Editors are familiar with the usual suspects when it comes to usage: apt/likely, pore/pour, bring/take, comprise/compose, and so on. These pairs of words are often confused and misused, and editors keep an eye out for them.
Well, this editor has a confession to make. There’s a pair of suspects that trips me up: a while and awhile.
The first is a noun, and the second is an adverb:
- Noun: In a while, I’ll rest.
- Adverb: I’ll rest awhile.
Identify the preposition in or for to ascertain if you’re dealing with the noun. No preposition? Then it’s the adverb.