Faculty of Humanities and Social Science > English

Common Mistakes and Confusing Words

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Bhowmik:
affect vs effect
Affect and effect are two words that are commonly confused.

affect is usually a verb (action) - effect is usually a noun (thing)

Hint: If it's something you're going to do, use "affect." If it's something you've already done, use "effect."

To affect something or someone.

Meaning: to influence, act upon, or change something or someone.

For example: The noise outside affected my performance.

To have an effect on something or someone.

!Note: effect is followed by the preposition on and preceded by an article (an, the)

Meaning: to have an impact on something or someone.

For example: His smile had a strange effect on me.

!Effect can also mean "the end result".

For example: The drug has many adverse side effects.

!Note - Just remember: "affect" = to influence, and "effect" = to bring about.

Bhowmik:
Lots of vs a lot of vs a lot
a lot of /lots of and a lot

seem to be very confusing.

Here you can find out the difference in meaning between them and how they should be used.
a lot of / lots of

'Lots of people like football / A lot of people like football.'

a lot of and lots of have the same meaning: they both mean a large amount or number of people or things.

They are both used before countable nouns and uncountable nouns:


with countable nouns:

A lot of people went to the game.
Lots of people went to the game.


with uncountable nouns:

A lot of snow falls in winter.
Lots of snow falls in winter.

a lot

a lot means very often or very much. It is used as an adverb. It often comes at the end of a sentence and never before a noun.

I like basketball a lot.
She's a lot happier now than she was.
I don't go there a lot anymore.

Bhowmik:
all ready vs already    

All ready means "completely ready".

For example: "Are you all ready for the test?"

Already is an adverb that means before the present time or earlier than the time expected.

For example: "I asked him to come to the cinema but he'd already seen the film."
Or
"Are you buying Christmas cards already? It's only September!"

Bhowmik:
all right vs alright    

All right has multiple meanings. It can mean ok, acceptable, unhurt.

The single word spelling alright has never been accepted as standard.

However in a search on Google you'll get around 68,700,000 hits for alright and 163,000,000 for "all right". So, it might become a respected alternative spelling.
Personally I have no problem with it.
But it is important to say here that all right is formal and essentially standard in form but alright is informal I should say colloquial (accepted for its frequent use).

Bhowmik:
alone vs lonely    

Alone, can be used as an adjective or adverb. Either use means without other people or on your own.

For example: "He likes living alone." (Adverb)
"I think we're alone now." = There are just the two of us here. (Adjective)

Lonely is an adjective which means you are unhappy because you are not with other people.

For example: "The house feels lonely now that all the children have left home."

!Note - Just because you're alone, doesn't mean you're lonely.

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