The difference between beside and besides (grammar lesson)


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Beside means 'next to'. Besides means 'apart from' or 'and another thing'.

Writers sometimes confuse the words 'beside' and 'besides'.

Beside

The word beside is a preposition. It means 'close to' or 'next to'.

Examples:

Come and sit beside me.

Your hat is beside the dog basket.

The preposition 'besides' means 'in addition to' or 'apart from'. As an adverb, it means 'furthermore' or 'and another thing'.

Examples:

Besides Craig, who else caught a bass?

(Besides is a preposition in this example. Apart from Craig, who else...)

Besides, it's not just about determination.

(Besides is an adverb in this example. Furthermore, it's not just...)

Select the correct version:

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