Grammar difference between

List of "difference between" certain words and grammatical forms and rules

page to do:

• lie v. lay
• please v. may
• can v. may

affect and effect

the difference between affect and effect

• in general,
  • affect = a verb
  • effect = a noun
• however, both words can be either a verb or a noun
  • affect
    • verb =
      • to impact or cause
      • to have emotionally impact
      • to pretend or fake
    • noun =
      • a psychological impact or result of a psychological condition
        • as in "patient affects of the condition are serious"
      • the word "affectation" comes from the "affect" as a noun
  • effect
    • noun =
      • a result of, an outcome from
      • an impression of
      • materials gathered or to be used
        • as in "the hunter's effects included his rifle, a sleeping bag, and a mess kit"
      • the essence of, virtually, caused to be
        • "Their coordinated play was in effect all it took to win"
    • verb = to make happen
      • as in "The change in policies effected a new attitude"

although and though

the difference between although and though >> to do

• see: Although or though ? - Grammar - Cambridge Dictionary

assume and presume

the difference between assume and presume

• assume and presume both mean "to count on" or "to suppose"
• the difference between them is
  • assume = to count on something known will continue to be so in the future; also a logical deduction based on something known
  • presume = to count on something without any proof of it, or without investigating into it; also a logical or probably guess
• see: askanydifference.com

auxiliary verb and modal verb

the difference between auxiliary verb and modal verb

• auxiliary verbs = "helper verbs"
  • i.e., they assist or "help" another verb in order to indicate that verb's tense, voice or mood
    • I am going tomorrow
      • "am" = auxiliary verb to indicate present continuous tense of "to go" (going)
    • Joanna had thought about it
      • "had" = auxiliary verb to indicate past perfect tense of "to think" (thought)
• modal verbs = indicate "modality", or possibility, ability, permission, duty, correctness or obligation
  • I can go tomorrow
    • "can" = modal verb to indicate possibility of the infinitive "to go" (go)
  • Joanna should think about it
    • "should" = modal verb to indicate correctness of the infinitive verb "to think" (think)
• note that
  • auxiliary verbs change according to inflection (conjugation)
    • I am going
    • you are going
  • modal verbs do not change according to inflection (conjugation)
    • I should go
    • You should go
• see: https://pediaa.com/difference-between-modal-and-auxiliary-verbs

but and however

the difference between but and however:

• both words create a contrast
  • but creates a contrast and combines two sentences
  • however creates a contrast between ideas (created by a verb), not sentence parts
• but = coordinating conjunction
  • it combines independent clauses (with a comma)
  • (but can also be a preposition, but that's not for this entry)
• however = conjunctive adverb
  • it is an adverb because it modifies a predicate (verb + additional info)
  • it compares clauses, sentences or ideas
    • in this sense, however is synonymous with "nevertheless"

censure and censor / censorship

the difference between censure and censor/censorship

• censure = severe disapproval or rejection
• censor = an official who examines material to be published in order to "censor" or remove/suppress offensive content
• censorship = the act of official censoring of a publication or other form of speech

=="comma splice and "run-on sentence" the difference between "comma splice" and "run-on sentence"

• comma splice =
  • independent clauses combined by a comma and without a coordinating conjunction (i.e., "I ate, I slept" v. "I ate, and I slept")
• run-on sentence =
  • independent clauses combined without any punctuation (i.e., "I ate I slept" v. "I ate, and I slept")
  • note that "then" is an adverb, so "I ate, then I slept" is technically incorrect
    • correct: "I ate, and then I slept" or "I ate then slept"

few & "a few"

the difference between few & a few

• few
  • a determiner (adjective) indicating a small amount or quantity
  • it modifies a noun, as in "few people know the truth"
• a few
  • "a" = article, and "few" = adjective
  • a is an article that modifies "people"
  • few is a determiner that modifies people
  • however, by adding the article "a" we create a new meaning
• "a few" indicates "some" or "more than one"
  • thus emphasizes that the quantity is larger than one
• "few" indicates a small quantity or absence of much
  • thus emphasizes that the number or quantity small
• examples
  • "I have few ideas about that" v. "I have a few ideas about that"
  • few = negative, I don't know much
  • a few = positive, I know some things

finite and non-finite verb

the difference between a finite and a non-finite verb is:

• finite verbs have subjects
  • in other words, they are "finite," as in "limited to" a subject
    • and thus must match the subject
• non-finite verbs do not have subjects
  • in other words, they are not bound or limited to a subject
  • as such, they do not mark the action (predicate) of an actor (subject)
  • instead, they indicate an action or existence but as a noun or adjective and not as a direct subject-verb combination
• non-finite forms include:
  • present participle adjective (-ing)
  • present participle noun, or "gerund" (-ing)
  • past participle adjective (-ed)
  • infinitive ("to" forms of verbs, such as "to do")

like and as

the difference between like and as:

• as = conjunction
  • to a degree: high as a kite
  • comparison: one as big as the other
  • having or being the person or type: working as a cashier, as your friend...
  • simultaneously: walking as he texted
  • since, the reason for: The test is over as we ran out of time
  • even, though: Nice as he seems, he's really a jerk
• like = preposition or adverb
  • similar to, in the same way: working like a madman, a car like yours
  • taking on the characteristics of (adverb): acting like a child
  • for example: it's a place like home
• not to be confused with "like" as a verb, as in "I like cookies"
  • << note the use of "as" here
• examples of the difference between as and like:
  • He flew like a bird v. He flew as a bird
  • She lives like a millionaire v. She lives as millionaires do
  • That car is as fast as a Ferrari but rides like a bus
• see:
  • Difference Between Like and As
  • Like vs. As–Simple Rules to Know

like and "such as"

the difference between like and "such as":

• like = preposition or adverb
  • "like" details listed above under "difference between like and as"
• such as = preposition (adjective or adverb modifier)
  • as an example of: a good idea, such as yours
  • an instance of: Tropical mountain coffee such as Ugandan beans are hard to find
• the difference between "like" and "such as"
  • like compares or gives examples of things with similar characteristics
  • such as compares specific things, usually as an example of
• examples of the difference between like and such as:
  • I vacation at places like Verbier with lots of mountains and snow
  • I vacation at places with lots of mountains and snow, like Verbier
• "like" and "such as" may seem interchangeable when providing an example
  • but the key difference is that
    • like is used for "non-inclusive" examples,
      • i.e., something of a similar characteristic or category
      • The student dreams of a professional career like medicine
        • << could be any career that is similar to medicine
    • such as is used for "inclusive" examples,
    • The student dreams of a professional career such as medicine
      • << the student's list of careers includes medicine
• see:
  • Word Choice: Like vs. Such As | Proofed's Writing Tips

since & because and "because of" and "due to"

the difference between since and because and "because of" and "due to"

• since & because = the same (synonymous)
  • both are subordinating conjunctions (i.e., they combine a dependent or subordinate with an independent clause)
• because of is a preposition that modifies a verb (therefore creates an adverbial prepositional phrase)
• due to is a preposition that modifies a noun (which creates a modifying (like an adjective) phrase
• all of these words indicate causality (cause or effect)
  • since& because usually indicate cause
  • because of and due to indicate either cause or effect
  • = "for the reason"
  • since and because are synonyms
  • = subordinating conjunction
• due to
  • = "caused by" or "ascribable to", or "owed to"
  • = adjective
  • due to describes something or someone that caused something
    • as in, "Due to Steve's forgetfulness, he missed the appointment"
      • "forgetfulness" is a noun, and it is modified by "due to"
• due to is not synonymous with because of

, "because of", "in that", "owing to" >> to fix !!!

• see
  • https://www.dailywritingtips.com/because-of-and-due-to/

which & where

the difference between which and where

• "which" is a "relative pronouns"
  • relative pronouns add information to a clause
  • "which" indicates a specific reference to a prior-stated noun
    • the town in which I grew up
      • note the use of the preposition "in"

• "where" is an adverb or a conjunction
  • "where" indicates a general reference to the location of an action, event or thing
    • the town where I grew up
      • note absence of a preposition
• we would not say:
  • the town which I grew up
    • instead would be either
      • the town which I grew up in
      • the town in which I grew up
  • the town in where I grew up

• confusion arises in informal English in which "which" and "where" are used interchangeably
• confusion arises in informal English where "which" and "where" are used interchangeably

who & whom, whose

the difference between who and whom

• who and whom are both pronouns
  • i.e., they refer to another noun (in reference to a person or persons)
• who is the objective case
• whom is the subjective case

Who: Subjective Case (subject-verb in bold)	Whom: Objective Case (recipient of an action)
Who is on first?	You refer to whom? (whom is the object of preposition "to")
I don't know who is going	Under whom do you work? (whom is the object of preposition "under")
Give it to someone who needs it most	Give it to whom? (whom is the object of preposition "to")
The man who said yes is nice	He's the man whom I apologized to. (whom is the object of preposition "to")

• general rule to use to distinguish between "who" and "whom"
  • replace the who/whom with "he/she" or "him/her"
    • and if the he/she works, then it is correct to use "who"
    • if the "him/her" works, then it is correct to use "whom"
  • ex.
    • Who/whom said it is fun?
      • She said it is fun < correct
      • Her said it is fun < wrong
      • so it is "Who said it is fun?"
    • I know who/whom to avoid
      • I know she to avoid
        • (= I know to avoid she) << wrong
      • I know her to avoid
        • (= I know to avoid her) << correct
      • so it is "I know whom to avoid"

your and yours

the difference between your and yours

• your = 2nd person possessive adjective
  • it's your hat
• yours = 2nd person possessive pronoun
  • the hat is yours
• "yours" completes the predicate (verb phrase)
  • is yours
• your describes ownership as an adjective