Everything You Wanted to Know About English But Were Afraid to Ask

1. Everything You Wanted to Know About English But Were Afraid to Ask

2. List of Common Errors-Part One

3. 1. a, an • a: goes before a consonant sound • an: goes before a vowel sound • Example: • aboat • anhour

4. 2. accept, except • accept: “to receive” • except: “to leave out” • Example: • He accepted the award. • Everyone got an A except Kate.

5. 3. affect, effect • affect: (verb) “to influence” • effect: (noun) “the result of an action” (verb) “to bring about” • Example: • The loss of McNabb did not affect the Eagles. • The movie had great special effects.

6. 4. ain’t • Not formal-avoid it when writing.

7. 5. already, all ready • already=previously • all ready=ready to go • Example: • I already saw that movie. • The family was all ready to leave for vacation.

8. 6. all right • all right is always two words • alright is not a word

9. 7. a lot • a lot is always two words

10. 8. anyways, anywheres, everywheres, nowheres, somewheres • Not words! • No –s at the end!

11. 9. at • Don’t use after where. • Example: • Where is your pen at?

12. 10. bad, badly • bad is an adjective. • badly is an adverb. • Example: • Those socks smell bad. (noun) (adj) • I did badly on the test. (verb) (adv)

13. 11. between, among • Use between when referring to two things at a time. (Between has two ee’s.) • Use among when referring to a group. • Note: among and amongst have the same meaning. • Example: • Steve sits between Lorin and Amanda. • We split the food among the three of us.

14. 12. bring, take • bring=“to come carrying something” • take=“to go carrying something” • Example: • I will bring home takeout Chinese food.

15. 13. bust, busted • Don’t use them as verbs. Use burst or break or catch or arrest. • Example: • The teacher caught the lying student. (Not busted.)

16. 14. could of, should of, would of, might of, must of, ought to of • All are incorrect! • Use have instead. • Example: • I should have studied.

17. 15. desert, dessert • desert-think sand • dessert-think yummy! • (There are two S’s in dessert because you go back for seconds.)

18. 16. doesn’t, don’t • doesn’t=does not • don’t=do not • Example: • He doesn’t know how to swim. (Not don’t.)

19. 17. et cetera • Latin for “and so on”. • etc. Not ect! • Do not use it! It’s vague!

20. 18. farther, further • farther=extent of physical distance. • further=extent of time or degree. • Example: • He throws the ball farther than Pete. • We’ll talk further tomorrow.

21. 19. fewer, less • Use fewer with plural words. • Use less with singular words. • Example: • Fewerplants grow in the desert than in the tundra. • She needs lesshelp than he does.

22. 20. good, well • good-adjective • well-adverb • Example: • I did well on the quiz. • (adv) • (Note: Well can be an adjective meaning “healthy.”) • Example: I don’t feel well.

23. 21. had ought, hadn’t ought • Don’t use had with ought. • Example: • He ought to help us.

24. 22. hardly, scarcely • They both have negative meaning. • Don’t use them with another negative word (like not). • Example: • I can hardly read this.

25. List of Common Errors-Part Two

26. 23. he, she, it, they • Don’t use them after the subject. • Example: • Scott he went to Six Flags.

27. 24. hisself • Not a word. • Use himself.

28. 25. how come, why • How come is informal. • Why is formal. • Example: • How come I got a C?

29. 26. its, it’s • An apostrophe with a pronoun is always a contraction! • its=belonging to it • it’s=it is • Example: • It’s time for the dog to run on its own.

30. 27. kind, sort, type • This, that, these, and those should agree in number with kind, sort, and type. • Example: • He likes this kind of music, not thosekinds.

31. 28. kind of, sort of • They’re informal. • Use somewhat or rather. • Example: • I’m kind of hungry.

32. 29. learn, teach • learn=to acquire knowledge • teach=to instruct (give knowledge) • Example: • Ms. Hoover is teaching me to not eat paste.

33. 30. leave, let • leave=to go away • let=to allow • Example: • Let her go to the corner. (Not leave)

34. 31. lie, lay • lie=to rest (does not take an object) • lay=to put something in a place (takes an object)

35. lie, lay (continued) • Example: • She laid the gloves on the desk. • When I got home, I lay down to sleep.

36. 32. imply, infer • imply=to give a hint or suggestion • infer=to take a hint or suggestion • Example: • He implied that I had something in my teeth, and I inferred it.

37. 33. like, as if, though • Like is often used where as if or though should be used. • Example: • She behaved as if she hadn’t heard her name.

38. 34. may, can • can=able to • may=permission • Example: • May I go to the bathroom? (Not can.)

39. 35. of • Don’t use of after inside, off, and outside. • Example: • Get off of the stage.

40. 36. real • Don’t use real the same way you’d use very, really, or extremely. • Example: • That test is extremely hard. (Not real.)

41. 37. reason…because • Use reason…that instead. • Example: • The reason I did well on the test was that I studied. (Not because.)

42. 38. rise, raise • rise=to go up (doesn’t take an object) • raise=to lift up (takes an object)

43. rise, raise (continued) • Example: • The sun rises every morning. • My boss raised my salary ten percent. (Salary is the direct object of raised. That is, it is what is raised.)

44. 39. set, sit • set=“to put something in a place” • sit=“to rest in a chair” or “to be in a place”

45. set, sit (continued) • Example: • Sit under that tree. • Set your backpack under the tree.

46. 40. some, somewhat • Don’t use some for somewhat. • Example: • My fever’s gone down somewhat.

47. 41. than, then • Than is used for comparison. • Then is used with time. (When? Then.) • Example: • The Eagles are better than the Falcons. • I read my book then did my homework.

48. 42. their, there, they’re • their=belonging to them • there=a place (Where? There.) • they’re=they are • Example: • Their books are over there.

49. 43. theirself, theirselves • Not words! • Use themselves.

50. 44. them • Don’t use them as an adjective. • Example: • Put those cans in the trash.