Confusing Words

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Confusing Words
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Can you identify the problems in these sentences?

• Im excited wear going to the beach!
• My sister wheres the strangest sweaters!
• Their going to win the race!
• Youre dog is very cute.
• Your going to go the movies tonight?

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Corrections

• Im excited were going to the beach!
• My sister wears the strangest sweaters!
• Theyre going to win the race!
• Your dog is very cute.
• Youre going to go the movies tonight?

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Words may sound similar, but have different
meanings. Common mistakes are made when we
dont pay attention to how the term is used in
the sentence.Make sure to use the following
terms correctly in your writing.
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Your Youre

• YOUR is a possessive adjective.
• e.g.) Your assignment was late. (The
  assignment belongs to you)
• YOURE is a contraction, made from YOU ARE.
• e.g.) Youre a good cook! (This is a
  compliment, you are a good cook!)

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Its Its

• ITS is a possessive adjective.
• e.g.) Pick up the container and its lid.
• ITS is a contraction of IT IS.
• e.g.) Its cold tonight!
• (It Is cold tonight)

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Were, Wear Where

• WERE is a contraction of WE ARE. e.g.) Were
  going to win this game! (We are going to win
  this game!)
• WEAR is a verb. e.g.) What jacket will you
  wear tonight? (To wear in this sentence is to
  put on a piece of clothing).
• WHERE in this case, where is a
  pronoun. e.g.) Where would you like to meet up
  tonight?
• (Where indicates the location of the meeting.)

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There, Their Theyre

• THERE is an adverb, pronoun, noun, adjective, or
  interjection
• e.g.) I put the book on the table, right there.
  (adverb) e.g.) There are clouds in the sky.
  (pronoun)
• THEIR is a possessive adjective.
• e.g.) They forgot their lunch at home.
• THEYRE is a contraction of THEY ARE. e.g.)
  Theyre going to win the grand prize. (They are
  going to win the grand prize).

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More common mistakes

• LAY/ LIE
• Wrong I was exhausted and had to lay down.
• Correct I was exhausted and had to lie down.
• THEN/THAN
• Correct I finished washing the car, then a bird
  pooped on it.
• Correct No one had a harder assignment than we
  did.
• DIFFERENT THAN/DIFFERENT FROM
• Wrong This take home exam is different than last
  year.
• Correct This take home exam is different from
  last year.
• LOOSE/LOSE
• Correct My cat escaped and is on the loose.
• Correct I always lose my assignments!

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Visit the Writing Centre

• LIB 272 B
• Telephone [phone] ext. 7192
• Website http//www.ryerson.ca/writing-centre
• Email address writingcentre_at_ryerson.ca