Transcript Solutions to Common English Errors

Solutions to Common
English Errors
Daily Tips and Rules of Usage
Numbers, Part One
• Spell out numbers of one or two words
–
–
–
–
Correct: Fifty cents
Correct: Fifty-one
Correct: Nine hundred
Incorrect: She took 3 cookies and 2 sodas.
• Use numerals for numbers of more than two
words
– 1984
– $534.21
Numbers, Part Two
• Hyphenate all two-word numbers from
twenty-one to ninety-nine. Hyphenate
fractions (except one half) only if they
serve as adjectives.
– Incorrect: Sixty six
– Correct: one-third cup
– Correct: one half quart
– Correct: seventy-four
Numbers, Part Three
• Write out cardinal numbers like fourth, thirtyfirst, etc., rather than use numerals with letter
endings (4th, 31st, etc.)
– Incorrect: This is my 5th visit to Rome.
– Correct: Samantha finished fifth in the race.
• Street numbers may be written with letters or
numbers
– She lives at 825 N. 2nd Street
– She lives at 825 N. Second Street
Numbers, Part Four
•
•
•
•
1 = uni2 = du-, bi-, di3 = tri4 = quadr-,
quart• 5 = quint-,
penta-
• 6 = ses-, sext-,
hexa• 7 = sept• 8 = oct• 9 = non-, nov• 10 = deca-
Then vs. Than
• “Then” indicates an order of events or
chronological sequence
• “Than” is used to compare
– Incorrect: Jim has more cake then Janice.
– Correct: First in line is Alice, then Jake.
– Correct: China and Japan hold more U.S.
debt than any other foreign countries.
A vs. An
• Use a before words beginning with a
consonant sound: a book, a unique ring.
• Use an before words beginning with a
vowel sound: an apple, an urchin.
– Correct: a football, a yarmulke
– Correct: an honest mistake, an opposite
Accept vs. Except
• Accept means to receive: “Please
accept my offer.”
• The verb except means to leave out or
omit: “Will you except the last provision
of the contract?”
– Correct: We will accept all of the players,
except Jeremy.
Adverse vs. Averse
• Adverse means opposing: adverse
circumstances, adverse weather.
• Averse means opposed to: “He was
averse to my proposal.”
– Reminder: Adverse usually relates to
actions or things. Averse usually applies to
people (who have an aversion).
Advert vs. Avert
• Advert means refer: “The speaker
adverted to an earlier talk he had
given.”
• Avert means ward off: “He narrowly
averted a bad fall.”
Advice vs. Advise
• Advice is a noun meaning
recommendation concerning an action
or decision: “Few people take my advice
when I offer it to them.”
• Advise is a verb: “I advise you to take
advanced courses next year.”
Affect vs. Effect
• Affect means to influence: “His attitude in
class affected his grade.”
– However, “affect” is also used to refer to
demeanor or attitude: “I did not understand his
affect after committing such a crime; he looked
positively nonchalant.”
• Effect as a noun means result: “The effect of
the explosion was disastrous.”
• Effect as a verb means to accomplish: “The
new machinery effected a great improvement
in the production line.”
Aggravate
• Do not use aggravate to mean irritate.
Aggravate means to make a bad
situation worse.
– Correct: “I was irritated by his behavior
when he entered the room; I became really
aggravated with him after he slammed the
door when he went out.”
Agree to vs. Agree with
• You agree to an idea or to a proposal
• You agree with a person
– Correct: I agree to your idea about going to
McDonald’s.
– Correct: I did not agree to that!
– Incorrect: I agree to Joey.
Almost vs. Most
• Almost means nearly: “He was almost as tall
as the coach.” “Almost every girl in class had
long hair.”
• Most as an adjective or adverb means in the
greatest degree: “A most difficult problem was
presented.”
• Most as a noun means the largest number or
the greatest quantity: “The food will be given
to those who need it most.”
• “Most” must not precede an indefinite
pronoun:
– Incorrect: Most everybody wants that job.
– Correct: Almost everybody wants that job.
All ready vs. Already
• All ready is used in sentences such as
“They are all ready to go,” meaning all
of them are ready.
• Already is an adverb meaning
previously: “We ran to catch the train,
but it had already left.”
Alright
• Illiterate/informal for all right, indicating
satisfactory status:
– Correct: “When I took my rounds at
midnight, everything looked all right.”
– Incorrect: “I know you hit me, but it’s
alright.”
• Do not confuse the spelling with words
like almost, already, altogether.
Altogether vs. All together
• Altogether is an adverb meaning
completely: “You are altogether wrong
in your assumption.”
• All together is used in such sentences
as “They were all together in the same
room,” meaning all of them were
together.
Allusion vs. Illusion
• Allusion means reference: “He made an
allusion to Hercules’ strength in the
article.”
• Illusion is an unreality: “That a pair of
railroad tracks seem to meet in the
distance is an optical illusion.”
Alternative vs. Choice
• Alternative means a choice in a
situation where a choice must be made:
“If you can’t take the test tomorrow, your
only alternative is to receive a zero.”
Alumnus, Alumna, Alumni,
Alumnae
• An alumnus is a male graduate. Alumni
is the plural.
• An alumna is a female graduate.
Alumnae is the plural.
• Alumni is also used to indicate male and
female combined.
Among vs. Between
• Between is used in connection between
two persons or things
• Among is used for more than two
– Correct: The choice is between blue or red.
– Incorrect: You have to choose between
pepperoni, sausage, or ground beef.
Tomorrow: Exceptions to the rule
Among vs. Between
Exceptions
• If more than two are involved in a united
situation, between is used: “Between the four
of us, we raised a thousand dollars.”
• If a comparison or an opposition is involved,
between is used: “There was a great rivalry
between the three colleges. It was difficult to
choose between them.”
Amount vs. Number
• Amount refers to bulk or quantity: amount of
sugar, grain, flour, or money
• Number refers to objects which are thought of
as individual units: number of oranges,
children, diamonds
• Notice that most words following amount are
singular (coal, butter, water) and most words
following number are plural (apples, bottles,
glasses)
Any one vs. Anyone
• Any one means any single person or
thing of a group: “Any one of the
students in the class was capable of
passing the course.”
• Anyone is an indefinite pronoun
meaning anybody: “Anyone can tell that
you are not so stupid as you pretend.”
Appraise vs. Apprise
• Appraise means to make an estimate:
“Would you appraise the value of this
ring?”
• Apprise means inform: “He was
apprised by registered mail that his
lease would not be renewed.”
As … as comparisons vs.
So … as comparisons
• As … as is used for affirmative
comparisons: “He was as tall as his
father.”
• So … as is used for negative
comparisons: “She was not so tall as
her mother.”
As, Like, As if
• When introducing a clause, as is used
(as I was saying) even if some of the
words of the clause are implied: “He did
it as well as I [did].”
• In general, like should never introduce a
clause: Incorrect: “Like I was saying.”
• “They acted as if they were guilty.”
Beside vs Besides
• Beside means by the side of: “Ask him
to sit beside me.”
• Besides means in addition: “She was an
expert secretary. Besides, she had a
wonderful disposition.”
Bring, Take, Fetch, Carry
• Bring refers to action toward the writer or
speaker: “Bring the book to me.”
• Take refers to action away from the writer or
speaker: “Take this bottle back to the store for
the deposit.”
• Fetch means to go and get something and
bring it back: “If you throw the stick into the
lake, the dog will fetch it.”
• Carry means to convey from one place to
another: “We need a suitcase to carry all our
clothes.”
Can vs May
• Can implies ability: “Can you (are you
able to) lift that heavy box?”
• May denotes permission: “May I (Have I
permission to) swim in your pool?”
• Correct: “May I use the restroom during
a break in the lesson?”
Compare To vs Compare With
• Compare to is used to indicate a definite
resemblance: “He compared the
railroad to a highway.”
• Compare with is used to indicate an
examination of similarities and
dissimilarities: “He compared the middle
ages with modern times.”
Complement vs Compliment
• Complement as a verb means complete: “He
needed a typewriter to complement his office
equipment.”
• As a noun, complement means whatever is
required for completion: “I am sending you
fifty books as a complement to your law
library.”
• Compliment is a noun meaning an expression
of admiration: “He paid her the compliment of
saying that she had exquisite taste in
clothes.”
Common vs Mutual
• Common means shared by two or more
people or things: “The classmates had a
common admiration for their school.”
• Mutual means reciprocal: “The
classmates had a mutual admiration for
each other.”
Consul, Council, Counsel
• A consul is a government agent who lives in a
foreign country to protect the interests of the
citizens of his own country.
• Council is a group of individuals who act in an
advisory capacity or meet to discuss and/or
make decisions: “The mayor met with the city
council.”
• Counsel as a noun means advice, yet in legal
language, it means a lawyer or lawyers: “He
sought counsel when he received the court
summons.”
Councilor vs Counselor
• A councilor is a member of a council,
whereas a counselor is an advisor.
Counselor is also used to mean leader,
guardian, or supervisor or a group.
Contemptuous vs
Contemptible
• Contemptuous means showing
contempt: “My teacher as contemptuous
of my performance.”
• Contemptible means deserving of
contempt: “His rude behavior at the
wedding was contemptible.”
Continual vs Continuous
• Continual means constantly with
interruptions: “She smoked continually.”
• Continuous means without interruption:
“The water flows continuously over
Niagara Falls.”
Credible, Creditable,
Credulous
• Credible means believable: “His story was
entirely credible.”
• Creditable means praiseworthy, meritorious,
but NOT outstanding: “His performance was
creditable, but I wouldn’t pay to hear him
again.”
• Credulous means ready to believe: “Being a
credulous person, he believed everything he
read.”
Different from
• Different from is the correct use, not
different than
Differ from vs. differ with
• Differ from applies to differences
between one person or thing and
another or others: “My car differs from
his because it is a newer model.”
• differ with means to have a difference in
opinion: “I differ with him in his views
about government.”
Dominate vs. domineer
• Dominate means to rule over: “He
dominated the audience with his
speech.”
• Domineer means to rule tyrannically:
“One of his daughters domineered over
the entire family.”
Duel vs. dual
• Dual means double: “Since he was born
in England of American parents, he
could claim dual citizenship.”
• A duel is a combat between two men:
“He challenged his enemy to a duel with
pistols.”
Elicit vs. illicit
• Elicit means to draw or bring forth:
“After hours of questioning, they elicited
the truth from him.”
• Illicit is an adjective meaning not
permitted or illegal: “Trafficking in drugs
is an illicit activity.”
Migrant, immigrant, emigrant
• A migrant is a member of a mass
movement of people from one region to
another
• A migrant who leaves a country or place
of residence is called an emigrant, while
one who comes in is an immigrant
Fewer vs. less
• Fewer is used in connection with people or
objects thought of as individual units: fewer
oranges, fewer children, fewer books, fewer
dollars.
• Less is used in connection with the concept of
bulk: less money, less coal, less weight, less
grain.
• Note that most words following fewer are
plural, and most following less are singular