I imagine many folks have trouble with this one.
Plain (n.) refers to a plot of land, a large, flat, almost treeless area. For example, "The plains of Africa are becoming smaller, and the elephants roaming the savannas are becoming endangered. In other words, plain is a land formation. Plain also means clear (plain to see), simple (this is plain arithmetic).
Plane (n.) also means a flat, level area, but is more abstract. For example, "Place the windows on the same plane" and "The educational plane in the United States lags behind other developed countries."
Like minded indeed. I find it hard to believe this one is difficult for people, but you never know :) Angie
ReplyDeleteHi, Angie,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for liking my entries. Believe it or not, as much as I pride myself on my vocabulary prowess, I am one of those who is confused about plain and plane. Oh, well. But I do speak French (LOL).
In a slightly different direction from sheer vocabulary/syntax, I have received an email with some examples of egregious errors committed by our young folks. May I send it to you? Some of them could make your hair curl!