That's right...everyone, including me, a professional grant writer confuses and misuses words. As writers we like to think we're pretty witty with our words, but sometimes our wits get the best of us and our proposals. I hope this list of my most confused words (in writing and reading proposals) helps you check and recheck your own writing. Enjoy!
1. Affect: To have an effect upon (confusing, I know); acted upon or influenced. (i.e. How will the new rules affect me?").
2. Assure: To inform positively to remove any doubt.
3. All right (not alright): In good condition or working order. Alright is not accepted as a standard usage even though already and altogether have been officially recognized.
4. Complement: Something that completes or makes up a whole.
5. Compliment: An expression of praise, admiration or congratulations.
6. Effect: Something brought about by a cause or agent (i.e. "Every cause produces more than one effect").
7. Ensure: To make sure or certain.
8. Insure: To provide or arrange insurance for. **Assure, ensure and insure all basically mean the same thing. The big difference is that assure is associated with a person (i.e. "He assured us it was in the plan.").**
9. Prescribe: To set down a rule or guide.
10. Proscribe: To forbid or prohibit.
Knowing and understanding words that are commonly used in your organization or field (health care, social services, emergency response), is important in order to craft a strong proposal. However, using lingo or industry-speak should be avoided as much as possible. There are exceptions for using specific language in research-oriented projects, but overall it is incredibly important use words that your grandmother would understand. Being wise with your words will bring you the most success!
Check out the coolest dictionary, 100 Words (Almost) Everyone Confuses and Misuses for 90 more words that we all scramble in our brains!
~Cheers!
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