GLOSSARY OF WORDS AND PHRASES FREQUENTLY MISUSED
- From Barron’s Essentials of English, Third Edition
A, an - Use a before words beginning with a consonant sound: a book, a unique necklace. Use an before words beginning with a vowel sound: an apple, an urchin [NOTE: It is the sound, not the actual letter, which determines the form of the indefinite article: a university, an R.C.A. television set, an 8-sided object.]
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GLOSSARY OF WORDS AND PHRASES FREQUENTLY MISUSED
- From Barron’s Essentials of English, Third Edition
A, an - Use a before words beginning with a consonant sound: a book, a unique necklace. Use an before words beginning with a vowel sound: an apple, an urchin [NOTE: It is the sound, not the actual letter, which determines the form of the indefinite article: a university, an R.C.A. television set, an 8-sided object.]
Accept, except - Accept means to receive: “Please accept my offer.” The verb except means to leave out: “Will you except the last provision of the contract?”
Adapt, adopt - Adapt incorporates the word apt, which means suited to the purpose; therefore, adapt means to make suitable. Adopt means to choose or to make one’s own selection. “We adopted the style of play which had been adapted from the style used by the Green Bay Packers.”
Adverse, averse - Adverse means opposing: adverse circumstances. Averse means disinclined: “He was averse to my proposal.” Adverse is usually related to actions or things, averse to people (who have an aversion).
Advert, avert - Advert means refer: “The speaker adverted to an earlier talk he had given.” Avert means ward off: “He narrowly averted a bad fall.”
Affect, effect - Affect means to influence: “His attitude in class affected his grade.” Affect is never used as a noun except in psychological terminology. 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 decided improvement in the product.”
Aggravate - Do not use aggravate to mean irritate. Aggravate means to make a bad situation worse.
Alright - A bad spelling of all right. Do not confuse the spelling with words like almost, already, altogether.
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 used for male and female combined.
Amend, emend - Amend means to alter for the better, as in amendments to the Constitution. Emend, once an alternative spelling for amend, now is specialized in use to mean removing errors from a text.
Amiable, amicable - Amiable is used to describe persons who are kind, gentle, and friendly. Amicable is used to describe arrangements or settlements which are agreed to peacefully by both parties.
Among, between - Between is used in connection with two persons or things. “He divided the money between his two sons.” Among is used for more than two: “He divided the money among his three sons.” EXCEPTIONS: If more than two are involved in a united situation, between is used: “Between the four of us we raised a thousand dollars.” If a comparison or an opposition is involved, between is used: “There was great rivalry between the three colleges. It was difficult to choose between them.”
Amount, number - Amount refers to bulk or quantity: an amount of sugar, grain, flour, money. Number refers to objects which are thought of as individual units: a number of oranges, children, diamonds. Notice that most words following amount are singular (coal, butter, water), and that most words following number are plural (apples, bottles, cups).
And/or - Although the legalism and/or has become common in current English, it is to be avoided as faddish verbiage. The simple word or carries exactly the same meaning in most cases and does not call attention to itself.
Ante-, anti- - These prefixes, though similar, are quite different in meaning. Ante- means before, as in antechamber (a small room that comes before a larger one) or antebellum (before the war). Anti- means opposed to, as in anti-nuclear or antitoxin.
Apt, liable, likely - Apt refers to a habitual disposition: “Having a good brain, he is apt to get high grades.” Likely merely expresses probability: “It is likely to rain.” Liable implies the probability of something unfortunate: “The firm is liable to fail.”
As, like - When used as a preposition, like should never introduce a clause (NOT like I was saying). 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].”
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