This document provides an introduction to and list of 100 common English usage problems. It begins by noting that English has become a global language, but its unique characteristics make it difficult for non-native speakers to master. It then presents a list of 100 common errors in English writing and speaking, organized by topic and providing examples to demonstrate proper usage. The purpose is to help non-native English speakers overcome common problems and develop a strong command of the language.
This document discusses common errors in English and provides examples. It identifies categories of errors such as incorrect capitalization, spelling mistakes, incorrect word choice, verb tense issues, subject-verb agreement errors, and pronoun errors. Potential causes of errors are also examined, such as language transfer, overgeneralization of rules, or carelessness. Guidelines for capitalization, spelling, plurals, verb agreement and other rules are then provided to help improve English writing skills.
Common errors committed by English Learners.AleeenaFarooq
This document provides 30 common errors made by English learners, along with helpful explanations for each. Some key errors discussed include article confusion, modal verbs with infinitives, subject-verb-object word order, use of apostrophes, capitalization, prepositions, irregular verbs, homonyms, and the differences between words like fewer/less, lie/lay, anxious/eager, disinterested/uninterested, and since/because. Mastering these subtle grammatical distinctions can help improve one's written English.
This document discusses common sentence errors and how to correct them. It covers faulty sentences like fragments, run-on sentences, comma splices, lack of parallelism, misplaced and dangling modifiers, subject-verb and pronoun-antecedent agreement issues. Examples of each error are provided along with the corrections. Exercises are included for the reader to identify errors and rewrite sentences correctly. The goal is to help writers improve basic writing skills by learning to identify and fix common grammatical mistakes in sentences.
The document provides examples of 15 common errors in academic writing and how to avoid them. It discusses issues such as using abbreviations, shifts in pronouns and verb tense, lack of variety, parallel structure, cliches, subject-verb agreement, comma splices, redundancy, prepositions, run-on sentences, apostrophes, dangling participles, and semicolons. For each error, it gives clear explanations and illustrates the differences between correct and incorrect usage with examples. The purpose is to help writers improve the quality and clarity of their formal academic prose.
The document provides information about common grammar mistakes and how to avoid them. It discusses mistakes such as using "common mistakes" instead of "common errors", overusing words, improper use of punctuation like commas, and issues with words that look similar but have different meanings such as "there/their/they're" and "lose/loose". Specific examples are given to demonstrate correct and incorrect usage. The presentation aims to help improve writing skills by highlighting these common errors.
This document provides a summary of common sentence errors and grammar concepts covered in Communication Essentials Week 5. It begins with a reminder of the Reading & Writing Lab #3 assignment due at the end of the week. It then covers topics such as complete sentences, sentence fragments, run-on sentences, dependent and independent clauses, verb tenses and forms, and passive and active voice. Examples are provided to illustrate each concept. The document concludes with homework assignments to review the material covered and study for an upcoming test.
The document outlines 5 common errors to avoid in academic writing: 1) Misspelling words, 2) Beginning sentences without capitalization, 3) Using texting abbreviations, 4) Writing sentence fragments, and 5) Writing run-on sentences. It provides examples and explanations of each error and recommends developing the habit of proofreading to avoid mistakes in spelling, capitalization, grammar, and punctuation.
This document discusses common errors in English and provides examples. It identifies categories of errors such as incorrect capitalization, spelling mistakes, incorrect word choice, verb tense issues, subject-verb agreement errors, and pronoun errors. Potential causes of errors are also examined, such as language transfer, overgeneralization of rules, or carelessness. Guidelines for capitalization, spelling, plurals, verb agreement and other rules are then provided to help improve English writing skills.
Common errors committed by English Learners.AleeenaFarooq
This document provides 30 common errors made by English learners, along with helpful explanations for each. Some key errors discussed include article confusion, modal verbs with infinitives, subject-verb-object word order, use of apostrophes, capitalization, prepositions, irregular verbs, homonyms, and the differences between words like fewer/less, lie/lay, anxious/eager, disinterested/uninterested, and since/because. Mastering these subtle grammatical distinctions can help improve one's written English.
This document discusses common sentence errors and how to correct them. It covers faulty sentences like fragments, run-on sentences, comma splices, lack of parallelism, misplaced and dangling modifiers, subject-verb and pronoun-antecedent agreement issues. Examples of each error are provided along with the corrections. Exercises are included for the reader to identify errors and rewrite sentences correctly. The goal is to help writers improve basic writing skills by learning to identify and fix common grammatical mistakes in sentences.
The document provides examples of 15 common errors in academic writing and how to avoid them. It discusses issues such as using abbreviations, shifts in pronouns and verb tense, lack of variety, parallel structure, cliches, subject-verb agreement, comma splices, redundancy, prepositions, run-on sentences, apostrophes, dangling participles, and semicolons. For each error, it gives clear explanations and illustrates the differences between correct and incorrect usage with examples. The purpose is to help writers improve the quality and clarity of their formal academic prose.
The document provides information about common grammar mistakes and how to avoid them. It discusses mistakes such as using "common mistakes" instead of "common errors", overusing words, improper use of punctuation like commas, and issues with words that look similar but have different meanings such as "there/their/they're" and "lose/loose". Specific examples are given to demonstrate correct and incorrect usage. The presentation aims to help improve writing skills by highlighting these common errors.
This document provides a summary of common sentence errors and grammar concepts covered in Communication Essentials Week 5. It begins with a reminder of the Reading & Writing Lab #3 assignment due at the end of the week. It then covers topics such as complete sentences, sentence fragments, run-on sentences, dependent and independent clauses, verb tenses and forms, and passive and active voice. Examples are provided to illustrate each concept. The document concludes with homework assignments to review the material covered and study for an upcoming test.
The document outlines 5 common errors to avoid in academic writing: 1) Misspelling words, 2) Beginning sentences without capitalization, 3) Using texting abbreviations, 4) Writing sentence fragments, and 5) Writing run-on sentences. It provides examples and explanations of each error and recommends developing the habit of proofreading to avoid mistakes in spelling, capitalization, grammar, and punctuation.
The 25 most common grammatical errors in the English language.Derek Murphy
Here's a list of the most 25 common mistakes in the English language. This PDF will be most useful printed out; I've added an infographic to our site so you can print it as a large poster (perfect for the office or classroom). www.bookbutchers.com
This document provides information on the auxiliary verbs can, could, must, shall, and will in English. It discusses their structure, uses, and differences. The key points are:
- Can is used to talk about possibility, ability, requests and permission. Could is used similarly but for past tense.
- Must is used to express necessity or obligation from the speaker's perspective. Must not and mustn't express prohibition.
- Shall and will have different uses - shall for more objective statements and will for more subjective opinions. Shall is also used for promises or commands.
Common pronunciation mistakes & false cognatesTony Bittner
The document discusses common pronunciation mistakes and false cognates in English. It defines homonyms as words that are spelled and pronounced the same but have different meanings. Homophones are words that sound the same but have different spellings and meanings. Homographs are words that are spelled the same but have different pronunciations and meanings. Examples of homonyms, homophones, and homographs in English are provided. The document also discusses cognates and false cognates, which are words that look or sound similar across languages but may have different meanings.
The document discusses various uses of future tenses in English, including Future Continuous, Future Perfect, and Future Perfect Continuous. It provides examples and explanations of when to use each tense. Specifically, it covers using Future Continuous to indicate interrupted or parallel future actions, Future Perfect to refer to completed actions before something in the future, and Future Perfect Continuous to emphasize the duration of an action up until a specific future time or event.
This document lists common mistakes made by Tunisian learners of English, including mistakes with vocabulary like "actually" vs. "currently", "take" vs. "pass" an exam, and "ameliorate" vs. "improve". It also discusses grammatical mistakes such as using "about" instead of the object in phrases like "discuss about", incorrect prepositions after words like "depends" and "interested", and issues with verbs like "agree" and "must". Finally, it provides examples of pronunciation challenges like differentiating "this" from "these" and pronouncing words like "hotel", "walk", and "half".
The document discusses adjective phrases. It begins by explaining that an adjective phrase is a group of words that serves to describe a noun or pronoun in a sentence, rather than just having an adjective. It then provides ways to identify an adjective phrase, noting that if the first word is a preposition or adverb, it likely modifies a noun. The document also defines an adjective phrase as a group of words that describe a noun and can be placed before or after the noun. It provides some examples of translating English sentences with adjective phrases to Arabic.
Intermediated Writing Grammar Course Sessions 3+4+5+ ExamSawsan Ali
The document provides information on adding emphasis and clarity in English sentences through various grammatical structures:
1) Cleft sentences using "it" or "what" can emphasize a specific subject or object.
2) Exceptional use of "do", "did", and "does" can emphasize something strongly felt.
3) Parallel structure and parallel form in sentences should maintain consistent grammatical construction.
This document discusses common types of faulty sentences in English and provides examples and exercises for each. The main faulty sentences covered are:
1. Sentence fragments - sentences that are incomplete and lack subjects, verbs, or objects. These can be corrected by adding the missing words.
2. Subject-verb disagreement - when the subject and verb do not agree in number. The subject and verb must both be singular or plural.
3. Faulty parallelism - when items in a list or series are not in the same grammatical form. The forms should be made consistent.
Exercises are provided throughout for the reader to identify and correct examples of each type of faulty sentence.
This document discusses different types of modifiers in sentences, including adjectives, adverbs, adjective phrases, and adverb phrases. It provides examples of each type of modifier and exercises for students to practice identifying and using modifiers. Key points covered include: adjectives and adverbs modify nouns and verbs; adjective and adverb phrases act like single adjectives and adverbs; and opening adjectives and adverbs appear at the beginning of sentences and require a comma. Practice questions ask students to underline different modifier types in example sentences.
Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, other adverbs, quantifiers, and whole sentences. There are different types of adverbs including manner, place, frequency, time, and purpose. Adverbs can be formed from adjectives by adding -ly, with some exceptions. The position of adverbs is flexible within sentences.
The document discusses prepositions and prepositional phrases. It defines prepositions as words that show relationships between other words in a sentence, such as direction, place, time, cause, and manner. It also discusses postpositions, circumpositions, and adpositions. Additionally, it covers the properties, types of complements, and functions of prepositions and prepositional phrases, including as heads of phrases, modifiers, complements, adjuncts, adverbials, and particles.
There are different forms of prepositions such as single-word and complex prepositions. Types of prepositions are prepositions of time, prepositions of place and prepositions of direction.
Prepositions are words that link nouns, pronouns, and phrases to other words in a sentence. There are several types of prepositions including simple prepositions like "in" and "on", compound prepositions like "without" and "within", double prepositions like "outside of", participle prepositions like "concerning", and phrase prepositions like "because of" and "by means of". Prepositions establish relationships between the object of the preposition and other parts of the sentence.
This document discusses the differences between direct and reported speech in 3 sentences:
Direct speech uses quotation marks while reported speech does not. Reported speech changes the verb tense and pronouns when referring to what was said. There are also specific rules for changing statements, questions, commands, exclamations, and other types of sentences into the reported form.
This document provides information about modifiers, specifically adjectives and adverbs, including adjective and adverb phrases. It defines modifiers and gives examples of adjective and adverb modifiers. It then discusses opening adjectives and adverbs, which modify sentences when placed at the beginning, and provides examples with practices for identifying opening adjectives and adverbs. The document aims to help develop a mature writing style through understanding and using different types of modifiers.
The document provides information about prepositions, prepositional phrases, and how to distinguish prepositions from adverbs. It includes activities for students to identify and use prepositions and prepositional phrases correctly in sentences. Students are given examples and definitions of key concepts like prepositions, prepositional phrases functioning as adjectives or adverbs, and pronouns used after prepositions. Songs and review questions are included to help students learn and practice the material.
This document discusses adjective phrases and how to translate them from English to Arabic. It defines an adjective phrase as a group of words that describes a noun. In English, the adjective typically comes before the noun, while in Arabic it usually follows the noun. When translating between the languages, the order of the adjective and noun may need to be switched. The document provides several examples of English sentences containing adjective phrases and their Arabic translations. It notes some challenges in translation due to differences in grammar structures between the languages.
The document provides information about adjective clauses:
1) An adjective clause modifies a noun or pronoun and includes both a subject and a verb. It usually follows the word or words it modifies.
2) Adjective clauses are often introduced by relative pronouns like "that", "which", "who", or "whom". Relative adverbs like "when" and "where" can also introduce adjective clauses.
3) Adjective clauses add clarity and description to writing but should be used sparingly to avoid wordiness.
1) The document discusses how learning vocabulary from one language, such as Spanish, can help with learning vocabulary in another language, such as English.
2) It provides examples of how the same concepts, such as verbs/action words, nouns, adjectives, subjects, objects, are referred to differently in English and Spanish.
3) The document asks the reader to provide examples of various linguistic concepts like verbs, nouns, adjectives to illustrate understanding.
Prepositions are words that show the relationship between people, things and people and things. The types of prepositions are simple prepositions, double prepositions, compound prepositions, phrase prepositions and participle prepositions.
The 25 most common grammatical errors in the English language.Derek Murphy
Here's a list of the most 25 common mistakes in the English language. This PDF will be most useful printed out; I've added an infographic to our site so you can print it as a large poster (perfect for the office or classroom). www.bookbutchers.com
This document provides information on the auxiliary verbs can, could, must, shall, and will in English. It discusses their structure, uses, and differences. The key points are:
- Can is used to talk about possibility, ability, requests and permission. Could is used similarly but for past tense.
- Must is used to express necessity or obligation from the speaker's perspective. Must not and mustn't express prohibition.
- Shall and will have different uses - shall for more objective statements and will for more subjective opinions. Shall is also used for promises or commands.
Common pronunciation mistakes & false cognatesTony Bittner
The document discusses common pronunciation mistakes and false cognates in English. It defines homonyms as words that are spelled and pronounced the same but have different meanings. Homophones are words that sound the same but have different spellings and meanings. Homographs are words that are spelled the same but have different pronunciations and meanings. Examples of homonyms, homophones, and homographs in English are provided. The document also discusses cognates and false cognates, which are words that look or sound similar across languages but may have different meanings.
The document discusses various uses of future tenses in English, including Future Continuous, Future Perfect, and Future Perfect Continuous. It provides examples and explanations of when to use each tense. Specifically, it covers using Future Continuous to indicate interrupted or parallel future actions, Future Perfect to refer to completed actions before something in the future, and Future Perfect Continuous to emphasize the duration of an action up until a specific future time or event.
This document lists common mistakes made by Tunisian learners of English, including mistakes with vocabulary like "actually" vs. "currently", "take" vs. "pass" an exam, and "ameliorate" vs. "improve". It also discusses grammatical mistakes such as using "about" instead of the object in phrases like "discuss about", incorrect prepositions after words like "depends" and "interested", and issues with verbs like "agree" and "must". Finally, it provides examples of pronunciation challenges like differentiating "this" from "these" and pronouncing words like "hotel", "walk", and "half".
The document discusses adjective phrases. It begins by explaining that an adjective phrase is a group of words that serves to describe a noun or pronoun in a sentence, rather than just having an adjective. It then provides ways to identify an adjective phrase, noting that if the first word is a preposition or adverb, it likely modifies a noun. The document also defines an adjective phrase as a group of words that describe a noun and can be placed before or after the noun. It provides some examples of translating English sentences with adjective phrases to Arabic.
Intermediated Writing Grammar Course Sessions 3+4+5+ ExamSawsan Ali
The document provides information on adding emphasis and clarity in English sentences through various grammatical structures:
1) Cleft sentences using "it" or "what" can emphasize a specific subject or object.
2) Exceptional use of "do", "did", and "does" can emphasize something strongly felt.
3) Parallel structure and parallel form in sentences should maintain consistent grammatical construction.
This document discusses common types of faulty sentences in English and provides examples and exercises for each. The main faulty sentences covered are:
1. Sentence fragments - sentences that are incomplete and lack subjects, verbs, or objects. These can be corrected by adding the missing words.
2. Subject-verb disagreement - when the subject and verb do not agree in number. The subject and verb must both be singular or plural.
3. Faulty parallelism - when items in a list or series are not in the same grammatical form. The forms should be made consistent.
Exercises are provided throughout for the reader to identify and correct examples of each type of faulty sentence.
This document discusses different types of modifiers in sentences, including adjectives, adverbs, adjective phrases, and adverb phrases. It provides examples of each type of modifier and exercises for students to practice identifying and using modifiers. Key points covered include: adjectives and adverbs modify nouns and verbs; adjective and adverb phrases act like single adjectives and adverbs; and opening adjectives and adverbs appear at the beginning of sentences and require a comma. Practice questions ask students to underline different modifier types in example sentences.
Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, other adverbs, quantifiers, and whole sentences. There are different types of adverbs including manner, place, frequency, time, and purpose. Adverbs can be formed from adjectives by adding -ly, with some exceptions. The position of adverbs is flexible within sentences.
The document discusses prepositions and prepositional phrases. It defines prepositions as words that show relationships between other words in a sentence, such as direction, place, time, cause, and manner. It also discusses postpositions, circumpositions, and adpositions. Additionally, it covers the properties, types of complements, and functions of prepositions and prepositional phrases, including as heads of phrases, modifiers, complements, adjuncts, adverbials, and particles.
There are different forms of prepositions such as single-word and complex prepositions. Types of prepositions are prepositions of time, prepositions of place and prepositions of direction.
Prepositions are words that link nouns, pronouns, and phrases to other words in a sentence. There are several types of prepositions including simple prepositions like "in" and "on", compound prepositions like "without" and "within", double prepositions like "outside of", participle prepositions like "concerning", and phrase prepositions like "because of" and "by means of". Prepositions establish relationships between the object of the preposition and other parts of the sentence.
This document discusses the differences between direct and reported speech in 3 sentences:
Direct speech uses quotation marks while reported speech does not. Reported speech changes the verb tense and pronouns when referring to what was said. There are also specific rules for changing statements, questions, commands, exclamations, and other types of sentences into the reported form.
This document provides information about modifiers, specifically adjectives and adverbs, including adjective and adverb phrases. It defines modifiers and gives examples of adjective and adverb modifiers. It then discusses opening adjectives and adverbs, which modify sentences when placed at the beginning, and provides examples with practices for identifying opening adjectives and adverbs. The document aims to help develop a mature writing style through understanding and using different types of modifiers.
The document provides information about prepositions, prepositional phrases, and how to distinguish prepositions from adverbs. It includes activities for students to identify and use prepositions and prepositional phrases correctly in sentences. Students are given examples and definitions of key concepts like prepositions, prepositional phrases functioning as adjectives or adverbs, and pronouns used after prepositions. Songs and review questions are included to help students learn and practice the material.
This document discusses adjective phrases and how to translate them from English to Arabic. It defines an adjective phrase as a group of words that describes a noun. In English, the adjective typically comes before the noun, while in Arabic it usually follows the noun. When translating between the languages, the order of the adjective and noun may need to be switched. The document provides several examples of English sentences containing adjective phrases and their Arabic translations. It notes some challenges in translation due to differences in grammar structures between the languages.
The document provides information about adjective clauses:
1) An adjective clause modifies a noun or pronoun and includes both a subject and a verb. It usually follows the word or words it modifies.
2) Adjective clauses are often introduced by relative pronouns like "that", "which", "who", or "whom". Relative adverbs like "when" and "where" can also introduce adjective clauses.
3) Adjective clauses add clarity and description to writing but should be used sparingly to avoid wordiness.
1) The document discusses how learning vocabulary from one language, such as Spanish, can help with learning vocabulary in another language, such as English.
2) It provides examples of how the same concepts, such as verbs/action words, nouns, adjectives, subjects, objects, are referred to differently in English and Spanish.
3) The document asks the reader to provide examples of various linguistic concepts like verbs, nouns, adjectives to illustrate understanding.
Prepositions are words that show the relationship between people, things and people and things. The types of prepositions are simple prepositions, double prepositions, compound prepositions, phrase prepositions and participle prepositions.
تعريف الكون.
أهميته وفوآئده.
الإنسان هو صانع الحركه في الكون.
الأرباح التي سوف يحصل عليها اذا التزم بآدابه و واجباته اتجاه الكون.
الخسائر التي سوف يحصل عليها الإنسان إذا التزم بآدابه و واجباته اتجاه الكون.
The document discusses various English verb tenses and forms, including:
- The present continuous form, which is used to describe actions happening now or ongoing actions.
- The past continuous form, which describes actions that were interrupted in the past by other actions.
- Comparatives and superlatives of adjectives and adverbs, including how they are formed and used in sentences.
- The past simple tense, which describes completed actions that occurred entirely in the past.
Adjectives are words that describe nouns and pronouns. They can describe an object's appearance, such as its size or color. They can also describe abstract qualities, like personality traits. There are different types of adjectives, including descriptive adjectives and limiting adjectives. Adjectives have specific rules for placement in sentences and have comparative and superlative forms to show degrees of comparison.
This document provides a table of contents for a book about avoiding common writing mistakes in English. It lists categories of mistakes such as spelling, usage, grammar and punctuation. The introduction explains that the book contains a list of 100 common errors in these areas to help writers avoid mistakes that could negatively impact readers. While not comprehensive, the list aims to address frequently encountered problems. The summary provides context and overview of the document's purpose and structure.
The document provides a list of 100 common spelling, usage, and punctuation mistakes to avoid in writing, covering errors such as "accept" versus "except," "all right" versus "alright," and "principle" versus "principal." Each entry explains the correct usage and provides an example. The document is intended as a quick reference for writers to avoid frequent errors without having to look up each item.
This document provides a table of contents for a guide on avoiding common writing mistakes. It includes an introduction explaining the purpose of identifying 100 common spelling, usage, and punctuation errors. The document is then divided into sections on spelling mistakes, usage mistakes, grammar mistakes, and punctuation mistakes.
This document provides a short guide to English grammar, defining key terms like parts of speech, clauses, phrases, and verb tenses and aspects. It explains that a word can be divided into a stem and inflections, and a sentence contains a subject, predicate, object, and possibly complement. There are two types of clauses - principal and subordinate. Parts of speech include nouns, articles, verbs, adverbs, prepositions. Verbs are classified by tense, aspect, voice, and mood.
This document provides a short guide to English grammar, defining key terms like parts of speech, clauses, phrases, and parts of a sentence. It explains nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, prepositions, conjunctions and their functions. For example, it states a noun is a "name" and denotes things or ideas. A verb expresses an action, with tense, aspect, voice and mood. Overall, the document serves as a basic introduction to grammatical concepts and terminology.
This document provides a short guide to English grammar, defining key terms like parts of speech, clauses, phrases, and verb tenses and aspects. It explains that a word can be divided into a stem and inflections, and a sentence divided into a subject, predicate, object, and complement. There are two types of clauses - principal and subordinate. Parts of speech include nouns, articles, verbs, adverbs, prepositions. Verbs are classified by tense, aspect, voice, and mood.
Word choice is important in writing because it determines whether readers will understand the intended meaning. Using the wrong word can cause sentences to become nonsensical or humorous. Precise word choice is key to clear communication. Writers should avoid wordiness, redundancy, unnecessary repetition, inflated phrases, passive voice, jargon, pretentious language, sexist language, and cliches. Careful attention to denotation, connotation, idioms, and figurative devices also helps ensure meaning is conveyed as intended.
1Unit ILesson 6 Grammar and StyleAdjectives and Adverbs.docxfelicidaddinwoodie
1
Unit I
Lesson 6: Grammar and Style
Adjectives and Adverbs
Adjectives
Adjectives are modifiers: Modifiers include words, phrases, and clauses.
Adjectives modify or say something about a noun or a pronoun. Adjectives can tell what color, how many, how big or small, in fact just about anything about the words they modify.
There are several very specific things about adjectives that we have to be aware of as we write and speak:
1. One common error in slang, low diction, and conversational English is to misuse an adjective to modify another adjective.
For example:
He is real tall.
Here the word real is an adjective, but it cannot modify another adjective, tall.
The correct form would be, “He is really tall.” In this case, really, an adverb, can modify the adjective tall.
Another example:
Yesterday I was real sick the whole time at school
Here real attempts to modify the adjective sick. As above, an adjective can never modify another adjective.
The correct form would be, “Yesterday I was really sick the whole time at school.”
2. Adjectives conform to particular and traditional positions, in English usually immediately before what they modify.
Most of the time, adjectives come directly in front of the word they are modifying.
For example:
She drove a new pink Mercedes.
The hot, roaring fire engulfed the house.
In both cases here, there are two adjectives in front of the words they modify.
Another common position for the adjective is at the end of the sentence. This common structure takes the form of subject + linking verb + adjective. Many of these structures, as you will see, are common everyday expressions.
For example:
The quarterback for the opposing team is extremely tall.
Here the adjective tall modifies the subject of the sentence, quarterback.
Sharks in these waters have been known to be very aggressive.
Here the adjective aggressive modifies the subject, sharks.
Food in this part of New Orleans is generally accepted to be very expensive.
Here the adjective expensive modifies the subject, food.
3. Adjectives also normally appear in three different forms, depending on what they are modifying and the context. These are called the positive, what you might call the normal or typical form of the adjective; the comparative, used when you are comparing two items; and the superlative, used when you are comparing one item to three or more other similar items.
For example:
Positive Comparative Superlative
fast faster fastest
good better best
smooth smoother smoothest
Note that adjectives of multiple syllables have to use more and most to make their comparative and superlative forms:
Positive Comparative Superlative
Redolent more redolent most redolent
Note that you could not say redolenter or redolentest.
Fragrant more fragrant most fragrant
Again, there are no such words as fragranter or fragrantest.
Also note that you cannot mix the two forms—that is, add more or most to a form that is made by ...
This document provides a table of contents and introduction for a guide about common writing mistakes to avoid. It discusses spelling, usage, grammar, and punctuation errors. The introduction explains that the guide lists 100 mistakes without spending much time on definitions. It is meant for writers who want to improve their work by avoiding frequent errors.
This document provides a list of 100 common spelling, usage, and punctuation mistakes to avoid in writing. It is divided into sections on spelling mistakes, usage mistakes, grammar mistakes, and punctuation mistakes. Each entry provides an example of the incorrect usage and the correct version, along with a brief explanation. The goal is to help writers avoid frequent errors in a quick reference without having to consult lengthier style guides or dictionaries. Familiarity with basic grammar terms is assumed.
This document provides definitions and examples for over 50 English vocabulary words. It compares words that appear to be opposites, such as "typical" vs. "atypical" and explains nuanced differences between similar words like "should" vs. "must" and "want" vs. "need". The document aims to clarify uses of these words and phrases to more precisely communicate meanings in English.
This document provides information about adverbs in English grammar. It begins by defining adverbs as words that modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs by describing how, when, where, or to what extent an action is performed. It then classifies adverbs into 10 types based on their meaning: manner, frequency, place, time, degree/intensity, interrogative, affirmation, doubt, approximation, and negation. Examples are provided for each type. The document also discusses how adjectives and nouns can be transformed into adverbs and provides guidelines and exceptions for using adjectives versus adverbs correctly. It concludes with a practice test matching adverb types to questions and identifying adverb types in sentences.
The document discusses different types of pronouns in English including:
- Reflexive pronouns which refer back to the subject like myself, yourself, etc.
- Personal pronouns which represent people or things based on number, person, gender and case like I, you, he, she, we, etc.
- Indefinite pronouns which do not refer to a specific person or thing like someone, anybody, each, etc. and can be singular or plural depending on the context.
This document discusses the present subjunctive tense in Spanish. It begins by explaining that the subjunctive is another way of expressing verbs in Spanish and is used in similar contexts as in English, such as in adverbial clauses expressing the future. It then provides a step-by-step process for forming the present subjunctive in Spanish verbs, noting there are 10 different forms. Finally, it discusses the use of indirect object pronouns in Spanish and another use of "se" to express accidental or unplanned occurrences.
The document provides information on adjective clauses, including defining relative pronouns, restrictive and nonrestrictive clauses, and reducing adjective clauses. It defines relative pronouns and gives examples of sentences containing adjective clauses introduced by relative pronouns. It explains the difference between restrictive and nonrestrictive clauses and provides examples. It also outlines the rules and steps for reducing adjective clauses, including changing the verb form and omitting unnecessary words, and provides sample reductions.
FAQs about the English Language: VocabularyESL Reading
The document discusses various topics related to the English language vocabulary:
1. There is no definitive count of words in the English language, though estimates range from 600,000-1,000,000 words. The Oxford English Dictionary defines over 600,000 words.
2. While Chinese has the most written characters, estimates suggest English has the largest vocabulary among European languages due to its openness to importing words from other languages.
3. Irregular verbs, which do not follow standard conjugation patterns, are estimated to make up around 180 of the most commonly used English verbs. They are believed to be "fossils" that have survived from ancient Indo-European languages.
4.
This presentation was provided by Racquel Jemison, Ph.D., Christina MacLaughlin, Ph.D., and Paulomi Majumder. Ph.D., all of the American Chemical Society, for the second session of NISO's 2024 Training Series "DEIA in the Scholarly Landscape." Session Two: 'Expanding Pathways to Publishing Careers,' was held June 13, 2024.
Temple of Asclepius in Thrace. Excavation resultsKrassimira Luka
The temple and the sanctuary around were dedicated to Asklepios Zmidrenus. This name has been known since 1875 when an inscription dedicated to him was discovered in Rome. The inscription is dated in 227 AD and was left by soldiers originating from the city of Philippopolis (modern Plovdiv).
Philippine Edukasyong Pantahanan at Pangkabuhayan (EPP) CurriculumMJDuyan
(𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝟏𝟎𝟎) (𝐋𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝟏)-𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐬
𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐏𝐏 𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐮𝐦 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬:
- Understand the goals and objectives of the Edukasyong Pantahanan at Pangkabuhayan (EPP) curriculum, recognizing its importance in fostering practical life skills and values among students. Students will also be able to identify the key components and subjects covered, such as agriculture, home economics, industrial arts, and information and communication technology.
𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐧 𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐫:
-Define entrepreneurship, distinguishing it from general business activities by emphasizing its focus on innovation, risk-taking, and value creation. Students will describe the characteristics and traits of successful entrepreneurs, including their roles and responsibilities, and discuss the broader economic and social impacts of entrepreneurial activities on both local and global scales.
THE SACRIFICE HOW PRO-PALESTINE PROTESTS STUDENTS ARE SACRIFICING TO CHANGE T...indexPub
The recent surge in pro-Palestine student activism has prompted significant responses from universities, ranging from negotiations and divestment commitments to increased transparency about investments in companies supporting the war on Gaza. This activism has led to the cessation of student encampments but also highlighted the substantial sacrifices made by students, including academic disruptions and personal risks. The primary drivers of these protests are poor university administration, lack of transparency, and inadequate communication between officials and students. This study examines the profound emotional, psychological, and professional impacts on students engaged in pro-Palestine protests, focusing on Generation Z's (Gen-Z) activism dynamics. This paper explores the significant sacrifices made by these students and even the professors supporting the pro-Palestine movement, with a focus on recent global movements. Through an in-depth analysis of printed and electronic media, the study examines the impacts of these sacrifices on the academic and personal lives of those involved. The paper highlights examples from various universities, demonstrating student activism's long-term and short-term effects, including disciplinary actions, social backlash, and career implications. The researchers also explore the broader implications of student sacrifices. The findings reveal that these sacrifices are driven by a profound commitment to justice and human rights, and are influenced by the increasing availability of information, peer interactions, and personal convictions. The study also discusses the broader implications of this activism, comparing it to historical precedents and assessing its potential to influence policy and public opinion. The emotional and psychological toll on student activists is significant, but their sense of purpose and community support mitigates some of these challenges. However, the researchers call for acknowledging the broader Impact of these sacrifices on the future global movement of FreePalestine.
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A proprietary approach developed by bringing together the best of learning theories from Psychology, design principles from the world of visualization, and pedagogical methods from over a decade of training experience, that enables you to: Learn better, faster!
How Barcodes Can Be Leveraged Within Odoo 17Celine George
In this presentation, we will explore how barcodes can be leveraged within Odoo 17 to streamline our manufacturing processes. We will cover the configuration steps, how to utilize barcodes in different manufacturing scenarios, and the overall benefits of implementing this technology.
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
إضغ بين إيديكم من أقوى الملازم التي صممتها
ملزمة تشريح الجهاز الهيكلي (نظري 3)
💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀
تتميز هذهِ الملزمة بعِدة مُميزات :
1- مُترجمة ترجمة تُناسب جميع المستويات
2- تحتوي على 78 رسم توضيحي لكل كلمة موجودة بالملزمة (لكل كلمة !!!!)
#فهم_ماكو_درخ
3- دقة الكتابة والصور عالية جداً جداً جداً
4- هُنالك بعض المعلومات تم توضيحها بشكل تفصيلي جداً (تُعتبر لدى الطالب أو الطالبة بإنها معلومات مُبهمة ومع ذلك تم توضيح هذهِ المعلومات المُبهمة بشكل تفصيلي جداً
5- الملزمة تشرح نفسها ب نفسها بس تكلك تعال اقراني
6- تحتوي الملزمة في اول سلايد على خارطة تتضمن جميع تفرُعات معلومات الجهاز الهيكلي المذكورة في هذهِ الملزمة
واخيراً هذهِ الملزمة حلالٌ عليكم وإتمنى منكم إن تدعولي بالخير والصحة والعافية فقط
كل التوفيق زملائي وزميلاتي ، زميلكم محمد الذهبي 💊💊
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Leveraging Generative AI to Drive Nonprofit InnovationTechSoup
In this webinar, participants learned how to utilize Generative AI to streamline operations and elevate member engagement. Amazon Web Service experts provided a customer specific use cases and dived into low/no-code tools that are quick and easy to deploy through Amazon Web Service (AWS.)
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100 Common English Usage Problems
Introduction
English is today’s lingua franca; its evolution is driven by the current demands
for information and the need for global communication. English serves as the native
language for nearly 400 million people, a second language for another 400 million
people, and a foreign language to 800 million people across the globe. It has unarguably
become an important academic and professional tool. It is recognized as the most
important language through which the increasingly mobile international community
interacts and learns.
However, despite its worldwide use, English is still considered the most difficult
European language to learn and read, primarily because its unique characteristics hinder
non-native English speakers from obtaining a strong command of it. English syntax, with
its strict subject-verb-object structure, is particularly difficult to grasp. English is also
unique in its uses of articles. When combined with the fact that English is an unphonetic
language and possesses other small peculiarities, it is a daunting challenge to learn and
master.
Below, we have compiled a list of common English usage problems that can
cause confusion in both writing and speaking. We also provide corresponding examples
to illustrate these problems and demonstrate proper usage. Read each item carefully, and
note what you feel requires special attention. As you become more familiar with the
contents of our booklet and master them, you may refer to individual items from time to
time as needed. Remember, the only way to develop a good command of the English
language is to master its rules and apply them accordingly in your everyday speech and
writing.
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100 Common English Usage Problems
1. a, an The article a is used before consonant sounds, and the article an before vowel
sounds. Words beginning with h, o, or u may have either a consonant sound or a vowel
sound.
Example:
a histology class (h-sound)
a one-way path (w-sound)
a uniform look (y-sound)
2. accept, except Accept, a verb, means “to receive.” Except, a preposition, means
“leaving out” or “other than.”
Example:
VERB- She did not accept the job offer for flimsy reasons.
PREPOSITION- We were all excited about the reunion, except Maggie.
3. accuse, allege Accuse means “to blame” or “to bring a charge against.” Allege means
“to claim something that has not been proven.”
Example:
He was accused of treason, which he vehemently denied.
It was alleged that he secretly cooperated with the Japanese during the war.
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4. adapt, adopt Adapt, a verb, means “to change.” Adopt, also a verb, means “to take as
one’s own.”
Example:
We were finally able to adapt to the cold climate of the area.
The group adopted the strategy and implemented it in the entire unit.
5. advice, advise Advice is a noun meaning “an opinion.” Advise is a verb meaning “to
give an opinion to.”
Example:
I miss the pieces of advice that mother used to bombard me with.
She has always advised me to remain strong and independent.
6. affect, effect Affect is almost always a verb meaning “to influence.” Effect, usually a
noun, means “result.” Occasionally, effect is a verb meaning “to bring about” or “to
cause.”
Example:
I would not let my personal problems affect the quality of my work.
The effect of the earthquake on Beijing was disastrous.
She effected policies that benefited the entire organization.
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7. aggravate Aggravate means “ to make worse.” Avoid using this word as a synonym
of “annoy.”
Example:
LESS ACCEPTABLE: She was severely aggravated by his rude behavior.
PREFERRED: Delaying your visit to the doctor will only aggravate your ailment.
8. ain’t Ain’t, originally a contraction of AM NOT, is not considered acceptable in
standard English. Avoid using it in all writing and speaking.
Example:
NONSTANDARD: I ain’t going to the party tonight.
CORRECT: I am not going to the party tonight.
9. allot, a lot Allot, a verb, means “to divide in parts” or “to give out in shares.” A lot is
an informal expression meaning “a great many” or “a great amount.” Avoid using it in
formal writing.
Example:
VERB: My husband allotted a portion of his monthly pay for his sister’s matriculation.
INFORMAL: He has a lot of relatives in the suburbs to support.
FORMAL: He has many relatives in the suburbs to support.
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10. all ready, already All ready is an expression functioning as an adjective and meaning
“ready.” Already is an adverb meaning “by or before this time” or “even now.”
Example:
ADJECTIVE: We are all ready to listen to the proposition.
ADVERB: We have already arrived at a decision.
11. all right, alright Alright is nonstandard spelling. Always use the two-word form in
your writing.
Example:
NONSTANDARD: It is alright with the group that you take your share in advance.
CORRECT: It is all right with the group that you take your share in advance.
12. all together, altogether All together means “all at once.” Altogether means
“completely” or “in all.”
Example:
CORRECT: All together, the members of the Parliament moved that the motion be
reconsidered.
CORRECT: They did not agree altogether that the bill was worth passing.
13. A.M., P.M A.M. refers to the hours before noon and P.M. to the hours after noon.
Do not spell out numbers when you use these abbreviations, and do not use such phrases
as “in the morning” or “in the afternoon” with them.
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INCORRECT: We will leave for Calgary at nine A.M. in the morning.
CORRECT: We will leave for Calgary at 9:00 A.M.
14. among, between Among and between are both prepositions. Among always implies
three or more. Between is generally used with just two things.
Example:
John was certainly among the most talented students in his class.
John always comes between Frank and myself.
15. amount, number Use amount with quantities that cannot be counted. Use number
with things that can be counted.
Example:
a small amount of lotion, a large amount of profit
a number of books, a number of delegates
16. anxious Anxious means “worried,” “uneasy,” or “fearful.” Do not use it as a
substitute for “eager.”
AMBIGUOUS: We are always anxious to meet new friends.
CLEAR: We are always anxious about meeting new friends.
We are always eager to meet new friends.
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17. anyone, any one, everyone, every one Anyone and everyone mean “any person”
and “every person,” respectively. Any one means “any single person (or thing).” Every
one means “every single person (or thing).”
Example:
Anyone may try out the new dish.
Any one of these dishes may be tried out.
Everyone did not like the dish.
Every one of the dishes was horrible.
18. anyway, anywhere, everywhere, nowhere, somewhere These adverbs should never
end in –s.
NONSTANDARD: It does not matter if the host refuses because the group will still go
anyways.
CORRECT: It does not matter if the host refuses because the group will still go anyway.
19. as Do not use this conjunction to mean “because” or “since.”
LESS ACCEPTABLE: As she was terribly sick, she was not able to join the competition.
PREFERRED: Because she was terribly sick, she was not able to join the competition.
20. as to As to is awkward. Replace it with about/on.
NONSTANDARD: There are a number of theories as to how life began.
CORRECT: There are a number of theories about how life began.
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21. at Do not use at after “where.” Simply eliminate it.
NONSTANDARD: Do the visitors know where the train station is at?
CORRECT: Do the visitors know where the train station is?
22. at about Avoid using at with about. Simply eliminate at or about.
LESS ACCEPTABLE: The delegates arrived at about noon.
PREFERRED: The delegates arrived at noon.
23. awful, awfully Awful is used informally to mean “extremely bad.” Awfully is used
informally to mean “very.” Both modifiers are overused and should be replaced with
more descriptive words. In formal writing, awful should be used only to mean “inspiring
fear.”
INFORMAL: Mary looked awful when she was hospitalized.
BETTER: Mary looked pale and weak when she was hospitalized.
INFORMAL: Mary was awfully weak.
BETTER: Mary was very weak.
24. awhile, a while Awhile is an adverb, which in itself means “for a while.” A while is
an article and a noun, and is usually used after the preposition “for.”
Example:
Rest awhile if the driver is not yet around.
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Stay for a while and keep me company while you wait for the driver.
25. beat, win Beat means “to overcome (an opponent).” Win means “to achieve victory
in.” Do not use win in place of beat.
NONSTANDARD: The Tigers won against the Yankees in the final game.
CORRECT: The Tigers beat the Yankees in the final game.
26. because Do not use because after “the reason.” Say “The reason is….that” or
reword the sentence.
NONSTANDARD: The reason I resigned is because I was not prepared for the job.
CORRECT: The reason I resigned is that I was not prepared for the job.
I resigned because I was not prepared for the job.
27. being as, being that Avoid using either expression. Use “since” or “because”
instead.
NONSTANDARD: Being that it was raining outside, we cancelled our activity for the
day.
CORRECT: Because it was raining outside, we cancelled our activity for the day.
28. beside, besides As prepositions, these two words have different meanings and
cannot be interchanged. Beside means “at the side of” or “close to.” Besides means “in
addition to” and “except for” or “apart from,” but should not be confused with the
conjunction moreover, which will be discussed later.
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Example:
Linda was beside me during the entire course of the interview.
Besides my educational background, I was asked about my job experiences.
29. bring, take Bring means “to carry from a distant place to a nearer one.” Take means
the opposite: “to carry from a near place to a more distant one.”
EXAMPLE:
It is lunch time so please bring the lunch boxes here.
It is lunch time so please take the lunch boxes to the kids.
30. bunch Bunch means “a number of things of the same kind.” Avoid using this word
to mean “group.”
PREFERRED: A group of professionals formed their own labor union.
They brought a bunch of fruits with them.
31. burst, bust, busted Burst is the standard present, past, and past participle of the verb
burst. Bust and busted are nonstandard forms.
NONSTANDARD: Marco will bust if he takes one more bite!
CORRECT: Marco will burst if he takes one more bite!
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32. but what Do not use but what. Instead, use that.
NONSTANDARD: I do not doubt but what I will succeed.
CORRECT: I do not doubt that I will succeed.
33. can, may Use can to mean “to have the ability to.” Use may to mean “to have
permission to” or “to be possible or likely to.”
ABILITY: You can certainly carry that load.
PERMISSION: Yes, you may use it.
POSSIBILITY: You may overcome that challenge.
34. cannot help but This is a nonstandard expression. Use cannot help plus a gerund
instead.
NONSTANDARD: I cannot help but think of all the misery I went through.
CORRECT: I cannot help wondering how I was able to solve all my problems.
35. clipped words Avoid clipped or shortened words, such as gym, phone, and photo in
formal writing.
INFORMAL: I kept a photo of you and your family all these years.
FORMAL: I kept a photograph of you and your family all these years.
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36. condemn, condone Condemn means “to express strong disapproval of.” Condone
means “to pardon or overlook.”
Example:
She was condemned for betraying her own country.
The government condoned her cruel acts.
37. continual, continuous Continual means “occurring again and again in succession.”
Continuous means “occurring without interruption.”
Example:
His continual tardiness caused his dismissal from his post.
His continuous absence from his post caused his dismissal.
38. different from, different than Different from is preferred.
LESS ACCEPTABLE: Her idea of marriage is different than mine.
PREFERRED: Her idea of marriage is different from mine.
39. doesn’t, don’t Do not use don’t with third-person singular subjects. Use doesn’t
instead.
NONSTANDARD: She don’t know where she is heading to.
STANDARD: She does not know where she is going to.
MOST FREQUENTLY USED: She doesn’t know where she is going.
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40. done Done is the past participle of the verb do. It should always follow a helping
verb.
NONSTANDARD: Mr. Jones’ children always done well in school.
CORRECT: Mr. Jones’ children have always done well in school.
41. due to Due to means “caused by” and should be used only when the words caused
by can logically be substituted.
NONSTANDARD: The meeting was postponed due to the gloomy weather.
CORRECT: The postponement of the meeting was due to the gloomy weather.
42. due to the fact that Replace this wordy expression with since and because.
LESS ACCEPTABLE: Due to the fact that we were late, we lost the game by default.
PREFERRED: We lost the game by default because we were late.
43. each other, one another Each other and one another are usually interchangeable.
At times, however, each other is more logically used in reference to only two, and one
another, in reference to more than two.
Example:
Jesus taught us to love one another.
The couple held each other’s hand as they walked down the aisle.
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44. emigrate, immigrate Emigrate means “to leave a country for a new residency.”
Immigrate means “to enter a country to establish residency.”
Example:
During the war, many Vietnamese emigrated from the country.
Many Vietnamese immigrated to the United States.
45. enthused, enthusiastic Enthused is nonstandard. Replace it with enthusiastic.
NONSTANDARD: The employees were all enthused about the new work arrangement.
CORRECT: The employees were all enthusiastic about the new work arrangement.
46. farther, further Farther refers to distance. Further means “additional” or “to a
greater degree of extent.”
Example:
Grandmother’s place is farther than what we expected.
Grandmother asked us further how we were able to get to her place.
47. fewer, less Use fewer with things that can be counted. Use less with qualities and
quantities that cannot be counted.
Example:
Fewer books, fewer complaints
Less trouble, less milk
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48. former, latter Former refers to the first of two previously mentioned items. Latter
refers to the second of the two.
Example:
We bought some food and new toys for the orphanage.
The former we gave to the orphanage employees; the latter we gave to the kids.
49. get, got, gotten These forms of the verb get are acceptable in standard English, but
whenever possible, it is best to find a more specific word.
INFORMAL: get a permit, got a job, have gotten wealthier
BETTER: obtain a permit, hired for a job, have acquired wealth
50. gone, went Gone is the past participle of go and should be used as a verb only with a
helping word. Went is the past form of go and is never used with a helping verb.
NONSTANDARD: Joe gone to see his family in Miami.
CORRECT: Joe went to see his family in Miami.
CORRECT: Joe could have gone to see his family in Miami.
51. good, lovely, nice Whenever possible, replace these weak and overused words with a
more specific adjective.
WEAK: good explanation, lovely weather, nice clothes
BETTER: elaborate explanation, warm weather, fashionable clothes
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52. hanged, hung Use hanged to mean “executed.” Use hung to mean “suspended.”
Example:
The traitor was hanged before his own countrymen.
Spider plants hung from the ceiling of the living room.
53. healthful, healthy Things are healthful; people are healthy.
LESS ACCEPTABLE: Tofu is healthy food.
PREFERRED: Tofu is healthful food.
54. if, whether These two subordinate conjunctions are interchangeable. When using
whether, it is not necessary to include or not after it.
Example: The diplomats were wondering whether (or if) they made the right proposition.
55. in, into In refers to position. Into suggests motion.
Position: Each piece of accessory was placed in the cabinet.
Motion: Please put all of your things into the drawer.
56. irregardless Avoid this word. Use regardless.
NONSTANDARD: Irregardless of the election results, you are still our choice.
CORRECT: Regardless of the election results, you are still our choice.
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57. judicial, judicious Judicial means “relating to the administration of justice.”
Judicious means “showing wisdom.”
Example:
The highest judicial body in the land is the Supreme Court.
The judge’s judicious decision earned for him much respect.
58. just When just is used as an adverb meaning “no more than,” it should be placed
right before the word it modifies.
LESS ACCEPTABLE: Just clean the porch, not the garage.
PREFERRED: Clean just the porch, not the garage.
59. kind of, sort of Do not use kind of and sort of to mean “rather” or “somewhat.”
NONSTANDARD: Anne was sort of disappointed with her colleague’s performance.
CORRECT: Anne was somewhat disappointed with her colleague’s performance.
60. kind of a, sort of a Do not use a after kind of and sort of.
NONSTANDARD: Which kind of a book do you prefer?
CORRECT: Which kind of book do you prefer?
In addition, avoid such expressions as “this kind of clothes” or “these sorts of
examinations.” If kind or sort is singular, the object of the preposition of should also be
singular. If kind or sort is plural, the object of the preposition of should also be plural.
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NONSTANDARD: this kind of clothes, these sorts of examination
CORRECT: this kind of cloth, these sorts of examinations
61. lay, lie Lay means “to put or set (something) down.” Its tenses are–lay, laying, laid,
and laid–and are usually followed by a direct object. Lie means “to recline.” Its principal
parts–lie, lying, lay, and lain–are never followed by a direct object.
LAY: Lay the vase on the desk.
They are laying the carpet tomorrow afternoon.
Jack gently laid the eggs in the container.
LIE: Lie down and rest for a few minutes.
The children are lying on the carpet.
They were so tired that they lay down to rest.
62. learn, teach Learn means “to acquire knowledge.” Teach means to impart
knowledge to.”
Example:
I learned so much from my elementary English teacher.
My elementary English teacher used to teach me so much.
63. leave, let Leave means “to allow to remain.” Let means “to permit.”
NONSTANDARD: Leave me to do this on my own.
CORRECT: Let me do this on my own.
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64. like Like is a preposition and should not be used in place of the conjunction as.
NONSTANDARD: He is wise like a monkey is wise.
CORRECT: He is wise as a monkey is wise.
65. loose, lose Loose is usually an adjective or part of such idioms as cut loose, turn
loose, or break loose. Lose is always a verb, generally meaning “to miss from one’s
possession.”
Example:
Grandma loves to wear loose clothes.
Lose this game, and you are out of the entire tournament.
66. mad In formal usage, the adjective mad means “insane.” Used informally, mad
means “angry.”
INFORMAL: Jenny was so mad that she threw the book at her brother.
FORMAL: She was brought to the sanitarium because she was mad.
67. maybe, may be Maybe is an adverb meaning “perhaps.” May be is a helping verb
and a verb.
ADVERB: Maybe we will make it to the meeting on time.
VERB: She may be permitted to use the conference room.
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68. moral, morale Moral means good or virtuous; it also refers to the lesson or principle
that can be learned from a story or an event. Meanwhile, morale refers to a mental
condition or the state of the spirits of a person or a group of persons.
Example:
A moral individual is admired by people.
The moral of the fable was identified by the listeners easily.
After losing the game, the team’s morale was low.
69. moreover Use the conjunction moreover to mean the same thing as furthermore. It
is used to expound on a given idea and should not be confused with besides which, when
used as a conjunction, also means anyway (other than to mean in addition to) and is more
appropriate for informal use.
INCORRECT: Nurses are leaving the country for greener pastures. Besides, other
professionals and skilled workers are following suit.
CORRECT: Nurses are leaving the country for greener pastures. Moreover, other
professionals and skilled workers are following suit.
70. of Do not use of after a helping verb such as should, would, could, and must. Use
have instead. Do not use of after outside, inside, off, and atop. Simply eliminate it.
NONSTANDARD: She must of remembered she had an appointment.
CORRECT: She must have remembered she had an appointment.
LESS ACCEPTABLE: The kid fell off of the high chair.
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PREFERRED: The kid fell off the high chair.
71. OK, O.K., okay In informal writing, OK, O.K., and okay are acceptably used to mean
“all right.” However, do not use either the abbreviations or okay in formal writing.
INFORMAL: It is okay to bring your kids with you to the annual company outing.
FORMAL: It is all right to bring your kids with you to the annual company outing.
72. only Only should be placed in front of the word it logically modifies.
Example:
We brought with us only the most important items.
Only the employees were allowed access to the conference room.
73. ought Never use ought with have or had. Simply eliminate have or had.
NONSTANDARD: The photocopy machine had ought to work now.
CORRECT: The photocopy machine ought to work now.
74. outside of Do not use this expression to mean “besides” or “except.”
NONSTANDARD: Outside of Terry, there was no other eligible applicant.
CORRECT: Except Terry, there was no other eligible applicant.
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75. parameter This word is correctly used only in mathematical contexts, in which it
designates a variable. Do not use parameter to mean “boundary,” “limit,” “scope,”
“detail,” and so on.
LESS ACCEPTABLE: The team can solve the problem within the parameters of the
requirements.
PREFERRED: The team can solve the problem within the scope of the requirements.
76. persecute, prosecute Persecute means “to subject to ill treatment.” Prosecute means
“to bring a lawsuit against.”
Example:
He was not understood by the society at first, so he was persecuted.
The former president was prosecuted for the anomalies during her administration.
77. plurals that do not end in –s. The plural of certain nouns from Greek and Latin are
formed as they were in their original languages. Word such as criteria, media, and
phenomena are plural and should not be treated as if they were singular (criterion,
medium, phenomenon).
INCORRECT: The committee has decided on the judging criteria, which is to be used
for the competition.
CORRECT: The committee has decided on the judging criteria, which are to be used for
the competition.
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78. poorly Poorly is used informally to mean “ill.” Avoid this use in formal situations.
INFORMAL: She missed her class because she was feeling poorly.
FORMAL: She missed her class because she was feeling ill.
79. precede, proceed Precede means “to go before.” Proceed means “to move or go
forward.”
Example:
The board meeting preceded the election of officers.
The board proceeded with the deliberation.
80. principal, principle As an adjective, principal, means “most important” or “chief;”
as a noun, it means “a person who has controlling authority.” Principle, always a noun,
means “a fundamental law.”
ADJECTIVE: Our principal plan is to make an investment.
NOUN: Mrs. Gallagher is the school principal.
NOUN: She follows her guiding principle wholeheartedly.
81. raise, rise Raise usually takes a direct object. Rise never takes a direct object.
Example:
Raise your complaints before the board.
Rise to a new day.
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82. real Real means “authentic.” The use of real to mean “very” or “really” should be
avoided in formal writing.
INFORMAL: This job is one real challenge.
FORMAL: This job is very challenging.
83. refer back This is a common confusion between refer and look back. This usage is
not recommended in formal writing on the premise that the “re-” of “refer” means "back,"
so refer back is redundant. Refer back, however, is acceptable when it means "refer
again." Otherwise, refer should be used.
NONSTANDARD: In elucidating on the topic, I would like to refer back to the work of
Johanssen et al.
CORRECT: In elucidating on the topic, I would like to refer to the work of Johanssen et
al.
The proposal was referred back to the committee which drafted it.
Please refer to the notes on the peace conference.
84. says Says should not be substituted for said.
NONSTANDARD: Then the teacher says to us, “Keep quiet!”
CORRECT: Then the teacher said to us, “Keep quiet!”
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85. seen Seen is a past participle and can be used as a verb only with a helping verb.
NONSTANDARD: We seen this movie a couple of times already.
CORRECT: We have seen this movie a couple of times already.
86. set, sit Set means “to put (something) in a certain place.” Its principal parts–set,
setting, set, and set–are usually followed by a direct object. Sit means “to be seated.” Its
principal parts–sit, sitting, sat, and sat–are never followed by a direct object.
Example:
Set the dining area in this corner.
Sit in the chair and get a feel of it before your buy it.
87. shape The meaning of shape is “spatial form.” In formal writing, avoid using shape
to mean “condition.”
INFORMAL: My parents are in good shape.
FORMAL: My parents are in good condition.
88. slow, slowly Although slow can now be used as either an adjective or an adverb,
careful writers use it as an adjective. Slowly is preferred as the adverb.
LESS ACCEPTABLE: Walk slow because the path is slippery.
PREFERRED: Walk slowly because the path is slippery.
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89. so So is a coordinating conjunction. It should be avoided when you mean “so that.”
LESS ACCEPTABLE: Can you please move over so the other passengers can sit down?
PREFERRED: Can you please move over so that the other passengers can sit down?
90. take and This is a nonstandard expression. Eliminate it entirely.
NONSTANDARD: Take and put these manuscripts in the filing cabinet.
CORRECT: Put these manuscripts in the filing cabinet.
91. than, then Than is used in comparisons. Do not confuse it with the adverb then,
which usually refers to time.
Example:
The applicant who came in today is smarter than that who came yesterday.
Put the vegetables first, and then allow it to simmer for a few minutes.
92. that, which, who That refers to people or things; which refers only to things; who
refers only to people.
Example:
This is the resort that (or which) I have been telling you about.
She is the teacher who (or that) received the Employee of the Year award.
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93. their, there, they’re Their, a possessive pronoun, always modifies a noun. There
can be used either as an expletive at the beginning of the sentence or as an adverb.
They’re is a contraction of they are.
PRONOUN: Their presentation is the best I have seen in years.
EXPLETIVE: There must be no complaints, or else the plan will fail.
ADVERB: Jane placed all her things there.
CONTRACTION: I fervently hope they are all in high spirits.
94. them, them there, these here, this here, that there Them is always a personal
pronoun, never an adjective. When a sentence calls for an adjective, use these or those in
place of either them or them there. To correct a sentence containing this here, these
here, and that there, simply leave here and there.
NONSTANDARD: Them essays are written very well.
CORRECT: These essays are written very well.
95. till, until These words are interchangeable. Be careful, however, of spelling. Till
should not be spelled til or ‘til; until always ends in one l.
Example:
We played by the seashore until we were all tired.
96. to, too, two To, a preposition, begins a prepositional phrase or an infinitive. Too, an
adverb, modifies an adjective and other adverbs. Two is a number.
PREPOSITION: We went to a concert last night.
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INFINITIVE: To put up one’s own business is not an easy task.
ADVERB: She took the advice too complacently.
Kathy bought a pink shirt so Ashley bought one too.
NUMBER: Two kids, two pens
97. unique Unique means “one of a kind. It should not be used to mean “odd,”
“interesting,” or “unusual.” The word means “one of a kind,” so such expressions as
most unique, very unique, and extremely unique are illogical.
ILLOGICAL: The group presented their output in an extremely unique way.
CORRECT: The group presented their output in a unique way.
98. ways Ways is plural. Do not use it after the article a. Use instead the singular form
of way.
NONSTANDARD: The chauffeur has a considerable ways to drive yet.
CORRECT: The chauffeur has a considerable way to drive yet.
99. when, where Do not use when or where directly after a linking verb. Do not use
where as a substitute for that.
NONSTANDARD: My best memory of Mom was when we went by the beach, and we
walked hand in hand.
An automat is where food is dispensed by machines.
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CORRECT: My best memory of Mom is of going to the beach and walking hand in hand
with her.
An automat is a cafeteria where food is dispensed by machines.
100. -wise Avoid using this suffix to create new words for a particular situation.
LESS ACCEPTABLE: Costwise, this new product we launched is better.
PREFERRED: This new product we launched is cost-effective.
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References
Adam. (2004). Englis(h) is the most difficult European language to learn. Retrieved
April 25, 2008, from the Antimoon Web site:
http://www.antimoon.com/forum/2004/4106.htm.
Brautigam, Curtis R. (2001-2007). 10 Reasons why English is so difficult to translate.
Retrieved April 28, 2008, from the Multilingual Web Master Web site:
http://www.multilingualwebmaster.com/library/ten_reasons.html.
Forlini, G. (1999). Grammar and composition. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Schutz,
Ricardo (2005). English – the international language. Retrieved April 1, 2008,
from the Schutz and Kanomata, ESL Web site: http://www.sk.com.br/sk-
ingl.html.
Schutz, Ricardo (2005). English – the international language. Retrieved April 1, 2008,
from the Schutz and Kanomata, ESL Web site: http://www.sk.com.br/sk-
ingl.html.
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