EMPATHY VS. SYMPATHY

EMPATHY VS. SYMPATHY

The terms empathy and sympathy are two words that people are often confused with. This may be attributed to the fact that both terms focuses on a person’s relationship with the feelings and experiences of another person. This post will help you distinguish between the two and enable you to properly use them in your writing.

Both empathy and sympathy are rooted from the greek word pathos which means “suffering” or “a quality that evokes pity or sadness.” The prefix em- means “in” or “within” while the prefix sym- means “with.”

As a noun, empathy refers to “the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.” It is often used to denote the ability of a person to imagine himself in the situation of another person, including his emotions, ideas, or opinions. For example, if a friend of yours tells you news about a death in her family and it made you feel as if it’s also your loss, then you have empathy.

“A Sad Liberal’s Extremely Short Thanksgiving Plea for Empathy”
Huffington Post

“Why the country is having a big debate about empathy after Donald Trump’s election”
Vox

“Empathy by the Book: How Fiction Affects Behavior”
Wall Street Journal

On the other hand, sympathy as a noun denotes “feelings of pity and sorrow for someone else’s misfortune” or “understanding between people; common feeling.” It does not require you to have the same feelings with the person you symphatize with but it enables you to have compassion for that person and understand his suffering.

“Nicolas Sarkozy: France reaction veers from sympathy to sarcasm”
BBC News

“Refugee survivor has no sympathy for Springvale Commonwealth Bank asylum seeker blast suspect”
Herald Sun

“Clinton Offers Support, Sympathy to Mayors After Iowa Shootings”
Bloomberg

A simple trick to determine which term to use is to assess what kind of emotion you are feeling towards the emotions or experience of another person. If you can only feel pity, sadness, or compassion towards the difficulty of that person, then you have sympathy for him. However, if you can genuinely put yourself in his situation, then you have empathy for him.

IT’S VS. ITS

IT’S VS. ITS

 While these two words contain only a meager three letters, people often get confused with the use of it’s and its. It is actually commonplace to find this error as it may result from both grammatical and typographical error.

The term it’s is a contraction or an abbreviated form of either “it is” or “it has.” This is the same with the contractions of she is and they have as “she’s” and “they’ve.”

“The Long-Term Jobs Killer Is Not China. It’s Automation.”
New York Times

“No more excuses. It’s time to change abortion laws in NSW and Queensland”
The Guardian

“It’s Time To Give Up On Getting A Mini NES Classic Edition This Christmas”
Forbes

On the other hand, the term its the possessive form of “it”used as an attributive adjective. This form is consistent with other possessive pronouns such as “our” which is the possessive form of “we” and “his” which is the possessive form of “he.” Possessive pronouns no longer require an apostrophe since they already changed  in form to denote possession.

“Here’s Why India Might Benefit From Some Protectionism For Its Startups”
Forbes

“EU gives Poland two months to scrap changes to its highest court”
The Guardian

“As Dow climbs to 20,000, its ETF sees big inflows and trading”
MarketWatch

It would be easier to remember which word to use by using this simple tip. When in doubt, try replacing the term with “it is” or “it has” in the sentence. If it sounds right, then go ahead and use it’s. If it doesn’t seem correct, then you should opt for its.

Examples:

I saw her artwork yesterday. ___ fabulous!

✓ I saw her artwork yesterday. It is fabulous!

✓ I saw her artwork yesterday. It’s fabulous!

The team lost ___ star player to a freak injury.

✗ The team lost it is star player to a freak injury.

✓ The team lost its star player to a freak injury.

EMIGRATE VS. IMMIGRATE VS. MIGRATE

EMIGRATE VS. IMMIGRATE VS. MIGRATE

The difference between emigrate and immigrate are subtle but important because using one of these words depends on the sentence’s point of view. This small difference in meaning creates confusion among writers. However, it is important to focus first on the word migrate because it encompasses both emigrate and immigrate.

The term migrate is a verb meaning “to move from one region or habitat to another, especially regularly according to the seasons” in the case of animals, particularly birds and fishes, but in this discussion, we will take in consideration its meaning “to move from one area or country to settle in another, especially in search of work,” which is applicable to people.

“Are you planning to leave, or no longer migrate to, the US?”
The Guardian

“Sex with Neanderthals helped our ancestors live out of Africa”
International Business Times UK

“Japan companies and investors migrate to Vietnam”
VietNamNet Bridge

Meanwhile, the term emigrate is a verb used to mean “to leave one’s own country in order to settle permanently in another.” It has an implication that a person or persons are permanently moving from his former location.

“These are the best countries for Americans to emigrate to as Donald Trump becomes President”
Mirror.co.uk

“Americans google ‘how do I emigrate?’ as searches for ‘end of the world’ rise around the planet”
Telegraph.co.uk

“Celebrities in political campaigns who threaten to emigrate”
BBC News

On the other hand, the term immigrate is a verb meaning “to come to live permanently in a foreign country.” It also implies a permanent movement of a person to another place.

“Melania Trump Will Share Her Experience Immigrating to the US in Campaign Speech”
ABC News

“9 countries to which Americans can easily immigrate”
SFGate

“McCool: Americans are going to find it hard to immigrate to Canada if Trump wins”
Ottawa Citizen

In order to determine which term to use in a sentence, you can keep in mind the following:

·         Migrate is a term that covers both emigrate and immigrate since it refers to the movement FROM one place TO another.

·         Emigrate is the term used when your point of view is leaving or moving FROM your country or place of origin.

·         Immigrate is the term used when your point of view is arriving or moving TO your destination country.

DISINTERESTED VS. UNINTERESTED

DISINTERESTED VS. UNINTERESTED

        Traditionally, the words disinterested and uninterested have different meanings. While cautious writers still observe this distinction in formal writing, other people use these two terms in the same manner nowadays. This may be understandable since both prefixes dis- and un- mean “not.”

The term disinterested is an adjective that traditionally means “not influenced by considerations of personal advantage.”

“Mr Walsh is not exactly a disinterested observer.”
The Economist

“Presidents, in recognizing that responsibility accompanies this latitude, have traditionally turned their business and financial interests over to a disinterested third party.”
Bloomberg

“Even if he had a disinterested party manage it, he’d still know what his assets were and he could undertake policies that would make those assets more valuable”
NBC News

The confusion between the two terms may be attributed to disinterested‘s more popular use as an adjective denoting “having or feeling no interest in something.”

“Role of IPU: War industry-boosting nations disinterested in peace: Rabbani”
The Express Tribune

“City disinterested in managing councillor conflict”
The Peterborough Examiner

“Man City pedestrian and disinterested in embarrassing loss to Southampton”
ESPN

This meaning of disinterested is very similar with uninterested, which is an adjective referring to “having or showing no feeling of interest; indifferent” or being “not personally concerned in something.”

“Donald Trump Declares Gay Marriage Debate ‘Settled,’ Uninterested in Overturning Supreme Court Decision”
The Christian Post

“Conor McGregor uninterested in facing undefeated Khabib Nurmagomedov”
FanSided

“Biden uninterested in serving in Clinton administration”
Dhaka Tribune

In the traditional context, a disinterested person is someone who is impartial or unbiased in a particular issue or case while an uninterested person is someone who is unconcerned or indifferent about the said issue or case. While many writers still follow the traditional use of disinterested, it is not uncommon to see the word being used in place of uninterested nowadays. To avoid confusion, you may use synonyms of disinterested in its traditional sense, such as unbiased, impartial, and neutral.

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VOCABULARY WORKSHEET

VOCABULARY WORKSHEET

Complete the following sentences using the appropriate form of the word given in the brackets.

1. The Nazi war criminals were condemned for crimes against ……………… (human)

2. Unable to bear the ……………… he left his village. (humiliate)

3. The play was so …………….. that the audience laughed through it. (humor)

4. …………………. of the jewels was made by the owner. (identify)

5. It would be …………………. to antagonize such an influential politician. (idiot)

6. An ……………………. set designer can always enhance a play. (imagination)

7. Lending someone your passport is an …………………… thing to do. (imbecile)

8. The newsmen discussed the political ………………….. of the war. (implicate)

9. Low morale can render an army …………………. (impotence)

10. His account of the robbery was hysterical and ………………… (incoherency)

Answers

1. The Nazi war criminals were condemned for crimes againsthumanity.

2. Unable to bear the humiliation he left his village.

3. The play was so humorous that the audience laughed through it.

4. Identification of the jewels was made by the owner.

5. It would be idiocy to antagonize such an influential politician.

6. An imaginative set designer can always enhance a play.

7. Lending someone your passport is an imbecilic thing to do.

8. The newsmen discussed the political implications of the war.

9. Low morale can render an army impotent.

10. His account of the robbery was hysterical and incoherent.

ELICIT VS ILLICIT

ELICIT VS ILLICIT

Although both words may sound and look similar, elicit and illicithave very distinct uses and meanings. Despite this fact, some people still misuse these words and such errors can easily be found online.

Elicit can only be used as a verb meaning “to evoke or draw out a response, answer, or fact from someone in reaction to one’s own actions or questions” or to “draw forth something that is latent or potential into existence.” Synonyms of elicit include extract, deduce, and construe.

“Infrequently Asked Questions: Why do smells elicit memories?”
The Philly Voice

“Injuries to opposing fantasy players elicit tactless joy”
Chicago Sun-Times

“Lemon bars elicit fierce loyalty from fan”
The Grand Island Independent

Meanwhile, the term illicit is used as an adjective denoting “forbidden by law, rules, or custom” or “contrary to accepted morality.”

“Deaths Linked To Fentanyl Rise As Curbing Illicit Supply Proves Tough”
NPR

“UN: KDF Makes money on illicit charcoal exports from Somalia”
Daily Nation

“Lachie Whitfield agrees to six-month ban for illicit drug code breach, Graeme Allan, Craig Lambert to be banned for one year”
Fox Sports

Remember that since elicit is a verb, it has different verb forms, such as eliciting, elicited, and elicits. On the other hand, illicit can only be used as an adjective and therefore, only has one form. Its derivatives are the adverb illicitly and the noun illicitness.

A simple tip for remembering which word to use is their beginning letters: to elicit is to evoke and that something that is illicit is illegal.

Now that you’ve learned the difference between these two words as well as understood their different uses and forms, they should no longer elicit confusion in your writing and it is illicit for you to commit the same mistakes again with both these terms.

ENQUIRY VS. INQUIRY

ENQUIRY VS. INQUIRY

The terms enquiry and inquiry are considered to be different spellings of the same word. Both terms are nouns used to refer to “an act of asking for information” or “an official investigation.”

In its traditional sense, enquiry and its corresponding verb form enquire are used for the general sense “ask.”

“Enquiry replies are key element when you are selling any property”
Belfast Telegraph

“Manchester United transfer news: Mourinho makes enquiry for £25m international to solve defensive headache”
CaughtOffside

“Women are engrossed in TV soaps, forget to enquire about husbands: Goa minister”
Business Standard

“Zehri Visits CHK to Enquire after Noorani Blast Injured”
Business Recorder

On the other hand, the term inquiry and its corresponding verb form inquire are used for formal investigations.

“Trump’s Taiwan phone call preceded by hotel development inquiry”
The Guardian

“Matt Barnes of Sacramento Kings Sought in Assault Inquiry”
New York Times

“Aurora police chief: We are not going to inquire about immigration status”
Chicago Tribune

“Panel set up to inquire into sexual harassment allegation against CEO Rakesh Sarna: IHCL”
Economic Times

However, in current practice, writers do not really distinguish between these words’ traditional uses. It is more common to see the terms enquiry and inquire in British English publications while American writers tend to use inquiry and inquire.

EMINENT VS. IMMANENT VS. IMMINENT

EMINENT VS. IMMANENT VS. IMMINENT

The words eminent, immanent, and imminent are among similar sounding words whose uses are often mixed up by writers. This post will help you distinguish between these terms and learn their proper uses.

The term eminent is used as an adjective to mean “famous and respected within a particular sphere or profession” or used to emphasize the presence of a positive quality.

“Eminent KY heart surgeon guilty of health fraud”
The Courier-Journal

“Eminent citizens’ appeal to govt for demonetisation rollback”
Times of India

“William Trevor, eminent Irish author of the darkly humorous, dies at 88”
The Washington Post

There is a known legal term called eminent domain, which refers to the right of a government to appropriate private property for public use but with payment of just compensation to the owner.

“Eminent-domain abuse rears its menacing head in Plymouth County”
Boston Globe

Meanwhile, the term immanent can be used as an adjective to denote “existing or operating within; inherent.”

“I call religion ‘an immanent transcendence,’ namely a contradiction.”
Religion News Service

“A creative tension between the immanent and the transcendent needs to be kept together; not unlike the horizontal of a cross (the historical) intersecting the vertical (the transcendent).”
Modern Diplomacy

“Transcendence or Immanence? Balancing Heaven and Earth”
Huffington Post

On the other hand, the term imminent is used as an adjective used to describe something that is “about to happen” or “impending.”

“Magnitude 7.4 Earthquake Strikes Fukushima, Japan: Imminent Tsunami Warning”
Forbes

“Venezuela’s Maduro says OPEC output pact ‘imminent'”
Reuters UK

“Volcanic fumes warn of imminent eruptions”
Science Magazine

Remember that an eminent person is someone who is esteemed or renowned, something that is immanent can be found inside or within while an imminent event is an occurence that is impending or about to happen.

VOCABULARY BUILDER WORKSHEET

VOCABULARY BUILDER WORKSHEET

Complete the following sentences using the appropriate form of the word given in the brackets.

1. His …………………. keeps him from making friends. (diffident)

2. The chrome trim …………………. the luxury model from the standard. (different)

3. The ………………… of knowledge was accelerated by the invention of writing. (diffuse)

4. My father is too ……………………… to do anything so silly. (dignity)

5. His long ……………….. made him forget his main point. (digress)

6. She maintained her …………………… throughout the trial. (dignify)

7. He is so ………………… he can get along with anyone. (diplomacy)

8. Not speaking French in Paris is a real ………………… (disable)

9. Several ………………. countries need immediate help. (disadvantage)

10. The weather has been thoroughly …………………… all week. (disagree)

Answers

1. His diffidence keeps him from making friends.

2. The chrome trim differentiates the luxury model from the standard.

3. The diffusion of knowledge was accelerated by the invention of writing.

4. My father is too dignified to do anything so silly.

5. His long digression made him forget his main point.

6. She maintained her dignity throughout the trial.

7. He is so diplomatic he can get along with anyone.

8. Not speaking French in Paris is a real disability.

9. Several disadvantaged countries need immediate help.

10. The weather has been thoroughly disagreeable all week.

COMPARATIVE STRUCTURES

COMPARATIVE STRUCTURES

Complete the following sentences using an appropriate comparative structure.

1. The baby doesn’t look much ……………….. you.

a) as
b) like

2. Her eyes are not at all the same color ………………. yours.

a) like
b) as

3. I earn as much money ……………….. you.

a) as
b) like

4. It was ………………….. than I thought.

a) expensive
b) more expensive
c) most expensive

5. The car is running ………………… since it had a service.

a) faster
b) more fast

6. You are ……………….. annoying person in the whole neighborhood.

a) most
b) the most
c) the more

7. She is ………………….. than her sister.

a) less pretty
b) less prettier

8. I have got ……………….. than I used to have.

a) less energy
b) least energy
c) the less energy

9. I want to spend ……………………. working.

a) the less possible time
b) the least possible time
c) the lesser possible time

Answers

1. The baby doesn’t look much like you.

2. Her eyes are not at all the same color as yours.

3. I earn as much money as you.

4. It was more expensive than I thought.

5. The car is running faster since it had a service.

6. You are the most annoying person in the whole neighborhood.

7. She is less pretty than her sister.

8. I have got less energy than I used to have.

9. I want to spend the least possible time working.