Payed vs Paid | Difference, Definition & Examples

Payed and paid sound exactly the same, but their spellings and meanings are different.

  • Payed is the past tense of “pay”, a rare verb that is used in mainly nautical contexts. It usually refers to the act of letting out a length of chain or rope or to the act of coating a boat with waterproof material.
  • Paid is the past tense of the very common verb “pay” when it means to settle a bill, or to give something as the cost for a course of action.
Examples: Payed in a sentence Examples: Paid in a sentence
The sailboat had to be payed to cure the leaks.

As the water level dropped in the lock, Andy gradually payed out the rope on the boat.

Gurvinder paid the bill for everybody.

The sergeant paid with her life for her bravery.

Note
Sometimes people make the mistake of writing payed because it follows the rule of adding “-ed” to make the past tense, but in the majority of cases, paid is the correct spelling.

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Copacetic | Meaning, Definition & Examples

Copacetic is a slightly old-fashioned informal adjective meaning “very satisfactory,” “just fine,” and “alright.”

It is found more often in American English than British English. It is usually considered too informal for academic writing.

Example: Copacetic in a sentence
The interview went well, and the interviewer seemed to think my answers were copacetic.

Despite the minor hiccup, the event went smoothly overall, so it was still copacetic.

I wasn’t sure about the plan at first, but after hearing the details, it all seemed copacetic.

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Types of Sources | Tips & Examples

When you are researching a topic, you will need to consult and use various types of sources. The most common source types in scholarly writing include:

  • Books
  • Academic journals
  • Newspapers
  • Websites
  • Encyclopedias

As your writing process develops, you will probably adapt the types of sources you use. An initial stage of researching definitions and overviews might lead you to a website or encyclopedia. As your research goes deeper you will access books and journals (scholarly sources).

Tip
QuillBot’s tools can help you during the research and writing process. For example, our Summarizer tool can help you summarize articles or other sources. Also, our Citation Generator can help ensure you are citing your sources correctly.

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Principal vs Principle | Definition & Examples

Both principle and principal have the same pronunciation but their meanings are different.

  • Principal can be used as a noun to refer to someone in authority, someone who commits a crime, and the capital portion of a loan. As an adjective it means “primary” or “most important.”
  • Principle is also a noun, and it refers to standards or rules, especially in law, science, or ethics.
Examples: Principal in a sentence Examples: Principle in a sentence
The school principal was very popular with both students and faculty. As a matter of principle, Jenny never used the self-service checkout.
The report’s principal conclusions were later questioned by critics. The scientific principle of conservation of mass states that matter cannot be created or destroyed.

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What Is a Sentence Fragment? | Examples & Definition

A sentence fragment is a piece of writing that looks like a sentence but is grammatically incomplete. This is normally because it is missing a subject or a verb.

Sentence fragments can usually be spotted quite easily because they do not express a complete thought. They always lack at least one piece of information that is key to understanding the meaning.

Sentence fragment examples
  • My lucky day.
  • Since it was their turn.
  • The green, green grass of home.

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