Solutions to Common English Errors

1. Solutions to Common English Errors Daily Tips and Rules of Usage

2. 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

3. 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

4. Numbers, Part Three • Write out cardinal numbers like fourth, thirty-first, 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

5. Numbers, Part Four • 1 = uni- • 2 = du-, bi-, di- • 3 = tri- • 4 = quadr-, quart- • 5 = quint-, penta- • 6 = ses-, sext-, hexa- • 7 = sept- • 8 = oct- • 9 = non-, nov- • 10 = deca-

6. 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.

7. 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

8. 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.

9. 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).

10. 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.”

11. 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.”

12. 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.”

13. 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.”

14. 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.

15. 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.

16. 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.”

17. 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.

18. 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.

19. 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.”

20. 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.”

21. 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.

22. 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

23. Among vs. BetweenExceptions • 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.”

24. 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)

25. 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.”

26. 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.”

27. 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.”

28. 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.”

29. 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.”

30. 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.”

31. 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?”

32. 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.”

33. 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.”

34. 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.”

35. 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.”

36. 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.

37. 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.”

38. Continual vs Continuous • Continual means constantly with interruptions: “She smoked continually.” • Continuous means without interruption: “The water flows continuously over Niagara Falls.”

39. 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.”

40. Different from • Different from is the correct use, not different than

41. 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.”

42. 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.”

43. 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.”

44. 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.”

45. 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

46. 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