Commonly Misused Words
Languages: English
Media Editing: The video module(s) in this subject are editable under our Content Studio offering unless otherwise indicated. For more information about Content Studio, contact your CSM.
Description: When it comes to communicating effectively, there are a number of tools available to help catch errors, make suggestions, and make communication as clear and successful as possible. However, even with all of these tools, we still make errors, many of which are due to simply using the wrong word in any given sentence. In this subject, learners will be taught to identify some of the most commonly misused words and their proper meaning and uses. Some examples of commonly misused words that will be covered in these topics include: affect vs. effect, access vs. excess, compliment vs. complement, further vs. farther, when to use who, which or that, and many more.
Languages: English
Media Editing: The video module(s) in this subject are editable under our Content Studio offering unless otherwise indicated. For more information about Content Studio, contact your CSM.
Description: When it comes to communicating effectively, there are a number of tools available to help catch errors, make suggestions, and make communication as clear and successful as possible. However, even with all of these tools, we still make errors, many of which are due to simply using the wrong word in any given sentence. In this subject, learners will be taught to identify some of the most commonly misused words and their proper meaning and uses. Some examples of commonly misused words that will be covered in these topics include: affect vs. effect, access vs. excess, compliment vs. complement, further vs. farther, when to use who, which or that, and many more.
Languages: English
Media Editing: The video module(s) in this subject are editable under our Content Studio offering unless otherwise indicated. For more information about Content Studio, contact your CSM.
Description: When it comes to communicating effectively, there are a number of tools available to help catch errors, make suggestions, and make communication as clear and successful as possible. However, even with all of these tools, we still make errors, many of which are due to simply using the wrong word in any given sentence. In this subject, learners will be taught to identify some of the most commonly misused words and their proper meaning and uses. Some examples of commonly misused words that will be covered in these topics include: affect vs. effect, access vs. excess, compliment vs. complement, further vs. farther, when to use who, which or that, and many more.
Topics
Homonyms
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A homonym is a set of words that, when said aloud, sound the same as each other, but hold different meanings. The ability to interpret homonyms is especially important in business writing because different spellings of the words decide their meaning. In this topic, you’ll learn a variety of homonyms that are commonly misused in writing. You’ll be taught each variation’s meaning and how to properly spell the word so you can avoid confusing your readers. Examples include: affect vs. effect, altogether vs. all together, and accept vs. except.
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Questions (level 1, 2, 3)
Video module
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This topic is currently available in English.
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Affect and Effect. ‘Affect’ is most commonly used as a verb and means ‘to influence’. ‘Effect’ as a verb means ‘to bring about’.
‘Affect’ as a noun is a display or expression of emotions. ‘Effect’ as a noun is a result or consequence.
Already and All ready. ‘Already’ addresses time - when something happens. ‘All ready’ addresses preparation for participation in something.
Altogether and All together. ‘Altogether’ means ‘quite, totally, or in-all’. ‘All together’ means ‘all in one place’.
Awhile and A while. ‘Awhile’ is an adverb, so it is used to modify/supplement a verb/action; it means ‘for a time’. ‘A while’ is a noun that’s used to indicate a period of time, and it usually follows a preposition.
Sometime and Some time. ‘Sometime’ refers to an unspecified amount of time. ‘Some time’ refers to a span of time and can be modified with an adjective.
Accept and Except. ‘Accept’ means to agree to receive or do something. ‘Except’ means ‘not including’.
Advise and Advice. ‘Advise’ is a verb meaning ‘to recommend something’. ‘Advice’ is a noun that refers to a recommendation.
Compliment and Complement. ‘Compliment’ is a noun that means praise or approval. ‘Complement’ as a noun, is something that completes or perfects something else. ‘Complement’ as a verb is the action of ‘adding to, improving, or enhancing’ something.
Words with Similar Definitions
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There are many words in the English language that hold similar definitions, but, when used incorrectly, can completely change the meaning of the sentence they’re in. This can pose a problem in business writing because these types of mistakes, although common, can make your customers and co-workers view your writing as unprofessional. In this topic, you’ll learn various words with similar definitions and learn when to use each term correctly. Examples include: who vs. that vs. which, either vs. any, and ensure vs. assure.
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Questions (level 1, 2, 3)
Video module
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This topic is currently available in English.
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Either and any – ‘Either’ is used when there are two items, and you’re referring to one of them. ‘Any’ is used to refer to one item out of many.
Who and that. ‘Who’ refers to people. ‘That’ refers to objects.
Which and That. ‘Which’ can be used to describe something that is NOT necessary. Use ‘that’ when it’s beginning a clause with information that IS necessary to the sentence.
Farther and Further. ‘Farther’ refers to a specific and quantifiable distance. ‘Further’ refers to a degree or extent.
May and Can. ‘May’ refers to having permission to do something. ‘Can’ refers to the ability to do something.
Neither and Either. ‘Neither’ has a negative connotation and is paired with ‘nor’. ‘Either’ is paired with ‘or’. Both of these pairings only refer to two items. When there are more than two, you should use ‘any’.
Ensure and assure. ‘Ensure’ means to guarantee something will happen. ‘Assure’ is used to say something positively or confidently, so you eliminate doubts.
