Word pairs , for both native speakers and students of English, can often cause great confusion. For native speakers, this is especially so when they are writing. Many pairs of words in English sound alike or nearly alike, but each one has a different meaning. For example, affect means to influence something, while effect means the result of something. Words like these can be easily confused with each other. You must be careful to use the correct word from a pair of such confusing words when you are writing and speaking. If not, you may express something different than what you mean. For example, suppose you are writing about the importance of a good marriage. You write that martial bliss is a wonderful thing. The word martial refers to war. You should have written that marital bliss is a wonderful thing. The word marital refers to marriage. You wouldn't want to embarrass yourself by addressing a letter ...
David White is an Australian English teacher who has been living in Peru since 2001. In partnership with his wife Claudia, they are the owners of ¨English For You Language Institute´, an institute that specializes in the teaching of all levels of English from Basic (A1) to Advanced (C2) including international exam preparation. They are also the owners of ELT Educational Services and David is also the Headmaster of the American School, a respected bilingual ib school in Northern Peru.