Compel vs. Impel
Both compel and impel contain the idea of using physical or other force to cause something to be done.
Compel means to constrain someone in some way to yield or do what one wishes.
Example: to compel a debtor to pay
Example: Fate compels us to face danger and trouble.
Impel means to provide a strong motive or incentive toward a certain end.
Example: The wind impelled the ship.
Example: Curiosity impels her to ask questions.
It might help, in some instances, to think of impel as the carrot and compel as the stick.
Fun with Language
The following demonstrate how meaning changes according to emphasis:
He didn’t say that. It must have been someone else.
He didn’t say that. You are mistaken.
He didn’t say that. Perhaps he wrote it instead.
He didn’t say that. What he said was…
As you can see by the examples above, nuances of speech can’t be conveyed adequately in writing, which should serve as a warning not to argue via e-mail.
Joke
A guy walks into a bar with an alligator under his arm.
The bartender says, “We don’t serve alligators in here.”
The man replies, “Well, do you serve lawyers?”
The bartender says, “Yes, we do.”
The man says, “Then give me a beer and give my alligator a lawyer.”
Brainteaser
Remove one letter from restarted to leave another word. Then repeat the process until you have just one letter remaining. Letters may be removed in any order.
restarted
restated
restate
estate
state
sate
sat
at
a
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English In A Snap: 68 One-Minute English Usage Videos
View Jane’s 68 one-minute video lessons that are available FREE. Learn all about who and whom, affect and effect, subjects and verbs, adjectives and adverbs, commas, semicolons, quotation marks, and much more by just sitting back and enjoying these easy-to-follow lessons. Tell your colleagues (and bosses), children, teachers, and friends.
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