Frequently Confused Words
accept, except
Accept means "to receive". Example: Please accept my gift.
Except means "not including". Example: I brought all the gifts except yours.
advice, advise
Advice is an "opinion about what should be done". Example: She gives good advice.
Advise means "to recommend". Example: Please advise me on what to do.
affect, effect
Affect means "to influence". Example: Do not let the loss affect you.
An effect is "a result". Example: The loss did not have an effect on me.
all ready, already
All ready means "everything is ready". Example: We are all ready to move.
Already means "previously". Example: We already moved our things yesterday.
buy, by
Buy means "to purchase". Example: Please buy me a ticket.
By means "beside". Example: The book is by the table.
choose, chose
Choose means "to select". Example: Today, I will choose a new house.
Chose is the past tense of choose. Example: Yesterday, I chose a new house.
complement, compliment
Complement means "to make complete". Example: This hat will complement my new dress.
A compliment is something said in praise. Example: Thank you for the compliment about my dress.
emigrate, immigrate
Emigrate means "to leave one country to settle in another". Example: I intend to emigrate from Hong Kong.
Immigrate means "to come to live in a new country". Example: I intend to immigrate to Canada.
it's, its
It's is the short form of "it is". Example: It's in the dog house.
Its is a pronoun that shows ownership or possession. Example: The dog has its own house.
loose, lose
Loose means "not tight". Example: My pants are loose.
Lose means "to be defeated or no longer have". Example: I do not want to lose the game.
miner, minor
A miner is a person who works in a mine. Example: My uncle is a miner.
Minor is an adjective that means "unimportant". Example: This is a minor problem. A minor also refers to a person who is not yet an adult. Example: It is illegal for a minor to drink alcohol.
past, passed
Past means "gone by" or "history". Example: The car drove past my house.
My past is very interesting.
Passed is the past tense of pass. Example: We passed the truck earlier.
principal, principle
A principal is the head of a school. Example: The principal spoke to us today.
A principle is an important fact or law. Example: The principle of democracy is important to Canadians.
stationary, stationery
Stationary means to be "standing still". Example: Please remain stationary.
Stationery means "writing materials". Example: They went to the store to buy some stationery.
than, then
Than means "in comparison with". Example: He is bigger than me.
Then means "next". Example: After going home, he then started his assignment.
their, there, they're
Their is a form of "they" that shows ownership. Example: Their flowers are on the table.
There describes where something is. Example: The flowers are there on the table.
They're is a short form of "they are". Example: They're going to buy flowers.
threw, through
Threw is the past tense of throw. Example: He threw the ball over the fence.
Through means from "end to end". Example: We drove through the tunnel.
to, too, two
To means "in the direction of". Example: He went to the store.
Too means "also". Example: He went to the store, too.
Two is a number. Example: Two of my friends went to the store.
weather, whether
Weather means "conditions outdoors". Example: The weather is terrible.
Whether is an expression of choice between two options. Example: I do not know whether I will stay home or go to school.
your, you're
Your is a form of "you" that shows ownership. Example: Your car is new.
You're is a short form of "your are". Example: You're going to the store.

Prewriting Essays

What is the prewriting stage?
The prewriting stage is when you prepare your ideas for your essay before you begin writing. You will find it easier to write your essay if you build an outline first, especially when you are writing longer assignments.

Six Prewriting Steps:

1. Think carefully about what you are going to write.
Ask yourself: What question am I going to answer in this paragraph or essay?
How can I best answer this question?
What is the most important part of my answer?
How can I make an introductory sentence (or thesis statement) from the most important part of my answer?
What facts or ideas can I use to support my introductory sentence?
How can I make this paragraph or essay interesting?
Do I need more facts on this topic?
Where can I find more facts on this topic?

2. Open your notebook. Write out your answers to the above questions. You do not need to spend a lot of time doing this; just write enough to help you remember why and how you are going to write your paragraph or essay.

3. Collect facts related to your paragraph or essay topic. Look for and write down facts that will help you to answer your question. Timesaving hint: make sure the facts you are writing are related to the exact question you are going to answer in your paragraph or essay.

4. Write down your own ideas. Ask yourself: What else do I want to say about this topic?
Why should people be interested in this topic?
Why is this topic important?

5. Find the main idea of your paragraph or essay. Choose the most important point you are going to present. If you cannot decide which point is the most important, just choose one point and stick to it throughout your paragraph or essay.

6. Organize your facts and ideas in a way that develops your main idea. Once you have chosen the most important point of your paragraph or essay, you must find the best way to tell your reader about it. Look at the facts you have written. Look at your own ideas on the topic. Decide which facts and ideas will best support the main idea of your essay. Once you have chosen the facts and ideas you plan to use, ask yourself which order to put them in the essay. Write down your own note set that you can use to guide yourself as you write your essay.

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The 5 paragraph Essay

You do not have to be a wizard to learn to write excellent five-paragraph essays. You do need some basic skill and practice. At this site, you will find the information you need to learn how to write the essay as well as some writing prompts to help you develop skill. With a little bit of effort, you will create your own written wizardry.

Because the five-paragraph essay is a chosen vehicle for measuring a student's writing proficiency, it is essential that each master this patterned format writing to score well. As part of that patterned process, the student needs to develop specific thinking and organizational patterns that will aid in the timed creation of an essay that state and other testing is demanding. To help the teacher and to aid the student to succeed in this form of writing is the purpose of this site.

Proficiency in writing the five-paragraph essay is not only important to pass the test, it is an essential first-tool-basic for research papers for all levels of schooling, and a simplified mainstay basic in writing reports within the professional world. Mastering this form is a first step to success.

The target audience for the resources of the site is grade five through early high school. Many resources referenced or presented here are excellent for all age levels. Some may need adaptation to be appropriate to individual needs. With the use of cut and paste and a word processor, this is an easy task. However, be sure to follow copyright guidelines and cite sources as is appropriate.

Having a good example or exemplar is a fine way to help to understand just what is expected in good writing. Here are some. Examine them. Look carefully at them, and learn from them. When you have done some writing, compare your writing to one or more of the examples at an appropriate level to see just how your writing stacks up. If it does not, then note what is different and work on those things to make your essay writing better. Self examination and evaluation are necessary steps to becoming a competent essay writer.

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