Sarah knew he didn’t believe her lies and that she was only deceiving herself.
But his message was deceptive – it could mean different things depending where you put the comma.
She also knew that he was her dependant.
While she was dependent on her husband for financial support.
What if she moved to the desert to be alone?
No, it would never work! She couldn’t go without dessert after her meals.
She looked at the Celtic-style device printed on the advertisement for a device to get stones out of horses’ hooves.
The first thing to do was to devise a plan.
She needed a disinterested observer to judge whether it would be successful.
But she could only think of people who were uninterested and couldn't care.
The starting point would be a draft of her letter.
As she put pen to paper, the door swung open, letting in a draught of cold air.
Perhaps she could draw an image of him that would help to draw out her thoughts.
She found some pencils and paper in a drawer. They must have been left by a mystery artist; a drawer like herself.
They were wrapped in a piece of fabric that she remembered dyeing black many years ago.
It reminded her that she should exercise her brain cells on this problem, as they were dying by the million every day.
Try to remember the story of the lonely artist to help you recall the correct use of these commonly confused words.
deceiving: deliberately misrepresenting
deceptive: misleading
dependant: someone who relies on someone else
dependent: relying on someone or something
desert: a place with very low rainfall
dessert: a sweet dish to serve at the end of a meal
device: an artistic icon or a machine for a specific purpose (noun)
devise: to plan or work out (verb)
disinterested: impartial
uninterested: indifferent
draft: a plan or preliminary outline
draught: a rush of air
draw: make a representation of something, usually in pencil or pen, or to bring something towards you
drawer: a storage container that slides in and out of a piece of furniture, or a draughtsman, someone who draws
dyeing: changing the colour of fabric
dying: the moment of death