English for Today by Ganiu Abisoye Bamgbose (GAB)
Commonly Misused Words
Apart vs. a part
Apart (adv) means to be separated by distance or time: I always miss my boyfriend when we’re apart”. A part (noun) a piece of something that forms the whole of something: “They make me feel like I am a part of the family”.
any vs. some
Any and some are both determiners. A determiner indicates the type of reference that a noun has. Determiners are used to discuss indefinite quantities or numbers when the exact quantity or number is not important. In some cases, any and some can have the same meaning. Examples: “Will you have any?” “Will you have some?” “Won’t you have any? ” “Won’t you have some?” As a general rule, however, we use some for positive statements and any for questions and negative statements. Examples: “You may have some cookies from the jar, ” I don’t want any cookies from the jar”.
been vs. gone
Been refers to a place which someone has visited sometime in his or her life. In other words, “has been to” refers to an experience: I have been to Abakaliki. Gone to refers to someone who has gone to a place but has not yet returned: She’s gone to market.
GAB
