Why are some words so commonly confused?
English is amongst the most widely studied languages on the planet, but whether it's a second language or a native tongue, it doesn't half seem a little bit complicated.
With tenses, conjunctions and idioms galore, it's no surprise we all get a little stuck. But what are some commonly confused English words? Why do we mix them up? And how can we make sure we're using them properly?
Well, at BBC Bitesize, we thought we'd do our bit, and try to clear up some common conversation confusions you might've come across!
What is a homophone?
Homophones are words that sound identical but have different spellings and meanings. Some common examples are witch and which, their and there, or two and too.
It isn't entirely surprising that homophones are so often confused in writing, after all, if you've only heard them said aloud, it's not unreasonable you'd mix up one from the other.
In any case, using the wrong homophone can have a sweeping effect on the sentence you're writing. So we've broken down a few common homophones to help you pick the right one.
And if you're after even more tips, check out this great Bitesize guide on common homophones.
What's the difference between who's and whose?
Who's is a contraction of the phrase "who is" or "who has".
For example, you'd write "Who's at the door?" or "Who's got the remote?", as a substitute for "Who is at the door?". Who's can help shorten a sentence or make it more casual in tone.
Whose, on the other hand, is a possessive pronoun or adjective used to indicate ownership or belonging.
For example, you'd say "Whose glasses are these?" or "Sally, whose maths skills were well renowned, aced this morning's sudoku". In both cases, whose is used to express belonging - be it of a physical object, like glasses, or something more intangible, like maths skills.
Remembering which whose/who's to use (little rhyme for you there) is important, as using the wrong one can bring a whole sentence crumbling down.
To tell the difference, see if your sentence still makes sense with the full phrase "who is" or "who has". If it does then it's "who's" you're after, otherwise "whose" is probably the way to go.
What's the difference between accept and except?
Accept and except sound similar, so are often confused, but the two words have vastly different meanings.
Accept means to willingly receive, allow or approve of a thing or person. For example, you might accept an award or apology.
Except, on the other hand, is used to exclude something. For example, you could say "I like all vegetables except broccoli". In this way, the word except can be used as a substitute for 'apart from' or 'excluding'.
Accept is always a verb, whilst except can fit within a few different categories. Except is predominantly used as a preposition, but can be used as both a verb or a conjunction too.
What's the difference between affect and effect?
Affect is usually used as a verb, meaning to influence something, whilst effect is mostly deployed as a noun, when referring to the result of said change.
For example, for affect, you could say "eating well can affect your concentration".
Whilst, in the case of effect, you'd say "creating a revision timetable had a positive effect."
An easy way to test whether it's affect or effect you're after is to swap them out for other verbs or nouns.
If your sentence still makes sense with verbs like 'alter' or 'modify' - it's affect. Eg. "eating well can alter your concentration"
But if your sentence fits better with nouns like 'consequence' or 'outcome' - it's effect you're likely to be after. Eg. "Creating a revision timetable had a positive outcome."
There are some exceptions to this, but following the 'verb vs noun' rule will usually keep you on the right track.
Should I be saying 'bare with me' or 'bear with me'?
The correct phrase is "bear with me", used when asking for patience or understanding whilst doing something.
In this context, bear is a verb meaning to accept or endure, which is similarly used in the phrase "bear in mind".
Bare, on the other hand, tends to be used as an adjective, meaning unclothed or uncovered. Bare can also be used as a verb, again meaning to expose or uncover, but in either case is the wrong bare/bear for this turn of phrase.
