Recently Added Articles Page #66

seen, scene

Seen is the past participle of see. Note that it is not the simple past tense of see. I saw is often replaced by I seen in some regions of the country, but that usage is never correct.A scene might be a segment of a play or movie, the setting of an a...

sense, since

A sense can be any one of the faculties: taste, touch, hearing, smell, sight, or equilibrium. It can also mean “understanding” or “perception.”Since means “from a certain point in time up until now.” The word since can act as a prepositio...

sensuous, sensual

Both words mean “of or appealing to the senses.” The difference in usage is that sensual is more closely associated with physical senses and sexual desires. Sensuous is used to describe things that appeal more to the five senses, such as music an...

set, sit

Generally, sit is something you do yourself, while set is something you do to something else.The verb sit is intransitive, another of those “body-location” verbs like run and mosey. It can also have transitive definitions, as in sit yourself at t...

shall, will

In American English, the auxiliary verb will universally shows futurity for all persons: first, second, and third. Thus: I will go to the movie tomorrow. In British English, the auxiliary verb shall often appears in the first person to show the futur...

shone, shown

Shone is both the past tense and the past participle of shine, which means “emit light.” (Shine, of course, has many noun meanings as well, as in shoeshine or the shine made by those country boys.)Shown is the past participle of the word show, wh...

should, would

In American English, we use the auxiliary verb should with all three persons (first, second, third) to express a sense of duty. Thus: She should study more diligently. We use would with all three persons (first, second, third) to express a regular pr...

simple, simplistic

Simple means “easy,” “plain,” or “naive.”Simplistic is a pejorative adjective meaning “overly simple, facile.”Careful writers reserve simplistic for its pejorative use and refuse to use it to mean “simple.”Also, note that simplist...

site, sight, cite

Cite means either “to quote” or “to commend” and is usually a verb. As a noun, cite means “a short citation or reference.”Site means “a place or setting” and is normally a noun or sometimes a verb associated with the act of “placing...

so

Don’t hesitate to start a sentence with So. It’s a coordinating conjunction, and great writers have been starting sentences with conjunctions for hundreds of years. You can remember the coordinating conjunctions by referring to the acronym BOYFAN...

stanch, staunch

Stanch is the most commonly accepted spelling for the verb meaning “to stop the flow” of a liquid, but staunch is also an acceptable spelling.Generally though, staunch is an adjective meaning “steadfast” or “faithful.”Example: Bob was his...

stationery, stationary

Stationery is writing paper.Stationary means “unmoving.”Example: He sat stationary at his desk for hours addressing invitations on his personal stationery for the reception....

statute, stature, statue

A statute is an edict, decree, or law passed by a legislature.A statue is a lifelike sculpture that might become valuable when the arms fall off.Stature means “height” or “status.”Example: His stature in the community warranted the placement ...

supersede, supercede

The correct spelling is supersede. With an -s, not a -c....

than, then

Than is a word used only in comparisons (greater than, less than, etc.).Then is used to place an action in time or a thought into a sequence. It can mean “at that exact time, the time immediately following, the next in the sequence,” or in some c...

that, which

Note: We thoroughly discuss the differences between that and which in the eBook Developing a Powerful Writing Style.Both words introduce adjective clauses, which modify nouns or pronouns.That is the restrictive or defining relative pronoun, which the...

they're, their, there

Note: We thoroughly discuss the differences among these words in the Common Grammatical Mistakes section of Grammar.com. Click here for the beginning of that discussion.They’re is a contraction of the words “they are.” In formal writing, it is ...

threw, through, thorough

Threw is the past tense of the verb “throw,” which means “to toss.”Through is a preposition that describes a thing that has passed “from one end to the other.” It also means “during” or “up to and including.”Thorough is an adjecti...

torturous, tortuous, tortious

The words torturous and tortuous come from the same Latin root “torquere,” which means “to twist.” But their meanings today are distinct.Torturous is related to the word torture, which means “to inflict pain.” In rare cases, it also means...

tout, taunt, taut, taught

To tout means "to brazenly solicit support" (or in rare cases "to deal in racehorses").To taunt means “to ridicule” or “to mock.”Taut means “tense” or “drawn tight.”Taught is the past tense and past participle of the verb teach.Exampl...

trooper, trouper

Both trooper and trouper are used to describe members of a group called a troop (military or police unit) or troupe (entertainers).Example: A highway-patrol trooper and a circus trouper probably have little in common other than their similarly pronou...

two, too, to

Two is the number right after one.Too means “also.”To is a preposition that helps specify direction or location. The word to also helps specify the infinitive form of a verb.Example: They will never escape because there are too many people who wa...

unconscionable, unconscious

To be unconscionable means "not guided by conscience" or "not in accordance with what is just or reasonable" or "unscrupulous."To be unconscious means to be "unaware" or "unable to think."Example: His unconscionable act of vengeance left the other pl...

unexceptionable, unexceptional

To be exceptional means to be “superior” or “uncommon.”Exceptionable means “objectionable” or “open to debate.” The prefix “un” creates the opposites of both terms.Unexceptionable means “not open to debate” and unexceptional m...

venal, venial

Venal means “open to corruption or without honor.”Venial means “easily forgiven” or “minor.”Example: The venal officer was guilty of more that just venial offences....