Commonly Confused Words, Grades 11–12: List 3

You know, when we agreed to take you in, we hoped we could improve you—build you—make you a decent human being. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

He bowed and vanished down the steps, his soft-soled slippers whispering against the stone as he made his descent. A Game of Thrones

I shook my head: it required a degree of courage, excited as he was becoming, even to risk that mute sign of dissent. Jane Eyre

Mrs. Gascoyne said they didn’t want to treat me differently from everyone else in the school because then everyone would want to be treated differently and it would set a precedent. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

In 1789 George Washington was sworn in as the first president of the United States. An Indigenous People’s History of the United States

It all looks like a wreck inside, as you’d expect, things tumbled everywhere, lots of busted everything. The Knife of Never Letting Go

Could a few pigs truly wreak this much destruction? 1491

The guy reeked like moldy garlic pizza wrapped in gym shorts. The Lightning Thief

People are making a big thing about the second man to receive the Covid-19 vaccine being called William Shakespeare, but I think it’s much ado about nothing. BBC

He thanked the rest of us politely for coming and bid us adieu. Salon

“Everything else is ambiguous. Everything else is emotions and hunches. At least the facts you can cling to; the emotions just float away.” Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel

The time of action is upon us, but I remain ambivalent as to what action I should take. Challenger Deep

“He even got a contractor to appraise the damage. Here, this is the estimate.” A Confederacy of Dunces

Your job is a simple one: apprise Nicole’s teachers of her special needs. Burning Blue

In recent decades, the term "processed foods" has carried with it a negative connotation. Salon

Definition writing is especially useful for explaining and interpreting terms, ideas, or concepts that are easily or often confused or that have meanings beyond their denotations. Writing Guide

A cul-de-sac, French for “bottom of the bag,” connotes coziness: a safe place for a child to learn to ride a bike or play street hockey. New York Times

“Worm” was also used to denote an enemy or a coward or anything alien to the Sparra. Redwall

I offer a berry to Locke, but he demurs. The Cruel Prince

I wait, patient, demure, watching his eyes rove all over the contents of my letter. The Light in Hidden Places

Percy waved his hand in a tell you later gesture. The Son of Neptune

On the upside, Dad said, the house had cost only a thousand dollars, and the owner had waived the down payment. The Glass Castle