9 troublesome word pairs
If you’re wondering whether you should use ‘can’ or ‘may’ in your copy, this list can shed some light on that question and several others.
I’ve been writing about them for years, and I had thought I had the topic well covered.
Apparently I don’t. Here are nine more pairs to pay attention to:
1. Can vs. may
Use “can” when referring to the ability to do something.
Example: “I don’t think your brother can make you unconscious just by looking at you.”
Use “may” when asking for permission to do something or when referring to the possibility of something.
Example: “You may not throw knives at each other.”
Example: “Your excessive use of exclamation points may annoy readers.”
2. Continual vs. continuous
“Continual” means to recur at regular and frequent intervals.
Example: “Because she was new to the copy desk, Amy checked the style guide continually.”
“Continuous” means to go on without pause or interruption.
Example: “The continuous flow of alcohol made last night’s happy hour quite entertaining.”
3. “Compare to” vs. “compare with”
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