Word Study and English Grammar - Frederick W. Hamilton (digital e reader .TXT) 📗

in the Use of Words

The following pages contain a short list of the more common errors in the use of words. Such a list might be extended almost indefinitely. It is only attempted to call attention to such mistakes as are, for various reasons, most liable to occur.

A should be repeated for every individual. "A red and black book" means one book, "a red and a black book" means two.

Abbreviate, and abridge; abbreviation is the shortening of a piece of writing no matter how accomplished. An abridgement is a condensation.

Ability, power to do something, should be distinguished from capacity, power to receive something.

Above should not be used as an adjective, e. g., "The statement made in above paragraph." Substitute preceding, foregoing, or some similar adjective.

Accept, not accept of.

Accredit, to give one credentials should be distinguished from credit, to believe what one says.

Administer is often misused. One administers a dose of medicine, the laws, an oath, or the government; one does not administer a blow.

Administer to is often incorrectly used for minister to, e. g., "The red cross nurse administers to the wounded."

Admire should not be used to express delight, as in the phrase "I should admire to do so."

Admit should be distinguished from confess.

Advent should be distinguished from arrival, advent meaning an epoch-making arrival.

Affable means "easy to speak to" and should not be confused with agreeable.

Affect should be distinguished from effect. To affect is to influence; to effect is to cause or bring about.

Aggravate should not be used for annoy or vex or provoke. It means "to make worse."

Ain't is a corruption of am not. It is inelegant though grammatical to say I ain't but absolutely incorrect in other persons and numbers.

Alike should not be accompanied by both as in the phrase "They are both alike in this respect."

All, All right should never be written alright. All and universally should never be used together. All should not be accompanied by of, e. g., "He received all of the votes." Be careful about the use of all in negative statements. Do not say "All present are not printers" when you mean "Not all present are printers." The first statement means there are no printers present, the second means there are some printers present.

Allege is a common error for say, state, and the like. It means "to declare," "to affirm," or "to assert with the idea of positiveness" and is not applicable to ordinary statements not needing emphasis.

Allow means permit, never think or admit.

Allude to is not the same as mention. A person or thing alluded to is not mentioned but indirectly implied.

Alone which means unaccompanied should be distinguished from only which means no other.

Alternative should never be used in speaking of more than two things.

Altogether is not the same as all together.

Among should not be used with one another, e. g., "They divided the spoil among one another." It should be "among themselves."

And should not be placed before a relative pronoun in such a position as to interfere with the construction. It should not be substituted for to in such cases as "Try and take more exercise."

And which should not be used for which.

Another should be followed by than not from, e. g., "Men of another temper from (than) the Greeks."

Answer is that which is given to a question; reply to an assertion.

Anticipate should not be used in the sense of expect. It means "to forestall."

Anxious should not be confused with desirous. It means "feeling anxiety."

Any is liable to ambiguity unless it is used with care. "Any of them" may be either singular or plural. "It is not intended for any machine" may mean "There is no machine for which it is intended," or "It is not intended for every machine, but only for a special type."

Anybody else's, idiomatic and correct.

Anyhow, bad, do not use it.

Apparently is used of what seems to be real but may not be so. It should not be confused with evidently which is used of what both seems to be and is real.

Appear is physical in its meaning and should be distinguished from seem which expresses a mental experience. "The forest appears to be impenetrable," "This does not seem to me to be right."

Apt means "skilful" and should never be used in place of likely or liable. It also means "having a natural tendency."

As should not be used as a causal conjunction, e. g., "Do not expect me as I am too uncertain of my time." The word as stands here as a contraction of inasmuch. Substitute a semicolon, or make two sentences.

As to is redundant in such expressions as "As to how far we can trust him I cannot say."

At is often incorrectly used for in, e. g., "He lives at Chicago." It is also improperly used in such expressions as "Where is he at?"

As that should not be used for that alone. Do not say "So as that such and such a thing may happen."

Audience is not the same as spectators. An audience listens; spectators merely see. A concert has an audience; a moving picture show has spectators.

Aught means "anything" and should not be confused with naught or the symbol 0 which means "nothing."

Avenge means to redress wrongs done to others; revenge wrong done to ourselves. Avenge usually implies just retribution. Revenge may be used of malicious retaliation.

Avocation should not be confused with vocation. A man's vocation is his principal occupation. His avocation is his secondary occupation.

Aware is not the same as conscious. We are aware of things outside of ourselves; we are conscious of sensations or things within ourselves.

Awful and awfully are two very much abused words. They mean "awe inspiring" and should never be used in any other sense.

Badly should not be used for very much. It should not be confused with the adjective bad. "He looks badly" means he makes a bad use of his eyes, say "He looks bad."

Bank on is slang. Say rely on or trust in.

Beg is often incorrectly used in the sense of beg leave, not "I beg to say" but "I beg leave to say."

Beside, meaning "by the side of" should not be confused with besides meaning "in addition to."

Between applies only to two persons or things.

Blame on as a verb should never be used.

Both, when both—and are used be sure they connect the right words, "He can both spell and punctuate" not "He both can spell and punctuate." Do not use such expressions as "They both resemble each other." Be careful to avoid confusion in the use of negative statements. Do not say "Both cannot go" when you mean that one can go.

Bound in the sense of determined is an Americanism and is better avoided. We say "he is bound to do it" meaning "he is determined to do it," but the phrase really means "He is under bonds, or obligation to do it."

Bring should be carefully distinguished from fetch, carry and take. Bring means to transfer toward the speaker. Fetch means to go and bring back. Carry and take mean to transfer from the speaker, e. g., "Bring a book home from the library." "Fetch me a glass of water." "Carry this proof to the proofreader." "Take this book home."

But is sometimes used as a preposition and when so used takes the objective case. "The boy stood on the burning deck whence all but him had fled." But should not be used in connection with that unless intended to express the opposite of what the meaning would be without it, e. g., "I have no doubt but that he will die" is incorrect because his death is expected. "I have no fear but that he will come" is correct, as the meaning intended is "I am sure he will come."

But what is often incorrectly used for but that. "I cannot believe but what he is guilty" probably means "I can but believe that he is guilty." "I cannot but believe" means "I must believe."

Calculate does not mean think or suppose.

Calculated does not mean likely. It means "intended or planned for the purpose."

Can which indicates ability is to be distinguished from may which indicates permission.

Cannot but should be carefully distinguished from can but, e. g., "I can but try" means "All I can do is try." "I cannot but try" means "I cannot help trying."

Can't seem should not be used for seem unable, e. g., "I can't seem to see it."

Childlike should be carefully distinguished from childish. Childish refers particularly to the weakness of the child.

Come should not be confused with Go. Come denotes motion toward the speaker; go motion from the speaker, "If you will come to see me, I will go to see you."

Common should be distinguished from mutual. Common means "shared in common." Mutual means "reciprocal" and can refer to but two persons or things. A common friend is a friend two or more friends have in common. Mutual friendship is the friendship of two persons for each other.

Compare to, liken to, compare with, means "measure by" or "point out similarities and differences."

Condign means "suitable" or "deserved," not necessarily severe.

Condone means "to forgive" or "nullify by word or act," not "make amends for."

Consider in the sense of regard as should not usually be followed by as, e. g., "I consider him a wise man," not "as a wise man."

Contemptible is used of an object of contempt and it should be distinguished from contemptuous which is used of what is directed at such an object, e. g., "He is a contemptible fellow." "I gave him a contemptuous look."

Continual should not be confused with continuous. Continual means "frequently repeated." Continuous means "uninterrupted."

Convene, which means "to come together," should not be confused with convoke which means "to bring or call together." A legislature convenes. It cannot be convened by another, but it can be convoked.

Crime is often used for offenses against the speaker's sense of right. Properly crime is a technical word meaning "offenses against law." A most innocent action may be a crime if it is contrary to a statute. The most sinful, cruel, or dishonest action is no crime unless prohibited by a statute.

Dangerous should not be used for dangerously ill.

Data is plural.

Deadly, "that which inflicts death" should not be confused with deathly, "that which resembles death."

Decided must not be confused with decisive. A decided victory is a clear and unmistakable victory. A decisive victory is one which decides the outcome of a war or of a campaign.

Decimate means to take away one-tenth. It is not properly used in a general way of the infliction of severe losses.

Definite which means "well defined" should not be confused with definitive which means "final."

Demean is related to demeanor and means "behave." It should be carefully distinguished from degrade or lower.

Die. We die of a certain disease, not with or from it.

Differ in the sense of disagree is followed by with. "I differ with you." Differ as indicating unlikeness is followed by from.

Different should be followed by from never by with, than, or to.

Directly should not be used for as soon as.

Discover, "to find something which previously existed" should be distinguished from invent something for the first time.

Disinterested means "having no financial or material interest in a thing." It should be carefully distinguished from uninterested which means "taking no interest in" a thing.

Dispense, "to distribute" should not be confused with dispense with, "to do without."

Disposition is not the same as disposal.

Distinguish which means "to perceive differences" should not be confused with differentiate which means "to make or constitute a difference."

Divide should be carefully distinguished from distribute.

Don't is a contraction of do not. Doesn't is the contraction for does not. I don't, they don't, he doesn't.

Due should not be used for owing to or because of.

Each is distributive and is always singular. Each other which is applicable to two only should not be