Words often confused
1. Contractions vs. Possessives
Contractions are the shortened form of a noun/ pronoun and a helping verb or adverb "not". Eg.
It is/ has- It's
S/he is/ has- S/he's
It will- It'll
S/he will- S/he'll
Can not- Can't
Do not- Don't
Possessives are the words that show possession/ ownership of a thing (living) over other. Eg.
Mine
Yours
Theirs
Hers
Confusion occurs, when we use
a. It's in place of its.
Incorrect: I bought a new dress. It's colour is blue.
Correct: I bought a new dress. Its colour is blue.
Incorrect: I bought a new dress. It's colour is blue.
Correct: I bought a new dress. It's blue in colour.
b. Your's in place of yours. Your's is no word at all. It is a misspelling of yours.
Incorrect: This cap is your's.
Correct: This cap is yours.
c. Their's in place of theirs. Just like your's, their's also is a misspelling of theirs.
Incorrect: That house is their's.
Correct: That house is theirs.
2. Words with multiple meanings
There are many words that carry multiple meanings. Due to lack of awareness of other meanings, we fail to understand a word in a particular context or are unable to use it in a particular context. For example- Contact
Contact (communication)- Are you in contact with your old classmates?
Contact (touch)- Avoid contact with infected surface.
Contact (person)- Do you have any contacts that can help me get a job?
3. Wrong usage of similar meaning words
Some words are similar in meaning but are used in different contexts like little and few. Though both have negative connotation, little is used with uncountable nouns and few is used with plural countable nouns.
There is very little milk in the kitchen.
Few people who came did not like the film.
