An Easy Solution for Learning the Grammar Basics.

Posted on June 10, 2008
Filed Under Other Tips & Tricks

Today I have something different lined up for you. It’s not an Office Tip or Trick… Well, actually it is, sort of. It’s not software related, that’s for sure.

I know from my statistics that this blog is mostly read during US office hours so I thought you might like this find.

Yesterday I was surfing the net, on the lookout for several good grammar sites, to see if I could improve my English. I already own a copy of some very good writing software but I want to improve the actual basics. I know from my own writing experience and from reading many other blogs and feeds that many people write with lots of errors in it.

And with errors in it I mean the writing errors that make you look stupid.

Capital vs. Capitol, There vs. Their vs. They’re, Your vs. You’re, Affect vs. Effect, It’s vs. Its and Lie before Lay

The thirteen words mentioned above are probably the most common once so here’s a cheat sheet with some great recourse for you to check.

Capital vs. Capitol

capitol - a building housing the seat of the government
capital - wealth; the city that is the seat of the government; an upper case letter

Examples: Invest your capital and live on interest.

The capital of Connecticut is Hartford.

It is harder to read words printed in all capitals.

The capitol building accommodates the Senate and the House of Representatives.

There vs. Their vs. They’re

their - belonging to them
there - that place, in that place
they’re - contraction of they are

Examples: There are the dogs that dig in my garden.

The Browns let their dogs run loose again.

They’re digging in my garden now.

Your vs. You’re

your - belonging to you (possessive pronoun)
you’re - contraction of you are

Examples Your mother wears army boots.

You’re a dingleberry.

Affect vs. Effect

affect - to influence, to pretend (verbs); feeling (noun)
effect - a result; being in operation (nouns); to make happen (verb)

Examples Self-concept affects learning.1

She affected intellectualism by wearing glasses and using long words

Her affect is always sour in the morning.

One effect of lunar gravity is tides.

The new state income tax was in effect last fall.

The president effected a new policy on international trade.

Most often affect is used as a verb and effect is used as a noun. Something that affects you will have an effect on you.

It’s vs. Its

its - belonging to it (possessive pronoun)
it’s - it is (contraction)

Examples The dog wagged its tail.

Its tail is full of burrs.

It’s full of burrs.

The dog thinks it’s fun to wag its tail.

Lie before Lay

lie - to recline; to tell a falsehood
lay - to set down or place something

Examples Lay your weapons on the table.

I like to lie in the sun by the lake.

I don’t lie, said George Washington.

lie - a falsehood (noun); to tell a falsehood; to recline; to rest on (verbs)
lye - caustic chemical

Examples George Washington could not tell a lie.

He would not lie to his father.

The cat likes to lie in the sun.

Your clothes will lie on the floor until you pick them up.

Lye is an ingredient of homemade soap.

Al the above explanations came from Confusingwords.com and is absolutely worth a bookmark.

Some other recommendations are:

I hope you liked this somewhat unusual Tip and Trick. I’ll talk to you all tomorrow with a regular Tip and Trick.

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