accept vs except
Accept is a verb, which means to agree to take something .
For example: "I always accept good advice."
Except is a preposition or conjunction, which means not including.
For example: "I teach every day except Sunday(s)."
advice vs advise
Advice is a noun, which means an opinion that someone offers you about what you should do or how you should act in a particular situation.
For example: "I need someone to give me some advice."
Advise is a verb, which means to give information and suggest types of action.
For example: "I advise everybody to be nice to their teacher."
Often in English the noun form ends in ...ice and the verb form ends in ...ise.
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.
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 what do other people think:-
alone / 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."
"I think we're alone now." = There are just the two of us here.
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.
a lot / alot / allot
A lot, meaning a large amount or number of people or things, can be used to modify a noun.
For example:-
"I need a lot of time to develop this web site."
It can also be used as an adverb, meaning very much or very often.
For example:-
"I look a lot like my sister."
It has become a common term in speech; and is increasingly used in writing.
Alot does not exist! There is no such word in the English language. If you write it this way - imagine me shouting at you - "No Such Word!"
Allot is a verb, which means to give (especially a share of something) for a particular purpose:-
For example: "We were allotted a desk each."
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!"
any one vs anyone
Any one means any single person or thing out of a group of people or things.
For example:-
I can recommend any one of the books on this site.
Anyone means any person. It's always written as one word.
For example:-
Did anyone see that UFO?
any vs some
Any and some are both determiners. They are used to talk about indefinite quantities or numbers, when the exact quantity or number is not important. As a general rule we use some for positive statements, and any for questions and negative statements,
For example:-
I asked the barman if he could get me some sparkling water. I said, "Excuse me, have you got any sparkling water?" Unfortunately they didn't have any.
Note - You will sometimes see some in questions and any in positive statements. When making an offer, or a request, in order to encourage the person we are speaking to to say "Yes", you can use some in a question:
For example: Would you mind fetching some gummy bears while you're at the shops?
You can also use any in a positive statement if it comes after a word whose meaning is negative or limiting:
For example:-
A. She gave me some bad advice.
B. Really? She rarely gives any bad advice.
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.
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 what do other people think:-
alone / 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."
"I think we're alone now." = There are just the two of us here.
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.
a lot / alot / allot
A lot, meaning a large amount or number of people or things, can be used to modify a noun.
For example:-
"I need a lot of time to develop this web site."
It can also be used as an adverb, meaning very much or very often.
For example:-
"I look a lot like my sister."
It has become a common term in speech; and is increasingly used in writing.
Alot does not exist! There is no such word in the English language. If you write it this way - imagine me shouting at you - "No Such Word!"
Allot is a verb, which means to give (especially a share of something) for a particular purpose:-
For example: "We were allotted a desk each."
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!"
any one vs anyone
Any one means any single person or thing out of a group of people or things.
For example:-
I can recommend any one of the books on this site.
Anyone means any person. It's always written as one word.
For example:-
Did anyone see that UFO?
any vs some
Any and some are both determiners. They are used to talk about indefinite quantities or numbers, when the exact quantity or number is not important. As a general rule we use some for positive statements, and any for questions and negative statements,
For example:-
I asked the barman if he could get me some sparkling water. I said, "Excuse me, have you got any sparkling water?" Unfortunately they didn't have any.
Note - You will sometimes see some in questions and any in positive statements. When making an offer, or a request, in order to encourage the person we are speaking to to say "Yes", you can use some in a question:
For example: Would you mind fetching some gummy bears while you're at the shops?
You can also use any in a positive statement if it comes after a word whose meaning is negative or limiting:
For example:-
A. She gave me some bad advice.
B. Really? She rarely gives any bad advice.
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