Grammar - Clear Explanation Of Confusing Words

Front 1

Adverse

Back 1

Use adverse (never followed by "to") to describe reactions that are unfavorable, hostile, and unfortunate.

i.e: I had an ADVERSE [unfavorable] reaction the first time I tasted the guacomole-raisin-crunch icea crea.

Hint 1

ADVERSE reactions are bAD.

Front 2

Averse

Back 2

Use averse (generally followed by "to") to suggest the idea of being against something.

i.e: I have changed my mind and am no longer AVERSE [against] the idea of introducing the flavor next summer.

Front 3

Affect

Back 3

Use affect (almost always a verb) when expressing the action that means "to influence" or "have an impact upon"

i.e: Inga's tearful reply affected [had an influence on] us even more.

(Affect can operate as a noun, but only as a psychological term. It is used to differentiate a feeling or emotion from a thought or action.)

Front 4

Effect

Back 4

Effect, in the form of a noun means "result," or with the verb form which means to "produce a result."

i.e. The speech Dimitry gave after dinner had a strong EFFECT [impact] on all of us.

i.e. Thanks to the conversation we had with Dimitry, we were able to EFFECT [bring about] a major change in the plan in a matter of hours.

Hint 4

NOW IN [noun] EFFECT

Front 5

Among

Back 5

Use "among" when "three" or more persons or things are involved.

i.e: Billy wanted the money to be distributed among all the people [more than two involved] who took part in the project.

Front 6

Between

Back 6

Use "between" when you are drawing a connection involving only two persons or things.

i.e. Jesse and Frank were hoping to divide the money between the two of them [only two involved].

(Between is appropriate to use when you are drawing a connection involving three or more persons or things that are interacting with or being compared with one another on a one-to-one basis.

i.e. When you put aside their age differences, there is really no difference BETWEEN Jesse, Frank, Billy, and Cole. (The suggestion is that Jesse, Frank, Billy, and Cole are being compared with one another: Jesse with Frank, Jesse with Billy, Billy with Cole, etc.)

Front 7

As

Back 7

Use "as" when it is being used as a CONJUNCTION and is followed by a CLAUSE (a group of words that includes a subject and verb).

i.e. The fish that Nero served last night was excellent, as it always is when Octavius does the cooking. (The group of words following as is a clause, subject=it and verb=is).

Front 8

Like

Back 8

Use "like" when it is operating as a PREPOSITION.

i.e. The fish that Nero served last night looked a lot LIKE speckled trout. (Like = preposition, trout = its object).

i.e. The plan we devised looks LIKE money in the bank. (like = preposition, object = money).

Front 9

Hopefully

Back 9

Instead of using hopefully at the beginning of a sentence use LET US HOPE.

i.e. LET US HOPE that [not hopefully,] the weather will hold for tomorrow's tango contest.

i.e. We are looking forward hopefully [in a hopeful manner] to a successful tango contest.

Front 10

Principal

Back 10

Use PRINCIPAL when referring to either people (principal of a school or the principals in a company) or money (the principal on a loan). As an ADJECTIVE, use principal to indicate prominence and importance.

i.e. The PRINCIPAL of our school talks often about the principles [rules] that have guided him throughout his career. That's the PRINCIPAL [main] reason I do not enjoy spending time with him.

Hint 10

My PAL, the PRINCIPAL, believes in simPLE PRINCIPLES.

Front 11

Principle

Back 11

Use principle when referring to things you can believe in or follow--rules or standards of behavior.

i.e. The principal of our school talks often about the PRINCIPLE [rules] that have guided him throughout his career. That's the principal [main] reason I do not enjoy spending time with him.

Hint 11

My PAL, the PRINCIPAL, believes in simPLE PRINCIPLES.

Front 12

Who

Back 12

Use WHO when referring to people.

i.e. We are looking for someone who can tell us abut what happened last night at the wall after the king's horses went home. (Who refers back to a person--someone).

Front 13

THAT and WHICH

Back 13

Base your choice between that and which on whether the RELATIVE CLAUSE that either word introduces is RESTRICTIVE (that) or NONRESTRICTIVE (which).

i.e. The egg THAT fell of the wall last night couldn't be put back together. (The clause introduced by "that" is restrictive. It is needed to identify which specific egg the sentence is talking about.)

i.e. Last night's incident, which I have spoken to you about, was the third such incident in a week. (The clause introduced by WHICH is nonrestrictive. It is not needed to identify the incident being referred to.)

Front 14

All ready

Back 14

Use all ready to give emphasis to "being set."

i.e. We were all ready [all set] to give up hope when we learned that Dimitry had already [it has happened] arrived in Bratislava.

Hint 14

ALL was READY ALREADY when I arrived.

Front 15

Already

Back 15

Use already as an ADVERB to show that something has happened previously.

i.e. We were all ready [all set] to give up hope when we learned that Dimitry had already [it has happened] arrived in Bratislava.

Hint 15

ALL was READY ALREADY when I arrived.

Front 16

Allude

Back 16

Use allude when your meaning is to "draw attention to something indirectly or in passing."

i.e. Owen alluded [made vague references] several times to the jobs he did when he was working for Nero.

Noun = allusion

Front 17

Elude

Back 17

Use ELUDE when yoru meaning is to "escape," "avoid," or "evade."

i.e.H emade not mention of how he was able to elude [evade] Nero's bodyguards and escape to Naples.

Adjective = elusive.

Elusion is not a word.

Front 18

Appraise

Back 18

Use appraise when your meaning is to "determine the value or extent of."

i.e. As soon as the insurance adjuster appraises [evaluates] the damage the egg suffered when it fell off the wall, I will apprise [tell] you of your options.

Hint 18

VALUE the PRAISE of an APPRAISER but don't be surPRISED when you are APPRISED of the fine print.

Front 19

Apprise

Back 19

Use apprise when you're looking for a fancier way to say "tell."

i.e. As soon as the insurance adjuster appraises [evaluates] the damage the egg suffered when it fell off the wall, I will apprise [tell] you of your options.

Hint 19

VALUE the PRAISE of an APPRAISER but don't be surPRISED when you are APPRISED of the fine print.

Front 20

Arbitrate

Back 20

Use arbitrate to describe the work of someone who listens to evidence from both sides of a dispute and then makes a binding decision.

i.e. The arbitrary aardvark has been brought in to arbitrate [make a binding decision] and to settle the issue once and for all.

Hint 20

A MEDIATOR MEETS. An ARBITRATOR twists ARms.

Front 21

Mediate

Back 21

Use mediate to describe the efforts of someone who is there to play peacemaker but has no authority to impose a settlement.

i.e. The monkey called in to mediate [try to make peace] the territorial dispute between the lions and hyenas.

Hint 21

A MEDIATOR MEETS. An ARBITRATOR twists ARms.

Front 22

Awhile

Back 22

Use awhile when you want an ADVERB that means "for a short time."

i.e. I listened awhile [for a short time] to Marc's speech, but I got nervous when the crowd began to turn on Brutus.

Front 23

A while

Back 23

Use A WHILE when the expression is preceded by FOR.

i.e. After the speech, Dimitri and I stayed for A WHILE with Inga and talked about Marc's speech.

Front 24

Climatic

Back 24

Use CLIMATIC when referring to the weather.

i.e. CLIMATIC [weather] conditions prevented him for making it to Christmas.

Hint 24

Think Climate

Front 25

Climactic

Back 25

Use CLIMACTIC when referring to the climax of an event.

Front 26

Complement

Back 26

Use COMPLEMENT when referring to something that adds the finishing touches to something else.

Hint 26

Associate the E in COMPLEMENT with COMPLETE.

Front 27

Compliment

Back 27

Use COMPLIMENT in connection with flattery or praise, and use COMPLIMENT as a synonym to "at no cost."

Front 28

Covert

Back 28

Use COVERT when the behavior you're describing is secret.

Hint 28

Associate COVERT with COVER, and OVERT with OVERTURE.

Front 29

Overt

Back 29

Use OVERT to describe the behavior that is open and obvious.

Hint 29

Associate COVERT with COVER, and OVERT with OVERTURE.