Words to Write By Part 7

“Words to Write By” is a series about commonly misused words that I started in July of last year. The more I read and write, the more words I come across to add to the series. I hope it provides writers with easy to understand explanations. I’ve read books or blog posts that attempt to explain the differences between misused words only to walk away thinking, “I still have no idea what the difference is; the two explanations sound exactly the same to me.” Hopefully, this series continues to help clarify the difference between similar words, so you can get back to writing and not have to waste time spinning your wheels on a single word. Or perhaps they’ll be little brush ups or confidence boosters that you’re using these words the right way. Links to the previous parts of this series can be found at the bottom of the post.

In this installment of “Words to Write By,” I’ll review a vs. an, cite vs. site vs. sight, i.e. vs. e.g., and that vs. who.

A vs. an: Many people may feel comfortable with the differences between a and an. A comes before words that start with a consonant and an comes before words that start with a vowel. For example, Harriet owned a spiteful kitten and an opinionated puppy. There’s another part to this rule though that can be tricky. A is also used in front of a vowel when the vowel makes a sound like a consonant. For example, The offer was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Once starts with a w sound, so a is used in front of it instead of an. The opposite is also true. If a word starts with a silent consonant, so the first sound is a vowel, then an is used. It is an honor to meet you. In this example, the h is silent, so an is used.

Cite vs. site vs. sight: These homophones are often mistaken for one another, and no wonder, they sound the same. Let me see if I can break it down. Cite means to quote someone or something. Don’t forget to cite your sources in your paper that’s due on Monday. Cite also means to summon to appear in court or to name in a citation. The officer cited me for speeding. Next, there’s site, which refers to a location, either physical or in reference to a website. The project manager needs to be on site to oversee the construction. Finally, sight refers to things that are seen. You’re a sight for sore eyes.

i.e. vs. e.g.: I’m not sure what it is, but I enjoy using these Latin abbreviations. And while they have similar functions, they each have a distinct purpose. As a result of their similarity, people use them interchangeably resulting in their misuse. The abbreviation i.e. stands for id est. It means “in other words.” The easiest way to remember this is that i.e. starts with an i, as does the meaning “in other words.” For example, Submission deadline is June 7 at 12 a.m. PST (i.e., submissions received at 12:01 a.m. or later will be automatically rejected). Meanwhile, e.g. stands for exempli gratia, meaning “for example.” The easy way to remember this is that example starts with an e, as does e.g. Someday I would like to travel the world (e.g., Ireland, Greece, Japan). Now, there’s one last point to make with the distinction between the two. I’m going to try to explain it without confusing the issue. This part is at the heart of why these two can get confused. The abbreviation i.e. can include a list of items, but it’s a closed list (i.e., there are no other items to add to the list.) The box of popsicles includes three flavors (i.e., grape, orange, and cherry). In this example, those three flavors are the only flavors found in that box, so it is a complete list. By comparison, e.g. can provide an example, but it is not a complete list, it’s a sample of possibilities. This box of crayons has 120 different colors in it (e.g., blush, cornflower, and eggplant).

That vs. who: Here’s a sentence to examine: “Gregory’s father was a man that placed many priorities over his family.” The word “that” in this sentence is referring to Gregory’s father, a person, and is incorrect. Here’s the general rule for using that vs. who: “that” refers to a thing while “who” refers to a person. The sentence should read: Gregory’s father was a man who placed many priorities over his family. If you’re still curious about when it is appropriate to use that instead of who (there is an exception), there’s an SAT prep site that explains the use of “that” in restrictive clauses. You can read more about that here.

Look for future installments of “Words to Write By.” You can find links to the rest of the series below.

Part 1: Peak vs. peek vs. pique, further vs. farther, blonde vs. blond, and gray vs. grey.

Part 2: Alleged, hung vs. hanged, a vs. the, and bring vs. take.

Part 3: Who’s vs. whose, whet vs. wet, compliment vs. complement, fazed vs. phased.

Part 4: Fiancé vs. fiancée, insure vs. ensure, alright vs. all right, and simultaneous vs. contemporaneous.

Part 5: Use vs. utilized, bear vs. bare, shuttered vs. shuddered, and breath vs. breathe.

Part 6: Maya vs. Mayan, hole vs. whole, libel vs. slander, patients vs. patience.