SSC ENGLISH: 2018

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

Confused Words: accept / except

Accept is a verb. It has four meanings:

to receive something offered, especially with approval

Example

to admit to a group or organization

Example

to answer affirmatively, especially to an invitation

Example

to regard as true

Example

Except is a preposition. It means "but" and indicates an "exception."
   Example

Note the correct use of both accept and except in the example below.

Confused Words: affect / effect

First, notice how each word looks different from the other
                      affect    starts with a
                       effect    starts with e
Even though a should sound different from e, we pronounce these two words alike. Therefore, we often have difficulty deciding which one to use in our writing.
Affect
Affect is usually a verb.
Affect means "to influence" or "to produce a change in."
   Example of affect in a sentence

Since affect means "to influence" or "produce a change in" in this sentence, it is the correct word to use here.

Since the verb affect is related to the noun affection, sentences using affect often deal with changes in or influences on emotional states.
Example

Since affected (past tense) means "influenced" or "produced a change in" in this sentence, it is the correct word to use here.

Note: Affect is used as a noun in psychology to indicate one's emotional state or behavior.

Effect

While affect is always a verb, effect is usually a noun.
As a noun, effect means "the result," "the change," or "the influence."
As affect, a verb "produces a change," effect, a noun, is the "change" or "result."

Example of effect used as a noun

Since effect means an "influence" in this sentence, it is the correct word to use here.

Another example of effect used as a noun

Since effect means the "result" or "change" in this sentence, it is the correct word to use here.

Effect is sometimes, though not often, used as a verb, meaning "to cause."
Example of effect used as a verb

Since effect, a verb here, means "to cause," it is the correct word to use in this sentence

Confused Words: aisle / isle

An aisle ( noun) is a space between two rows of seats.
Example

An isle (noun) is a small island or peninsula.

Example

Confused Words: allusion / illusion / delusion

Allusion is a noun that means an indirect but meaningful reference .
Example

Illusion is a noun. It can mean

an erroneous perception of reality
an erroneous concept or belief
the condition of being deceived by a false perception

Example

Delusion is a noun. It means a false belief held in spite of invalidating evidence.
Example

Confused Words: amount / number

Use amount to describe uncountable items such as sugar, flour, soil, and peace.
Example

Use number to describe countable items such as lemons, sacks, rocks, and war.
Example

Note the difference:

Confused Words: already / all ready

Already refers to time.
It may mean "by this time.
Example of already in a sentence

Already may also mean "by the time mentioned."
Example of already in a sentence

The words all and ready, when used together, mean "completely prepared."
Example of all ready in a sentence.

Confused Words: authoritarian / authoritative

Authoritarian in an adjective. It means

tyrannical
domineering
dictator-like

Example

Authoritative is an adjective. It means

knowledgeable
competent
possessing due or acknowledged authority

Example

Confused Words: beside / besides

Beside
Beside is a preposition, meaning

next to

Note: Beside has two additional meanings when used in idiomatic expressions.

1. not relevant to
Example

    2. in a state of extreme excitement
        Example

Besides
Besides is a preposition. It has two meanings:
    1. other than, except
        Example

2. in addition to
Example

Confused Words: cite / sight / site

Cite is a verb that means to quote or refer to something as a source for information.
Example

Sight is a noun. It can mean

the ability to see
a lens that serves as an optical instrument, often on a gun

Examples

Site is a noun. It means a location.
Example

Confused Words: complement / compliment

The words complement and compliment are sometimes confused because they look so similar. These words, however, have two distinctly different meanings.

Complement may be a verb or a noun.

As a verb, complement means to complete, to bring to perfection, to go well with.

Examples