Category Archives: usage

Capital and Capitol

A friend asked if I could tell him what the difference is between “capital” (with an “a”) and “capitol” (with an “o”). The basic rule is that “capitol” refers to a government building, while “capital” refers to everything else. Here are abridged definitions from The American Heritage Dictionary…

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Bring versus Take

Someone just asked about the rule for “bring” versus “take.” The general guideline is…

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then and than

A visitor to the site asked about “when to use “than” or “then.” Here is the answer…

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Affect and Effect

Mable Scott asks, “What is the rule for using affect or effect?”

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