![]() ![]() To accept something is to receive or welcome it: "Marsha will be there to accept her award." "The committee will accept applications for grants through October 1." "Mary did not accept John's advances." "Do you still accept cash as payment?"Įxcept, however, is used to show things that are excluded: "Everyone except Laurie went on the field trip." "I like all vegetables except beets." "I got all the questions right on the test, except two."Īd vs. except - They may sound similar, but their meanings are almost entirely opposite. Then, of course, I had to laugh!Ībsorbent is an adjective that means able to absorb something, such as liquids, light, or heat: "These new paper towels are really absorbent." "I need to find some new cat litter that's more absorbent." It can also be a noun that refers to something able to absorb: "The company used an absorbent to clean up the oil spill."Įxorbitant is an adjective that means improperly or unusually excessive: "That lawyer's fees were really exorbitant." "Julia spent an exorbitant amount on clothing for her honeymoon."Īccept vs. I had to read the sentence over a couple of times, thinking, "that doesn't make sense," before I realized what the writer had been trying to say. But there it was one day, the wrong one staring at me from a syndicated advice column. exorbitant - These are not words I would expect someone to confuse. ![]() and - This is another one where I want to think the errors are due to careless thumb-typing, but the frequency with which I see the latter used for the former makes me suspect the worst.Īn is an indefinite article that is used preceding words beginning with a vowel sound, as explained in the entry above: “Carrie has an hourglass figure.” “Kevin brought the teacher an apple.”Īnd is a conjunction used to connect two parts of a sentence, or toward the end of a list of items: “The Smiths went to both Europe and Asia on their latest trip.” For dinner, we’re having roast beef, potatoes, and salad.” And can never be substituted correctly for an.Ībsorbent vs. Here are some examples to help you out: "Tom has gone to buy an anchor for his boat." "Judy will only be gone for an hour." "We stayed in a hotel near Chicago." "Madeline is a great girl." "Jerry took a TWA flight to New York." "Jody volunteered to serve on an FHA committee." "That singer from the 1700's was reputed to be a eunuch." The same type of apparent contradiction is true for words beginning with vowels, but whose beginning sound is that of a consonant. ![]() You should also use "an" before words beginning with a silent "h" - but use "a" before words where the "h" is spoken. The use of "an" is extended to include words (or letters, in the case of acronyms) starting with a mere vowel sound. an - The general rule for these articles is to use "an" before a word beginning with a vowel, and "a" before a word beginning with a consonant. ![]()
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