Revised as of 8 May 2021
I suspect this is another instance of the oblivious spellcheck, as I cannot imagine an author not understanding the difference in this word “confusion” of be versus bee.
The to be is ubiquitous and flavors almost every sentence written. If you don’t believe me, have a peek at the variety of words in the list of conjugations below!
Bee, of course, is another familiar word, although there may be some definitions with which you won’t be familiar. I’ve been involved in sewing and quilting bees, but the whole nautical aspect was an eye-opener for me.
Word Confusions…
…started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noir for you from either end.
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Be | Bee | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Credit to: Dictionary.com: be and bee | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Part of Grammar: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Abbreviation 1; Noun 1; Prefix 2; Verb 3, intransitive and linking Plural for the noun: be See Conjugations below. |
Abbreviation1; Noun 2, 3, 4, 5
Plural for noun: bees |
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Abbreviation: Symbol for chemistry for beryllium Bill of exchange, bill of entry [College degrees] Bachelor of Education, Bachelor of Engineering Bank of England Board of Education barium enema Belgium (and its country code) Noun: Prefix:
Verb, intransitive: To take place
To occupy a place or position To continue or remain as before To belong
[Used in the perfect or past perfect tenses only] To pay a visit
Verb, linking: Used with the present participle or infinitive of the principal verb to indicate future action Used with the past participle of another verb to form the passive voice Used in archaic or literary constructions with some intransitive verbs to form the perfect tense Used as a linking verb to connect the subject with its predicate adjective or subject complement, in order to describe, identify, or amplify the subject Used as a linking verb to introduce or form interrogative or imperative sentences |
Abbreviation: Bachelor of Electrical Engineering [In South Africa] Black Economic Empowerment Noun: The common honeybee, Apis mellifera Also called bee block 3 [Nautical] A piece of hardwood, bolted to the side of a bowsprit, through which to reeve stays [Obsolete] A metal ring or bracelet [Nautical] A small sheave with one cheek removed and the pulley and other cheek fastened flat to a boom or another spar, used for reeving outhauls or stay 4 A social gathering for a specific purpose, as to carry out a communal task or hold competitions 5 |
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Examples: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Abbreviation: Be is a metal that can damage the lungs and cause pneumonia when humans breathe it in. Those B/Es are becoming less popular what with online banking. He graduated with a B.E., and he intends to go for a master’s. All BE meetings are scheduled in advance. Registering a .BE domain is the perfect way to show your business is localized in Belgium. Noun: Prefix: He was befogged from the start. Roberts is not bedazzled by the red carpet. They’re novels that befool almost every intelligence. He gave wave of his bejeweled hand. Verbs created from verbs: That color becomes her. The castle has been besieged for two years. There were a dozen maidens, all bedaubed with paint. He bewailed the fact that heart trouble had slowed him down. Don’t berate the girl! Verb, intransitive: “I think, therefore I am, not all that is can be understood.” – Descartes The wedding was last week. The book is on the table. Let things be. May good fortune be with you. Martha is tall. Is that right? Be quiet! Don’t be facetious. Have you been to Spain? My birthday was last Thursday. Verb, linking: She is visiting there next week. He is to see me today. The date was fixed. It must be done. He is come. Agamemnon to the wars is gone. |
Abbreviation: Jane has her B.E.E. and wants to work on self-driving cars. The BEE is intended to redress the inequalities of Apartheid. Noun: Bees pollinate flowers and produce honey. A cheek with a sheave in it is secured on the top side of the bees, on each side, to form a lead for the fore guys. Plant a pollinator garden, build a bee block, or simply reduce your pesticide use. Cam won at the Browns’ husking bee and kissed Amelia. She won the school spelling bee. We held a quilting bee last week at Margaret’s. |
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Conjugations for Be | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Derivatives: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Adjective: being Conjunction: being Noun: being |
Adjective: beelike, beeswaxed Noun: beebread, beehive, beekeeper, beekeeping, beeswax Verb: beeswax |
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Phrasal Verb | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
be across be off |
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C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan…which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them…and we’ll all benefit!
Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.
Pinterest Photo Credits
A still of performance artist Antonia Wright, in her cutting edge video Be, was photographed by Rudy Duboue under the CC-BY 4.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons.