Do you know the difference between words session, section and assignment?
Yeah, these three little words are cause for a lot of confusion at the time of writing, because they are phonetically identical. What do you mean, “phonetically identical”? The words session, section and assignment are interesting examples of homonymous words, that is, words that have different meanings, although they have the same phonological structure and the same phonemes. So, to put an end to the confusion, let's clarify when and how each one of them should be used, stay tuned!
Session: the word session comes from the Latin “sessio”, which means sit down. Therefore, it conveys the idea that the person needs to sit down to watch or participate in something. Look at the examples:
The movie we want to watch will be shown at the seven o'clock session.
Carlos went to his first session with the physiotherapist.
The writer will hold an autograph session in the evening.
Section: the word section comes from Latin sectium, which means cut. Therefore, section means the division or subdivision of things of the same kind. Look at the examples:
Fairy tales are located in the children's literature section.
The voter went to his polling station to vote for his candidate.
The human resources department is the section responsible for hiring employees.
Assignment: the word cession comes from Latin I need, which means Give way. Therefore, it is related to the idea of granting, giving something away, giving away. Look at the examples:
The graduation committee thanked the granting of the space where the party was held.
The transfer of books will be interrupted indefinitely.
The judge ordered the immediate transfer of the assets to the other interested party.
You may have noticed that the meaning of the words session, section and assignment it's quite different, isn't it? Therefore, it is necessary to be aware of the situations of use of each one of them, especially in written language, because, in language oral, the context of meaning will be responsible for establishing the differences, thus there is no harm to the Communication. Three small letters, three distinct meanings. Was it clear to you?
Take the opportunity to check out our video lesson related to the subject:
