These word pairs – or trios – are infamous for tripping up writers.   Test your savvy by reading the paragraph below and seeing how many word-use errors you can spot.  Explanations follow, and the corrected paragraph appears at the end of the article.

Now that the Democrats control Congress, whose going to be effected?  Will we have less government programs then we did under the Republicans, or more?  The Democrats have all ready revealed some of they’re plans, but few Americans seem interested.  There principle concern seems to be who’s taxes will go up.  The Democrats can’t affect real change unless they act on principal.  

Affect or Effect?

THE MISTAKES

Who is going to be effected?

Democrats can’t affect real change.

THE EXPLANATION

Affect is a verb meaning to influence. 

Effect may be a verb meaning to cause or bring about or a noun meaning the thing brought about (consequence). 

THE CORRECTION

Who is going to be affected [influenced]?

Democrats can’t effect [bring about] real change.

Whose or Who’s?

THE MISTAKES

Whose going to be affected? 

Who’s taxes will go up?

THE EXPLANATION

Who’s always means who is; it is never possessive.  Whose is possessive.

THE CORRECTION

Who’s [who is] going to be affected?

Whose [possessive] taxes will go up?

Fewer or Less?

THE MISTAKES

Will we have less government programs?

THE EXPLANATION

Fewer refers to count nouns, less to non-count nouns.  Count nouns are --- ta-da! – words you can count (one program, two programs, three programs, etc.).  Non-count nouns are words like anger and furniture – you can’t count them up or make them plural by adding –s.

Tip:  This mistake is especially easy to make when an intervening word appears between the comparative fewer and the noun it describes.  In this sentence, the intervening word is government.

 THE CORRECTION

Will we have fewer government programs?

Than or Then?

THE MISTAKE

Will we have fewer government programs then we did under the Republicans?

THE EXPLANATION

Use than with comparisons.

THE CORRECTION

Will we have fewer [a comparison word!]  government programs than we did under the Republicans?

All ready or already?

THE MISTAKE

The Democrats have all ready revealed some of their plans.

THE EXPLANATION

All ready means prepared; already means before now.

THE CORRECTION

The Democrats have already revealed some of their plans [revealed them before now].

Their, they’re, or there?

THE MISTAKE

The Democrats have already revealed some of they’re plans.

There principal concern seems to be whose taxes will go up.

THE EXPLANATION

There is possessive; they’re means they are; there describes location.

THE CORRECTION

The Democrats have already revealed some of their [possessive] plans.

Their [possessive] principal concern seems to be whose taxes will go up.

Principle or principal?

THE MISTAKE

Their principle concern seems to be whose taxes will go up.

The Democrats can’t effect real change unless they act on principal.

THE EXPLANATION

A principle is a rule or guide; for any other meaning, use principal.

THE CORRECTION

Their principal [primary] concern seems to be whose taxes will go up. 

The Democrats can’t effect real change unless they act on principle [(ethical) guidelines].

So, how many of those mistakes did you spot?  There were a total of 11.

THE MISTAKES

Now that the Democrats control Congress, whose going to be effected?  Will we have less government programs then we did under the Republicans, or more?  The Democrats have all ready revealed some of they’re plans, but few Americans seem interested.  There principle concern seems to be who’s taxes will go up.  The Democrats can’t affect real change unless they act on principal.  

THE CORRECTION

Now that the Democrats control Congress, who’s going to be affected?  Will we have fewer government programs than we did under the Republicans, or more?  The Democrats have already revealed some of their plans, but few Americans seem interested.  Their principal concern seems to be whose taxes will go up.  The Democrats can’t effect real change unless they act on principle.