Transcript their/there/they`re, its/it`s, sit/set, lie/lay, affect/effect, sit

To is a preposition which
begins a prepositional phrase
or an infinitive.
Too is an adverb meaning
"excessively" or "also."
Two is a number.
Examples:
We went to a baseball game.
(preposition)
We like to watch a good ball game.
(infinitive)
We ate too much. (meaning
"excessively")
I like baseball, too. (meaning "also")
Six divided by three is two. (number)
They own two Brittany spaniels.
(number)
Their is a possessive pronoun. It always
describes a noun.
• Note the spelling of their. It comes from
the word they, so the e comes before the i.
There is an adverb meaning "that location.“
• It is spelled like here which means "this
location."
They're is a contraction of “they are”.
• Note the spelling: The a from are is
replaced by an apostrophe.
Examples:
•Their dog has fleas. (possessive of they)
•I put the collar right there. (that
location)
•There are five prime numbers less than
ten.
(with to be)
•They're 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7. (contraction of
they are)
Its is the possessive pronoun; it
modifies a noun.
It's is a contraction of “it is” or
“it has”.
•Incorrect: The mother cat carried it's kitten in it's
mouth.
(Possessive pronoun, no apostrophe)
•Correct: The mother cat carried its kitten in its
mouth.
•Correct: I think it's going to rain today.
(Contraction of it is)
•Correct: It's been a very long time.
(Contraction of it has)
Set means to "put in a certain
place." It is normally followed by a
direct object, that is, it acts upon
something else. It is transitive.
Sit means "to be seated." It is always
intransitive.
Incorrect: Set down on this chair.
Correct: Sit down on this chair.
Incorrect: Sit the money on the counter.
Correct: Set the money on the counter.
Set or sit plus a reflexive pronoun--"Set yourself
down" or "Sit yourself down"--is nonstandard
Set does not always take a direct object; for
example, we speak of a hen or the sun setting.
Lay means "to place something down." It is
something you do to something else.
• Incorrect: Lie the book on the table.
• Correct: Lay the book on the table.
(It is being done to something else.)
Lie means "to recline" or "be placed." It does
not act on anything or anyone else.
• Incorrect: Lay down on the couch.
• Correct: Lie down on the couch.
(It is not being done to anything else.)
The reason lay and lie are confusing is their past tenses.
The past tense of lay is laid. The past tense of lie is lay.
• Incorrect: I lay it down here yesterday.
• Correct: I laid it down here yesterday.
(It is being done to something else.)
• Incorrect: Last night I laid awake in bed.
• Correct: Last night I lay awake in bed.
(It is not being done to anything else.)
The past participle of lie is lain. The past participle of lay
is like the past tense, laid.
• Examples: I could have lain in bed all day. They have laid an average of
500 feet of sewer line a day.
Layed is a misspelling and does not exist. Use laid.
Generally speaking, affect is a verb and effect
is a noun. When you affect something, you
produce an effect on it. Even in the passive
voice, something would be
affected, not effected.
However, there are exceptions to this rule.
Example: What effect did the loss have on the
team?
Example: The prescribed medication had no
effect on the patient's symptoms.
Example: How does the crime rate affect hiring
levels by local police forces?
Example: The weather conditions will affect the
number of people who come to the county fair
this year.
Can as an auxiliary verb means "to be able to."
May as an auxiliary verb means "to be
permitted to."
• Incorrect: Can we talk?
(Well, if you can say it, you are able to talk!)
• Correct: May we talk?
• Correct: We may talk if you can listen to my side.
Leave means "to allow to remain."
Let simply means "to allow" or "to
permit."
• Incorrect: Let him alone!
• Correct: Leave him alone!
(Allow him to remain alone.)
• Incorrect: Leave me do it again.
• Correct: Let me do it again.
(Allow me to do it.)
Learning is what pupils/students do.
Teaching is what teachers do.
Example: She is teaching her how to ice
skate.
Example: The girl is learning how to ice
skate.
Accept means "to receive."
Except is usually a preposition
meaning "but" or "leaving out."
• However, except can also be a
verb meaning "to leave out."
As verbs, accept and except are nearly
antonyms, so the difference is important!
• Examples:
He accepted the gift. (He received it.)
• He excepted the twins. (He did not include
them.)
• Everyone except Bill. (All but Bill.)
•
Capital has multiple meanings:
(1) a city that serves as the seat of government;
(2) wealth in the form of money or property;
(3) an asset or advantage;
(4) a capital letter (the type of letter used at the
beginning of a sentence).
Capitol refers to the building in which a legislative
assembly meets. (Remember that the o in capitol is
like the o in the dome of a capitol.)
Examples:
The dome of the United States Capitol may well be the most
famous man-made landmark in America.
Juneau is the capital of Alaska.
Practice:
(a) The United States Capitol is the ______ building that serves
as the location for the United States Congress.
(b) It is located in Washington, D.C., the ______ of the United
States.
Principal is an adjective meaning "most important"
or "main" OR a noun designating "the main or chief
one." Thus, the principal sum of money on which one
draws interest is the principal, and the principal
person in a school is the principal.
Principle It is a noun only. referring to a fundamental
law or concept or to a code of conduct, often used in
the plural, as in "moral principles."
Once we grasp this principle, we are less likely to
confuse these words.
between when you are writing about two
things
among when you are writing about more than
two things.
• The guard stood between the door and the street.
• Just between you and me, I’m surprised that a
graduate of Yale wouldn’t speak better English.
•We wandered among the poppies, looking for
the road to Oz.
•Let’s keep this information among ourselves.
•A common error is to use between where
among is more appropriate:
•I was one of eight brothers. Our parents
never made any difference between us.
•Better: Our parents never made any
difference among us.
Raise means "to make higher," "build," or
"nurture and cause to grow.“
• the action is done to something or someone else.
Rise means "to get up" or "become elevated."
• The past tense is rose; the past participle, risen.
Examples: They raised the barn in two days.
The sun rises and sets every day.
When something is standing still, it’s
stationary.
That piece of paper you write a letter on is
stationery.
• Let the “E” in “stationery” remind you of
“envelope.”
Good is an adjective and well is an
adverb.
Examples:
I did good on the test. INCORRECT! –
Correct form: I did well on the test.
She played the game good. INCORRECT! –
Correct form: She played the game well.
Use the adjective form good when describing something or
someone. In other words, use good when stating how
something or someone is.
Examples:
She is a good tennis player.
Tom thinks he is a good listener.
Use the adverb form well when describing how something
or someone does something.
Examples:
She did extremely well on the exam.
Our parents think we speak English well.