Commonly Confused Words

Your vs. You’re Your (adj)- the

possessive form of you that indicates ownership Ex. Please place

all of your books on the floor before we begin the test.

You’re- contraction of you are There is no

question that you’re going to do well in the debate.

Practice1. Call me when ________ home safely. 2. If ________ still working on ________ project, raise your hand.3. The race is over and ________ the fastest.4. ________ parked in the wrong spot; ________ car will get towed away.5. My parents are friends with ________ parents.

Its vs. It’s Its (pronoun)-

owned by; belonging to Ex. A horse uses

its tail to swat flies and other insects.

It’s- contraction of it is (or it has) Ex. I don’t want to

go into any more detail about your birthday present; it’s a secret.

Practice 1. Its color is deep red, almost burgundy.2. I’m glad to see you; _____  been a long time.3. It was _____ first time out of the cage. 4. _____ feet were covered with sand. 5. Get up, _____ time for school.

There vs. Their vs. They’re There (adv)-

of or at a place; to, into, or toward a place Ex. There are

several reasons why I don’t want to dance.

Ex. Over there is the door the president will walk through.

They’re- contraction of they are Ex. They’re

supposed to give you the answer before we proceed with the project.

Their (pronoun)- the possessive case of the pronoun they, indicating ownership; usually used as an adjective * Ex. Grant and Hunter gave their best performance on the second night of the play.

Practice1. They always take __________dog with them on holiday.     2. Let's wait _________ alongside the entrance.    3. Ask them if _________ coming tomorrow.    4. My parents won't be coming as _________ both working on Saturday.    5. The teacher told them to leave ______ books on her desk.    

Than vs. Then Than (conj)- used

for comparisons; used to introduce the second element or clause of a comparison of inequality Ex. You are far

more intelligent than you think.

Then (adv)- at that time in the past; next in time, order, or space; at another time in the future; in that case; in addition; besides; yet; on the other hand Ex. Let’s go to the

movies and then go out to eat.

Practice 1. Even at the age of twelve she was taller _______ me.2. _______, out of nowhere, she started to dance.3. Swiss cheese is much better ________ cheddar.4. I want to go to a restaurant _______to the party.5. I loved the movie The Notebook, but ________, I love sappy movies.

Affect vs. Effect Affect (vb)- to

influence Ex. Your criticism

affects people in a negative way.

Effect (n)- the result of some action Ex. New

Englanders have felt the effect of Mother Nature this winter.

Practice 1. The __________ of the preacher's words on the young boy's life was astounding.2.Sheila was surprised that her book could __________ people so profoundly.3. Meditation had an obvious __________ on Mandy's general behavior.4. Patty realized her criticism had no __________ on Roger's poor work.5. Patty's harsh words didn't __________ Roger as much as he had anticipated.

Accept vs. Except Accept (vb)- to

receive willingly Ex. John accepted

the trophy on behalf of the entire team.

Except (preposition)- but; excluding Ex. Everyone

except Beth went out for pizza after the dance.

Practice1. ____ for this application, the rest meet the requirements for the job.2. It is often difficult for other cultures to _____ each other.3. Even though it is late, I will still _____ the assignment.4. I enjoy all of her books _____ her most recent novel.5. Joni worked hard to be ______ed into the honors society.

Farther vs. Further Farther (adv)- at

or to a greater distance (used to refer to a measurable distance) Ex. Texas is

farther west than Louisiana.

Further (adj or adv)- greater in time, degree, or extent; additionally Ex. Frankly, I have

no further interest in arguing with you over such trivia.

Practice 1. The _________ you go in the study of psychology, the more fascinating it becomes. 2. I walk _________ to work than I do to the ballpark for Sunday’s softball games. 3. I rode my bicycle _______ down the road than Maggie did. 4. There is no question we need _________ review to be ready for the exam. 5. The evidence was extensive and offered ________ proof of the defendant’s guilt.

Whose vs. Who’s Whose (adj,

pronoun)- the possessive form of who that indicates ownership Ex. I don’t care

whose book this is; it needs to be covered.

Who’s- contraction of who is Who’s the winner

of the raffle?

Practice1. Mary, ________ raincoat was missing, got soaked on the first day of school. 2. This is my brother, ________ an accountant.3. _________ the president of the United States?4. _________ not done with his or her assignments?5. _________ drink is this on the counter?