Confusing usage words part three
11 can (verb) to know how to to be able to
I think that I can climb that fence with little effort.
may (verb) to be allowed to
May I help you with those heavy bundles?
12cent: (noun) one penny 1/100 of a dollar
Lou found one cent under the couch.
scent: (noun) a smell odor (verb) to smell to perceive with the nose
Do you smell the scent of raccoon? (noun)
I scent a raccoon around here. (verb)
13cite: (verb) to quote
A respected attorney will often cite several cases in her argument.
site: (noun) piece of land; location
Our favorite restaurant chain plans to build a new establishment on
this site.
14continual: (adjective) happening over and over again
The continual good behavior of the class members earned them free
time each Friday.
continuous: (adjective) happening without interruption
The continuous noise of the hammers and saws disturbed the workshop
participants.
15doesn’t: (contraction for does + not) does not
Steven doesn’t think that we will need three umbrellas for the
beach today.
don’t: (contraction for do + not; considered substandard usage) do not
or does not
We don’t know what the future will bring.
Notes
Practical English Grammar - Notes
25. agreement involving prepositional phrases
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30. Parentheses Ellipsis Marks and Dashes
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33. Indefinite pronouns and the possessive case
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45. Irregular Comparison of Adjectives and Adverbs
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48. agreement between indefinite pronouns and their antecedents
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49. compound subject and compound predicate
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50. Regular Comparison of Adjectives and Adverbs
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