Lesson video

Hello and welcome to today's English lesson.

I'm Ms Gayle.

Have you ever been pulled up in your writing for using the wrong spelling of a word like there or your or its? Today as part of our unit of work on grammar for writing, we're going to be mastering some commonly confused words.

Luckily for you once you know the rule on when you should use a particular version of a word, it's easy to check and correct your spelling mistakes.

I've picked out some of the most frequently mixed up words.

The ones that as a teacher I see creeping in most often in pieces of work.

You will need a pen and paper, so take a moment to clear any distractions away and make sure you have everything you need to hand.

Let's get started by writing down today's title.

Mastering confused words.

Many confused words are confusing because they're homophones.

Homophones are words, which sounds the same, but have a different meaning.

Here's a fun etymological fact for you, that means where a word comes from.

I like to break down words into their roots because it can be really interesting to see how words connect to each other.

The word homophone derives from Greek.

Homo comes from the Greek word, meaning same.

You might be able to think of some other words that use that same root.

Phone, derived from the Greek word meaning voice or utterance, which is also why your phone gets its name.

Today, we're going to practise our accuracy when using homophones.

On your screen, I've hidden the first one, can you spot it? Oops, well done if you spotted the word C in practise.

The correct spelling here would be practised with an S.

But do you know why? As a general rule practise with a C refers to a noun and practise with an S refers to the verb? So when I said we're going to practise using homophones, this would be example of a verb in that sentence.

It's a similar rule with advice and advise, but because those words sounds different, it's much easier to remember the spelling.

So, what is the difference between practise and practise? Practise with a C is a noun meaning an act or a habit, practise with an S is a verb, meaning to perform a skill regularly in order to improve.

If you went to the dental practise, for example, that would also be announced.

You would use the spelling with a C.

Let's have a go at testing your understanding of that rule with a quick quiz on practise and practise.

Pause video and decided, which spelling is correct.

Check your answers now.

So the first one should be practised with an S.

It is important to practise our skills in order to improve.

That's because it's being used as a verb there.

And the second one, practise makes perfect.

Practise with a C because it's being used as a noun.

And in the third, if you practise selecting rich quotations, you will find the easier to analyse language.

That should be practised with an S because it's being used as a verb there.

Well done.

So we've mastered practised and practise.

Let's have a little look at some other words.

Many confused words involve apostrophes and so sometimes when we're mixing up the version of a word we should be using is because we don't fully understand how the apostrophe should be used.

So for a quick reminder, what is an apostrophe and how should we use one? There are two main things you need to remember when using an apostrophe.

First, we can use an apostrophe to show contraction.

So when joining two words together, we use an apostrophe to show that some letters are missing.

So in words like don't, can't, won't, the apostrophe shows that a letter is missing.

The second use of an apostrophe is possession.

So we use an apostrophe and we want to show what belongs to, or is owned by someone or something.

So usually that's quite a straightforward rule, and we just need to remember to include the apostrophe depending on how we're using it.

However, there is a tricky, confused word that doesn't really follow that rule, which is why it is so difficult.

What is the difference between, its and it's.

This is one of the trickiest confused words because you have to do a little bit of extra thinking.

Its, when it doesn't have an apostrophe means belonging to it.

It's when it does have an apostrophe is short for it is, or it has.

It might seem like the first version in the green box without the apostrophe.

It's actually breaking the rule of an apostrophe but the second one is a contraction.

So we just have to remember that when we're writing the word it's, the contraction needs the apostrophe more than the possession does.

It's a contraction so it needs an apostrophe.

Its apostrophe is not needed to show possession.

Let's check your understanding on that one with another quick quiz.

Well done, you should have had, it's been a very long day with an apostrophe because life is short for it has been a very long day.

It's easy to be caught out by using the wrong homophone because that short for it is, another contraction.

The book has lost its appeal over time.

It doesn't need an apostrophe, that's showing possession.

The university has welcomed its students back for a new term.

Again, no apostrophe needed because that's showing possession.

And, I love the landscape around the coast, it's beautiful.

It's short for it is, and therefore is a contraction so we do need the apostrophe.

Just to check your understanding of that one again, I'd like you to write a sentence of your own using its and it's correctly.

Well done.

We're going to move on now to the difference between there, they're, and their.

Can you remember when to use each one? Hopefully this graphic will illustrate the difference between these three words.

Their means belonging to them, they're, with an apostrophe, means they are, and there means in that place or position.

Hopefully that illustration might help you to remember it.

And I'd recommend writing that into your notes just to help your memory.

So, as we've said, their means belonging to them, they're means they are, and there means in that place or position.

So we're going to have a little practise of that with a quick quiz now.

And check your answers.

First one should be the T H E R E spelling for both because in that place or position.

In the second one, we've got they are and in that place or position.

The third one they are, and in that place or position and the fourth one, they are and the belonging to them.

So well done if you got all of those, correct.

Hopefully that will also translate into your own writing.

I'd like you now to practise that and use their, their and there accurately in a sentence of your own, please.

Well done.

Now, what is the difference between affect and effect? Now, when I say it like that and stress the difference, it can be easy to tell them apart, but often they do blend into one another and are used almost interchangeably by some people, but there is a difference and we need to know it.

So effect is a verb, which means to make an impact on.

Effect is a noun, meaning the result of a particular influence.

So let's look at the sentence as an example.

The best books will affect people emotionally.

In this sentence affect is the verb, it tells us what the books are doing.

In this sentence however, effect is being used as a noun.

A great book can have a powerful effect on the emotions.

So in this sentence effect is announced or thing.

Let's test your understanding of that with this quick quiz.

Well done.

Let's take your answers.

The first one should be effect, that's being used as a noun.

Second one, affected being used as a verb.

Third one, effects that's again a noun.

And the fourth one effect is a verb.

Well done.

And hopefully you now understand the difference between those two words a little bit better.

The following words, aren't near homophones.

So that means they're not quite exactly the same in how they sound but they are still commonly confused words.

What is the difference between the word empathise and emphasise? So, empathise is a verb, meaning to understand and share the feelings of another.

You might have heard of it in its noun form, empathy.

Emphasise is a verb, meaning to stress or draw attention to the importance of something.

And you might have heard here as a noun emphasis.

And often these two words are confused in people's writing so it's really important that we know how to use each of them accurately.

They're very useful words, both of them, particularly when we are analysing language.

So if, for example, you were talking about a text and a particular character, you could say that the writer makes it easy for us, as a reader to empathise with that character.

We can understand them, share their feelings.

Equally, you might talk about a particular technique that the writer uses to emphasise a feeling or an idea.

Have a little go with this quick quiz at checking your understanding of the difference between these two confused words.

And check your answers.

First one, you should have emphasise, second, you should have empathise and third, you should have emphasise.

Well done if you've got those correct.

Okay, next, we're going to look at the difference between, again, two was useful in analysis, imply and infer.

Now this is a real book bear of mine, but they're really, really useful words.

And if you can get them correct in your essay, it can really enhance your writing and your clarity.

If you imply something, it means you're suggesting an idea rather than stating it explicitly.

You're hinting at something, you're not telling someone directly.

If you infer, that means you conclude something from evidence or reasoning rather than from explicit statements.

So the speaker or writer implies or suggests an idea, whereas the listener or reader infers and draw the conclusion.

Let's test our understanding of that one.

Well done.

You should have, he could infer from her tone of voice that she was angry.

His facial expression implied that he was confused.

The word astonishment implies shock, and the description implies that the Arctic is a beautiful place.

So remember, the writer implies the reader infers.

Well done.

That's all of our words for today.

What I'd like you to do now is to create a fact file about how to use those confused words you've mustered today.

I'd like you to explain the rule, give an example, and then memorise each of the differences between those commonly confused words.

Thank you for your focus.

I hope you enjoy the rest of your learning today.

Make sure you remember to complete the quiz at the end of the lesson.