Do you find yourself consistently spelling or using some words incorrectly? You're not alone. There are a few words in the English language that nearly everyone has misspelled at some point or another. I can almost guarantee that at least a couple of your teachers have even had trouble remembering these words. Want to impress them with the perfect spelling and grammar in your next essay or story? Master the following words and your teachers are sure to be awed!
Find out the difference between these commonly misused words!Courtesy of kaplaninternational.com
They're, Their, There
This one gets people every time. Since the meanings of each of these words are distinctly different, though they all sound the same, you really want to make sure that you use them correctly. "They're" stands for "they are." For example, you could say "They're going to school." "Their" indicates possession, as in "Their writing is so creative." "There" means a place, like "I'll meet you over there." See? It's pretty simple when you understand what each word means.
You're, Your
This is another classic. Just like with "they're," "you're" stands for "you are," as in "You're very funny." The word "your," though, shows possession, like "Your house is beautiful." When you're writing, try to keep in mind that the use of an apostrophe usually means a contraction (two words that have been made into one).
It's, Its
These words are extra tough, because "its" doesn't follow some grammar rules that you've probably been taught. "It's" is like any other contraction, and stands for "it is," like "It's hot outside." "It's" is where it really gets tricky, because "its" actually indicates possession, as in "The house needs its windows cleaned." This is where most people get confused, because usually we add an apostrophe and then an "s" to words when we want to show possesion. You're just going to have to memorize this one.
To, Too, Two
This may seem like an easy one, but this group of words is misused all the time. The word "to" is a preposition, which means it shows the relationshp between two nouns in a sentence. For example: "We are going to the store." The words "we" and "store" are the nouns in the sentence, and "to" is telling us the relationship between them. "Too" is another way of saying "also," as in "I like Miley Cyrus too!" If you're not sure that you're using "too" correctly, then try replacing it with "also." If your sentence makes sense, then it is probably right. "Two," as I'm sure you know, is the written form of the number 2, like "I had two pieces of pizza for lunch."
Phew! It might seem like a lot to remember, but if you practice these words and really work on remembering their meanings, your writing will noticeably improve, and your Language Arts grade too!
Watch your Language Arts grade go up once you learn to spell and use these words!Courtesy of The Upstream Writer
Have Your Say!
Are there any words that you have trouble remember how to use correctly? Share them with us, maybe we can help!
