2.  ACCEPT / EXCEPT
ACCEPT – is a verb meaning “to receive”
EXCEPT – is a preposition meaning “other than”
 If you offer me Godiva chocolates I will gladly accept them
except for the candied violet ones.
 ADAPT / ADOPT
ADAPT – means “to change”
ADOPT – means “to take one’s own”
 ADVICE / ADVISE
ADVICE – is a noun meaning “option”
ADVISE – is a verb meaning “to give an opinion to”
 When Ann Landers advise people, she gives them advice.

3.  AFFECT / EFFECT
AFFECT – is almost always a verb meaning “to influence”
EFFECT – usually a noun, meaning “result”. Occasionally, effect is a
verb meaning “to bring about” or “to cause”
 AIN’T – was originally a contraction of am not. It is not
considered standard English.
 AVOID IT ON ALL WRITING & SPEAKING.
 ALL READY / ALREADY
ALL READY – used as an adjective meaning “ready”
 "As soon as I put my coat on, I'll be all ready."
ALREADY – adverb meaning “by or before this time” or “even now”.
 "What do you mean you'd rather stay home? I've already got
my coat on."

4.  ALL RIGHT / ALRIGHT
ALRIGHT – although it is seen frequently in print, it is not considered a correct
spelling.
 MAKE SURETHAT INYOUR OWNWRITING,YOU ALWAYS USETHETWO-
WORD FORM.
Eg. NONSTANDARD:The new album is alright.
STANDARD: He is feeling all right today.
 ALLTOGETHER / ALTOGERTHER
ALLTOGETHER – a phrase meaning “together as a group”
 "The wedding guests were gathered all together in the garden."
ALTOGETHER – adverb which means “completely” or “in all”.
 "When he first saw the examination questions, he was altogether
baffled."
 AMONG / BETWEEN – both prepositions.
AMONG – always implies three or more.
BETWEEN – generally used with only two.

5.  ANYWHERE / EVERYWHERE / NOWHERE / SOMEWHERE
 NONE OFTHESE ADVERBS SHOULD EVER END WITH AN –S.
NONSTANDARD:The child lost the money somewheres on the playing field.
STANDARD:The child lost the memory somewhere on the playing field.
 ASTO
 ASTO is awkward. Replace it with ABOUT.
NONSTANDARD: I have no ideas as to where we should eat.
STANDARD: I have no ideas about where we should eat.
 AT
Do not use at after where. Simply eliminate it.
NONSTANDARD: Can you tell me where to catch the bus at?
STANDARD: Can you tell me where to catch the bus?

6.  BECAUSE
 Do not use because after the reason. Say “the reason...is that” or reword
the sentence altogether.
NONSTANDARD:The reason he is sad is because his dog died.
STANDARD: He is sad because his dog died.
 BEING AS / BEINGTHAT
 Avoid using both expressions. Use because or since instead.
NONSTANDARD: Being as it was so late, he went home.
STANDARD: Because it was so late, we went home.
 BESIDE / BESIDES
BESIDE – means “at the side of” or “close to”
BESIDES – means “in addition to”
 BRING /TAKE
BRING - means “to carry from a distant place to a nearer one”
TAKE – means to carry from a near place to a more distant place.

7.  CAN’T HELP BUT
 Replace this nonstandard expression with can’t help plus gerund.
NONSTANDARD: I can’t help but feel sorry for John after his recent
misfortune.
CORRECT: I can’t help feeling sorry for John after his recent
misfortune.
 DIFFERENT FROM / DIFFERENTTHAN
 Different from is preferred.
LESS ACCEPTABLE: My handwriting is different than Alice’s.
CORRECT: My handwriting is different from Alice’s.

8.  DOESN’T / DON’T
 Use doesn’t instead of don’t with all 3rd
-person singular pronouns and nouns.
NONSTANDARD:The machine don’t work.
CORRECT:The machine doesn’t work.
 DONE
 Done – is the past participle of do. It should always follow a helping verb.
NONSTANDARD: He done his homework.
CORRECT: He has done his homework.
 DUETOTHE FACTTHAT
 This phrase is unnecessarily wordy. Use SINCE or BECAUSE instead.
LESS ACCEPTABLE: Due to the fact that he was late, we left.
PREFERRED: Since he was late, we left.
 FARTHER / FURTHER
FARTHER – refers to distance
FURTHER – means “additional” or “to a greater degree or extent”

9.  IN / INTO
IN – refers to position
INTO – suggests motion
 KIND OF / SORT OF
 Do not use KIND OF or SORT OF in place of rather or somewhat.
NONSTANDARD: I feel sort of sick.
CORRECT: I feel somewhat sick.
 LAY / LIE
LAY – means “to put or set (something) down”
- its principal parts (lay, laying and laid) are usually followed by a
direct object.
LIE – means “to recline”
- its principal parts (lie, lying, lay, lain) are never followed by a direct
object.

10.  LEARN /TEACH
LEARN – “to receive knowledge”
TEACH – “to give knowledge”
 LEAVE / LET
LEAVE – “to allow to remain”.
LET – “to permit”
 OF / HAVE
 Do not use the preposition of in place of the verb have.
NONSTANDARD: I could of gone if I had wanted
CORRECT: I could have gone if I had wanted.

11.  SEEN
SEEN – is a past participle and can be used as a verb only with
a helping verb.
NONSTANDARD:We seen the new auditorium already.
CORRECT:We have seen the new auditorium already.
 SET / SIT
SET – means “to put (something) in a certain place”. Its
principal parts (set, setting and set) are usually followed by a
direct object.
SIT – means “to be seated” Its principal parts (sit, sitting, sat)
are never followed by a direct object.
 THAN /THEN
THAN is used in comparisons. Do not confuse it with the
adverbTHEN, which usually refers to time.

12.  THEIR /THERE /THEY’RE
THEIR – a possessive pronoun, always modifies noun.
THERE - can be used as either as an expletive at the beginning
of a sentence or as an adverb.
THEY’RE – is a contraction forTHEY ARE.
Eg. PRONOUN –The spectators threw their hats into the air.
EXPLETIVE:There are three police officers guarding the
gate.
ADVERB:The accident occurred there.
CONTRACTION:They’re waiting for us at the gate.
 TO /TOO /TWO
TO – a preposition, begins a prepositional phrase or an
infinitive.
TOO – an adverb, modifies adjectives and other adverbs.
TWO – a number