Help With Confusing Words

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This funny GIF is a reminder that it is easy to confuse certain common words.

To avoid upsetting Ross like Rachel did, take a look below:

You're means you are. (This word is a contraction.)
Your means something belongs to you. (This word is a possessive pronoun.)

We're means we are. (This word is a contraction.)
Were is the plural of was. (This word is a verb.)

Who's means who is. (This word is a contraction.)
Whose is the possessive form of who.

They're means they are. (This word is a contraction.)
There refers to a place.
Their is the possessive form of they.

Click here for a free lesson on a different set of confusing words.

Thanks for reading,

Word Choice Creative Writing Tip #5

Get Your Word's Worth and Say Exactly What You Mean

Word Choice Creative Writing Tip #5

The distinction between these two words is minimal, but the word essential is more often used when a stronger meaning is required.

If a doctor tells you that quitting smoking is necessary for your good health, you would probably take notice. 

If that same doctor tells you that quitting smoking is essential to your good health, I would hope you would throw your tobacco products away and take heed.

Having ripe tomatoes is necessary for making flavorful soups, but having ripe tomatoes is essential for making tomato soup.

I hope this post helps you choose the word that will express exactly what you wish to say.

Thanks for reading,

Word Choice Creative Writing Tip #4

Get Your Word's Worth and Say Exactly What You Mean

Word Choice Creative Writing Tip #4

• Ingenious is from the Latin ingenium meaning inborn talent or natural quality.
• Ingenuous is from the Latin ingenuus meaning simple, honest, childlike, or trusting.

One way to remember the distinction between these two words is to note that the word ingenious sounds like the word genius while the word ingenuous sounds like the word genuine.

The inventor created an ingenious device to cut raw onions.
The party room was filled with laughing, ingenuous children.

I hope this post helps you choose the word that will express exactly what you wish to say.

Thanks for reading,

Valentine's Day TpT Gift Card Contest

If you would like to enter a contest for a Valentine’s Day gift from Charlene Tess at Simple Steps to Sentence Sense and a $10 gift certificate you can use for anything in the TeachersPayTeachers store, follow these simple rules:

(Hurry! The contest ends at midnight on February 8th.)

Required:

•Click here to enter your email address to receive my free newsletter and a free product.

Optional, for extra chances to win:

Click here to LIKE my page on Facebook and share the Valentine’s Day sale image you find there.
Follow me on Twitter at @CharleneTess1
Click here to follow me on Pinterest. 

Click here to follow me on Instagram.
I will have a drawing on the morning of February 10th and the winner will be announced on my Facebook Page. I will also email the winner.

Good Luck!

Word Choice Creative Writing Tip #3

Get Your Word's Worth and Say Exactly What You Mean

Word Choice Creative Writing Tip #3

Stationery is the word to use for notebooks, pens, pencils, paper, envelopes, and other necessary writing materials.

Stationary is the word for standing still.

It is often difficult to remember how to spell these two words, but a teacher I had in elementary school gave me a trick that I still remember after all these years. 

The "e" in stationery stands for "envelope."

I wrote the letter on flowered stationery.

I am going to exercise on a stationary bicycle.

I hope this post helps you choose the word that will express exactly what you wish to say.

Thanks for reading,