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!
Way back in your early school years, you were probably... Read More
If you want to be a writer, then you must... Read More
ESSAY 2Andre Malraux once said that what interested him in... Read More
The short-short story has been likened by some as being... Read More
Remember the days when we wrote with pen and paper?... Read More
All Writers need the press, especially new writers. As a... Read More
Have you ever considered writing a book? If so, maybe... Read More
As an International language, English has been used widely in... Read More
Writing leads to reading. Therefore, it's only fair to supply... Read More
One of the biggest problems that inexperienced writers have is... Read More
Your struggling to sell just a few copies of your... Read More
As writers, we initially tend to be either more cerebral... Read More
Building a new website can be extremely exciting. Seeing your... Read More
ELICIT, ILLICITElicit means to extract or draw out; illicit means... Read More
In large publishing houses, many manuscripts penned by first-time authors,... Read More
Whether you keep a separate spiritual journal or just want... Read More
When most people consider writing a book, they don't think... Read More
Every part of your book can be a sales tool.... Read More
Many of us dream of writing a book. Why not.... Read More
No user manual? Surely you jest!It may seem comical, but... Read More
Concision. (Sounds like I made up another word.) It's the... Read More
As an aspiring or an established entrepreneur, you are an... Read More
Beyond three and four act story structure, lies the Hero's... Read More
So, the decision is final. I am a writer.Actually, I... Read More
Q and A.Best choice when subject is very verbal or... Read More
Ever wondered how the most successful children's book writers get... Read More
Written communication is often the first impression you make on... Read More
This is a tough question for every freelance writer. For... Read More
I call it cheap therapy. That gushing, near-religious, poured-from-the-body stress... Read More
1. Use Logic: Check for External PressuresAre you under physical... Read More
Have you ever wondered why certain writers are able to... Read More
Interested in breaking into writing or breaking into a new... Read More
You can make a lot of money by writing and... Read More
If your dream is to get published, the chance is... Read More
Creative Writing Tips ?I have said above that if a... Read More
Writers are often are greatly surprised or disappointed by how... Read More
The Internet has truly revolutionized the careers of writers worldwide.... Read More
More Tips For New Writers (Part I)Explain in your own... Read More
Many writers write for the experience. Others dream of having... Read More
The writing community is a strong one, with many new... Read More
Plotting a book can seem an overwhelming task when you're... Read More
People want information, they want it quick, frequently in short... Read More
As a previous article ("Making Better Word Choices ? 4... Read More
Creative Writing Tips ?When an idea comes to us for... Read More
You might not need any memoir writing help, per se,... Read More
Writer's block! Even columnist Dave Berry has it. He admits... Read More
If you want to be a writer, you must write... Read More
Why should you consider creating a memoir of your personal... Read More
You wrote a tips booklet. Maybe more than one. Oh... Read More
"Do I send samples, a media kit, or just the... Read More
LATER, LATTERLater means afterwards; latter is the second of two... Read More
The hardest part of nonfiction writing is finding a subject... Read More
Is it possible to improve your writing instantly? The answer,... Read More
ISBN stands for International Standard Book Number. It is a... Read More
If you want to be a writer, then you must... Read More
Have you ever written a letter to a friend? Ever... Read More
The purpose of this article is to consider Print-On-Demand publishing... Read More
Many of us have always wanted to write. We have... Read More
Writing is a muscle that needs exercise to stay in... Read More
Taming the Book Proposal: The BasicsOh, that most maddening of... Read More
Writing engaging articles and energizing ad copy takes... Read More
There is an image most people carry of the artist... Read More
Having problems writing? I don't know why. San Francisco Chronicle... Read More
When you sit down to write a steamy romance, a... Read More
Our Freelance Writing Needs DefinedWe must make freelance niche types... Read More
Making Money from Freelance WritingIt's the question that every aspiring... Read More
Writing |