Confusing Words

COM 303 Editing: Brian Carroll w/adaptations & additions in January 2013

Who vs. Whom

Who– Substitutes for the subject– Example: Who let the dogs out?

Whom– Substitutes for objective pronouns (him, her)– Example: Whom did he question?– And serves as the object of a preposition– Example: Ask not for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee.

That vs. Which

That– Use with essential phrases– Example: Go to the door that reads, “Clinic 1.”

Which– Use with non-essential phrases– Example: The test, which was given Thursday, was

difficult.

Among vs. Between

Between – Use with two.– Example: He split the Calzone between Tim and Susan,

because it was bigger than Tim’s head.

Among– Use with three or more.– Example: We divided the money among the five children.

Compose vs. comprise

Compose– Means to make up– Example: The class is composed of 25 students.

Comprise– Means to include– Example: Our class comprises five women and six

men.

Affect vs. effect

Affect– A verb that means influence– Example: The drought will affect the color of the fall foliage.

Effect– A noun that means result– Example: The medicine has unpleasant side effects.

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Affect vs. Effect

The majority of the time you use affect with an a as a verbandeffect with an e as a noun

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Affect vs. EffectAffect with an a means "to influence," examples: "The arrows affected the aardvark,"

" The rain affected Amy's hairdo." Affect can also mean, roughly, "to act in a way that you don't feel," examples: "She affected an air of superiority."

“Her affect was disturbing to me: she was always trying to be something

she was not”8

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Affect vs. Effect

Effect with an e has a lot of subtle meanings as a noun, but basically its meaning is "a result" Examples:

"The effect was eye-popping." "The sound effects were amazing." "The rain had no effect on Amy's hairdo"

"The trick-or-treaters hid behind the bushes for effect.““The effect of plants on biodiversity is…” 9

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Affect vs. Effect Grammar Girl says, use aardvark to remember: “The arrows affected the aardvark.”

“The effect was eye-popping."

Affect with an a goes with the a words arrow and aardvark Effect with an e goes with the e word eye-popping

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