| name | oiticica-confused-words |
| description | Apply Oiticica's confused words concept in modern English with concise rules, objective rubrics, and concrete contrast. |
Oiticica Confused Words
Use this skill when reviewing or rewriting English prose where confused words is the controlling issue.
Source concept: Crossing is the exchange of similar words.
Rules
- Check near-homophones, lookalikes, and etymological neighbors by meaning in context.
- Correct the word that fits the sentence's relation, not the prettier word.
- Flag pairs such as affect/effect, imply/infer, flaunt/flout, tortuous/torturous, and disinterested/uninterested.
- Explain the contrast in one sentence.
Review Shape
Use the source-model shape for strong models:
Principle:
<oiticica-confused-words: one sentence naming the concept>
Preserve:
<supplied example text>
Why:
<why the model satisfies the concept>
Rubric:
<at least two objective checks, each marked Pass or Fail>
Use the repair shape for weak passages:
Principle:
<oiticica-confused-words: one sentence naming the concept>
Weak:
<small passage or paraphrase>
Fault:
<name the exact broken relation>
Better:
<corrected version>
Why:
<explain how the revision restores the relation>
Rubric:
<at least two objective checks, each marked Pass or Fail>
Start Principle with the exact skill name oiticica-confused-words.
If the prompt says source-model or source-model paraphrase, copy the supplied example in Preserve and do not use repair headings.
Objective Rubric
- The confused pair is named.
- The chosen word matches the sentence's action or relation.
- The correction does not introduce a new register mismatch.
- The reason would let a reader choose correctly next time.
Pass only when every applicable check passes. If correctness fails, fix or name that failure before judging style.
English Rule
Apply modern English grammar, punctuation, morphology, idiom, and prosody. Do not transfer Portuguese orthography or grammar into English.
Source Boundary
Source notes live in references/notes.md.
Do not invent source quotations. If an example is labeled as a paraphrase or invented passage, preserve that boundary in the review.
When a task asks for a Preserve section, copy the supplied example text exactly; do not replace it with imagined source prose.