I just don't have time to do all I want anymore. Or should that be any more? English loves to keep writers on their toes with words like these. For example, if I'm surprised that someone ate every blasted cookie I baked that morning, I huff into the room with the empty cookie jar and demand, “Clarence, how could you eat all of these already?" But what about all ready?
Why couldn’t English be more logical and clearer?
The problem about English, well about human language in general, is nobody “designed” it. And maybe I shouldn’t call it a problem at all, because like humans, language has evolved and survived as a most fascinating part of our world. English is all about life and how it changes. We borrow from other languages when people immigrate, conquer their neighbors, and marry into different cultures. Our language changes because new ideas, new inventions, new ways of doing things come into existence. This process is irregular and unpredictable, so it’s no wonder we’re confused about something as simple as word choice.
Then there’s the fact that spoken English changes far faster than the written form, so we hear the “wrong” word choice a long time before what is “wrong” to set down on the page becomes “right.” One thing grammarians and linguists agree on is that we must have rules, otherwise, we definitely won’t be able to communicate with the written word.
To continue in the tradition of the rule makers and followers, here’s a quick reference for those tricky words. I hope this list of some of the most often confused words and how to use them will come in handy when you’re editing.
Anymore
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Refers to time
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He doesn’t live here anymore.
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Any more
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Refers to quantities
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I don’t have any more money.
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Lying (Lie)
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This verb doesn’t take an object.
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Brutus was lying on the rug. /Brutus lies on the rug every night.
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Laying (Lay)
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This verb takes an object.
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The hens are laying eggs like crazy./The hens lay eggs a lot these days.
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Note: Just in case you forgot all that boring grammar, the object is the noun following the verb. In the sentences for laying/lay the object is “eggs.”
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All ready
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Describes being completely prepared
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Dinner is all ready.
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Already
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Describes something completed in time.
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I’ve already done that.
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Lose /lewz/
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Present tense of to lose, a verb opposite of find
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Did you lose your wallet?
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Loose /lews/
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An adjective meaning the opposite of tight.
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I lost ten pounds, so my pants are loose around my waist.
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Advice
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A noun meaning something offered as helpful guidance in making decisions or taking action.
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I should have taken your advice and not bought this car.
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Advise
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A verb meaning to offer someone guidance in making decisions or taking action.
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I’d advise you not to buy that car.
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Further
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Distance, but in a metaphorical sense.
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I want to further my career.
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Farther
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Distance in a physical sense.
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I can walk any farther tonight.
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Note: This one is a slippery eel for a couple of reasons: Each one can be an adverb, an adjective, or a verb. And what is metaphorical anyway? Is “I can’t write any further tonight” metaphorical or physical? Tough call. Writers who can’t make up their minds opt for farther, and most readers aren’t going to nail you because they’re not sure either. This pair of words has caused no end of linguistic issues. In conversation you seldom hear further, so it seems that farther might be the winner here eventually. In the meantime, in written English try to make the right choice whenever possible.
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Eminent
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A word used to describe someone famous.
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Dr. Smoooze is an eminent surgeon.
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Imminent
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A word used to describe something about to happen.
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The fire is very close, so evacuation from the area is imminent.
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Note: If you can hear that the “E” in eminent sounds more like the one in “every,” and the “I” in imminent is higher as in “impossible” that might help distinguish these two totally unrelated words.
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Fewer
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If you can count it, use fewer.
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I drank two glasses of wine last night, one fewer than the night before.
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Less
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If you can’t count it, use less.
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I drank less wine last night.
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Note: Spoken English disregards this rule entire. Careful writers don’t. Not yet.
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Affect
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A verb meaning to cause some change in someone or something. It’s a cause.
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The loss of her beloved cat will seriously affect Prunella.
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Effect
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A noun meaning the result of some action or condition.
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Noun: Prunella’s breakdown was the effect of the loss of her beloved cat. (I hope the example is helpful in spite of the terrible sentence.)
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Note: Effect is sometimes a verb as in “to effect change.”
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Principle
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A noun meaning a basic rule or belief. Also chief.
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Dinkle based his decision on the principle of do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
Dinkle’s principle concern is honesty.
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Principal
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The head of a school.
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Remember the princiPAL is your PAL.
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Compliment
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A noun or verb meaning something positive said or given to another.
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I love getting compliments about my hair.
Let me compliment you on how lovely your hair looks.
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Complement
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A thing that completes or brings to perfection | That dress complements your complexion.
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Note: These two sound exactly alike (homophones), but they are totally unrelated. It’s all about the spelling.
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Destroy
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A verb meaning to end something or someone completely.
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The blast destroyed the outhouse.
Cranky Mosley destroyed my self-confidence with his remarks.
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Decimate
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A verb meaning to reduce by ten percent.
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The llamas were decimated by the storm. Fortunately, the other ninety percent are safe.
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Envelop
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A verb meaning to surround completely.
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The neighborhood was enveloped by smoke.
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Envelope
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A noun meaning something made of paper to hold letters.
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Don’t lick the envelope. Use the sponge.
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Do you have other confusing words that send you off to the dictionary when you’re writing? If I’m seriously in doubt, I often avoid the tricky words and find another way to tell the story.
