grammar

Twenty of the Most Confused Grammatical Terms

September 5, 2025 By LDSPMA Leave a Comment

We love English. Twenty percent of the world’s population speaks it, with about 400 million native speakers and 1.5 billion learning it as a second language. English blends and borrows words from many cultures and languages. It’s a linguistic melting pot.

English is fascinating! But let’s face it—it’s also really complicated. English is one of the languages with the most complex grammatical structures. And when you throw in spelling . . . well, English can be rough to nail down.

But no worries! We’ve collected a list of some of the most confused grammatical terms in the English language. If you learn these, you’ll be speaking and writing English better in no time.

A lot, Alot, Allot

A lot is an adverb that means “much” or “frequent.”

I go to the gym a lot.

That is a lot of ice cream.

Alot is not a word. Don’t write it.

Allot is a verb that means “to distribute” or “to assign a portion.”

I will allot half of the posters to my business partner to hang up.

After her speech, Dimitria will allot ten minutes for questions.

Affect, Effect

This one is tricky, but the main rule is affect is used as a verb and effect is used as a noun.

The new machinery will affect the productivity of the plant.

The effect of the lights is stunning.

Among, Between

Among is used for relationships of three or more items. Between is used for relationships of only two items.

I can’t choose which among all my shoes to wear.

I often stand between the stop sign and the fire hydrant when waiting for the bus.

Assure, Ensure, Insure

All three of these words are verbs that mean “to make sure.” Though some of their definitions cross over, there are a few rules of thumb you can remember that will help you place the correct word in the right context.

Assure removes doubt and suspense from someone’s mind. Ensure can be replaced with guarantee. And insure is mainly used for financial risk. Refer to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary for more examples and definitions.

I assure my pets I will be home no later than 3:00.

David ensures he has next week off work.

Gemma will need to insure her new car.

Complement, Compliment

Complement means “to complete.” Compliment means “to say something nice to or about someone.”

Her red heels complement her shade of lipstick.

Jane complimented Michael on his choice of tie for the evening.

Every day, Everyday

Every day is a noun or adverb. Everyday is an adjective and is used only before a noun.

Erika teaches yoga classes every day.

Erika’s everyday yoga classes will keep you invigorated.

Farther, Further

Farther refers to literal distances. Further means “more.”

Jenna runs farther than Jared every time they jog.

The team decided they needed to discuss the concept further.

Fewer, Less

If you can count it, use fewer. If you can’t count it, use less.

The fewer pets you own, the less hair you’ll find on the floor.

The less flour Halley uses in the mix, the fewer pancakes she’ll be able to make.

In to, Into

Into refers to movement and is attached to a noun. When separated with a space, the in and to in in to are normally attached to other parts of the sentence than to each other. For example, in the phrase “call in to order food,” call in and to order go together more than in and to.

Chloe stepped into the car.

Please sign in to your computer.

Its, It’s

Its is a possessive pronoun showing ownership. It’s is a contraction meaning “it is.”

The dog lazily gnawed at its bone.

Kiana assures Luz that it’s happening sooner than she would think.

I.E., E.G.

I.E. means “in other words.” E.G. means “for example.”

When decorating my home, I prefer to use earth tones (e.g., greens, browns, and tans).

When decorating my home, I prefer to use earth tones (i.e., warm and muted

shades found in nature).

Lay, Lie

Lay can be replaced with “place.” Lie can be replaced with “recline.”

After a long day, Noah wants only to lie in his bed.

I lay six eggs in the carton.

Like, Such as

Like is used to give a comparison. Such as is used for specific examples.

I have read many novels like Dracula, Twilight, and Carmilla. (This sentence implies that the reader has read novels similar to these but not necessarily these novels.)

I have read many novels, such as Dracula, Twilight, and Carmilla. (This sentence implies that the reader has read these specific novels.)

Lose, Loose

These words are mainly mixed up because they are spelled so similarly. Loose is something that is not tight. Lose means “to be deprived of.”

I lose my keys constantly.

Stella has a loose tooth.

Peak, Peek, Pique

These words can be confusing because they are all pronounced the same. But they each have different meanings. Peak is the “top or apex of something.” Peek is “to take a quick glance.” And pique is “to excite or irritate.”

Did you see the snow at the peak of the mountain?

Jill peeked around the corner.

That topic always piques my interest.

That, Which

These words are used pretty interchangeably in speech and writing, but here is the correct grammatical rule: Use that if information that follows is important and should not be taken out of the sentence. Use which if the information that follows can be taken out without changing the meaning of the sentence.

The peach that is sitting on the end of the table is Gabe’s.

My favorite fruit, which is a peach, is sitting at the end of the table.

Their, There, They’re

These are common words in English and are often confused because they are all pronounced the same. Here’s the difference in their meaning: Their is a possessive pronoun showing that more than one person or thing owns something. There is the opposite of here. (You can remember that because they are almost spelled the same.) They’re is a contraction for “they are.”

The new car is their blue Subaru.

You won’t find the blue ball over there.

They’re as tall as my sister.

Than, Then

Here’s another set of words that gets confused because they are often pronounced the same way. Then is linked to a sequence, normally “if . . . then” or “first . . . then.” Than is used for comparisons.

If you think you can beat me, then give it your best shot.

Peter is faster than Sam.

To, Too

These words are pronounced the same way and almost spelled the same way too! The difference is that too means “also” or “an excessive amount,” while to is used in every other instance. We won’t list those because there are a lot of them.

Vanilla Coke is my go-to drink.

Do you want to come to my house a quarter to one?

Annelise is wearing red too.

That is too much ice cream to eat in one sitting.

Your, You’re

These words are pronounced the same but have different usages. Your is a possessive pronoun showing that you own something. You’re is a contraction meaning “you are.”

You’re going to your grandmother’s tomorrow after lunch.

Your sweater you’re wearing obviously shrunk in the dryer.

The examples above are just some of the many grammatical terms that are commonly confused in the English language. But now you have a succinct list to look back on if you get confused. Keep practicing your grammar, and with the help of this tip, you’ll be a grammar master in no time!

We would like to thank Breanna Call and our friends at Ever Editing for allowing us to share this article with you. To read the other great articles they’ve written, click here.

How to Master the Apostrophe

January 10, 2025 By LDSPMA Leave a Comment

Apostrophes are one of the most diverse punctuation marks in the English language. They can be used and placed in various ways to change the meaning of a sentence. You’ll want to make sure you’re using them correctly, so that your writing reads clearly. In this article, we’ll outline simple rules that will bring confidence and accuracy to your apostrophe use in the future.

This is an apostrophe: ’ It is also known as the right single quotation mark.

This looks like an apostrophe but is not: ‘ It is the left single quotation mark, which can’t be interchanged with an apostrophe.

Apostrophes are used for three main reasons: signifying possessives, replacing missing letters or numbers, and—rarely—to form plurals.

1. Signifying Possessives

This is the most complicated use of the apostrophe. Possessives have a handful of nuances based on singular or plural form and, in some cases, the pronunciation of the individual word. But don’t let that scare you. We’ll lay out some simple rules you can follow so you’ll get this down in no time.

Singular Possessive

This is the easy one. To show that a singular person, place, or thing possesses something or someone else, add an apostrophe and an s to the end of the noun.

The cat’s paws were as pristine as a white carpet.

A student’s book was in the street.

My toddler’s red balloon sailed into the sky.

The same rule applies to singular nouns that end in s. Add both the apostrophe and the s at the end of the word.

James’s dog chases Chris’s ball.

Arkansas’s capital has a booming industry.

Agnes’s report said that her crocus’s petals were as vibrant as ever.

Note: Not every style guide agrees on the treatment of singular nouns as possessives. For example, in the Associated Press (AP) style, the noun being proper or common will determine whether to use an apostrophe or the apostrophe s. However, the majority of style guides, including Chicago style (CMOS), American Psychological Association style (APA), and Modern Language Association style (MLA), agree with the rule above.

Plural Possessive

Most plural words in the English language end in s or es to show more than one person, place, or thing. For those plural possessives, add only the apostrophe after the end of the word.

The knives’ sharpness made even the most experienced chefs take precaution.

My sisters’ shoes always look pristine.

The boxes’ angles interested the children.

For plural nouns that don’t end in s or es, we revert back to the original rule. Add an apostrophe and an s.

The children’s toys were sprawled across the room.

The mice’s tails whipped behind them as they ran.

The women’s discussion enlightened each member of the room.

There are a handful of words in English that end in s both when they are singular and plural. Examples are leggings and politics. For these kinds of words, just add an apostrophe like you would for plural words ending in s, even if they are used in a singular sense.

The headquarters’ main office had cubicles.

The crossroads’ intersections both needed to be cleared of debris.

The tweezers’ prongs were sharper than necessary.

Similarly, words that have a plural form ending in s but are singular in meaning, like United States, follow the same rule of adding only an apostrophe.

Beverly Hills’ homes are some of the most expensive in the country.

Longwood Gardens’ woodlands contain over 100 floral species.

Portland Academy of Writers’ meetings are extensive and informative.

Joint Possession

When a noun is owned by two or more people, this is called joint possession. The placement of the apostrophe (or apostrophes) in joint possession will change the meaning of the sentence. If two or more people own the same item, only one apostrophe is used with the last written owner’s name. If two or more people own separate but similar items, apostrophes are used with each written owner’s name.

For example, if we wanted to talk about dogs that were owned by both Jim and Pam, we would write, “Jim and Pam’s dogs.” The apostrophe is placed only after Pam’s name to show that Jim and Pam own the same dogs. If we wanted to talk about dogs that were owned separately, some by Jim and some by Pam, we would write, “Jim’s and Pam’s dogs.” The apostrophes after both names signify that Jim and Pam do not own the same dogs but have their own set of dogs.

Chancy, Noah, and Clara’s parents celebrated their 28th anniversary.

(Chancy, Noah, and Clara all have the same parents.)

Emma’s, Anthony’s, and Sawyer’s parents shop at the same grocery store.

(Emma, Anthony, and Sawyer all have different parents.)

Halley and Stuart’s bakery is located on the corner.

(Halley and Stuart own the same bakery.)

Josie’s and Caleb’s bakeries are across the street from each other.

(Josie and Caleb own two separate bakeries.)

Last Names Ending in S

Here’s a little bonus section for you. Sometimes last names that end in s can make the plural and the possessive complicated. But if you follow the rules stated above, you can figure out the correct way to write each last name in each situation.

Let’s say the last name is Leavitt. If we want to talk about one Leavitt (singular) in the possessive form, we would add an apostrophe and an s. “Sophie Leavitt’s nails were painted red.”

If we want to talk about all the people in the Leavitt family (plural), it would be Leavitts. Now, let’s add the possessive form with the plural. Like we mentioned above, for plurals already ending in s, simply add an apostrophe. “The Leavitts’ car is brand new.” Simple enough, right?

Here’s where the confusion comes in. What if the last name ends in s already? Let’s take the last name Roberts, for example. In the singular possessive form, we would say, “Ignacio Roberts’s house is the quaintest on the block.” Making that last name plural, it’s Robertses. Now, follow the same rule for a plural noun already ending in s: add only an apostrophe. “The Robertses’ cat dashed under our porch.”

2. Replacing Missing Letters or Numbers

Sometimes apostrophes stand in for letters or numbers. These are called contractions. For example, in the contraction don’t the apostrophe stands in for the missing o in the phrase do not. Here are more examples:

won’t for will not

’twas for it was

gov’t for government

rock ’n’ roll for rock and roll

cookin’ for cooking

Apostrophes standing in for numerals have less variations. They are mainly used to signify the year. So, instead of 1994, we could use an apostrophe to replace the numbers 19 and simply write ’94.

3. Forming Plurals

This is the least common use of the apostrophe. In fact, it’s pretty rare. An apostrophe can show the plural form only when adding an s or es would make the meaning ambiguous.

For example, if we’re talking about lowercase letters of the alphabet in the plural form, it would be confusing to read “The teacher wrote xes on the chalkboard.” The reader may not know if the teacher wrote more than one x or xes. Instead, to be very clear, we would use an apostrophe. “The teacher wrote x’s on the chalkboard.” This applies to lowercase letters, but capital letters are pluralized by adding only s. (“She got all As on her report card.”)

You may also see this same usage being applied to numbers, but it’s not as common. (“The algorithm required we use only 0’s and 1’s.”)

Apostrophes are diverse, but you can master them if you review the guidelines outlined above. The more you practice using apostrophes, the more confident you’ll be that you’re applying them correctly. To learn more about apostrophes, you can read the Chicago Manual of Style, sections 7.5–30 and 5.20. And if you’re ever confused, you can always refer back to this article.