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Common mistake hell/shell (he'll, she'll)

Common Mistake: Hell vs Shell

One of the most common mistakes in English grammar is confusing the words "hell" and "shell." While these two words may sound similar, they have completely different meanings. Let's take a closer look at how they differ:

Hell

"Hell" refers to the place of eternal punishment or suffering in many religious beliefs. It can also be used figuratively to describe a very unpleasant or difficult situation.

Example:

  • "I don't want to go to hell when I die."
  • "This job is a living hell."

Shell

"Shell," on the other hand, has multiple meanings depending on the context. It can refer to the hard outer covering of certain animals, the ammunition fired from a gun, or even a container used to hold something.

Example:

  • "The hermit crab found a new shell to live in."
  • "He collected seashells during his beach vacation."
  • "The soldier picked up the empty shell casings."

While it's important to understand the correct usage of "hell" and "shell," it's also worth noting that these words can be mistaken for contractions.

For example:

  • "Did you mean he'll?" (short for "he will")
  • "Did you mean she'll?" (short for "she will")

Linguix grammar checker can help catch these common mistakes, ensuring that your writing is clear, concise, and error-free.

hell/shell (he'll, she'll) mistake examples

  • Correct:
    Go to hell!
  • Correct:
    Everybody in hell knows me.
  • Correct:
    Hell yes!
  • Correct:
    Does Hell Know Who You Are?
  • Correct:
    He scared the hell out of me by popping a balloon right next to my ear.
  • Correct:
    Because I sure as hell do.
  • Correct:
    That evening turned out to be hell like all the others.
  • Correct:
    ... one of the four crown Princes of Hell like it is written in the Satanic Bible.
  • Correct:
    She makes hell look beautiful.
  • Correct:
    Who the bloody hell do you think YOU are, mate?
  • Incorrect:
    Hell be there.

    Correct:
    He'll be there.

  • Correct:
    Heaven and hell exist.
  • Incorrect:
    And hell be there.

    Correct:
    And he'll be there.

  • Correct:
    This is an egg shell.
  • Correct:
    How does the shell know which directory it's in?
  • Correct:
    Shell people did not, strictly speaking, breathe.
  • Correct:
    … or run programs from the Unix shell prompt.
  • Correct:
    How to prompt for Yes/No/Cancel input in a Linux shell script.
  • Correct:
    The renaming is part of a larger plan to reinvigorate the Shell brand in the US and improve financial performance.
  • Correct:
    Enron and Shell will each write a guaranty in favor of TBS for their ...
  • Correct:
    You should see the Unix command prompt, also known as the "shell prompt", appearing at the left side of…
  • Correct:
    Coloring your prompt with tput and shell escape code.
  • Incorrect:
    Shell be there.

    Correct:
    She'll be there.

  • Incorrect:
    Please tell John shell prompt the manager.

    Correct:
    Please tell John she'll prompt the manager.

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