Once Again, Which Word When

Choosing words with precision is the hallmark of a good writer. Without precision, everything we write would be gobbledygook. In our profession especially, the words we choose aren't just saying something about us as individuals, but about the clients we represent. When we sound smart, they sound smart. To write "imply" when you mean "infer" or to "site" a reference is just plain embarrassing for everyone. Here are five sets of words I've noticed recently that seem to still confuse a lot of us. 1.     imply / infer Use “imply” when something is being suggested without being explicitly stated and “infer” when someone is trying to arrive at a conclusion based on evidence. “Fred Thompson implied that he would be the best president of the United States; because I watch “Law & Order” several times a day, you inferred that I would vote for him.” 2.     who’s / whose This is easy: When possessive, pronouns (like “who” and “her”) never take apostrophes. “Who’s” always means “who is,” as in “Who’s my baby?” or “who has,” as in “Who’s been sitting in my chair?” Use “whose” when referring to a possessor. “My dog, whose hair is long and thick, can’t wait for the first snow.” 3.     cite / site / sight A reference is cited, a place is a site, and a sight is a thing for sore eyes. “She cited ‘Chicago’ when she said, ‘I know a whoopee spot where the gin is cold but the piano’s hot . . .  and all that jazz.’” “The site chosen had a fabulous view.” As Mark Twain said, “There is no sadder sight than a young pessimist.” 4.     specially / especially Use the former when something is done for a specific reason, choose the latter when something means more than other things. “She especially likes potatoes, so I made the potato dauphinoise specially for her.” 5.     continual / continuous Something continual goes on – but with breaks; something continuous never stops. “His continuous talking gave me agita. Now  I continually avoid him.”