Correct Use of Words

Effective writing means you use the language appropriately.

Indoor and Indoors: The former is an adjective, while the latter is an adverb. 

e.g. Bowling is an indoor sport.

e.g. It's raining; let's go indoors. 

Pretense and Pretension: Pretense (Br. English "pretence") is make-belief; pretension is a claim.

e.g. She made a pretense to faint in front of the audience.

e.g. Your pretension to the money is groundless.

Welcome and Welcomed: The former is an adjective, while the latter is a  participle.

e.g. You are most welcome (i.e. you are free) to take whatever you need..

e.g. The Queen was welcomed by the President of the United States

Infer and Imply: Infer means draw a conclusion from; imply means to suggest.

e.g. I can infer from what you said that you don't like him.

e.g. Your comments imply that she was not speaking the truth.

Await and Wait: Await must have an object (meaning be in store for); wait for a person or a thing.

e.g. A big fortune awaits the person with the winning lottery ticket.

e.g. I will wait for my wife here.

Forbidding and Foreboding: Forbidding means discouraging; foreboding means suggesting in advance.

e.g. The embassy with its heavy iron gates has a forbidding appearance.

e.g. Look at the dark clouds and high winds foreboding an imminent storm.

Beside and Besides: Beside means next to; besides means in addition to.

e.g. He was sitting beside the President.

e.g. Besides the difficulties, you must also consider the costs of these projects.

Stephen Lau

Copyright© by Stephen Lau