Hey everyone!  Cross here.  Sometimes, as we gain more experience in writing, we lose hold of some of the basics.  Other times, you aren't like me and haven't had a grammar class.  So we are going to have a series of basic grammar lessons!  Don't dismiss these though just because they're basic lessons.  Trust me, everyone can use a refresher.  There will be things that I completely forgot about included in here.

That said, let's begin the first lesson! *puts on teacher glasses and grabs teacher stick*

We are going to begin with........ (I don't know what tension I'm aiming for since it's in the chapter title.)... Often Confused Words!

How many of you have seen this:

Your, like, the greatest. I bet their is nobody as awesome as you. Weather its fictional or real, you are defiantly two amazing!

Okay, that actually hurt my head to type. And if you don't get why, you're in the right place! The same for those who know the problem, but still slip up at times. There are some basic words that are commonly confused and we are going to go over them, as well as some examples to help you understand.

Let's go in alphabetical order:

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Accept vs Except

"Accept" is agreeing to receive or do.

Example: I accept the invitation.

"Except" is to exclude or not include.

Example: Everyone was there except Brandon.

Advise vs Advice

"Advise" is a verb meaning to give counsel or a suggestion.

Example: They advised me to not kill my brother.

"Advice" is a noun meaning a suggestion given to guide you.

Example: I knew a person who gave out great advice.

Affect vs Effect

"Affect" is a verb that means to influence something.

Example: The news would affect the upcoming election.

"Effect" is a noun that speaks of what the result was.

Example: The effect could easily be seen in the polls.

Aloud vs Allowed

"Aloud" means that someone is saying something out loud.

Example: I read aloud to the class.

"Allowed" means you have permission to do something.

Example: I was allowed to go to the movies.

Altar vs Alter

"Altar" is where you pray.

Example: He got on his knees in front of the altar.

"Alter" is when something is changed.

Example: They altered her genetic makeup.

Angle vs Angel

"Angle" is a defined in the below picture (because I failed at getting a simple definition) or an ulterior motive.

Examples: This triangle has one ninety degree angle. (Picture)

What angle are you playing here? (Ulterior motive)

"Angel" is the holy being with halos and wings.

Examples: Angels sang when I saw her face.

Among vs Between

"Among" is to be used when there are more than two indistinct items or individuals.

Example: He was a panda among bears.

"Between" is used when when there are less than two items/individuals or when there are any number of distinct items or individuals.

Examples: There was a wall between me and the titans. (two or less items/individuals)

I had to choose between Harvard, Yale, and Princeton. (two+ distinct items)

Bare vs Bear

"Bare" is when something is naked or uncovered.

Example: Much to my despair, I could see Miss Pine's bare bottom.

"Bear" is the creature or to carry something.

Examples: The bear was going to eat me! (The creature)

The weight was too much to bear. (To carry)

Brake vs Break

"Brake" is what you use to stop a car or bike.

Example: My dad hit the brakes.

"Break" is a pause in something such as working or to shatter something/make into pieces.

Examples: I had a fifteen minute break from work. (Pause in something)

My glasses break very easily. (To shatter/make into pieces)

Breath vs Breathe

"Breath" is a noun of the air you inhale and exhale.

Example: I let out a breath I hadn't known I had been holding.

"Breathe" is the verb which is the act of inhaling and exhaling.

Example: "You don't have to breathe down my neck, you know."

Complement vs Compliment

"Complement" is when one thing adds on to another to make it better.

Example: Her green eyes really complemented her red hair.

"Compliment" is something kind or praising.

Example: "You have nice teeth," he complimented.

Council vs Counsel

"Council" is a group of people who provide advise.

Example: The king's council did not believe it wise to attack.

"Counsel" is advice given.

Example: The king's men provided counsel in his time of need.

Course vs Coarse

"Course" is a direction, a school subject, or a part of a meal.

Examples: This course of action will lead you down a bad place. (Direction)

This course already has 27 students, so you will need to choose another. (School subject)

I was already full by the second course. (Part of a meal)

"Coarse" means something is rough.

Example: The dog has coarse hair.

Definitely vs Defiantly

"Definitely" means you are for sure going to do something.

Example: "I'll definitely be there!"

"Defiantly" is used when someone is being, well, defiant.

Example: She stared back at him defiantly.

Dessert vs Desert

"Dessert" is the yummy food you eat after dinner. Or sometimes before if nobody catches you.

Example: I had ice cream for dessert.

"Desert" is to abandon or the hot place with a lot of sand.

Examples: He was in trouble for deserting the army. (To abandon)

The desert was a sea of sand stretching as far as I could see in every direction. (Hot sandy place.)

Discreet vs Discrete

"Discreet" is when one is trying to be unnoticed.

Example: Samantha was discreet in passing the note.

"Discrete" is when something is separate and distinct.

Example: The machine had six discrete parts.

Farther vs Further 

"Farther" typically refers to physical distance between things.

Example: Florida is farther away than Virginia.

"Further" typically refers to a metaphorical distance.

Example: Steven could feel himself drifting further and further from his wife.

Fewer Vs Less

"Fewer" is used when the noun being referred to is countable.

Example: We have fewer guests than expected.

"Less" is used when the noun being referred to is uncountable.

Example: Randy put less emphasis on the family hate dynamic.

Hole Vs Whole

"Hole" is those little spaces void of material you see in walls or on the ground.

Example: Team Rocket dug a hole to try to catch Ash and Pikachu.

"Whole" is when something is complete.

Example: There was a whole pizza here before you ate seven slices.

Here vs Hear

"Here" is referring to a place.

Example: The grave of Fred Weasley can be found here.

"Hear" is that thing you do with your ears to perceive sound.

Example: Can you hear the birds sing, George?

Its vs It's

"Its" is a possessive pronoun used when the one in possession is "it."

Example: The tiger retracted its claws.

"It's" is a contraction of "it" and "is." You can tell it is the one to use if you can replace what you are typing with "it is."

Example: "It's supposed to rain today."

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That's it for today. What words do you all see commonly misused? We only picked some of the simpler but common 21 confused words we could think of!  What are others that really grind your gears? And there are some other meanings to these words, but as you'll see next chapter, I decided not to explore them too deeply after a certain word...

- Cross-Warrior