In writing, there are words that are commonly confused because they have one letter that changes its meaning. Read on to learn more!
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This is a continuation of my previous post on the overuse of apostrophes or the incorrect use thereof.
This is your house. The dog held out its paw. The apostrophe takes the place of the omitted letters when we connect two words in a contraction: You’re (You are) going to the new school starting in August. Have you ever gotten confused about whether you should use ‘who’ or ‘whom’ in a sentence? What’s the difference between the two words?
What are the differences between “to,” “too,” and “two?”
“To” is a preposition: I am going to the store after work. “Too” is another word for “also:” I am going to the store, too. “Two” is the number that comes after one: I am going to the store to buy two oranges. Words that sound the same but are spelled differently and have different meanings are homonyms. According to Merriam-Webster: A common error in writing is using apostrophes for plural words. “How many item’s do you need?” “Collect more card’s here!” This is an incorrect use of the apostrophe.
An apostrophe can be used to show possession – “Sarah's ball” or “the dog’s bone.” It can also be used to show a contraction. A contraction is a briefer way to say something, such as don’t instead of do not, or isn’t instead of is not. The apostrophe takes the place of the missing letter or letters. |
Image CreditPhoto by Sincerely Media on Unsplash Archives
August 2023
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