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PDC Test - Affect? Effect? Who Cares?

You can earn 0.25 PDC by passing the exam following this article, which has been approved for publication by NCRA's Council of the Academy of Professional Reporters.

The questions are based on the material in the article but some may require additional research. Send your answer sheet to NCRA's Continuing Education Office, 8224 Old Courthouse Road, Vienna, VA 22182, and enclose a check for $40 (member) or $50 (non-member) to cover the processing fee.

Affect? Effect? Who Cares?

By Santo J. Aurelio

I care – and every court reporter should care. A recent NCRA survey disclosed that 36 percent of those reporters who responded felt that one of our profession's biggest threats is electrical or electronic recording (ER). So what can we do about it? Plenty! What we reporters can and must do is a great job on every case we handle. If we all do our best, then our clients and the courts will not want to gamble on a method or methods that cannot possibly do the job that we can do. Verbatim reporters are paid to capture every spoken word and then convert that to readable form using proper spelling, punctuation, and English grammar rules. Well, that last sentence is easy to say, but it can be quite difficult to do. This article will discuss some troublesome homonyms (actually homophones, i.e., words that sound alike but that have different meanings). Also, mnemonic or memory devices will be advanced to assist you in remembering the correct word form so that you will spend less time checking a dictionary.

To help you to decide the correct homonym while preparing your transcripts – and also to help you to take and to pass a test for CE credits after reading these instructions – the following is offered:

affect/effect. Affect/effect is a pair of words that is particularly problematical. Each can be used as a verb and a noun.

As a verb, affect means influences. E.g., Cold weather affects (v.) (influences) my arthritis. (N.B.-“Affect” also means: to cultivate or feign, as He affected a worldly manner, or She affected indifference even though she was deeply embarrassed.)

As a noun, affect means emotional condition or status. E.g., The psychiatrist was concerned about the affect (emotional status) of his patient. (N.B. – As a noun, it’s pronounced: A-fekt with a harsh, short-a sound.)

As a verb, effect means to bring about or accomplish. E.g., The new boss was determined to effect (bring about) changes in his office staff.

As a noun, effect means result. E.g., What was the effect (result) of your survey?

(N.B. - If the above explanation, for whatever reason, does not help you, then a relatively effective way of solving the affect/effect problem is to always spell it affect when used as a verb, and to always spell it effect when used as a noun – and you’ll be correct about 95 percent of the time.)

all ready/already. All ready (two words) means all prepared. An example would be: She was all ready (all prepared) to go home. The single word, already, means previously. E.g., He already (previously) went there last year. (Mnemonic device: Always spell it “already” [one word] when you mean: previously [one word].)

all together/altogether. All together (two words) means in a group. Altogether (one word) means completely, totally. An example containing both word forms is: The bowlers were meeting all together (in a group) at the new bowling alley because they were altogether (completely) disgusted with the terrible condition of the lanes at the old bowling alley. (Mnemonic device: Always spell it “altogether” [one word] when you mean: completely [one word].)

any more/anymore. Any more (two words) means any. E.g., I don’t have any more (any) cups. Anymore (one word) means at the present time; now. E.g., I do not like liver anymore (now).

beside/besides. Beside means next to or near. Besides means in addition to or moreover. E.g., Please sit beside (next to) me. Besides (in addition to) the Senate, the House is also against that bill. (Mnemonic device: Always use the shorter form, beside, when you mean next to.)

capital/capitol/Capitol. The first word in this trio, capital, means money, main city, excellent, chief (in importance), top of a column, large (as in letters), and punishable by death. The next word, capitol, means building in which a state legislative body meets. (Mnemonic device: Think of a dome; most state capitols have a dome.) Capitol with an always uppercase C means building where the United States Congress meets. (Mnemonic Device: Always spell it “capital” unless you mean where the legislature meets [capitol] or where Congress meets [Capitol].)

complement/compliment. Complement means that which completes; a group. Compliment means praise. E.g., An appropriate complement (that which completes) to a superb dinner would be a superb wine. A complement (group) of soldiers entered the armory. She is always looking for a compliment (praise).

(N.B. - A complimentary drink is free [gratis]; a complementary drink is that which completes a fine meal.)

(Mnemonic Device: Always spell it compliment when you mean praise.) Always spell it complement when you mean that which completes.

confidant/confidante. The shorter form (confidant) refers to males (five letters). The longer form (confidante) applies only to females (seven letters). Consider the following examples: Ed is the confidant of Mary. Alice is the confidante of Mary, too.

defuse/diffuse. Defuse means to make less tense or to remove the fuse. Diffuse means to pour out in order to spread freely and evenly. E.g., Bill wanted to defuse (make less tense) the chaotic situation between the two men who were arguing. It’s important to diffuse (spread evenly) seeds when planting a flower garden.

discreet/discrete. Discreet means prudent. Discrete means separate (used as an adj.), distinct. E.g., Arthur acted in a discreet (prudent) manner and told no tales out of school. Emily won 25 discrete (separate and distinct) contests. (Mnemonic Device: Always spell it “discrete” when you mean: separate.)

emigrant/immigrant. An emigrant is one who leaves a country. An immigrant is one who arrives in or goes to another country. To remember this pair, perhaps this will help: Think of the fifth and sixth letters of the alphabet (E and F) -- emigrant from. And then think of I and T -- immigrant to. E.g., Boris was an emigrant from Russia. Boris later became an immigrant to America.

every day/everyday. The word every is an adjective and comes before a noun. For instance, I like to go swimming every (adj.) day (noun). Everyday can be used as an adjective, but only in this way: “Our everyday (1-wd. adj.) prices are the lowest in the city.” (Mnemonic Device: “everyday” is a one-word adjective, while “every day” must always be two words [adj. & noun].)

exercise/exorcise. Exercise is a verb and a noun. As a verb, it means to set in action; to move one’s limbs (as, in calisthenics). E.g., I like to exercise (v.) my muscles. As a noun, it means an action; a task; a ceremony. E.g., That was quite a graduation exercise (n.) this morning. Exorcise is a verb, and it means to expel (as, demons). E.g., It is true that many building contractors in Asia ask holy men to exorcise evil spirits from a proposed building site before construction.

14 Most Common Errors: The 14 words listed here are considered by most grammarians to be the most frequently confused words in use (or misuse) in America. All of them are homonyms. In order of importance and frequency of error, those words (and examples) are:

it’s (it is)

It’s time for you to go home.

its (possessive pronoun)

The team fired its captain.

you’re (you are)

You’re a good guy.

your (possessive pronoun)

This is your bike.

than (comparison)

Ed is taller than Mike.

then (time)

What did you do then?

they’re (they are)

They’re coming with us.

their (possessive pronoun)

We’re going in their car.

there (direction)

Put the TV over there.

to (direction; part of infinitive)

I went to work to see Ed.

too (also; excessive)

I, too, gripe when it’s too hot.

two (number)

I own two bikes.

passed (past tense of the verb pass)

I passed that way today.

past (pertains to former time; by)

He lives in the past.

I walked past (by) him.

forego/forgo. Forego means to go before. E.g., Strict protocol requires that senior judges forego (go before) junior judges in a judicial procession. Forgo means to abstain from; to renounce. E.g., The newly elected governor said that he would forgo (give up) his salary.

hoard/horde. Hoard is a noun and a verb. As a noun, hoard means hidden supply. As a verb, it means to lay up a hoard (supply) of. Examples of this pair are: He had a hoard (n.) (supply) of gold in his cellar. She used to hoard (v.) sugar during wartime. The word horde is only a noun, and it means a group (of something). E.g., I saw a horde (group) of tacklers descend on the quarterback.

insulin/Insulin. The word insulin is a chemical produced in one’s body, but Insulin is a trademark diabetic preparation that is injected into the body. An example of both words used in one sentence would be: Since my pancreas was incapable of producing enough insulin, I was constrained to inject Insulin into my body from time to time.

lead/led. Lead is a noun and an adjective, and it means metal; graphite. E.g., The plumber bought five pounds of lead (noun). The tenants said they had a lead (adj.) pipe in their house. Led is only a verb, and it’s the past tense of the infinitive to lead. E.g., She led (verb, past tense of “lead”) the parade. (Mnemonic Device: Always spell the past tense of that verb l-e-d = led.)

loath/loathe. Loath is an adjective meaning disinclined or unwilling. For example, He was loath (unwilling) to go swimming in January. The diphthong th that ends the word loath should be pronounced with a relatively hard th sound, as opposed to a soft th. Loathe is a verb meaning hate. E.g., I love all flavors of ice cream except one: I absolutely loathe (hate) frozen pudding. (Mnemonic Device: Loath is an adjective; loathe is a verb.)

mantel/mantle. A mantel is a shelf (as, over a fireplace). An example would be: He put the vase on the mantel (shelf). Mantle means cloak. E.g., She wore the mantle of respectability. He awoke to find his lawn adorned with a mantle of snow. Before entering the church, she placed a mantle on her head. His Coleman lantern had a double mantle. (Mnemonic device: Always spell it mantel when you mean a shelf. All other meanings take the spelling mantle.)

meet/mete. Meet is a verb (as, I’d like to meet her), a noun (as, He went to the track meet), and an adjective (as, The defendant was given a sentence that was meet [appropriate] under the circumstances). Mete is a verb and a noun. As a verb, mete means distribute or give (out). E.g., The judge said that he would mete out (give out) the sentences on Friday. As a noun, mete means boundary. It is usually used in the plural form. E.g., I recorded the metes and bounds (boundary lines of land) of Mr. Rand’s plot. (Mnemonic Device: Always spell the verb “mete” when you mean: distribute.)

1950’s/1950s. If the year involved is used as an adjective, there should be an apostrophe. If the year involved is used as a noun, it does not require an apostrophe. An example using both forms would be: I love the 1950’s (adj.) clothes that they used to wear in the 1950s (n.).

pore/pour. Pore means an opening (n.); to read intently (v.). Pour means to cause to flow (v.) (think of fluid). Spell it pore except when moving fluid is involved, when it should be spelled pour. E.g., Acne is caused by clogged skin pores. The serious scholar pores over his books daily. She poured the fluid into the cup. (Mnemonic device: Always spell it “pour” when it involves “fluid.”)

premier/premiere. Premier means a person or the best. Premiere means an opening or the first time. Some examples follow. He met the British Premier (person) at the world’s premiere (opening) of the new musical at the premier (best) theater in London. (Mnemonic Device: Always spell it premiere when you mean an opening or the first time.)

principal/principle. This pair is one of the most confusing homonymic pairs. Principal is a noun and an adjective. Principle is only a noun. Perhaps the best way to tackle this problem pair is to recommend that one should always spell it principal except when one means rule (as in rule of law), when it must be spelled principle. E.g., I live on a principal (main) street. She is a principal (chief) in that company. To continue living in that house her bank required her to pay principal (a capital sum, i.e., money), interest, and taxes. Michael is a principal (head teacher or administrator) at that school.

She believes in the principle (rule) of honesty. Frankly, I did not care about the money; it really was the principle (rule, law, or assumption) of the thing. (Mnemonic device: Always spell it principle when you mean a rule. [All other meanings take the spelling principal.] )

saccharin/saccharine. Saccharin is a noun and it is a sugar substitute. Saccharine is an adjective and means sickeningly sweet. An example of both forms would be: While listening to the saccharine (too sweet) sounds of my dinner guest playing the electric guitar, I kept putting saccharin (sugar substitute) into my coffee.

stationary/stationery. Stationary is an adjective, and it means immovable. Stationery is a noun, and it means paper, envelopes. (Mnemonic Device: Always spell it - ery at the end when you mean paper. [All other meanings should be spelled -ary at the end of that word.] )

therefor/therefore. Therefor means for that. Therefore means so; consequently. For example, if one wanted to ask what somebody paid for a certain item, a proper question would be: How much did you pay therefor (for that)? This would be in contradistinction to the longer spelling of the pair (therefore), an example of which would be: I didn’t have any money to go to the movies; therefore (so, or consequently), I had to stay home. (Mnemonic Device: Always spell it therefor when you mean for that.)

Bio: Santo J. Aurelio, RDR (Ret.), Ed. D., is from Arlington, Mass.

By passing the exam for this article you can earn .2 CEUs. The questions are based on the material in the article, but some may require additional research

Affect? Effect? Who Cares? Test

By Santo J. Aurelio

The following sentences will test your knowledge of the homonyms discussed. Choose the correct homonym that should be used in the sentence and underline that word.

The (affect, effect) on me of his ranting has taken its toll.
Bill’s (affect, effect) has given his wife serious concern.
I hope her accident doesn’t (affect, effect) her winning the race.
He can (affect, effect) a metamorphosis in his unit within a day.
Mary is (all ready, already) for the test.
She (all ready, already) held that post.
Tom is (all together, altogether) exhausted from running a mile.
The board members conversed (all together, altogether).
I’m not going there (any more, anymore) with her.
Don’t you have (any more, anymore) time for me?
He will locate himself (beside, besides) the monument.
(Beside, Besides) her sister, she has three brothers in Iowa.
That is a (capital, capitol, Capitol) idea.
Boston is the (capital, capitol, Capitol) of Massachusetts.
Some (capital, capitol, Capitol) cities have small populations.
Senator Ted Kennedy works in the (capital, capitol, Capitol).
Each (capital, capitol, Capitol) of the Parthenon is damaged.
State legislators meet constituents in the (capital, capitol, Capitol).
He gave her a (complement, compliment) yesterday.
A fine (complement, compliment) to her suit was a gold brooch.
Tess is a (confidant, confidante) to Harry.
Ed is a (confidant, confidante) to Susan.
I always (defuse, diffuse) the perfume in the living room.
It’s smart to (defuse, diffuse) situations before they turn violent.
By screaming, he certainly did not act in a (discreet, discrete) way.
The runner ran in two (discreet, discrete) races even though injured.
Jim is an (emigrant, immigrant) from Estonia.
Ned is an (emigrant, immigrant) to Peru.
Her father was an (emigrant, immigrant) to the United States.
My (every day, everyday) regimen is to walk two miles after lunch.
She likes to go shopping (every day, everyday).
Bob likes friends to phone him (every day, everyday).
Ann has the (every day, everyday) habit of walking a mile or two.
Dave likes to (exercise, exorcise) every morning.
He acts as if he wants to (exercise, exorcise) ghosts.
I think we should all engage in that (exercise, exorcise).
I fear (it’s, its) going to rain tomorrow.
The cat licked (it’s, its) tail.
Mike thinks (you’re, your) a great guy.
(You’re, Your) approval is greatly desired.
It is better to be nice (than, then) it is to be important.
She said that he was (than, then) quite confused.
(They’re, Their, There) clearly not serious about life.
We took a big chance going (they’re, their, there) alone.
(They’re, Their, There) car is blue.
(They’re, Their, There) not showing up was a faux pas.
Nancy went abroad for (to, too, two) years.
(To, Too, Two) swim quickly is very difficult.
I (to, too, two) would like to win the lottery.
She is (to, too, two) tired to work today.
I’ve been broke for the (passed, past) two years.
Ron (passed, past) him on the way to school today.
It’s 15 minutes (passed, past) one o’clock.
When I saw her, it was like a ghost from the (passed, past).
Gregory ran (passed, past) all the slow runners.
Ted said he was going to (forego, forgo) smoking.
The band should (forego, forgo) the cadets.
I saw a (hoard, horde) of bargain hunters at the sale.
Barbara liked to (hoard, horde) sweets for a rainy day.
The pirates had a (hoard, horde) of precious gems.
His pancreas did not generate enough (insulin, Insulin).
The pharmacy sold a lot of (insulin, Insulin).
After walking up 12 flights, my legs were like (lead, led).
The foreman was badly injured by a (lead, led) conduit.
Peggy always (lead, led) the discussion about bargains.
The senator was angry that he had never (lead, led) his party.
I am (loath, loathe) to spend money on public works.
The salesman said, “I (loath, loathe) spending money.”
I (loath, loathe) violence in all of its multifarious forms.
Austin bought a (mantel, mantle) clock.
Must he always assume the (mantel, mantle) of virtuosity?
A (mantel, mantle) of rust covered his metal tools.
That objet d’art would look great on his (mantle/mantel).
Tim said he would (meet, mete) out the assignments today.
The aspiring singer was dying to (meet, mete) his idol.
The decision rendered by the board was quite [ (meet, mete) ]. ????
All the hunters assembled for the monthly (meet, mete).
In the (1960’s, 1960s) men wore their hair longer than today.
Beatrice does not like the (1950’s, 1950s) look in skirts.
Elizabeth is a product of the (1940’s, 1940s).
Please (pore, pour) that directly into the cup.
His idea of heaven is to (pore, pour) over his accounts daily.
There’s many a large (pore, pour) in a net.
The statesman proved to be a fine (premier, premiere).
Tonight is the (premier, premiere) of Dorothy’s latest play.
The (premier, premiere) glassware may well be Lalique.
President Smith visited the (premier, premiere) of China.
Mr. Barton was an outstanding (principal, principle).
Mrs. Johnson was a (principal, principle) in that company.
After a year, I only paid $500 off the (principal, principle).
She is all for the (principal, principle) of fair play.
The firm is located on a (principal, principle) avenue.
Using too much (saccharin, saccharine) is not good for you.
His compliments were becoming too (saccharin, saccharine).
Mr. Gordon was a (stationary, stationery) or watch engineer.
She buys very expensive (stationary, stationery).
The master ordered his dog to remain (stationary, stationery).
Typists always look for (stationary, stationery) sales.
Success? Don worked very hard (therefor, therefore).
He was tired; (therefor, therefore), he slowed down.