Category: English Grammar
Don’t confuse the words “compliment” and “complement.” “Compliment” can be a noun or a verb. As a noun, it means a flattering remark: She always receives lots of compliments …
Don’t confuse “capitol” and “capital.” A “capitol” is a building where a state’s or country’s government meets: The officials gathered in the capitol. The noun “capital” has several meanings. …
Don’t confuse “affect” and “effect.” “Affect” is a verb. It means to influence something: His hard work will affect his grade in that course. “Effect” is usually a noun, …
Don’t confuse “except” and “accept.” In its most common usage, “except” is a preposition. It means with the exception of: Everyone except Hector went to the circus. “Accept” is …
They Sound the Same. But they’re not. English is full of words that sound similar or identical, but that mean different things. Only in English can you “stare at …
Avoid sentence fragments, too. A sentence fragment is a group of words that is intended to be a sentence but that is missing either the subject or the predicate. …
Avoid run-on sentences. Run-on sentences occur when a writer does not use the necessary punctuation and/or conjunction to join two independent clauses. The following run-on sentences: Billy got sick …
Write mostly in the active voice rather than the passive voice. “Active voice” means that the subject of the sentence performs the action. “Passive voice” means that an action …
