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It’s vs. Its

Posted by Administrator on November 30, 2008 in The Word

These two little words cause many writers to stumble. It’s is a contraction of “it is.” That little apostrophe is very important; it tells you that something has been left out—in this case the “i” in “is.” It is a perfect day for bird-watching. Look—it’s a red-bellied woodpecker! You could also say, It’s a perfect [...]

 
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Than vs. Then

Posted by Administrator on November 1, 2008 in The Word

This is another pair of words that many writers use interchangeably. What’s the difference? Than is a preposition or conjunction used in comparisons (bigger than a breadbox) or to express a difference (TV shows other than sitcoms). Then can be a noun, adjective or adverb and often refers to time (then she was quiet; I [...]

 
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Waistland

Posted by Administrator on October 30, 2008 in Editorial Musings, The Word

He put his arm around her waste. Oh, I hope not. You have such a tiny waste. Um, thank you(?). She had a thirty-inch waste. No comment. I could go on, but I’m sure you get the idea. My point is, I see people use the word “waste” for “waist” all the time, and it [...]

 
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They’re vs. Their vs. There

Posted by Administrator on October 7, 2008 in The Word

We’re on homophones again this month, this time with three words I often see used interchangeably. They’re, their and there sure sound alike, but they have totally different functions. So how do you know which one to use? It’s really not that hard. If you remember the first two rules below, the rest will come [...]

 
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Just an Everyday Mistake We See Every Day

Posted by Administrator on September 13, 2008 in Editorial Musings, The Word

“I go to work everyday.” “Low prices everyday!” This very common mistake falls in the category of “things that make me want to poke my eyes out.” I know that seems like an extreme reaction, but I am passionate about certain things. The fact that we’re all bombarded every day with the misuse of everday [...]

 
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Threw vs. Through

Posted by Administrator on August 30, 2008 in The Word

The Word will deal with quite a few homophones (words that sound alike but have different spellings and meanings). These can be tricky, especially if you’re in a hurry, are relying on spell-check, or never learned the distinctions between these words. Recently I’ve seen quite a few people write “threw” when they meant “through.” What’s [...]

 
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Lie vs. Lay

Posted by Administrator on August 30, 2008 in The Word

If you confuse these two words, trust me, you are not alone. So what’s the difference? Lie is an intransitive verb meaning “to be in, stay at rest in, or assume a horizontal position.” Its forms are: lie, lay, lain, lying. I like to lie on my sofa. I lay on my sofa all day [...]

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