Don’t Get Confused 2.

Back in April I listed some commonly confused words authors need to be aware of.

http://helenwoodallfreelanceediting.blogspot.com.au/2012/04/dont-get-confused.html

Here’s a few more.

Dessert/desert: Dessert is that yummy stuff that comes after you’ve eaten your main course. There is no dessert to be found in the desert. No water either.

Verses/versus: How many verses are there in that song? Today my football team, the Mighty Hawks, versus that pathetic team, Collingwood.

Conscience/conscious: Your conscience tells you the difference between right and wrong, but only if you're conscious at the time.

Rigid/ridged: Rigid means stiff, hard. Ridged means it has ridges along the surface. Like the sand as the tide goes out at the beach.

Off of: The compound preposition off of is generally regarded as informal and is best avoided in formal speech and writing: He stepped off (not off of) the platform. Off is informal as well when used to indicate a source: formal style requires I borrowed it from (not off) my brother.

Helen Woodall

helen.woodall@gmail.com

Helen is available to line edit and/ or content edit fiction and non-fiction. Rates on application.