:
During the '80's and '90's, the U.S. economy grew .
Rule 12 . You may also express decades in complete numerals. Again, it is cleaner to avoid an apostrophe between the year and the s .
Example :
During the 1980s and 1990s, the U.S. economy grew .
Chapter 5
Confusing Words and Homonyms
Many words in English sound or look alike, causing confusion and not a few headaches. This chapter lists some of these words, and other troublemakers.
A
A, AN
Use a when the first letter of the word following has the sound of a consonant. Keep in mind that some vowels can sound like consonants, such as when they're sounded out as individual letters. Also, some letters, notably h and u , sometimes act as consonants ( home, usual ), other times as vowels ( honest, unusual ).
Examples :
a yearning
a hotel
a U-turn (pronounced âyooâ)
a NASA study
Use an when the first letter of the word following has the sound of a vowel.
Examples :
an unfair charge
an honor (the h is silent)
an HMO plan ( H is pronounced âaitchâ)
an NAACP convention (the N is pronounced âenâ)
ABBREVIATION, ACRONYM
This is a fine distinction that some consider nitpicking. Terms such as FBI, HMO , and NAACP , although widely called acronyms, are actually abbreviations. The difference is in how they are spoken. An abbreviation , also called an initialism , is pronounced letter by letter. An acronym is pronounced as if it were a word. The abbreviation FBI is pronounced âeff-bee-eye.â The acronym NASA is pronounced ânassa.â
ACCEPT, EXCEPT
Accept means âto acknowledgeâ or âto agree to.â
Except is usually a preposition used to specify what isn't included: I like all fruits except apples .
ACRONYM
See abbreviation, acronym .
AD, ADD
Ad : short for âadvertisement.â
Add : to include; to perform addition.
ADAPT, ADOPT
To adapt is to take something and change it for a special purpose. A screenwriter adapts a book to make it work as a movie. An organism adapts (itself) to a new environment.
To adopt is to take something and use it or make it your own. A government adopts a different policy. A family adopts an orphan.
ADVERSE, AVERSE
Adverse : unfavorable: an adverse reaction to the medication .
Averse : not fond of; seeking to avoid: averse to risk .
ADVICE, ADVISE
Advice : guidance.
Advise : to suggest; to recommend.
AFFECT, EFFECT
Affect as a verb means âto influenceâ: It affected me strangely . As a noun, it is a technical term used in psychology to describe someone's emotional state.
Effect as a noun means âresultâ: It had a strange effect on me . As a verb, it means âto bring aboutâ or âto causeâ: He's trying to effect change in government .
AGGRAVATE
This word is not a synonym for annoy or irritate . To aggravate is to make something worse: He started running too soon and aggravated his sprained ankle .
AHOLD
You can get hold of something, and you can get a hold of it. But in formal writing, âaholdâ is not a real word.
AID, AIDE
An aid is a thing that helps.
An aide is a living helper or assistant: His aide brought first aid .
AIL, ALE
Ail : to be ill.
Ale : an alcoholic beverage.
AISLE, ISLE
Aisle : a corridor.
Isle : an island.
ALL READY, ALREADY
All ready means that everything or everyone is now ready.
Already refers to something accomplished earlier: We already ate .
ALL RIGHT
Two words. Someday, alright may finally prevail, but it hasn't yet.
ALL-TIME RECORD
The team set an all-time record for consecutive games won . Delete all-time . All records are âall-timeâ records.
Similarly, avoid ânew record.â The team set a record, not a new record.
ALL TOGETHER, ALTOGETHER
All together : in a group: We're all together in this .
Altogether : entirely: It is not altogether his fault .
ALLUDE, ELUDE, REFER
Allude means âto mention indirectly.â Do not confuse allude with refer . If