: lacking interest in a subject
Incorrect: I am disinterested in playing soccer right now.
Correct: I am uninterested in playing soccer right now.
Incorrect: The judge remained uninterested when he rendered a decision on the case.
Correct: The judge remained disinterested when he rendered a decision on the case.
-farther / further
farther: to a point more distant in space
further: in more depth or to a greater extent
Incorrect: The teacher said that we would explore the definition of Romanticism farther tomorrow.
Correct: The teacher said that we would explore the definition of Romanticism further tomorrow.
Incorrect: John was able to cast the fly rod further than the feeding fish.
Correct: John was able to cast the fly rod farther than the feeding fish.
-good / well:
good: an adjective (modifies a noun) that indicates something
is satisfactory
well: an adverb (modifies a verb) that indicates something is
satisfactory
Incorrect: Peter always plays good in tennis matches.
Incorrect: Peter always plays well in tennis matches.
Incorrect: Courtney claimed that she was not feeling good during the test.
Correct: Courtney claimed that she was not feeling well during the test.
-imply / infer:
imply: to make something understood without stating it
directly (author’s imply)
infer: to conclude something from evidence (reader’s infer)
Incorrect: Did the author infer that war is inevitable?
Correct: Did the author imply that war is inevitable?
Incorrect: The reader of Paradise Lost must imply that Satan is not the hero.
Correct: The reader of Paradise Lost must infer that Satan is not the hero.
Incorrect: The ghost was an delusion created by lights and fog.
Correct: The ghost was an illusion created by lights and fog.
-ingenious / ingenuous
ingenious: possessing cleverness
ingenuous: innocent, honest, unworldly
disingenuous: insincere or giving a false impression
Incorrect: Most believe the professor is ingenuous, but I found him condescending.
Correct: Most believe the professor is ingenious, but I found him condescending.
-lie / lay:
Lay is a transitive verb that means to put something or someone into a reclining position. Transitive verbs are always followed by a direct object. Thus, lay must always be followed by a noun or pronoun that answers "whom" or "what" to it -- a receiver of its action.
Incorrect: Each night I lay on my bed and review the day’s events.
Correct: Each night I lie on my bed and review the day’s events.
Incorrect: Each morning I lie out my clothes before I get dressed.
Correct: Each morning I lay out my clothes before I get dressed.
-lose / loose:
Lose (v) has three possible meanings:
* to "misplace" something,
* to "fail to win," or
* to "be deprived of" something.
The past tense of lose is lost.
Loose (adj) has two possible meanings:
* "not fastened," or
· "not tight fitting."
Incorrect: Down by two touchdowns it looked as though the Pittsburgh Steelers were going to loose the game.
Correct: Down by two touchdowns it looked as though the Pittsburgh Steelers were going to lose the game.
Incorrect: Do not loose your composure when you make a mistake on the tennis court; expect to make many mistakes.
Correct: Do not lose your composure when you make a mistake on the tennis court; expect to make many mistakes.
-past / passed:
Past can be a noun, meaning "what has already happened."
Past can be an adjective, meaning "gone by" or "ended."
Past can be a preposition, meaning "beyond" or "by."
Past can never be a verb.
Passed is always a verb.
Incorrect: The two cars went past each other without headlights.
Correct: The two cars went passed each other without headlights.
Incorrect: I am afraid it is a week passed the deadline.
Correct: I am afraid it is a week past the deadline.
-prescribe / proscribe
Prescribe is a verb used in favor of an idea or action. It means
- to set rules
- to advise or recommend
- to allow by law
Proscribe is a verb to disallow an action.
Incorrect: The U.S. Constitution prescribes self-incrimination in court.
Correct: The U.S. Constitution law proscribes self-incrimination in court.
Incorrect: The teacher proscribed the rules for the outline.
Correct: The teacher prescribed the rules for the outline.
-than / then
Then usually refers to time, meaning "at that time."
Then can also be used as a transition to mean "in that case"
or "therefore."
Than is used only when comparing items.
Incorrect: This novel seems is easier to read then the last one.
Correct: This novel seems is easier to read than the last one.
Incorrect: The wind came quickly and then the rain fell.
Correct: The wind came quickly and then the rain fell.
when / where:
When must refer to a time period or specific time.
Where must refer to a place.
Incorrect: There was a time in my childood where all I could feel completely at home in nature.
Correct: There was a time in my childood when all I could feel completely at home in nature.
Incorrect: I know of a remote lake when there are rising fish to each cast.
Correct: I know of a remote lake where there are rising fish to each cast.
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