Commonly Confused Word Pairs

By Laura Wallis for The Stir by CafeMom

Words that sound alike but have different meanings and spellings are called homophones, and especially for kids who are just learning to spell, they can cause trouble every time. There are some rules to help budding writers remember the trickiest homophones, but in many cases it’s just a matter of memory. There, their . . . they’ll get them in time.

Its and It’s

This pair is tough because apostrophes are often used to denote possessives—but not in this case. It’s is short for it is. So, “The dog wags its tail because it’s time to eat.”

Your and You’re

Kids (and even some grown-ups) get caught on this pair a lot, and it drives grammar-loving parents nuts. Your is possessive, while you’re is short for you are. “You have to know your rights,” but “I know, you’re right.”

There, they’re, their

The first of this trio is the easiest to remember: Just start here, then go over there by adding a T. They’re is short for they are. The last one, their, is possessive and you just have to remember that you add an I in the middle: “They got their ball and went home.”

Close and Clothes

You could clean up the clothes from the floor, or just be lazy and close the door. Reminding kids that clothes means clothing can help them keep this pair straight.

So and Sew and Sow

Only in The Sound of Music is sol(silent L) “a needle pulling thread.” The right way to spell what you’re doing when you stitch on a button or fix a seam is sew. If you’re outside spreading seeds or planting, you’re sowing. So, you’ll just have to commit these to memory.

Complement and compliment

This one is more challenging than some other examples here. You use complement when talking about things that go well together, like “That shirt complements your skin tone.” It can also be a noun, referring to a complete set. A compliment, on the other hand, is a nice thing to say. To remember the difference, think “I paid you a compliment.”

Through and Threw

“He threw the ball through the window.” Remind yourself that threw is the past tense of throw, and they only vary by one letter. If you’re walking through a tunnel, or something is flying through a window, it is traveling—and the longer word fits.

Affect and Effect

These words are similar in usage and meaning, so are extra tricky. But in most cases, one is a noun and the other a verb. Think the effect to remember that effect is the noun form.

Of course, you add an extra wrinkle when affect is a noun (She has a false affect) and effect is a verb (We are working to effect a change), but those usages are less common, especially in kids’ writing.

Accept and Except

To accept something is to agree to it. To except is to rule something out. “I accept that you’re a better speller than I am.” “I love all of my classes, except gym.” Think ex for things you want to get rid of.

Knew and New

“You knew these already, but to kids, they’re all brand new.” Early writers commonly misspell knew, because of that pesky silent k. But once they remember that it’s the past tense of know (which is different from no) they won’t mess it up again.

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Laura Wallis is a freelance writer and editor specializing in all things family, home, food, and health. She currently lives in New Jersey with her husband, two children, and dog—none of whom take grammar as seriously as they should. She writes for The Stir by CafeMom.

5 LGBT Authors Who Have Made an Impact

It’s no secret that some of the finest pieces of literature ever written were authored by members of the LGBT community. From the poetry of Walt Whitman to the landmark plays of Tony Kushner, it’s impossible to overstate the impact LGBT authors have had in American literature. In honor of Pride Month, here are five of the most important and influential LGBT writers of all time.

Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde, a prolific Irish author whose poems, essays, and plays remain relevant more than 100 years after his death, wrote just one novel, “The Portrait of Dorian Gray.” The novel provoked a public outcry over what was perceived as a stunning lack of morality. Wilde, perhaps Britain’s leading proponent of the Aesthetic Movement, defended his novel in its preface, stating, “ethical sympathy in an artist is an unpardonable mannerism of style.” Later, he wrote, “Vice and virtue are to the artist materials for an art.”

Wilde was arrested on charges of public indecency for his open homosexuality and served two years in prison. He died at 46, penniless and in exile in France.

Tennessee Williams

Born Thomas Lanier Williams in 1911, Tennessee Williams is considered one of America’s best playwrights of the 20th century. His iconic “Streetcar Named Desire” earned Williams both a Pulitzer Prize and a Drama Critics Award. Other important successes include “The Glass Menagerie,” “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” and “Orpheus Descending,” which was made into a movie (“The Fugitive Kind”) starring Marlon Brando.

Williams was openly gay, even suffering a hate attack in Key West in 1979. The author lapsed into a period of alcoholism and drug use and was found dead in 1983 at the age of 71.

Virginia Woolf

Woolf’s most famous work, “Mrs. Dalloway,” earned the bisexual author a prominent role in contemporary American literature; in 2005, Time magazine placed it in the top 100 English-language novels of the past century. Woolf suffered sexual abuse early in her life at the hands of half-brothers; her battle with mental illness and depression throughout her life influenced her work. “Mrs. Dalloway,” written in mesmerizing prose, raises emerging social issues, such as feminism and homosexuality.

Woolf ultimately succumbed to her depression and committed suicide at the age of 59 by filling her pockets with stones and walking into the River Ouse.

Alice Walker

A committed social activist, teacher, and lecturer, Alice Walker’s prolific writing career spans more than four decades. Her works encompass novels, short stories, children’s books, poems, and essays; she is most famous for the groundbreaking and critically acclaimed “The Color Purple,” which earned Walker a Pulitzer Prize and a National Book Award. Many of Walker’s works promote themes of the black feminist movement and explore issues related to race and gender identity.

Other highly influential works include “The Temple of My Familiar” and “Possessing the Secret of Joy.”

Chuck Palahniuk

This author’s pointed, minimalistic writing style has earned both praise and criticism and his works often explore controversial themes such as morality, sexuality, and religion. His most famous work is “Fight Club,” a novel that was made into a movie starring Brad Pitt; his widely acclaimed novel “Choke” was his first book to make the New York Times best seller list.

Palahniuk’s writing is influenced by giants such as Albert Camus, Michel Foucault, Thom Spanbauer, and Bret Easton Ellis. He is also a freelance journalist and essayist.

While not all LGBT authors write about sexuality and gender, the classic works mentioned above reflect the uniquely valuable LGBT perspective. Do you have a favorite LGBT author or work that deals with LGBT issues?

 

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June is Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month. Celebrate human rights, tolerance, and equality with us throughout the month! #PrideMonth

POLL: What is the “scariest” writing issue that you see in professional emails?

All of us know that business emails should be professional, meaning they should be free of basic spelling, punctuation, and grammar errors. Often, however, business emails are filled with errors. For better or worse, those errors make the writer seem not only unprofessional, but often also unqualified.

What do you think? 

Let us know and cast your vote!

Navigating Email Etiquette at Work

Even though email takes up well over a quarter of the average working person’s day, many people still don’t have a knack for email etiquette. Often, the issue lies in separating personal email preferences from professional communication policies. Follow these tips for maintaining email etiquette at work, and you’ll develop a more effective communication strategy in no time.

Use a Clear Subject Line

The subject line of your email is your first and only chance to make a good impression on your recipient. When you draw your subject out into a rambling prologue, you’ll give the recipient the sense that your message is similarly lengthy and poorly structured. When you opt for short, single word subject lines, however, you run the risk of being too vague and not offering enough information.

In a professional setting, it’s best to keep your subject lines clear and concise. Tell your recipients what they can expect to read in your email without crossing the line into needless detail or flowery language.

CC or BCC for Organization and Confidentiality

Carbon copy (CC) and blind carbon copy (BCC) features offer helpful options for keeping your emails organized and confidential. Though you often carry on email-based conversations with a few key coworkers, you may find that you need to bring other colleagues into the picture, too. Opt for CC when including a colleague on an email for informational purposes only, with no expectation of a reply.

Since a BCC essentially makes its recipient’s email address invisible to everyone except the sender and the BCC recipient, this feature is best used for confidentiality purposes. When you need to include a colleague or a client in a conversation without alerting the other “To” recipients, opt for BCC. This feature is also helpful when emailing a list of business contacts whose email addresses must remain confidential.

Reply as Quickly as Possible

Have you ever read an email and set it aside, only to reply a week or more later? Always reply to emails as quickly as you can, and never make your recipient wait for a reply for more than 48 hours. Remember that time is money, so when you delay your replies, you’re only costing yourself and your recipient.

Choose Appropriate Language

As a general rule, your professional emails should not read the same way that your personal ones do. In professional emails, avoid trendy language, overly casual phrases, and emoticons.

Don’t take it so far, however, that your messages come across as stuffy or too lofty. Also, when you choose your wording, consider your office culture. If your coworkers keep things casual, you can probably feel free to tone down your overly professional email.

Choose an Appropriate Signoff

Email users and experts eternally debate about the best words and phrases to use when closing an email. A friendly “cheers” may work in personal emails, but it comes across as too casual in most professional settings. Signing off with a simple “thanks” may work in many situations, but it’s not suitable when your message doesn’t actually suggest gratitude. Make sure your signoff fits the occasion, given your message and your audience.

Call When Necessary

Sometimes email just isn’t the right mode of communication, and it’s best to tackle the business at hand with a phone call or an in-person meeting instead. When your communication gets too complex or personal, eliminating email may be helpful.

This rule of thumb is particularly true when issues with coworkers arise. Since miscommunication can happen with email despite your best efforts, know when to take your conversations offline.

Maintaining email etiquette at work can mean the difference between miscommunicating and getting the job done efficiently. What’s your email pet peeve?”