2023-05-06 07:02:36
“Seeing the fault when you read it, or even not making it when you write”: that sums up our problem well. The confusion between “see” and “even” is frequent on social networks, even though these two homophones have nothing to do with each other. Don’t worry: it’s quite easy to find your way around.
The verb “to see”
This one, everyone knows it, since sight is the most important sense for human beings. It can also evoke a perception of the mind, as in the phrase “we’ll see.” Be that as it may and whatever the context, the verb “to see” never takes an “e”. We therefore write:
- I’m going to see a movie tonight.
- He is going to see his parents for Christmas.
- We’ll see what that gives.
The adverb “see”
But then, what is this “even” with an “e”? It is an adverb, which means “and even” or “not to say”. It is often used to clarify, reinforce or qualify the preceding idea. For example :
- These holidays were wonderful, even unforgettable.
- He is very brave, even slightly oblivious to the danger.
- This decision is important, even decisive for the future of the company.
How to stop being wrong?
To avoid fault, it suffices to think carefully about the meaning of what one writes. If you want to express a visual or psychic perception, you have to use “see”. If you want to reinforce an idea or add a nuance, you must use “even”. And to help you do that, remember that “even” can be replaced by “and even”. To use two of the previous examples:
- It is impossible to say: “I am going and even a movie tonight”.
- It is possible to say: “these holidays were wonderful, and even unforgettable”.
The pleonasm to avoid
By the way, note that suddenly, the phrase “even even” is a pleonasm to be avoided, since it amounts to saying: “and even and even”.
#mistaken