Home
>
Writing
>
Pairs/Groups Of Words Often Confused - Part 4 of 6

Pairs/Groups Of Words Often Confused - Part 4 of 6

LATER, LATTER

Later means afterwards; latter is the second of two things.

"Later that day we went for a walk."

"We have two choices. The latter is the more reliable, but the former would be cheaper."

LAY, LAID

This pair confuses writers almost more than any other.

"He lay on his bed." Although this sentence is past tense, "laid" would be incorrect and suggests he was laying eggs.

"She sighed as she laid the visitors' book beside the pen and lay back wondering if she would ever make an entry in it again."

In present tense the sentence would read, "She sighs as she lays the visitors' book beside the pen and lies back, wondering if she will ever make an entry in it again." BUT "I sigh as I lay the visitors' book beside the pen and lie back, wondering if I will ever make an entry in it again."

(In practice, I would probably write I place/placed and she places/placed. It's so much less confusing, not to mention less repetitive!)

"It lay on the desk beside an open book." Present tense would read, "It lies on the desk beside an open book."

"Our hens lay every day."

"The hens laid ten eggs yesterday."

LEAD, LED

Lead (pronounced led) is a heavy metal or (pronounced leed) the present tense of led. So:

"He opens the door for me and I lead the guests upstairs to their rooms."

"He opened the door for me and I led the guests upstairs to their rooms."

LEND, LOAN

Lend is a verb meaning to give something temporarily to someone; loan is a noun, meaning the temporary transfer of something to someone else. So, "Dad, can you loan me a few dollars until pay day?" is incorrect.

LESSEN, LESSON

Lessen means to make less; lesson is something you learn.

LOATHE, LOATH

Loathe always means hate or detest, and loath means reluctant or hesitant. It's that simple!

"I loathe the idea of complaining about such a small thing."

"I'm loath to complain about something so small."

These sentences may seem to say the same thing, but the speakers' feelings are different. It's nearly always "loathe" that is used when the writer means "loath", seldom the other way round.

LOSE, LOOSE

Lose always means mislaying or dropping something and not being able to find it, while loose means slack or free:

"If the fastening on your wrist-watch is loose (slack) you may lose your watch."

MAYBE, MAY BE

Another tricky one, best explained by demonstration:

"Maybe you could explain this to us a little clearer."

"It may be a good idea to give us a clearer explanation of this."

MEET, METE, MEAT

The two more often confused are meet and mete. Meet means to encounter (and can also mean fit or suitable); mete means to

allot, apportion or distribute; meat refers to flesh as food.

NO, KNOW

Strange that these two should get confused, but they do. No is always the opposite of yes; know is to be certain (that you know the difference!)

OVERDO, OVERDUE

It baffles me that people get these mixed up, but they do. Overdo means to exaggerate or carry something too far; overdue is what your bills are when you forget to pay them!

About The Author

Laraine Anne Barker writes fantasy for young people. Visit her web site at http://lbarker.orcon.net.nz. Fantasy for Children & Young Adults for FREE stories and novel excerpts. Sign up for the NOVELLA OF THE MONTH CLUB, absolutely FREE!

executive chauffeured services Bradford .. Madison to Airport car

In The News:

Getting virus alerts on your iPhone? Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson helps you learn how to handle fake scam alerts and boost security.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says opening emails is safe, but risks arise from interacting with links, attachments or HTML content.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals four signs of compromised Social Security numbers and offers five steps to protect yourself.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson discusses how MAB Robotics' Honey Badger 4.0, a versatile robot, now walks underwater with amphibious skills.

An updated Android trojan called FakeCall hijacks bank calls. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says Android phone manufacturers and Google need to step up their game on security.

The Massimo Modular E9 is a sleek, smart and comfy tiny home in 409 square feet. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson takes a closer look at what the future of housing might look like.

Every stock trader should consider a virtual private network to safeguard their trading, according to tech guru Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson.

Apple recently announced its new lineup of Macs and rolled out Apple Intelligence, its latest artificial intelligence-powered feature for its products.

A Swiss-engineered robot can climb ladders, showing why it's at the cutting edge of autonomous robotic solutions for harsh industrial settings.

Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson presents the cities targeted most by robocalls, why this is happening and what you can do about it to protect your privacy.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents

Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson shares tips and suggestions for how to get the best use out of the updated Calendar app available with the latest iOS update.

Your Social Security number, your unique identifier used for many purposes, has likely been leaked on the Dark Web; here are some steps you can take to protect yourself.

Researchers have developed a new technology that creates strong, sticky fibers capable of lifting objects and capturing things from a distance.

Smart rings track the same things that smartwatches do, including steps, sleep and a general overview of your overall health, and they tend have more battery life than smartwatches.

Researchers have developed a robotic finger that can perform routine medical exams like those conducted by doctors, helping to address the growing shortage of trained professionals.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Insurance administrative services company Landmark Admin reported that a data breach from a May cyberattack affected over 800,000 people.

Sotheby's will auction the first artwork created by Ai-Da, the world's first robot artist created in 2019 by British gallerist Aidan Meller.

More than 250 million users of the Verizon Messages app will have to switch to another app. Verizon is shutting down Messages in the next month.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson provides a list of 10 celebrities who are the most targeted by deepfake scams, including Tom Hanks.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson discusses how Vast's Haven-1, launching in 2025, transforms space living with human-centric design.

UnitedHealth confirms over 100 million Change Healthcare users had their data stolen. Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals what happened and what caused the breach.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson explains how iOS 18 brings new text formatting and animated effects to the Messages app.

Whether you're a social media veteran or novice, Facebook friend request scams are common. Kurt the CyberGuy provides tips to keep your account safe.

Pairs/Groups Of Words Often Confused - Part 4 of 6

Writing