Let’s be honest, sometimes English can be confusing. Sometimes when learning English it is easy to mix up words or be unsure when to use them.
I often hear German speakers who are learning English make mistakes with the words ‘stationary’ and ‘stationery’.
Take a look at the examples below. Hopefully they will make things clearer for you.
Stationary is an adjective. It means not moving or standing still.
The car was parked. It was stationary.
The train pulled into the station and was stationary for a while before setting off again to continue its journey.
Stationery is a noun and refers to writing materials such as paper, pens, pencils, notebooks and envelopes.
In our office the secretary is usually responsible for ordering the stationery.
A new book and stationery shop opened in town last week.
To help you remember the difference ‘a’ is for automobile and ‘e’ is for envelope. Or you can remember stationERy and papER.
Have fun learning English!
Louise