Alright! Buckle up! We’re on “C” words for this month. It’s quite a list.
Let’s “C” what we can learn here, shall we? (Sorry, I know I’m ridiculous. I’ll stop now.)
Can hardly
This is the correct usage. Don’t use can’t hardly. It’s a double negative.
Capital, capitol
Capital is a seat of government. It can also refer to money or assets. Capitol refers to the building that houses a legislative body of government. However, when referring to the building where the U.S. Congress and House sit, capitol would be capitalized.
Nancy went to the capital of Montana to visit the governor.
Bob thought the Capitol building in Washington, D.C. was impressive.
Cite, sight, site
Cite means to quote by way of authority or proof. Sight refers to the ability to see. Site refers to a location.
Nancy began to cite the founding fathers writings as they reached the site of the Declaration of Independence.
Bob’s sight was getting so bad he couldn’t read the words on his computer screen.
Compare to, compare with
The difference here is subtle. Compare to means you’re looking at similarities between things that have a different nature.
Compared to Bob, Nancy’s cat is a great companion.
Compare with means you’re looking at similarities between things of the same nature.
Nancy’s cat Fluffy’s speed doesn’t compare with the speed of a cheetah because she feeds him too many treats. Well, that and Fluffy is a house cat.
Complement, compliment
Complement means to enhance or go well together. Compliment is an admiring remark.
Nancy’s pants complemented her jacket so well, we thought she bought them as a set.
Bob’s compliment about Nancy’s eyes made her blush.
Compose, comprise, consist, constitute
These are some tricky words. The secret is whether your focus is on the whole or the parts. For example, all of these are correct because they focus on the whole:
Chocolate cake is composed of 10 ingredients.
Chocolate cake comprises 10 ingredients.
Chocolate cake consists of 10 ingredients.
When you focus on the parts instead, you would use constitute, which means to make up.
Ten ingredients constitute chocolate cake.
One more thing. You cannot use comprise, consist or constitute in the passive. So you can’t say “be consisted of” for example.
It would also be incorrect to say “10 ingredients comprise chocolate cake” as that puts the focus on the parts instead of the whole.
Wow. Confusing.
Consul, council, counsel
A consul is a government official who represents that government and resides in a foreign country. A council is a group or committee who makes decisions. Counsel refers to an attorney. It can also mean to advise.
Nancy met the consul general of France while in the capital.
Bob sat on the city council when they decided they should seek legal counsel regarding the matter.
Continual, continuous
Continual refers to a repeated, but not nonstop, action. Continuous refers to nonstop action that is uninterrupted.
Nancy’s friend was a continual flirt.
The 12 hours of continuous rain had Bob feeling depressed.
Convince, persuade
Convince means to bring to belief by argument. Persuade means to influence or win over. This is a very subtle difference.
Nancy convinced her friend that the lie was true.
She still couldn’t persuade Bob to play her game.
Couldn’t care less
Couldn’t care less is correct. Don’t use could care less. You don’t mean you could actually care less. You mean you could NOT care less.
Currently, presently
Currently always means now. Presently means now but can also mean soon or before long.
Nancy is currently not interested in Bob’s attention.
The waitress told Bob she would be with him presently.
I told you the C’s would be fun. I’m tired now. I may need a nap.
The D’s and E’s will be up together next time. Remember, follow the blog!