Grammar Star

In this lesson, we shall consider some words that are often used wrongly. These words almost sound alike, and that is where the confusion lies. The speaker or writer may mean to express one thing, but will end up using another word for it. We shall see those words in the following pairs: Defy and defile Defy : to refuse to obey; to resist or fight. E.g., i. He defied his parents and embarked on the journey. ii. The protesting students have continued to defy all effort to stop them. Defile : to make unclean; to violate; to desecrate. E.g., i. The man was accused of defiling the minor. ii. The young man defiled the shrine when he walked in with his shoes Eligible and legible  Eligible : permitted; qualified; suitable. E.g., i. Only eligible voters can participate during elections. ii. He was not chosen for the competition becuase he was not eligible. Legible : readable. E.g., i. His handwriting is not legible. ii. The document is very legible. Perpetuate and perpetrate  Perpetuate : to c

Did you know that round off and round up mean different things? Look at these: Round off: conclude or summarize 1. The moderator signaled the guest speaker to round off his speech. 2. "Please, round off. Time is no more on our side," the man said. Round up: arrest or gather 1. The police rounded up the criminals last Friday. 2. The Maths teacher asked the students to  round up the figures to a whole number. I hope you can see the difference now. Please, leave a comment, questions and suggestions on the post. Kindly share after reading. Thanks.