This document provides examples of 15 commonly misused words and how to correctly use them. It explains the differences between your and you're, affect and effect, there, their and they're, to, too and two, lie and lay, who and that, and which. For each set of words, it gives examples of correct usage. The document concludes by stating there are other commonly misused words that will be discussed later, and provides a link to learn more about marketing books.
2. Your is a possessive pronoun.
You're is a contraction of you are.
Examples: You're going to miss the bus if you don’t
hurry. Your bus is going to leave without you.
3. Affect is usually a verb meaning to influence.
Effect is usually a noun meaning result.
Examples: The rain did not affect my mood. Cigarette
smoking has been found to have several negative side
effects.
4. There is an adverb specifying place; it is also an
expletive. Adverb: She was lying there asleep. Expletive:
There are two beds in the room.
Their is a possessive pronoun. They're is a contraction
of they are. Bill and John cheered for their team. They're
happy they won.
5. To is a preposition; too is an adverb; two is a
number.
Example: Too many people are going to see
the movie, but at least tickets are only two
dollars per person.
6. Lie is an intransitive verb meaning to recline or
rest on a surface. Its principal parts are lie, lay,
lain.
Lay is a transitive verb meaning to put or place.
Its principal parts are lay, laid.
*Chickens lay eggs. I lie down when I am tired.*
7. Do not use which to refer to persons. Use who instead.
That, though generally used to refer to things, may be
used to refer to a group or class of people. I just saw a
boy who was wearing a yellow banana costume.*
I have to go to math next, which is my hardest class.
Where is the book that I was reading?*
8. *Source: A Writer's Reference, by Diana Hacker
These are just a few commonly misused words.
There are others and we’ll discuss them later. We
hope these slides have been helpful!
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