Commonly misused words Week 1

Accept v.s. Except Accept (v.): to take or receive something Example: The daughter accepted the gifts, rose, and kiss from her mother. Except (prep.): with the exclusion of; excluding Example: You may use all electronic devices except for cell phones.

Affect v.s. Effect Affect (v.): to act on, produce change; to impress the mind or move the feelings of Example: The music affected him deeply, so deeply that he was moved to tears. Effect (n.): something produced by a cause; consequence; result Example: For many, the effect of smoking is cancer.

Allude v.s. Elude v.s. Refer Allude (v.): to refer to casually or indirectly Example: The lotus flower from Homer’s The Odyssey is alluded to in the movie Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief. Elude (v. with object): to avoid or escape by speed, cleverness, trickery; to escape understanding Example: The criminal tried to elude capture.

Allude v.s. Elude v.s. Refer (cont.) Refer (v.): to direct for information on anything required. Example: My teacher referred me to my textbook to find the definition of the vocabulary term.