1. Common Usage Problems (pp. 262-283)
Ch. 12: A Glossary of Usage
Common Usage Problems
(pp )

2. ACCEPT , EXCEPT accept = to receive (v)
except = to leave out; to exclude (v)
except = other than; excluding (prep)
Examples
I accept your apology.
Children were excepted from the admission fee.
Mark has told all his friends except Trenell.

3. AFFECT, EFFECT affect = to influence (v) effect = to bring about (v)
effect = the result of some action (n)
Examples
The bad punt did not affect the outcome of the game.
The government’s reform effected great changes.
Read more about the effects of pollution.

4. ALL READY, ALREADY all ready = completely prepared
already = previously
Examples
The mechanic checked the engine parts to make sure they were all ready for assembly.
We have already served the refreshments.

5. ALL RIGHT (two words) unhurt; satisfactory (adj)
well enough (adv → where, when, why, how, how much/how long, under what condition)
Examples
Linda fell off the horse, but she is all right. [adj or adv?]
Your work is all right. [adj or adv?]
You did all right at the track meet [adj or adv?]

6. A LOT always written as two words Example
Her family donated a lot of money to the Red Cross.

7. AMONG, BETWEEN between → refers to two things at a time
among → refers to a group rather than separate individuals
Examples
In class, Carlos sits between Bob and me.
Some players practice between innings.
We saved ten dollars among the three of us.
There was disagreement among the fans about the coach’s decision.

8. AT do not use at after where Example Nonstandard
Where is your saxophone at?
Standard
Where is your saxophone?

9. BAD, BADLY bad (adj → modifies nouns/pronouns)
badly (adv → modifies verbs; tells where, when, why, how, how much/how long, under what condition)
Examples
The bad fish made him ill. [bad modifies noun fish]
The parrot recited the poem badly. [badly modifies verb recited]

10. BRING, TAKE bring = to come carrying something
take = to go carrying something
Examples
Bring your skateboard when you come to my house this weekend.
Please take these letters with you to the post office when you go.

11. COULD OF / SHOULD OF WOULD OF / MIGHT OF / MUST OF
do not write of with the helping verb could / should / would / might / must
use could HAVE
Example
Reva could have [not could of] played the piano.

12. FEWER, LESS fewer → used with plural words; tells how many
less → used with singular words; tells how much
Examples
Do fewer plants grow in the tundra than in the desert?
You have fewer than ten minutes to finish.
Do desert plants require less water?
You have less than one minute to finish.

13. GOOD, WELL
good (adj)
well (adv → where, when, why, how, how much/how long, under what condition)
also an adj → healthy
Examples
My essay is good. [adj modifies essay]
I wrote well on my essay. [adv modifies wrote]
Nancy sang well [not good] at the audition. [adv]
He didn’t look well after eating the entire pie all by himself. [adj]

14. FEEL GOOD, FEEL WELL feel good = to feel happy or pleased
feel well = to feel healthy
Examples
I felt good when I got an “A” on my report.
Chris stayed home because he did not feel well [not good] yesterday.

15. HOW COME → WHY in formal situations, use why instead of how come
Example
Why is Nori not here yet?

16. KIND, SORT, TYPE must agree in number:
this / that (singular) → kind / sort / type
these / those (plural) → kinds / sorts / types
Examples
Whitney likes this kind of music. [this music]
Those kinds of math problems are easy. [those problems]

17. KIND OF, SORT OF
in formal situations, use somewhat or rather instead of kind of / sort of
Example
He seemed somewhat [not kind of] embarrassed.

18. LIE, LAY (pg. 204, Exercise 7) to lie [is] lying lay [have] lain
BASE FORM
PRESENT
PAST
PAST PARTICIPLE
to lie
(to rest, recline, or be in a place)
[is] lying
lay
[have] lain
to lay
(to put something in place)
[is] laying
laid
[have] laid
The napkins are lying next to the plates.
The servers are laying extra napkins beside every plate.

19. LIKE → AS in formal situations, use as rather than like Example
I looked up several words in my dictionary, as [not like] our teacher had suggested.

20. LIKE → AS IF, AS THOUGH
in formal situations, use as if or as though instead of like
Examples
They behaved as if [not like] they hadn’t heard him.
You looked as though [not like] you knew the answer.

21. OF
do not use of after other prepositions such as inside, off, and outside
Examples
He quickly walked off [not off of] the stage.
She waited outside [not outside of] the school.
What is inside [not inside of] this cabinet?

22. REASON…BECAUSE → REASON…THAT
in formal situations, use reason…that instead of reason…because
Example
The reason I did well on the test was that [not because] I had studied hard.

23. THAN, THEN than → conjunction showing comparisons
then → adverb that tells when
Examples
Great Danes are larger than Dobermans.
I finished my reading. Then I wrote some letters.

24. TRY AND → TRY TO in formal situations, use try to rather than try and
Example
Try to [not try and] be on time for the party.

25. WAY, WAYS use way, not ways, in referring to distance Example
They still had a long way [not ways] to go.

26. WHEN, WHERE do not use when or where incorrectly to begin a definition
Example
An infomercial is a TV program that is actually a long advertisement.
NOT: An infomercial is where a TV program is actually a long advertisement.

27. WHERE do not use where for that Example
I read that [not where] Sue won the tournament.

28. WHO, WHICH, THAT who → people which → things only
that → people or things
Examples
Kim is the only one who got the right answer.
My bike, which has ten speeds, is for sale.
He is the one person that can help you.
This is the ring that I want to buy.

29. WHO’S, WHOSE who’s → contraction for who is whose → possessive form
Examples
I wonder who’s keeping score?
Do you know whose baseball glove this is?

30. Complete the following exercises
Exercise 3, page 273
Skip #’s 1,3,7,8,9
Exercise 4, page 277
Skip #’s 3,5,6,8,10
Exercise 5, page 279
Skip #’s 4,6,8