What is a troublesome word? Troublesome Words What is a troublesome word?
Accept vs. Except Accept- verb- meaning to take something that is given to you or to believe or agree something is true I will accept your offer on this house. Except- meaning not to include Everyone except the young student likes it. Practice!
Practice They had to (accept, except) that they were wrong. Accept He could not (accept, except) their charity. They were all there (accept, except) his brother. Except
Affect vs. Effect Affect- verb- to influence He was affected by the new grading system. Effect- noun- a result The effect of the speech was great!
Practice Studying had a positive (affect, effect) on her grades. A bad test grade can (affect, effect) your average. affect
May vs. Can The helping verb can refers to ability. Examples: My mom can run for five miles without stopping. You can do anything if you put your mind to it.
May The helping verb may refers to permission or a possibility. Examples: The designer may wish to choose the tiles himself. You may go out and play after supper.
Practice (May, Can) I ride my bike after I do my homework? May ( The speaker here asks for permission. The question is not, Am I able to ride my bike? (May, Can) we win the race? Can ( The question here us, Are we able to win the race? This is not a question that asks permission.)
Between vs. Among Between is from an Old English word related to the word two. It denotes a position between two things. The guard stood between the door and the street. Among derives from an Old English word meaning to mix or to mingle. Use among when speaking about more than two things. We wandered among the poppies, looking for the road to Oz.
Practice The printer is (among, between) the computer and the photocopier. between- the computer and photocopier are two separate things There are few French speakers (among, between) the students. among- the students are a group
Principal vs. Principle Principal- head of the school Example: Mrs. Triplett is our principal. Principle- a rule, truth, or belief You should view the scientific principle that supports your experiment.
Capitol vs. Capital Capitol- building constituting a seat of government Our capitol is located in downtown Nashville. With an “0”- always a building Capital- of a letter- conforming to ABC rather than abc; also, assets that add to the long term net worth of a corporation or an individuals assets Please use capital letters to begin your sentences.