A lot of words have more than one meaning. Sometimes, it's as though these words are taunting us like potholes in the roads of our happiness, causing us to find ourselves helplessly stuck in a hole of misunderstanding. The double meaning of bear is an excellent example of these terrible, confusing potholes, not least when it is used in the context of the term 'bear in mind'.
You, like many other sexy and intelligent people, have probably said to yourself more than once, 'hang on, it can't be 'bear' in mind because 'bear' is an animal. It must be the other word that sounds a bit like bear, which is 'bare' in mind. Yes it must be 'bare in mind', as a bear in mind would be a terrifying psychotic episode brought on by a hereditary or lifestyle influence. But before we suffer in the darkness any longer, let's separate the lies from the truth here.
The word bear has two meanings:
1. A large, furry animal that can kill you
2. To carry, e.g. ' They came bearing gifts'
And so, the phrase 'bear in mind' refers to the second meaning of bear, as in 'carry this thought in your mind'.
And so, another grammar pothole has been filled in, making your journey to grammar nirvana smooth and joyous.
Showing posts with label Words that look the same. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Words that look the same. Show all posts
Friday, 19 August 2011
Monday, 28 February 2011
'Commadore Norrington, my effects please': The difference between affect and effect
The difference between affect and effect has confused more than a few people. And make no mistake, sometimes even MC Grammar can end up throwing himself on his four-poster bed, howling in frustration at this very tricky area of grammar.
But lucky for us, the difference between affect and effect is a lot simpler than you might think. The thing is, effect and affect are homonyms, which means that even though they sound the same, they have different meanings. Read on, grammar children.
Affect means:
1. To have an influence or cause a change in something
Too much sunlight affected the quality of the photograph
2. To act on the emotions of, to touch, to move.
The arguments and fighting affected me badly
3. To attack or infect
Rabies affects the brain
Effect, on the other hand, means:
1. A result
The drugs took effect immediately
There was more positive information available about immigration, effecting a change attitudes towards immigrants.
2. The power to produce an outcome or achieve a result
The president's threats to kill everyone had no effect on the protesters
3. Something that produces a specific impression, or supports a general design or intention:
The fireworks were the best effects of the concert
If you ever get lost, there's a handy way of remembering the difference. In the movie 'Pirates of the Caribbean', Captain Jack Sparrow has managed to get off from being arrested. Demanding his stuff back, he says: 'Commodore Norrington, my effects please, and my hat'. When Sparrow asks for his effects he means his sword, his compass, and his belt. These are his effects, meaning the things that make him Captain Jack Sparrow. Your effects are the things that add a little something to the occasion, which is why fireworks are effects, or special animation techniques in a movie are effects.
But lucky for us, the difference between affect and effect is a lot simpler than you might think. The thing is, effect and affect are homonyms, which means that even though they sound the same, they have different meanings. Read on, grammar children.
Affect means:
1. To have an influence or cause a change in something
Too much sunlight affected the quality of the photograph
2. To act on the emotions of, to touch, to move.
The arguments and fighting affected me badly
3. To attack or infect
Rabies affects the brain
Effect, on the other hand, means:
1. A result
The drugs took effect immediately
There was more positive information available about immigration, effecting a change attitudes towards immigrants.
2. The power to produce an outcome or achieve a result
The president's threats to kill everyone had no effect on the protesters
3. Something that produces a specific impression, or supports a general design or intention:
The fireworks were the best effects of the concert
If you ever get lost, there's a handy way of remembering the difference. In the movie 'Pirates of the Caribbean', Captain Jack Sparrow has managed to get off from being arrested. Demanding his stuff back, he says: 'Commodore Norrington, my effects please, and my hat'. When Sparrow asks for his effects he means his sword, his compass, and his belt. These are his effects, meaning the things that make him Captain Jack Sparrow. Your effects are the things that add a little something to the occasion, which is why fireworks are effects, or special animation techniques in a movie are effects.
Friday, 13 August 2010
Attack of the Similar Words! Practise vs Practice
An incredible thing happened to me the other day, as I was walking down the street. It was early in the morning, and I was the only one about. With the dew on the leaves, and the clouds still all fresh and pink, it could well have been the first day in creation, and I could have been the first cat who ever wore balloon pants affixed with a leather cummerbund, as I sauntered down that street.
As I turned a corner, I happened to pass by a young dude. He looked like he was in his teens, he had a shock of fluffy blond hair on the top of his head, a red shirt, and a pair of light-coloured jeans on.
I passed him and went along my merry way. I kept walking down the street and after about 20 metres, I made a short-cut through a narrow laneway. Then something very messed up happened: the same boy walked passed me again in the lane way.
For a few second there, my mind was a mess of panicking contortions. There was no way this boy could have made it around the block in the few seconds since I had passed him before. And not only were these people identical in every way, but they were also wearing exactly the same thing.
Of course, after just a few seconds, using the powers of logic that I am so well known for, I worked out that these people were probably twins, and not clones. And since they were funky teen twins (or 'tweenins' as you might consider calling them), they probably (a) had a lot of sibling rivalry, which explained why they didn’t want to walk together, and (b) on their way to school, which was why they were both walking in the same direction.
Another problem solved. But it got me thinking. Just like life, grammar is full of confusing look-alikes that not only look just the same, but almost do exactly the same thing too. So when you come across them in a sentence, you can often find yourself asking ‘WTF? What’s the actual difference between these two words?’
Take for example, the difference between ‘practise’ and ‘practice.’
You might look at these two words and at first you’d be all like ‘Oh, the reason that one of these has an s, and one of these has a c, is because one is an American spelling, and one is a British spelling’ You’d be wrong. In the UK, ‘practice’ and ‘practise’ are both used, while in the US, only ‘practice’ is used. Which kind of doesn’t help at all.
So, just say you don’t live in the wide, glorious land of the United States. Let's just say that although you’ve applied through several channels, you can’t get a work visa. What do you do next?
In the UK and its sexy colony, Australia, ‘practice’ is a noun, while ‘practise’ is a verb. For example:
Dr Wright’s a pretty good doctor. His medical practice is just down the road.
I need to practise my capoeira, so I can become a dancing warrior.
Are you a practising Catholic?
Meanwhile, at some stage in history, the US decided this was a pretty small detail, and that they were pretty busy and couldn’t really be fucked, and started using ‘practice’ for everything.
It's most likely that there are some cases where North Americans might try to stick to what’s technically correct, but when you are on your tourist's visa in the US, pursuing research into the many practices that Americans engage in, and noting it all down in your field notes, MC Grammar recommends that it’s probably best to stick to that spelling in your field report.
As I turned a corner, I happened to pass by a young dude. He looked like he was in his teens, he had a shock of fluffy blond hair on the top of his head, a red shirt, and a pair of light-coloured jeans on.
I passed him and went along my merry way. I kept walking down the street and after about 20 metres, I made a short-cut through a narrow laneway. Then something very messed up happened: the same boy walked passed me again in the lane way.
For a few second there, my mind was a mess of panicking contortions. There was no way this boy could have made it around the block in the few seconds since I had passed him before. And not only were these people identical in every way, but they were also wearing exactly the same thing.
Of course, after just a few seconds, using the powers of logic that I am so well known for, I worked out that these people were probably twins, and not clones. And since they were funky teen twins (or 'tweenins' as you might consider calling them), they probably (a) had a lot of sibling rivalry, which explained why they didn’t want to walk together, and (b) on their way to school, which was why they were both walking in the same direction.
Another problem solved. But it got me thinking. Just like life, grammar is full of confusing look-alikes that not only look just the same, but almost do exactly the same thing too. So when you come across them in a sentence, you can often find yourself asking ‘WTF? What’s the actual difference between these two words?’
Take for example, the difference between ‘practise’ and ‘practice.’
You might look at these two words and at first you’d be all like ‘Oh, the reason that one of these has an s, and one of these has a c, is because one is an American spelling, and one is a British spelling’ You’d be wrong. In the UK, ‘practice’ and ‘practise’ are both used, while in the US, only ‘practice’ is used. Which kind of doesn’t help at all.
So, just say you don’t live in the wide, glorious land of the United States. Let's just say that although you’ve applied through several channels, you can’t get a work visa. What do you do next?
In the UK and its sexy colony, Australia, ‘practice’ is a noun, while ‘practise’ is a verb. For example:
Dr Wright’s a pretty good doctor. His medical practice is just down the road.
I need to practise my capoeira, so I can become a dancing warrior.
Are you a practising Catholic?
Meanwhile, at some stage in history, the US decided this was a pretty small detail, and that they were pretty busy and couldn’t really be fucked, and started using ‘practice’ for everything.
It's most likely that there are some cases where North Americans might try to stick to what’s technically correct, but when you are on your tourist's visa in the US, pursuing research into the many practices that Americans engage in, and noting it all down in your field notes, MC Grammar recommends that it’s probably best to stick to that spelling in your field report.
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