Answers to the Confusing Words for 200 challenge are brought to you by Donna Knoell.
- The Washington Monument is taller than/then the Capitol dome.
- Lunch was later than/then we thought.
- The paddleboard is much longer than/then most surf boards.
- First we paddled up the creek, than/then we paddled down.
- The mouth of the Magothy River is much wider than/then the mouth of the Severn.
- The instructors were much more adept/adapt/adopt at maneuvering than/then the beginners were.
- We wanted to adept/adapt/adopt the puppy, but first it needed some shots.
- How adept/adapt/adopt are you at balancing on a floating board?
- You have to adept/adapt/adopt your stance to the circumstances.
- Is there some way we can adept/adapt/adopt this oar, which is much too long, for use with a canoe?
Other correct answers came from Eric Nilsson, Chris Zimmel,Stacey Edwards, Melanie Elick, Tara Allen, Ginny Supranowitz, Karyn R Smith, Michael Stein, Stacie Oste,Patrick Brown, Toni Wills, James Dorman, Kim Bullman, Jim Dages, Mindy Clark, Karyn Highet, Kay Honaker, Lynn Walpole, Rocky Willett, Denise Miller, and Krista Allen [roughly in order of receipt].
Although many of you missed the fact that number 6 had two confusing words in it, I did not count that against you if you got all the rest correct.
Number 2 was the hardest one, with many hapless souls choosing then, when it should be than. I think the tricky part was that a time was mentioned, and then is used to indicate time. However, the time was being compared to another time, so the sense of comparison was needed, giving us the word than.
***
Confusing Words for 300
The world principle is always some kind of rule. Notice that rule and principle both end in -le. Principal is not only the head of a school, but also the most important aspect or the main part of anything--the main part of a mortgage loan, for example.
- The most important principle in plumbing is that water runs downhill.
- You can pay off a little extra principal each month to shorten the length of your loan.
Farther is a distance (remember--farther). Further is an extension, a deeper discussion, or a verb meaning to extend or pursue.
- She bicycled farther than he did.
- We need to examine this question further.
- To further this discussion, we will need more data.
Let's take a look at these confusing words in action. (Watch out for sentences that contain two problems!)
- What is the main principle/principal involved in this physics problem?
- Do you remember the principle/principal of your elementary school?
- The principle/principal mathematical principle/principal involved in calculating a tip is moving the decimal point.
- How much principle/principal will we pay off in the first year of the loan?
- What are the principle/principal parts of speech in Latin?
- How much further/farther can we drive before needing gas?
- Mars is further/farther from Earth than the moon is.
- How much further/farther can we pursue this discussion before we get into a fight?
- Can we farther/further our goals by raising the interest rate a little farther/further?
- The lake is a little farther/further away from the road than/then the playground.
***
If you love Jennie's articles, you'll love her classes. Check out some of Jennie's mini courses.
1. main principle
2. remember the principal
3. principal mathematical principle
4. How much principal
5. principle parts of speech
6. How much farther
7. Mars is farther
8. How much further
9. Can we further ... a little further
10. a little farther ... than the playground
Posted by: Nick Shears | September 08, 2014 at 01:03 AM