Mastering the art of writing is a necessary skill for students dealing with the academic landscape. Because your teacher reads your journals every day and can easily spot mistakes in your writing (Wilhoit, 1994). English assignments especially, require a strong grasp of vocabulary, grammar, and syntax. But even the most dedicated students often make mistakes and need help with English assignment otherwise it can have an impact on the accuracy and clarity of their work.
In this guest post, the writer from the Assignment Experts platform will look at 20 commonly wrongly used words and errors seen in English assignments. We hope that by highlighting these writing challenges, students can become more proficient in writing better and express themselves more precisely.
Common English Assignment Mistakes
The following are the most common usage of wrong words in assignments with examples.
Your vs. You’re
One of the most common errors includes the confusion of “your” and “you’re.” “Your” indicates ownership but “you’re” is a shorter form of “you are.” A sentence for example “Make sure you proofread you’re work” is wrong; it should be like “Make sure you proofread your work.”
It’s vs. Its
Like the first mistake, “it’s” is a short form of “it is” or “it has,” whereas “its” is a pronoun of ownership. For example, ” A cat is licking it’s claws” should be replaced with “A cat is licking its claws.”
They’re vs. Their vs. There
These homophones often lead to confusion. “They’re” is an abbreviation for “they are,” “their” is an absolute possessive pronoun, and “there” refers to a location. An incorrect usage such as “their going to upload they’re assignment” should be changed to “they’re going to upload their assignment.”
Compliment vs. Complement
“Compliment” is a form of recognition, whereas “complement” refers to something that makes or goes along with something else. For example, “The colors of the painting genuinely compliment each other” should be changed to “The colors of the painting genuinely complement each other.”
Principal vs. Principle
A “principal” is a person or body of primary importance, typically the head of a school. While a “principle” is a basic fact or concept. For example, “The school’s main principal is to encourage creativity,” should be changed to “The school’s main principle is to encourage creativity.”
Farther vs. Further
“Farther” represents physical distance, but “further” indicates imaginary or conceptual distance. For example, “Let’s not go farther into this matter,” should be changed to “Let’s not go any further into this matter.”
Who vs. Whom
The difference between “who” and “whom” often becomes unclear. The word “who” acts as a subject, whereas “whom” acts as an object. For example, “Whom do you believe will win the award?” is a more grammatically correct question than “Who do you believe will win the award?”
Fewer vs. Less
With countable nouns, “fewer” is used, but with uncountable nouns, “less” is used. An error like “I have less literary works than you” should be amended to “I have fewer literary works than you.”
Adverse vs. Averse
“Adverse” refers to negative or hurtful, whereas “averse” highlights strongly disliked or hated. For example, “He was not adverse towards taking risks” should be changed to “He was not averse towards taking risks.”
Among vs. Between
When referring to more than two items, “among” is used, but “between” is used when pointing to two things. A line like “The disagreement was among three friends” should be changed to “The disagreement was between three friends.”
Imply vs. Infer
The speaker uses “imply” to suggest something, whereas the listener uses “infer” to figure out the meaning. An incorrect use such as “From her style, I can infer that she means dissatisfaction” should be replaced with “From her style, I can infer that she means dissatisfaction.”
Assure vs. Ensure vs. Insure
“Assure” means to guarantee or promise something, “ensure” means to make sure something, and “insure” means to provide safety. For example, “I will insure that the assignment is successfully submitted” should be changed to “I will ensure that the assignment is successfully submitted.”
Accept vs. Except
“Accept” and “except” are two terms that, regardless of their differences, are frequently misused. The verb “accept” represents the act of receiving or accepting something, like “She accepted the job proposal.” whereas the word “except” is typically used as a preposition to express restriction or disregard, like “Everyone joined the meeting except Sarah.” This error may greatly impact the meaning of your statements, so be careful to convey whether agreement or exclusion correctly. Avoiding assignment errors will require proofreading and careful analysis of the context.
Stationary vs. Stationery
“Stationery” includes paper, pens, and supplies for work, whereas “stationary” indicates not moving. A line such as “I purchased new stationary for my desk” could be rephrased as “I purchased new stationery for my desk.”
Irregardless vs. Regardless
“Irregardless” is frequently used incorrectly in place of “regardless.” However, “irregardless” is considered incorrect and should be replaced with “regardless.” For example, “Irregardless of the situations, we will proceed,” should be changed to “Regardless of the situations, we will proceed.”
Peak vs. Peek vs. Pique
“Peak” refers to a mountain’s top or the highest point, “peek” means to quickly glance, and “pique” means to draw attention or attract. A sentence like “I took a peak at the information to grab my interest” should be changed to “I took a peek at the information to grab my interest.” “I’d rather have dessert than coffee,” for example, should be changed to “I’d rather have dessert than coffee.”
Effectively vs. Efficiently
While these two terms have similar sounds they have different meanings. “Effectively” refers to getting the desired result, but “efficiently” means accomplishing a goal with the least amount of wasted work. An error like “The new system works effectively but not efficiently” should be corrected to “The new system works efficiently but not effectively.”
Allude vs. Elude
“Allude” refers to making an indirect reference, but “elude” refers to escaping or avoiding. A sentence such as “The complex information was alluding to in the article” should be changed to “The complex information was alluded to in the article.”
Conscious vs. Conscience
The term “conscious” refers to being aware or awake, whereas “conscience” means one’s inner moral standard. An example of an error is “Even though he knew it was not right, his conscious did not bother him,” rather than “Even though he knew it was not right, his conscience did not bother him.”
Precede vs. Proceed
“Proceed” indicates to move forward or continue, but “precede” refers to come before. For example, “Please precede with caution” to “Please proceed with caution.”
Conclusion
Clarity and accuracy are essential in English assignments. You can improve the quality of your writing and effectively deliver ideas if you’re familiar with these 20 commonly wrongly used words and mistakes. Whether it is about understanding the minor differences between “its” and “it’s” or understanding the slight differences between “effect” and “affect,” attention to detail is essential for success. Make a habit of editing, get criticism, and improve your writing skills to make sure that your written work matches your intellectual skills. Remember that editing is the most important part of every document so do it to bring clarity and make your document more readable (helpwithdissertation, 2022).
Reference list
Wilhoit, S. (1994). Helping students avoid plagiarism. College teaching, 42(4), 161-164.
HWD., (2022). Editing Vs Proofreading – How Are They Different. Online Available at <https://www.helpwithdissertation.co.uk/blog/editing-vs-proofreading/> [Accessed on 6th May 2022]