Grammar & Usage Guides

Confused by two similar words? We explain the difference between commonly confused words — affect and effect, who and whom, fewer and less — with clear examples of when to use each.

Commonly Confused Words

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anxious vs eager

Anxious carries worry: "I'm anxious about the results." Eager carries keen anticipation: "Sh...

inner vs inter

Inner is an ordinary adjective meaning inside or closer to the centre: the inner courtyard, her i...

among vs amongst

There is no difference in meaning or grammar: among and amongst are intercha...

horizontal vs vertical

Horizontal runs side to side, flat and parallel to the ground: the shelf has to be perfec...

meantime vs meanwhile

Meantime is normally a noun and needs a preposition in front of it: in the meantime, help yourself to coff...

marine vs maritime

Marine describes the sea itself and the things that live in it: marine biology, marine mammals, a marine engin...

lend vs loan

Lend is the verb everyone accepts: "Could you lend me your ladder?" Loan is the noun: "He took out a loan to b...

garden vs yard

In British English, the green space attached to a house is the garden, planted or not: "the kids are in the ba...

council vs counsel

A council is a body of people who meet to decide things: "The city council voted to close the road." Counsel i...

until vs unto

Until marks the moment something stops: The library is open until nine. Unto is an...

objective vs subjective

Objective means based on facts that can be checked and would stay true no matter who was looking — "the object...

bear vs bull

In market language, a bull expects prices to rise and a bear expects them to...

thee vs thou

Thou is the subject form — it does the action: "Thou art my witness." Thee is the object form — it receives th...

strategy vs tactics

Strategy is what you are trying to achieve and why that route will work: Our strategy is to win the mid-ma...

confused vs confusing

Confused describes the person having the feeling: "I'm confused by these instructions." Confusing describes th...

yep vs yup

There is no difference in meaning: both are informal spellings of yes. "Yep, that's the one." "Yup, still wait...

root vs route

A root is the part of a plant that grows underground, or the origin of something: "the root of the problem." A...

refuge vs refugee

Refuge is the shelter itself — protection from danger, or the place that provides it: "They took refuge in a c...

active vs passive

In the active voice the subject performs the action: the committee rejected the proposal<...

but vs butt

But is the little joining word meaning "however" or "except": "I'd come, but I'm working late." Butt, with two...

Grammar Guides

Punctuation How to Use Parentheses (and Brackets) Put asides in parentheses ( ) and editorial insertions in square brackets [ ]. End punctua... Confused Words i.e. vs e.g. i.e. means "that is" (in other words); e.g. means "for example." Both keep their periods;... Confused Words Imply vs Infer The speaker implies; the listener infers. To imply is to hint at something without stating... Confused Words Into vs In To Use 'into' (one word) for motion or change—'walked into the room.' Use 'in to' (two words)... Confused Words Its vs It’s It’s (with an apostrophe) always means “it is” or “it has”; its (no apostrophe) shows poss... Confused Words Lay vs Lie Lay means to put something down and takes an object; lie means to recline and takes none.... Confused Words Lose vs Loose Lose is a verb meaning to misplace or not win; loose is an adjective meaning not tight. Lo... Confused Words May vs Might Use 'might have,' not 'may have,' for things that didn't happen; use 'may have' when the o... Confused Words Me vs I (You and I vs You and Me) Use 'I' as the subject and 'me' as the object. In a pair, drop the other person: 'You and... Confused Words Past Simple vs Present Perfect Use the past simple for finished time (I saw her yesterday); use the present perfect for u... Confused Words Principal vs Principle Principal means main or chief: a lead person, or a loan's original sum. Principle means a... Punctuation Quotation Marks: The Rules In US style, commas and periods go inside the quotation marks and doubles are default; UK... Confused Words Shall vs Will Use "will" for the plain future today; "shall" survives mainly in questions like "Shall we... Grammar Guide Singular "They": Is It Grammatically Correct? Yes — singular "they" for an unknown or unspecified person has been standard English for c... Grammar Guide Split Infinitives: Are They Wrong? No — splitting an infinitive ("to boldly go") is not an error. The rule is a Victorian myt... Confused Words Stationary vs Stationery Stationary (with an a) means not moving; stationery (with an e) means writing paper and en... Grammar Guide Subject-Verb Agreement: The Basics The subject and verb in a sentence must match in number — singular subjects take singular... Confused Words Than vs Then Use 'than' for comparisons (bigger than, rather than); use 'then' for time and sequence (b... Confused Words That vs Which Use 'that' for essential (restrictive) clauses with no commas; use 'which' for extra detai... Grammar Guide The 12 English Verb Tenses, Explained English has 12 verb tenses — three times (past, present, future) in four aspects (simple,... Punctuation The Oxford Comma, Explained The Oxford comma is the final comma before "and" in a list of three or more items. Here's... Grammar Guide Their vs There vs They’re Their shows possession, there marks a place or existence, and they’re means “they are.” Sw... Grammar Guide To vs Too vs Two Use 'to' for direction or before a verb, 'too' to mean also or excessively, and 'two' for... Grammar Guide What Is a Conjunction? A conjunction links words, phrases, or clauses. The three types are coordinating (FANBOYS:...