Tuesday 9 April 2019

3 pairs of frequently misused words.

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There are some words that are commonly misused. Here I intend to point out some that have drawn my attention recently.
People have a tendency to copy what others say, and so this misuse is to some extent, self-perpetuating. I only wish everyone who misuses these words would read my, and other people’s blogs that point them out. Unfortunaltely, that is not the case, and never will be.

1 Unconsciously/Subconsciously

Unconscious means being unaware of your surroundings, being knocked out.
The boy was knocked unconscious when the football hit him on the head.

Subconscious is a part of the mind that you are unaware of. Thus doing something without awareness doing it, you are doing it subconsciously.
The boy subconsciously brushed a lock of haiar from in front of his eyes.

2. Insure/Ensure
Insure is when you pay money to a third party against the possibility of a particular thing happening. so you will receive recompense if the insured thing happens.
I have insured my house against fire and flood damage.

Ensure. To make sure something does or does not happen.
I will ensure that my daughter does her homework on time.

3. Unkempt/unkept
Here’s one I heard on the news the other day. The item was about graffiti in the city of Brighton. A councillor said “It makes the town look unkept.”
Unkempt. Untidy, scruffy.
When she got out of bed, her hair was all messy and she looked unkempt.

Unkept No one looking after it. Belonging to no one.
I’m not sure this is an actual word, so I looked on line and found it used as an adjective.
Can I buy the unkept land at the side of my house?

I hope you enjoyed reading about these three pairs of words.
I love to hear your thoughts, so please leave a comment in the comments box.

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