Commonly Confused Words
Learning Goals:
Identify commonly confused words you struggle with most.
Learn rules and strategies that help errors with commonly confused words in own writing.
Identify commonly confused words you struggle with most.
Learn rules and strategies that help errors with commonly confused words in own writing.
Definition: Words that have a similar spelling or pronunciations.
The trick with commonly confused words is that the spell check doesn't catch them – you need to be able to spot them. You need to choose the words that convey your intended meaning.
Activity: Jigsaw
Instructions: In your assigned groups or pairings, look up the list of commonly confused words you have been given. You must be able to describe the differences between each pair of words to the class after you've looked up all the words.
Group1: advice, advise
affect, effect
all ready, already
Group 2: allusion, illusion
ascent, assent
cite, sight, site
Group 3: complement, compliment
descent, dissent
eminent, imminent
Group 4: forth, fourth
passed, past
populace, populous
Group 5: precede, proceed
principal, principle
role, roll
Group 6: their, they're, there
thorough, through
to, too, two
Extra Study Help
A full list of commonly confused words: http://oxforddictionaries.com/words/commonly-confused-words
Test yourself: http://public.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/quiz/usage.htm
Sources:
Language Power I. Toronto: Gage, 2003. Print.
Image: Nordquist, Richard. "Proofreading Practice: Commonly Confused Words - Recognizing Homonyms and Homophones - Bill Bryson's Cows -Distinguishing Confusables." Grammar and Composition - Homepage of About Grammar and Composition. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2012. http://grammar.about.com/od/alightersideofwriting/a/ProofreadingConfusables.html
The trick with commonly confused words is that the spell check doesn't catch them – you need to be able to spot them. You need to choose the words that convey your intended meaning.
Activity: Jigsaw
Instructions: In your assigned groups or pairings, look up the list of commonly confused words you have been given. You must be able to describe the differences between each pair of words to the class after you've looked up all the words.
Group1: advice, advise
affect, effect
all ready, already
Group 2: allusion, illusion
ascent, assent
cite, sight, site
Group 3: complement, compliment
descent, dissent
eminent, imminent
Group 4: forth, fourth
passed, past
populace, populous
Group 5: precede, proceed
principal, principle
role, roll
Group 6: their, they're, there
thorough, through
to, too, two
Extra Study Help
A full list of commonly confused words: http://oxforddictionaries.com/words/commonly-confused-words
Test yourself: http://public.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/quiz/usage.htm
Sources:
Language Power I. Toronto: Gage, 2003. Print.
Image: Nordquist, Richard. "Proofreading Practice: Commonly Confused Words - Recognizing Homonyms and Homophones - Bill Bryson's Cows -Distinguishing Confusables." Grammar and Composition - Homepage of About Grammar and Composition. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2012. http://grammar.about.com/od/alightersideofwriting/a/ProofreadingConfusables.html