Reading and Writing · 19 · Sentence Rules
Confusing Words
Notes
Key points
- its (belongs to it) / it's (it is, it has).
- their (belongs to them) / there (place) / they're (they are).
- whose (belongs to whom) / who's (who is, who has).
- affect = verb, to influence. effect = usually a noun, the result.
- than compares; then marks time or sequence.
- complement (completes) / compliment (praise); principle (rule) / principal (main, or head of school).
- accept (receive) / except (leave out); lose (misplace) / loose (not tight).
Rules
Expand the contraction; if it doesn't fit, use the possessive.
The bird returned to its nest.
The bird returned to it's nest.
affect is the verb; effect is the noun.
The drought affected crops; its effect was severe.
The drought effected crops; its affect was severe.
than for comparisons; then for time.
The sequel was longer than the original.
The sequel was longer then the original.
Common traps
- Choosing “it's” because “its” looks like it needs an apostrophe.
- Reading “who's” as possessive — it always means “who is” or “who has”.
SAT tip
Say the contraction as two words — “it is”, “they are”, “who is”. If that sounds wrong, drop the apostrophe.
Test yourself
10 official SAT questions on Confusing Words, easiest first.