Grammar / Spelling / Punctuation Discussion and Appreciation (questions welcome!)

[SF_and_Coffee]

I deleted one of them, but it looks like GW put it back. GW is having issues anyway, ever since the latest vBB upgrade, so I suppose I shouldn't feel bad.

[Skydiver]

like you're not unconcience, you're unconscious

conscience is morals and your sense of right or wrong. conscious is a state of awareness....they're not interchangeable.

kinda like lose and loose

lose, lose your keys vs loose, my tooth is loose, again not interchangeable.

[SF_and_Coffee]

Yay, I managed to delete my double post. Small victories.

[Professor_S]

Oh my goodness, there are so many of these...

then/than - e.g. "You're smarter then me." -- Huh? No. 'Then' indicates succession in time. 'Than' indicates a comparative.

brake/break - e.g. "Let's take a brake." -- Unless the characters are stealing an automotive part, the word needed here is 'break'.

elicit/illicit - e.g. "She illicited such feelings from him." -- 'Illicit' is an adjective meaning 'illegal'. 'To Elicit' is the verb meaning to draw out a response.

principal/principle - e.g. "He held to his principals" -- As is, the character is clutching at his school principals (or his lead musicians... ). If he is remaining faithful to a moral code, then the word needed is 'principle'.

My rule of thumb? When in doubt, use a dictionary!

[mathpiglet]

Another way is to right click on the word and check for synonyms. That will usually tell you if you are using the word correctly.

[Skydiver]

Peak - top of something pointed, mountain peak
Pique - to tweak someone's interest 'you've piqued my interest'
they're - they are
their - something owned by a group 'the cheerleaders put on their skirts'
there - a place 'over there'


we should make a list of all the soundalike words cause they are mightily misused

[SF_and_Coffee]

And peek - to look quickly

[iiradned]

we should make a list of all the soundalike words cause they are mightily misused

It's - contraction of 'it is'
Its - possessive form of it

lets - third-person singular simple present form of the verb let eg. "Jack lets Sam do her job."
let's - contraction of 'let us'

Lead - noun; element with atomic number 82
led - simple past and past participle of the verb to lead

That's all I can think of at the moment.

[Skydiver]

Lead - a dog's leash
Lead - to walk in front of a group of people "Jack is in the lead."

[Whytewytch]

Arc--a curve. "The ship took off in a forty-five degree arc."
Ark--a vessel. "No one wanted KP duty on the ark, particularly not in the elephant holding pen."

[SF_and_Coffee]

I'm going to hope that Kitchen Patrol has no reason to be in the elephant holding pen to begin with. If that's where they're making dinner, I think I just lost my appetite!

[SF_and_Coffee]

(Just for the sake of reference: KP in the military)

[Whytewytch]

I'm going to hope that Kitchen Patrol has no reason to be in the elephant holding pen to begin with. If that's where they're making dinner, I think I just lost my appetite!

Sorry, thought it could be used as general cleaning patrol. Guess I was wrong--happens a lot nowadays!

Thank God! I'm human!

[SF_and_Coffee]

[SF_and_Coffee]

Okay, here's another:

phase: As a noun, a distinguishable part of a progression or cycle, as in a phase of the moon or a phase of someone's career. Also, a synchronous condition ("The cycles are out of phase.") As a verb, to introduce something in stages ("Let's phase in the new product line") or to adjust something so that it is in a synchronized condition.

faze: to disturb the composure of, as in "The commotion around him didn't faze the speaker, who simply carried on with his lecture."