hanged / hung
Hanged is the past tense and past participle of hang when the meaning is to execute by suspending by the neck. “They hanged the prisoner for treason.” “The convicted killer was hanged at dawn.” Hung is the past tense and participle of hang when the meaning is to suspend from above with no support from below. “I hung the painting on the wall.” “The painting was hung at a crooked angle.”
i.e. / e.g.
The abbreviation e.g. means for example (from Latin exempli gratia). “Her talents were legion and varied (e.g., deep sea diving, speed reading, bridge, and tango dancing).” The abbreviation i.e. means that is or in other words (from Latin id est). “The joy of my existence (i.e., my stamp collection) imbues my life with meaning.”
it's / its
It's is a contraction for it is, whereas its is the possessive form of it.“It's (it is) a shame that we cannot talk about its size.”
laid / lain / lay
Laid is the past tense and the past participle of the verb lay and not the past tense of lie. Lay its he past tense of the verb lie and lain is the past participle. “He laid his books down and lay down on the couch, where he has lain for an hour.”
lend / loan
Although some people feel loan should only be used as a noun, lend and loan are both acceptable as verbs in standard English: “Can you lend (loan) me a dollar?” However, only lend should be used in figurative senses. “Will you lend me a hand?”
lead / led
Lead, pronounced "leed," is the present tense verb. "She will lead (leed) us to the cafeteria." Led is the past tense and past participle of the verb lead, pronounced 'leed'. "I led a very sheltered life."
Not to confuse things, "lead" that is pronounced "led" (a homophone of the verb led – i.e., with the same sound but different meaning) refers to a metal and is used as a noun "It is made of lead" or an adjective "We use lead pipes."
lightening / lightning
Lightening is a verb that means to illuminate; lightning is a noun referring to the electrical charges the cause flashes of light during storms. “The lightning struck, lightening the sky.”
loose / lose
Loose is an adjective used to describe something that is free from restraint, "He got loose from the rope," or not fastened or prepacked, "The items came loose in the box." Lose is a verb that has many meanings, but some of the most common are to fail to win, to misplace something, to be unable to find one's way. "He will lose the game if he doesn't watch the ball."
Hanged is the past tense and past participle of hang when the meaning is to execute by suspending by the neck. “They hanged the prisoner for treason.” “The convicted killer was hanged at dawn.” Hung is the past tense and participle of hang when the meaning is to suspend from above with no support from below. “I hung the painting on the wall.” “The painting was hung at a crooked angle.”
i.e. / e.g.
The abbreviation e.g. means for example (from Latin exempli gratia). “Her talents were legion and varied (e.g., deep sea diving, speed reading, bridge, and tango dancing).” The abbreviation i.e. means that is or in other words (from Latin id est). “The joy of my existence (i.e., my stamp collection) imbues my life with meaning.”
it's / its
It's is a contraction for it is, whereas its is the possessive form of it.“It's (it is) a shame that we cannot talk about its size.”
laid / lain / lay
Laid is the past tense and the past participle of the verb lay and not the past tense of lie. Lay its he past tense of the verb lie and lain is the past participle. “He laid his books down and lay down on the couch, where he has lain for an hour.”
lend / loan
Although some people feel loan should only be used as a noun, lend and loan are both acceptable as verbs in standard English: “Can you lend (loan) me a dollar?” However, only lend should be used in figurative senses. “Will you lend me a hand?”
lead / led
Lead, pronounced "leed," is the present tense verb. "She will lead (leed) us to the cafeteria." Led is the past tense and past participle of the verb lead, pronounced 'leed'. "I led a very sheltered life."
Not to confuse things, "lead" that is pronounced "led" (a homophone of the verb led – i.e., with the same sound but different meaning) refers to a metal and is used as a noun "It is made of lead" or an adjective "We use lead pipes."
lightening / lightning
Lightening is a verb that means to illuminate; lightning is a noun referring to the electrical charges the cause flashes of light during storms. “The lightning struck, lightening the sky.”
loose / lose
Loose is an adjective used to describe something that is free from restraint, "He got loose from the rope," or not fastened or prepacked, "The items came loose in the box." Lose is a verb that has many meanings, but some of the most common are to fail to win, to misplace something, to be unable to find one's way. "He will lose the game if he doesn't watch the ball."
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