[Editor's note: There's always at least one joker as shown by the first reader/writer].
- The principal reason for this discussion is to decrease one’s spelunking spills.
- Some of us should live by no particular moral principles; I live by the immoral Principal Corruthers.
- The principal character in the play is ill.
- His political principles are not acceptable.
- As a matter of principle, he refused to borrow money from anyone over three meters tall who fancied avocados.
- The principal invested in that project was $100, 000, 000, 000.
- We must install computer chips into the hypothalamusi of our youth which will instill principles of honesty and morality and the urge to vote Republican.
I hope that my cooperation will be of help. I can't wait to read what this is all about . . . and to hear from you regarding how I scored.
I know I don't have to make any comments but I have to say that this was a real eye opener. I felt as if I was back in school.
Just wanted to add a note of thanks. I've really been enjoying your messages.
Many thanks for your efforts. I just wanted to let you know I always look forward to your newsletters.
It might be of interest for the purposes of your survey that I am not, in fact, a native English speaker; my mother tongue is German.
[Ed. note: All of your answers were correct].
I learned these differences in 5th grade! - The princiPAL of the school is our PAL - he's a number-one (principal) guy; I'll admit cheating on number 6 - I've probably spelt it wrong all my life!
"The principal 'pal' of the principal . . ." came in useful.
Bravo for tackling this one. Why not try "lay" and "lie"; my students love to confuse those two, also. And believe it or not, they mix up the plurals of "this" and "that".
Are you trying to make a point about our country's lack of principles?
Interesting examples. Using one word or the other changes the meaning of the sentences in interesting ways. But I guess "principle" can,t be used as an adjective?
After the quiz, I checked the dictionary on my PC, and I was in for a rude awakening. I certainly have a better understanding of the two words, because I did not realize that principal had a monetary meaning. I'll not forget the definition anytime soon.
This is a good idea. I look forward to learning the results. I suggest you test us with "affect/effect" and "stationary/stationery." Others, doubtless, would be useful, but none comes to mind. On another topic, how about a test for subject/verb agreement, like "none-is/none-are" or "data-is/data-are"?
I just mentally replaced "principal" with "main" and "principle" with "scruples" and made my choices based on that. I paused on #6, but I stayed with the same definitions, because you have the "main" money (principal) and the interest, which is earned from it.
After looking at these sentences, I can easily see that many folks could be quite confused. It was a fun mental workout.
Thank you very much for allowing me to join your Focusing on Words Newsletter. I am Japanese. I am trying to learn English.
[Editor: When asked what system this subscriber used to choose the right "princip-", his response was as follows]
I don't think it qualifies as a system, but here's my thought process: I know that one of the words refers to abstract decision-making guidelines for things like morals, ethics, professional decisions, etc., and I know that that word isn't "principal" because Principal was the sign on the office door of the guy who ran my grade school, and I remember walking past that sign in the first grade and thinking "He's no pal of mine."
The logic doesn't track, but I walk through this little personal memory each time I have to distinguish between these two words, and it seems to get me to the right answer.
I rely on an obscure personal memory to determine that "principal" does not refer to abstract values and decision-making guidelines. If "principal" doesn't refer to them, then "principle" does.
Hope this helps.
I used the word principle anytime it was talking about one's moral belief system. Principles are beliefs or values. I used the word principal meaning the central or main thing. Also, principal means an amount of money.
I teach 6th grade language arts and math. My boss is a principal with few principles.
The oldest trick in the book. My high school principal, who is the main person in the school, is my pal. Works for nouns and works for adjectives. The only one I wasn't sure of was principle/principal meaning money in the bank. I made a good guess (or inference.)