Improve your Writing (Confused Words)

It all is a lot clearer now, ironic right? Confused words are often used and this is because it sounds right, but it is not. These words sound so similar, this is where the problem comes in.

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Homophones

This is the biggest cause for all the confusing words one can read in someones writing. Why English decided to do this... well if you ask me they just wanted to be difficult. If the English language just decided to be simple and not so confusing, this would all be gone and we would never have to worry about it.

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If you ask me English causes a lot of stress and unnecessary worry. It is making me old and grey with all it's rules and exceptions, and extra exceptions to the exceptions.

Accept/Except
Accept:Is a verb, this means that someone or something is doing the accepting.

I accept you for being who you are.
I do not accept your laziness.

Except: Is a word that functions like "excluding".

I love ice-cream, except when it is melted.
Most days are sunny during winter except when there is a cold front.

Affect/Effect
This is one I often get wrong. A way that I have learnt how to tell the difference, is the A. The A represents action.

Affect: Is a verb, where something or someone is affecting something else.
That story affected me more than the others.

Effect: is usually a noun.
That story had an effect on my life.

See how the had is now the verb and effect is a noun.

Its/It’s
Its: is possessive.
The clown lost its red nose.

It's: is a contraction of "it is".
It's going to be a rainy day today.

We always think that the apostrophe shows possession "Tim's car", but its is similar to the words his and her, therefore its is possession. With "It's" just break it up into it is

Loose/Lose
Another one I struggle with. Whenever you need to use loose/lose in the context of, you lost something, just replace the t with an e to get the right one.

Loose: is not tight, but loose.
The door was loose.

Lose: in the past tense is lost.
You will lose this game if you keep playing like this.

To/Too
Too: indicates, excess or means also.
I too want to got to the movie
It is way too much food for me to eat

To: must be used in all other circumstances.

Weather/Whether
When it comes to this one just think of water, there is no h in water, therefore weather relates to the conditions around us.
The weather is looking bad today, we will get rain.

Whether: is proceeded by an opinion
Weather or not it rains, I will be happy.

There are many many more of these words. To have a look at more and do some short exercises go to:Link

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Just on a little side note for self improvement. I will be doing pushups, situps and squats for the amount of $$$ (ratio;$1:1) I earn on this post and will give a short feedback every day at the end of each post. This will be split in equally between all 3. Any not done will carry onto the next day.