The Most Common
Grammatical Goofs
By Stephen Johnson Manhard
Goof Proofs
GOOF #1
Misuse of I, Me, and Other
Personal Pronouns
A) Always use I when it's one of the subjects of a sentence:
WRONG: Me and Tom laughed.
RIGHT: Tom and I laughed. (Please be polite and mention yourself last.)
B) Always use me when it's one of the objects of a verb or preposition:
WRONG: She invited Jennifer and I.
RIGHT: She invited Jennifer and me.
(Me is the object of the verb invited.)
WRONG: Just between you and I, it's true.
RIGHT: Just between you and me, it's true.
(Me is the object of the preposition between.)
You wouldn't say "Me laughed" or "She's invited I," would you? You already know what's right when there's only one subject or object involved.
Remember that the grammar doesn't change when other subjects or objects are added, and you'll never make these mistakes again!
C) All the other personal pronouns work the same way. Always use he, she, we, and they when they're one of the subjects of a sentence:
WRONG: Him (her, us, them) and you should go.
RIGHT: You and he (she, we, they) should go.
D) Always use him, her, us, and them when they're one of the objects of a verb or preposition:
WRONG: That will help Bill and he (she, we, they).
RIGHT: That will help Bill and him (her, us, them.)
(Him, her, us, and them are objects of the the verb help.)
WRONG: Joe sent it to Jan and he (she, we, they) yesterday.
RIGHT: Joe sent it to Jan and him (her, us, them) yesterday.
(Him, her, us, and them are objects of the preposition to.)
If in doubt, just mentally eliminate the "-- and" before the pronoun, and you'll know immediately what's right. Remember the grammar doesn't change when other subjects or objects are added.
GOOF #2
Misuse of the Pronoun Myself
Never, never (please!) use myself as a substitute for I or me. It's becoming an epidemic!
This glaring goof may be so widespread today because so many people aren't sure whether to use I or me (as explained in Goof #1), so they cop out by misusing myself.
A prominent radio talk-show host (with a Ph.D. degree) was just one of countless communicators guilty of this poisoning of our language:
WRONG: Myself and my guest will be right back.
RIGHT: My guest and I will be right back. (Always mention yourself last.)
WRONG: She told Terry and myself.
RIGHT: She told Terry and me.
The pronoun myself should be used only reflexively (I hurt myself) or for emphasis (I told her myself). Using it in place of I or me is one of the surest ways to draw attention to carelessness or lack of education.
GOOF #3
Misuse of the Preposition Like
Use like only before nouns and pronouns, and before gerunds (a verbal form that functions as a noun). Here are two examples:
RIGHT: He looks like his brother and walks like him.
RIGHT: I don't feel like eating or drinking.
Never use like before phrases and clauses, where as, as if, as though, or that is proper. Try to remember not to commit these types of flagrant errors, which are heard constantly on the air and are seen far too frequently in print:
WRONG: Like I said before, it's true.
RIGHT: As I said before, it's true.
WRONG: He looks like he's happy.
RIGHT: He looks as if (as though) he's happy.
WRONG: I feel like I should go.
RIGHT: I feel that I should go.
As an adman, I deplore that infamous slogan, "Winston tastes good like a cigarette should," which popularized the misuse of like in place of as!
GOOF #4
Misuse of the Apostrophe ( ' )
This is the most common error in print. The apostrophe has only two proper uses: *
1) To indicate possession;
2) To indicate the omission of one or more letters.
Use #1, indicating possession:
WRONG: She saw the mans face.
RIGHT: She saw the man's face.
Caution: Never put an apostrophe in these pronouns that are already possessive: its, his, hers, theirs, yours, ours, and whose. See related Goofs #5 and #6, which follow.
Use #2, indicating omission of letter(s):
WRONG: Your looking very nice today.
RIGHT: You're (you are) looking very nice today.
Caution: Never put an apostrophe before the "s" in a word you just want to make plural: *
WRONG: I read two book's last month.
RIGHT: I read two books last month.
* Exception: The apostrophe is used when writing plural letters (watch your p's and q's) or plural years (the 1980's).
When you want to make a word plural AND possessive, be sure to put an apostrophe after the "s":
WRONG: He liked the girls appearance.
WRONG: He liked the girl's appearance. (This refers to only one girl.)
RIGHT: He liked the girls' appearance. (This refers to more than one girl.)
GOOF #5
Misuse of Its and It's
As small as they are, these two little words account for some of the most flagrant misuses of the apostrophe and confusion of meaning (see also Goof #6).
Its is a possessive pronoun and does not need an apostrophe to make it indicate possession:
WRONG: The dog wagged it's tail.
RIGHT: The dog wagged its tail.
When you put an apostrophe in the word and make it it's, you change the meaning entirely. Now you have indicated the omission of a letter (i), turning the word into the contraction of it is:
WRONG: Its a very bushy tail.
RIGHT: It's (it is) a very bushy tail.
WRONG: The dog thinks its fun to chase it's tail.
RIGHT: The dog thinks it's fun to chase its tail.
If you'll just give it a little thought, it's not too hard to put the apostrophe in its rightful place and make sure of its absence where it's out of place.
GOOF #6
Misuse of Whose and Who's
Here's another case where the use of the apostrophe--or the lack of it--continually causes confusion of two words that sound alike but have entirely different meanings.
Whose is a possessive pronoun that you should never mess up with an apostrophe:
WRONG: Who's (or who'se) bat is this?
RIGHT: Whose bat is this?
Who's is the contraction of who is; the apostrophe does not indicate possession but the omission of the letter "i";
WRONG: Whose on first, using who's glove?
RIGHT: Who's (who is) on first, using whose glove?
Who's the communicator whose understanding of proper English usage is rapidly improving? I hope it's you, dear reader!
GOOF #7
Misuse of Verbs That Don't Agree in Number with Their Subjects
If the subject is singular, its verb must also be singular; if the subject is plural, its verb must also be plural, of course. It's all too easy to violate this important rule and look dumb, because there are confusing pitfalls.
One pitfall occurs when modifying words that are plural come between a singular subject and its verb:
WRONG: His list of honors and qualifications are impressive.
RIGHT: His list of honors and qualifications is impressive.
Remember that list, not honors and qualifications, is the subject and requires a singular verb.
Another trap to avoid: Distributive words such as none, either, neither, everybody, nobody, and each are often thought of as plural but are actually singular and take singular verbs:
WRONG: None of us have enough money.
RIGHT: None of us has enough money.
WRONG: Neither of you are right.
RIGHT: Neither of you is right.
WRONG: Each of the three women were attractive.
RIGHT: Each one of the three women was attractive.
GOOF #8
Misuse of Pronouns That Don't Agree in Number or Case with Their Antecedents
Here again, pitfalls make it easy to mess up, so be on your guard.
One pitfall is collective nouns, such as committee. The word is singular but is often thought of as plural because it's made up of several people:
WRONG: The committee announced they would meet.
RIGHT: The committee announced it would meet.
Note: An important exception to the agreement rule is now becoming accepted to avoid the following dilemma: In the past, the masculine pronoun has been used to include both male and female, as in "Everyone has his choice." But with the rise of feminism this has been construed to be sexist, and the grammatical ways to avoid the problem are awkward: "Everyone has his or her choice" or "Everyone has one's choice." So the grammatically incorrect "Everyone has their choice" has come into widespread use.
While purists still decry this, the eminent grammarian Fowler decided that there is no entirely happy solution and that "everyone must decide for himself, for himself and herself, or for themselves." I'll go along with him, because I recognize that our language inevitably changes as society changes--and this is a perfect example of such a change.
Another pitfall to avoid: A pronoun following any form of the verb to be (am, are, is, was, were) takes the nominative, not objective, case--even though it may sound stilted:
WRONG: The person who called was him.
RIGHT: The person who called was he.
An easy way to remember what's right is to turn the sentence around: He was the person who called. You surely wouldn't say "Him was the person"! Note that the pronoun he now correctly agrees in case (nominative) with the subject person.
When a pronoun is combined with a modifying noun, it creates another trap that's all too easy to fall into:
WRONG: He took we customers to the game.
RIGHT: He took us customers to the game.
If you simply drop the modifying noun, customers, from the sentence, the correct form is immediately clear: You wouldn't say "He took we to the game," would you? Note again that the pronoun us now correctly agrees in case (objective) with the object, customers.
GOOF #9
Misuse of Double Comparisons
I saw an automobile advertisement recently that claimed the car was "more roomier" than its competitors. Fire the copywriter, please!
Never use more or most when -er or -est is added to a modifier:
WRONG: Your car is more roomier than mine.
RIGHT: Your car is roomier (or more roomy) than mine.
WRONG: That's the most stupidest thing I ever heard.
RIGHT: That's the stupidest (or most stupid) thing I ever heard.
Using a double comparison doesn't double the impact of a statement. It's just a singularly flagrant goof!
GOOF #10
Misuse of Double Negatives
The use of double negatives is so widely recognized as a prime example of illiteracy that I hesitate to even include it--but it still crops up too often, especially in sportscasting.
Two negatives (such as no, none, nobody, not, can't, couldn't, wouldn't, shouldn't, never, nothing, hardly, or scarcely) should never be used in the same statement:
WRONG: The plays he called hardly never seemed to work.
RIGHT: The plays he called hardly ever (or never) seemed to work.
WRONG: That pitcher can't strike out nobody.
RIGHT: That pitcher can't strike out anybody (or) That pitcher can strike out nobody.
WRONG: I told him he couldn't have none.
RIGHT: I told him he couldn't have any (or) I told him he could have none.
Using a double negative doesn't double the impact of a statement. It just creates a very negative impression of your educational level.
GOOF #11
Misuse of Between . . . To
How this corruption originated is a mystery to me, but lately it seems to be cropping up more and more frequently in both print and broadcast media. Let's try to nip it in the bud!
Standard usage has always been:
between . . . and (or) from . . . to.
You may take your pick; both are correct. But never, please, mix up the two phrases!
WRONG: The plane flew between New York to Chicago.
RIGHT: The plane flew between New York and Chicago (or) The plane flew from New York to Chicago.
Just between you and me, it's easy to change from wrong to right if you'll just practice a bit.
GOOF #12
Misuse of Anymore for Lately, Nowadays, or Today
Nowadays, anymore is regularly being misused by people who really mean nowadays or today (at the present time):
WRONG: This word is widely misused anymore.
RIGHT: This word is widely misused lately (nowadays or today).
Note: Anymore is properly used in statements involving a chance in a previous activity or condition:
RIGHT: I don't go there anymore.
RIGHT: Why don't you like her anymore?
If you're in the habit of saying things such as "Houses are too expensive anymore," please don't make yourself sound dumb anymore. Instead, say nowadays or today and be right!
GOOF #13
Misuse of And after Try
We continually hear try and in television shows, but it grates on the ears of the educated people, except perhaps in the slang expression try and stop me.
The verb try should be followed by to, not and, in all careful communications:
WRONG: Please try and remember this.
RIGHT: Please try to remember this.
Even when it results in a to on both sides of try, the rule still holds:
WRONG: She ought to try and do it.
RIGHT: She ought to try to do it.
Try to bear in mind that try and is not standard American English.
GOOF #14
Misuse of Hopefully
Hopefully is a perfectly good word, but lately its misuse has become so widespread that it may already be too late to halt this corruption of our language. Hopefully means exactly what it says: full of hope. Its correct usage, therefore, is in statements that indicate a person is hopeful, such as:
RIGHT: "Will you help me?" she asked hopefully.
It is not correct to use the adverb hopefully to mean "I hope" or "it is to be hoped."
WRONG: "Hopefully, he'll help me," she said.
RIGHT: "I hope he'll help me," she said.
It's difficult not to let a misuse like this one, which is constantly seen and heard, creep into your vocabulary; I frequently have to correct myself. But I hope that you'll remember not to use hopefully when you mean I hope.
GOOF #15
Misuse of Could of and Could have
Recently, I've seen this flagrant grammatical goof more and more often in print, apparently because poorly taught writers think they hear could of when people shorten could have to could've in conversation. There is no such phrase as could of:
WRONG: I could of danced all night.
RIGHT: I could have danced all night.
Saying or writing could of is one of the prime telltale tip-offs that your education in English has been sadly neglected. Being guilty of this goof could have been the reason you made a poor impression that is holding you back.
GOOF #16
Misuse of Different Than
Here's another very common grammatical gaffe that's heard and seen far too often. It's easy to avoid if you just remember that one thing differs from another; surely you wouldn't say that one thing differs than another:
WRONG: She's very different than her sister.
RIGHT: She's very different from her sister.
Saying or writing different than is a sure way to call attention to the fact that you're different from those who use our language correctly.
GOOF #17
Misuse of More (or Most) Unique
The dictionary defines unique as "being the only one of its kind; without an equal or equivalent." A thing is either unique or it isn't, so there can't be any qualification of degree. Advertisers, I'm sorry to admit, are among the worst offenders; they frequently claim that a product or service is "the most unique" on the market:
WRONG: This is the most unique computer ever designed.
RIGHT: This computer has a unique design (or) This computer is truly unique.
WRONG: His watch is more unique than mine.
RIGHT: His watch is more unusual than mine.
It's not uniquely wrong to say more or most unique, because so many others are guilty of it too; it's just plain wrong!
GOOF #18
Misuse of These (or Those) Kind
As we've seen previously, pronouns must agree in number with the words to which they refer. If you remember this rule, you'll see why it's incorrect to say or write these (those) kind. These and those are plurals of this and that, while kind is singular; they don't properly agree.
WRONG: These (those) kind of food is fattening.
RIGHT: These (those) kinds of food are fattening.
Of course you can also correct the statement by making the words singular instead of plural:
RIGHT: This (that) kind of food is fattening.
Just be sure to keep both words singular or both words plural. When they're in agreement, you won't be caught making these kinds of goofs . . . or this kind of goof, if you prefer.
GOOF #19
Misuse of Data, Media, Strata, Criteria, and Phenomena with Singular Verbs
It's a singular mistake to treat these words, as so many do, as singular. They are the plurals of datum, medium, stratum, criterion, and phenomenon and should be used with plural verbs.
We frequently read and hear errors such as "the data shows that . . ." and "the media reports that . . ." and unfortunately these words are rapidly gaining acceptance as singulars:
WRONG: The data he showed was convincing.
RIGHT: The data he showed were convincing.
WRONG: The media is incorrect far too often.
RIGHT: The media are incorrect far too often.
Remember that radio, for example, is one medium of communication. When we refer to more than one medium--lumping together radio, television, newspapers, and so forth--we obviously must use the plural of medium, which is media. Data, strata, criteria, and phenomena all work the same way. Now it's easy to see why these require plural verbs, isn't it?
If it isn't, just take my work for it: Use plural verbs with these four words, and you'll look singularly smart!
GOOF #20
Misuse of A and An
Can you believe that educated people are now misusing two of the shortest, most common words in the English language? I couldn't until several horrible examples came to my attention, including "an judge" (Associated Press), "a opportunity" (Writers Guild newsletter), and "an professor" (university instructor with a Ph.D. degree)!
The rule is very simple: Use a before words beginning with a consonant or consonant sound; use an before words beginning with a vowel or vowel sound:
WRONG: Tom gave me a apple.
RIGHT: Tom gave me an apple.
WRONG: Dottie is an skilled typist.
RIGHT: Dottie is a skilled typist.
Note: Remember that the vowel u often has a consonant sound (yew) at the beginning of words such as union and university; they therefore must be preceded by a even though they start with a vowel.
For some reason (perhaps a holdover from England, where initial h's are often not pronounced) many people incorrectly use an before such words as hotel, historical, and hysterical. Remember that these words begin with the consonant h and must be preceded by a. However, when the h is silent, as in herb or heir, an is correct.
GOOF #21
Misuse of Reknown for Renowned
Lately more and more people commit goofs by writing and saying reknown (apparently because of confusion with known) when they mean renowned.
There are two important points to remember:
1) There is no such word as reknown;
2) Renown (without a k) is a noun that means fame; if you want to say a person or thing is famous, you must use the corresponding adjective, renowned.
WRONG: Lincoln was a statesman of wide reknown.
RIGHT: Lincoln was a statesman of wide renown.
WRONG: Lincoln was a reknown statesman.
RIGHT: Lincoln was a renowned statesman.
If you habitually misuse reknown to mean famous, you'll become renowned yourself for committing illiterate goofs.
GOOF #22
Misuse of For Free
Here's another prime example of a silly aberration, which has become so accepted that the proper use of the simple adverb free is seldom seen or heard these days.
In the sense of without cost, free means for nothing. When you say for free, therefore, you are really saying for for nothing--flagrantly redundant double-talk:
WRONG: Chris got his second cup of coffee for free.
RIGHT: Chris got his second cup of coffee free.
I know this constantly seen-and-heard goof is easy to commit, because I caught plenty of flak when I was quoted (probably correctly, alas) as saying for free during a Wall Street Journal interview. Moral: If you want to stay free of criticism, keep your speech and writing completely free of for free!
The Remaining Goofs are the Most Commonly Confused Words (Arranged in Alphabetical Order)
GOOF #23
Confusion of Affect and Effect
These frequently confused words have similar but definitely different meanings. Affect means to have an influence on or cause a change in. The verb effect means to produce a result or bring about. These examples should make the difference clear:
WRONG: Smoking can adversely effect health.
RIGHT: Smoking can adversely affect health.
WRONG: Quitting may affect an improvement.
RIGHT: Quitting may effect an improvement.
Note: To compound the confusion, effect is also a noun, which is properly used as follows: Smoking can have an adverse effect on health.
Learning to use these words correctly can help effect a favorable change in the way people judge you, affect your career, and thus have a good effect on your earning power.
GOOF #24
Confusion of Aggravate and Irritate
Many people use aggravate to mean irritate. This may be acceptable as colloquial speech, but the words should not be confused in careful writing. Aggravate means to make worse; irritate means to exasperate or inflame. Notice the difference in these examples:
WRONG: His careless writing aggravated me.
RIGHT: His careless writing irritated me
WRONG: The bad weather irritated my cold.
RIGHT: The bad weather aggravated my cold.
Confusing these words may irritate people and aggravate the situation you're in.
GOOF #25
Confusion of Allude and Elude
These verbs are called homonyms or homophones--words that sound the same or nearly the same but differ in spelling or meaning. As you might expect, these rascals cause a great deal of confusion, so be on your guard! (You'll fine a very handy list of some of the most troublesome homonyms beginning on page 53.)
Allude means to make an indirect reference to. Elude means to evade or escape from. If you use one of these words when you mean the other, the result can be rather ridiculous:
WRONG: Harry eluded to his girlfriend.
RIGHT: Harry alluded to his girlfriend.
WRONG: The runner cleverly alluded the tackler.
RIGHT: The runner cleverly eluded the tackler.
When you allude to the right word instead of the wrong you, you elude criticism.
GOOF #26
Confusion of Bad and Badly
Bad (like good) should be used with descriptive verbs such as look, feel, sound, and taste:
WRONG: Bert's black eye looked very badly.
RIGHT: Bert's black eye looked very bad.
WRONG: I felt badly about being late.
RIGHT: I felt bad about being late.
Badly (like well) should be used with all other verbs:
WRONG: The team lost because it played bad.
RIGHT: The team lost because it played badly.
Misusing the language badly will make you look bad and hold you back.
GOOF #27
Confusion of Can and May
"Can we talk?" the woman asks the man. What a silly question! Of course they can talk, unless their tongues are tied, because can denotes the ability to do something. What she should say is "May we talk?" because may denotes permission to do something, the meaning she intends.
Remember that when you ask permission, may is not only the correct word, it's also the polite word:
WRONG: Can I read your letter from Joan?
RIGHT: May I read your letter from Joan?
This sentence clearly illustrates the difference between the two words:
RIGHT: You may read the letter if you can find it.
You can make a better impression by using may correctly and politely when asking permission.
GOOF #28
Confusion of Compromise and Compose
These words confuse so many people that they seem to be misused more often than not. The way to remember the difference is this: The whole comprises the parts; the parts compose the whole.
These examples should help to make it clearer:
WRONG: The team composes eleven players.
RIGHT: The team comprises eleven players.
WRONG: Eleven players comprise the team.
RIGHT: Eleven players compose the team.
WRONG: The team is comprised of eleven players.
RIGHT: The team is composed of eleven players.
It is confusing, isn't it? Maybe it's simpler and safer to avoid these words entirely and say "The team is made up of eleven players" or "Eleven players make up the team."
GOOF #29
Confusion of Disinterested and Uninterested
Most people think these words are synonymous or interchangeable, but there's an important difference between them. Disinterested means impartial. Uninterested means indifferent to or not interested in. Notice the distinction in these examples:
WRONG: An umpire should be uninterested.
RIGHT: An umpire should be disinterested.
WRONG: Ted was disinterested in the dull lecture.
RIGHT: Ted was uninterested in the dull lecture.
If you're asked to settle a dispute, try to be completely disinterested even though you may be uninterested in being the referee.
GOOF #30
Confusion of Farther and Further
This has been committed so frequently in the media that millions of people are misusing these words nowadays, but there's an easy way to remember which is which.
When you refer to physical distance, always use farther--the word that has far in it:
WRONG: New York is further east than St. Louis.
RIGHT: New York is farther east than St. Louis.
Use further when you refer to additional time or amount:
WRONG: This requires farther study.
RIGHT: This requires further study.
WRONG: Schedule the meeting farther in the future.
RIGHT: Schedule the meeting further in the future.
The farther you travel on your vacation, the further your bank account will drop.
GOOF #31
Confusion of Fewer and Less
Here's a very simple rule to help you be less confused about the distinction between these words and make fewer misuses of them.
Fewer refers to things that can be counted:
WRONG: Less people voted this year.
RIGHT: Fewer people voted this year.
Less refers to things that cannot be counted:
WRONG: He has fewer brains than she does.
RIGHT: He has less brains than she does.
Exception: In some cases, when referring to time or money, less is correct:
RIGHT: It took Jean less than five minutes to spend a little less than one hundred dollars.
However, you would say "I have fewer hours of spare time than Sam does" and "I have fewer dollars to spend than Sue does." It does get confusing, doesn't it?
GOOF #32
Confusion of Fortunate and Fortuitous
Contrary to popular opinion, these words are not synonymous. Many people say fortuitous (happening by chance) when they mean fortunate (lucky or auspicious). It is okay to say that an encounter was fortuitous if it was both lucky and accidental, but if it was only lucky, you should say fortunate:
WRONG: My appointment with Bill proved to be fortuitous.
RIGHT: My appointment with Bill proved to be fortunate.
If an encounter was merely accidental, you should say fortuitous:
RIGHT: Running across Sue at the supermarket was fortuitous; I had been hoping to see her.
GOOF #33
Confusion of Good and Well
This very common error seems to occur most often in sports broadcasts and on the sports pages. Could it be because many student athletes seem to spend more time practicing for games than learning to speak proper English?
Good should be used with descriptive verbs such as look, feel, sound, and taste:
WRONG: This beer tastes well.
RIGHT: This beer tastes good.
WRONG: The quarterback is looking well today.*
RIGHT: The quarterback is looking good today.
Remember to use well with all other verbs:
WRONG: The team is playing good today.
RIGHT: The team is playing well today.
Use well to refer to one's state of health; use good to refer to one's appearance.
* This is correct, however, if you mean he looks healthy.
GOOF #34
Confusion of Imply and Infer
It's amazing how many "well-educated" people get these two little words mixed up or think they are synonymous. They aren't. Imply means to state indirectly; infer means to draw a conclusion. Notice the important difference:
WRONG: From the size of his car, she implied that he was rich.
RIGHT: From the size of his car, she inferred that he was rich.
WRONG: Al meant to infer that Steve was misinformed, not lying.
RIGHT: Al meant to imply that Steve was misinformed, not lying.
When a friend implies that you misused a word, you should infer that he's trying to be helpful, not critical.
GOOF #35
Confusion of Lay and Lie
If we're not careful, even the best of us mess this up rather regularly. Here's an easy way to remember which to use.
Lay means to place something down and takes an object (a transitive verb):
WRONG: Lie your head on the pillow.
RIGHT: Lay your head on the pillow.
Lie means to recline or be situated and does not take an object (an intransitive verb):
WRONG: Lay down on the bed
RIGHT: Lie down on the bed.
This sentence should make the distinction quite clear:
RIGHT: Lie down on the bed and lay your head on the pillow.
Adding to the confusion is the fact that the past tense of lie is lay, and the past tense of lay is laid--as correctly used in the following example:
RIGHT: He lay down on the sofa after he laid the book on the table.
English can be tough, and that's no lie!
GOOF #36
Confusion of Lend and Loan
Although many people use these words interchangeably as verbs, careful speakers and writers observe the distinction that lend is the correct verb, while loan is a noun meaning money or something else lent for temporary use and should not be used as a verb:
WRONG: Joe asked Jim to loan him ten dollars.
RIGHT: Joe asked Jim to lend him ten dollars.
WRONG: Please loan me your lawn mower.
RIGHT: Please lend me your lawn mower.
The proper usage of the two words is clearly illustrated in this example:
RIGHT: If she asks for the loan of my car, I'll be glad to lend it to her.
They say distance lends enchantment, but not when the distant person hasn't repaid the loan he received from you.
GOOF #37
Confusion of That and Which
Here's another case where many people use the words interchangeably, but you shouldn't if you want to be absolutely correct.
That is properly used to introduce a restrictive, or defining, clause (which identifies what is being talked about) and is not preceded by a comma:
WRONG: Gwen liked the book which I gave her.
RIGHT: Gwen liked the book that I gave her.
Which should be used to introduce a nonrestrictive, or nondefining, clause (which gives additional information about the subject that has already been identified) and is always preceded by a comma:
WRONG: The book I gave Gwen, that she liked, was written by Mark Twain.
RIGHT: The book I gave Gwen, which she liked, was written by Mark Twain.
Note: In some cases it is permissible to use which to introduce a restrictive clause to avoid repetition of the word that in a preceding phrase:
RIGHT: I gave Gwen that book which I thought she would like.
GOOF #38
Confusion of Use and Used To
The verb use is correctly employed in the past tense with to (used to) to indicated a former state or regular practice. But today we frequently see and hear the aberration use to--probably because that's the way it sounds when used to is not carefully enunciated.
This goof will make you look very careless, so be sure to avoid it, especially in writing:
WRONG: We use to go there all the time.
RIGHT: We used to go there all the time.
WRONG: Betty couldn't get use to the heat.
RIGHT: Betty couldn't get used to the heat.
When you become used to avoiding goofs like use to, you'll make a much better impression.
GOOF #39
Confusion of Who and That
The countless communicators who stumble over this one will probably never appear in Who's Who!
Always use who to refer to persons:
WRONG: The man that won was very happy.
RIGHT: The man who won was very happy.
Exception: That is correct when referring to a class, species, or type of person: They are the kind of students that does well in English.
Use that to refer only to animals and things:
WRONG: This is the dog who barked.
RIGHT: This is the dog that barked.
WRONG: Alice misses the tree who died.
RIGHT: Alice misses the tree that died.
People who learn to use words that are correct usually get ahead of those who don't.
GOOF #40
Confusion of Who and Whom
This is another one that is confused by multitudes of people who forget "for whom the bell tolls."
Who always refers to the subject of the statement. Whom always refers to the object of the statement. That's not too hard to remember, but confusion arises because people often mix up the subject and object, especially when the sentence is a little involved:
WRONG: Joe asked whom was coming to see us.
RIGHT: Joe asked who was coming to see us.
Note that who is correct because it's the subject of was coming, not the object of asked.
WRONG: The man who Jan preferred was handsome.
RIGHT: The man whom Jan preferred was handsome.
Note that whom is correct because it refers to the object of preferred, not the subject of was.
If you're a person who can't distinguish between the subject and the object, ask not for whom the bell tolls. It tolls for thee!
GOOF #41
Confusion of Worse and Worst
For some reason, more and more people seem to be using worse when they mean worst. It's a flagrant goof that signals a sad gap in their education, so remember to be careful in statements such as these:
WRONG: It was the worse mistake he ever made.
RIGHT: It was the worst mistake he ever made.
WRONG: If worse comes to worse, I'll give in.
RIGHT: If worst comes to worst, I'll give in.*
Worst (not worse!) is also the word you want in the idioms at worst, get the worst of it, and in the worst way.
It's bad to misuse words in speech; it's worse to misuse them in writing; it's worst of all not to care about goofs!
*Some dictionaries list "if worse comes to worst" as an alternate version of this idiom; take your choice.
Misuse of I, Me, and Other
Personal Pronouns
A) Always use I when it's one of the subjects of a sentence:
WRONG: Me and Tom laughed.
RIGHT: Tom and I laughed. (Please be polite and mention yourself last.)
B) Always use me when it's one of the objects of a verb or preposition:
WRONG: She invited Jennifer and I.
RIGHT: She invited Jennifer and me.
(Me is the object of the verb invited.)
WRONG: Just between you and I, it's true.
RIGHT: Just between you and me, it's true.
(Me is the object of the preposition between.)
You wouldn't say "Me laughed" or "She's invited I," would you? You already know what's right when there's only one subject or object involved.
Remember that the grammar doesn't change when other subjects or objects are added, and you'll never make these mistakes again!
C) All the other personal pronouns work the same way. Always use he, she, we, and they when they're one of the subjects of a sentence:
WRONG: Him (her, us, them) and you should go.
RIGHT: You and he (she, we, they) should go.
D) Always use him, her, us, and them when they're one of the objects of a verb or preposition:
WRONG: That will help Bill and he (she, we, they).
RIGHT: That will help Bill and him (her, us, them.)
(Him, her, us, and them are objects of the the verb help.)
WRONG: Joe sent it to Jan and he (she, we, they) yesterday.
RIGHT: Joe sent it to Jan and him (her, us, them) yesterday.
(Him, her, us, and them are objects of the preposition to.)
If in doubt, just mentally eliminate the "-- and" before the pronoun, and you'll know immediately what's right. Remember the grammar doesn't change when other subjects or objects are added.
GOOF #2
Misuse of the Pronoun Myself
Never, never (please!) use myself as a substitute for I or me. It's becoming an epidemic!
This glaring goof may be so widespread today because so many people aren't sure whether to use I or me (as explained in Goof #1), so they cop out by misusing myself.
A prominent radio talk-show host (with a Ph.D. degree) was just one of countless communicators guilty of this poisoning of our language:
WRONG: Myself and my guest will be right back.
RIGHT: My guest and I will be right back. (Always mention yourself last.)
WRONG: She told Terry and myself.
RIGHT: She told Terry and me.
The pronoun myself should be used only reflexively (I hurt myself) or for emphasis (I told her myself). Using it in place of I or me is one of the surest ways to draw attention to carelessness or lack of education.
GOOF #3
Misuse of the Preposition Like
Use like only before nouns and pronouns, and before gerunds (a verbal form that functions as a noun). Here are two examples:
RIGHT: He looks like his brother and walks like him.
RIGHT: I don't feel like eating or drinking.
Never use like before phrases and clauses, where as, as if, as though, or that is proper. Try to remember not to commit these types of flagrant errors, which are heard constantly on the air and are seen far too frequently in print:
WRONG: Like I said before, it's true.
RIGHT: As I said before, it's true.
WRONG: He looks like he's happy.
RIGHT: He looks as if (as though) he's happy.
WRONG: I feel like I should go.
RIGHT: I feel that I should go.
As an adman, I deplore that infamous slogan, "Winston tastes good like a cigarette should," which popularized the misuse of like in place of as!
GOOF #4
Misuse of the Apostrophe ( ' )
This is the most common error in print. The apostrophe has only two proper uses: *
1) To indicate possession;
2) To indicate the omission of one or more letters.
Use #1, indicating possession:
WRONG: She saw the mans face.
RIGHT: She saw the man's face.
Caution: Never put an apostrophe in these pronouns that are already possessive: its, his, hers, theirs, yours, ours, and whose. See related Goofs #5 and #6, which follow.
Use #2, indicating omission of letter(s):
WRONG: Your looking very nice today.
RIGHT: You're (you are) looking very nice today.
Caution: Never put an apostrophe before the "s" in a word you just want to make plural: *
WRONG: I read two book's last month.
RIGHT: I read two books last month.
* Exception: The apostrophe is used when writing plural letters (watch your p's and q's) or plural years (the 1980's).
When you want to make a word plural AND possessive, be sure to put an apostrophe after the "s":
WRONG: He liked the girls appearance.
WRONG: He liked the girl's appearance. (This refers to only one girl.)
RIGHT: He liked the girls' appearance. (This refers to more than one girl.)
GOOF #5
Misuse of Its and It's
As small as they are, these two little words account for some of the most flagrant misuses of the apostrophe and confusion of meaning (see also Goof #6).
Its is a possessive pronoun and does not need an apostrophe to make it indicate possession:
WRONG: The dog wagged it's tail.
RIGHT: The dog wagged its tail.
When you put an apostrophe in the word and make it it's, you change the meaning entirely. Now you have indicated the omission of a letter (i), turning the word into the contraction of it is:
WRONG: Its a very bushy tail.
RIGHT: It's (it is) a very bushy tail.
WRONG: The dog thinks its fun to chase it's tail.
RIGHT: The dog thinks it's fun to chase its tail.
If you'll just give it a little thought, it's not too hard to put the apostrophe in its rightful place and make sure of its absence where it's out of place.
GOOF #6
Misuse of Whose and Who's
Here's another case where the use of the apostrophe--or the lack of it--continually causes confusion of two words that sound alike but have entirely different meanings.
Whose is a possessive pronoun that you should never mess up with an apostrophe:
WRONG: Who's (or who'se) bat is this?
RIGHT: Whose bat is this?
Who's is the contraction of who is; the apostrophe does not indicate possession but the omission of the letter "i";
WRONG: Whose on first, using who's glove?
RIGHT: Who's (who is) on first, using whose glove?
Who's the communicator whose understanding of proper English usage is rapidly improving? I hope it's you, dear reader!
GOOF #7
Misuse of Verbs That Don't Agree in Number with Their Subjects
If the subject is singular, its verb must also be singular; if the subject is plural, its verb must also be plural, of course. It's all too easy to violate this important rule and look dumb, because there are confusing pitfalls.
One pitfall occurs when modifying words that are plural come between a singular subject and its verb:
WRONG: His list of honors and qualifications are impressive.
RIGHT: His list of honors and qualifications is impressive.
Remember that list, not honors and qualifications, is the subject and requires a singular verb.
Another trap to avoid: Distributive words such as none, either, neither, everybody, nobody, and each are often thought of as plural but are actually singular and take singular verbs:
WRONG: None of us have enough money.
RIGHT: None of us has enough money.
WRONG: Neither of you are right.
RIGHT: Neither of you is right.
WRONG: Each of the three women were attractive.
RIGHT: Each one of the three women was attractive.
GOOF #8
Misuse of Pronouns That Don't Agree in Number or Case with Their Antecedents
Here again, pitfalls make it easy to mess up, so be on your guard.
One pitfall is collective nouns, such as committee. The word is singular but is often thought of as plural because it's made up of several people:
WRONG: The committee announced they would meet.
RIGHT: The committee announced it would meet.
Note: An important exception to the agreement rule is now becoming accepted to avoid the following dilemma: In the past, the masculine pronoun has been used to include both male and female, as in "Everyone has his choice." But with the rise of feminism this has been construed to be sexist, and the grammatical ways to avoid the problem are awkward: "Everyone has his or her choice" or "Everyone has one's choice." So the grammatically incorrect "Everyone has their choice" has come into widespread use.
While purists still decry this, the eminent grammarian Fowler decided that there is no entirely happy solution and that "everyone must decide for himself, for himself and herself, or for themselves." I'll go along with him, because I recognize that our language inevitably changes as society changes--and this is a perfect example of such a change.
Another pitfall to avoid: A pronoun following any form of the verb to be (am, are, is, was, were) takes the nominative, not objective, case--even though it may sound stilted:
WRONG: The person who called was him.
RIGHT: The person who called was he.
An easy way to remember what's right is to turn the sentence around: He was the person who called. You surely wouldn't say "Him was the person"! Note that the pronoun he now correctly agrees in case (nominative) with the subject person.
When a pronoun is combined with a modifying noun, it creates another trap that's all too easy to fall into:
WRONG: He took we customers to the game.
RIGHT: He took us customers to the game.
If you simply drop the modifying noun, customers, from the sentence, the correct form is immediately clear: You wouldn't say "He took we to the game," would you? Note again that the pronoun us now correctly agrees in case (objective) with the object, customers.
GOOF #9
Misuse of Double Comparisons
I saw an automobile advertisement recently that claimed the car was "more roomier" than its competitors. Fire the copywriter, please!
Never use more or most when -er or -est is added to a modifier:
WRONG: Your car is more roomier than mine.
RIGHT: Your car is roomier (or more roomy) than mine.
WRONG: That's the most stupidest thing I ever heard.
RIGHT: That's the stupidest (or most stupid) thing I ever heard.
Using a double comparison doesn't double the impact of a statement. It's just a singularly flagrant goof!
GOOF #10
Misuse of Double Negatives
The use of double negatives is so widely recognized as a prime example of illiteracy that I hesitate to even include it--but it still crops up too often, especially in sportscasting.
Two negatives (such as no, none, nobody, not, can't, couldn't, wouldn't, shouldn't, never, nothing, hardly, or scarcely) should never be used in the same statement:
WRONG: The plays he called hardly never seemed to work.
RIGHT: The plays he called hardly ever (or never) seemed to work.
WRONG: That pitcher can't strike out nobody.
RIGHT: That pitcher can't strike out anybody (or) That pitcher can strike out nobody.
WRONG: I told him he couldn't have none.
RIGHT: I told him he couldn't have any (or) I told him he could have none.
Using a double negative doesn't double the impact of a statement. It just creates a very negative impression of your educational level.
GOOF #11
Misuse of Between . . . To
How this corruption originated is a mystery to me, but lately it seems to be cropping up more and more frequently in both print and broadcast media. Let's try to nip it in the bud!
Standard usage has always been:
between . . . and (or) from . . . to.
You may take your pick; both are correct. But never, please, mix up the two phrases!
WRONG: The plane flew between New York to Chicago.
RIGHT: The plane flew between New York and Chicago (or) The plane flew from New York to Chicago.
Just between you and me, it's easy to change from wrong to right if you'll just practice a bit.
GOOF #12
Misuse of Anymore for Lately, Nowadays, or Today
Nowadays, anymore is regularly being misused by people who really mean nowadays or today (at the present time):
WRONG: This word is widely misused anymore.
RIGHT: This word is widely misused lately (nowadays or today).
Note: Anymore is properly used in statements involving a chance in a previous activity or condition:
RIGHT: I don't go there anymore.
RIGHT: Why don't you like her anymore?
If you're in the habit of saying things such as "Houses are too expensive anymore," please don't make yourself sound dumb anymore. Instead, say nowadays or today and be right!
GOOF #13
Misuse of And after Try
We continually hear try and in television shows, but it grates on the ears of the educated people, except perhaps in the slang expression try and stop me.
The verb try should be followed by to, not and, in all careful communications:
WRONG: Please try and remember this.
RIGHT: Please try to remember this.
Even when it results in a to on both sides of try, the rule still holds:
WRONG: She ought to try and do it.
RIGHT: She ought to try to do it.
Try to bear in mind that try and is not standard American English.
GOOF #14
Misuse of Hopefully
Hopefully is a perfectly good word, but lately its misuse has become so widespread that it may already be too late to halt this corruption of our language. Hopefully means exactly what it says: full of hope. Its correct usage, therefore, is in statements that indicate a person is hopeful, such as:
RIGHT: "Will you help me?" she asked hopefully.
It is not correct to use the adverb hopefully to mean "I hope" or "it is to be hoped."
WRONG: "Hopefully, he'll help me," she said.
RIGHT: "I hope he'll help me," she said.
It's difficult not to let a misuse like this one, which is constantly seen and heard, creep into your vocabulary; I frequently have to correct myself. But I hope that you'll remember not to use hopefully when you mean I hope.
GOOF #15
Misuse of Could of and Could have
Recently, I've seen this flagrant grammatical goof more and more often in print, apparently because poorly taught writers think they hear could of when people shorten could have to could've in conversation. There is no such phrase as could of:
WRONG: I could of danced all night.
RIGHT: I could have danced all night.
Saying or writing could of is one of the prime telltale tip-offs that your education in English has been sadly neglected. Being guilty of this goof could have been the reason you made a poor impression that is holding you back.
GOOF #16
Misuse of Different Than
Here's another very common grammatical gaffe that's heard and seen far too often. It's easy to avoid if you just remember that one thing differs from another; surely you wouldn't say that one thing differs than another:
WRONG: She's very different than her sister.
RIGHT: She's very different from her sister.
Saying or writing different than is a sure way to call attention to the fact that you're different from those who use our language correctly.
GOOF #17
Misuse of More (or Most) Unique
The dictionary defines unique as "being the only one of its kind; without an equal or equivalent." A thing is either unique or it isn't, so there can't be any qualification of degree. Advertisers, I'm sorry to admit, are among the worst offenders; they frequently claim that a product or service is "the most unique" on the market:
WRONG: This is the most unique computer ever designed.
RIGHT: This computer has a unique design (or) This computer is truly unique.
WRONG: His watch is more unique than mine.
RIGHT: His watch is more unusual than mine.
It's not uniquely wrong to say more or most unique, because so many others are guilty of it too; it's just plain wrong!
GOOF #18
Misuse of These (or Those) Kind
As we've seen previously, pronouns must agree in number with the words to which they refer. If you remember this rule, you'll see why it's incorrect to say or write these (those) kind. These and those are plurals of this and that, while kind is singular; they don't properly agree.
WRONG: These (those) kind of food is fattening.
RIGHT: These (those) kinds of food are fattening.
Of course you can also correct the statement by making the words singular instead of plural:
RIGHT: This (that) kind of food is fattening.
Just be sure to keep both words singular or both words plural. When they're in agreement, you won't be caught making these kinds of goofs . . . or this kind of goof, if you prefer.
GOOF #19
Misuse of Data, Media, Strata, Criteria, and Phenomena with Singular Verbs
It's a singular mistake to treat these words, as so many do, as singular. They are the plurals of datum, medium, stratum, criterion, and phenomenon and should be used with plural verbs.
We frequently read and hear errors such as "the data shows that . . ." and "the media reports that . . ." and unfortunately these words are rapidly gaining acceptance as singulars:
WRONG: The data he showed was convincing.
RIGHT: The data he showed were convincing.
WRONG: The media is incorrect far too often.
RIGHT: The media are incorrect far too often.
Remember that radio, for example, is one medium of communication. When we refer to more than one medium--lumping together radio, television, newspapers, and so forth--we obviously must use the plural of medium, which is media. Data, strata, criteria, and phenomena all work the same way. Now it's easy to see why these require plural verbs, isn't it?
If it isn't, just take my work for it: Use plural verbs with these four words, and you'll look singularly smart!
GOOF #20
Misuse of A and An
Can you believe that educated people are now misusing two of the shortest, most common words in the English language? I couldn't until several horrible examples came to my attention, including "an judge" (Associated Press), "a opportunity" (Writers Guild newsletter), and "an professor" (university instructor with a Ph.D. degree)!
The rule is very simple: Use a before words beginning with a consonant or consonant sound; use an before words beginning with a vowel or vowel sound:
WRONG: Tom gave me a apple.
RIGHT: Tom gave me an apple.
WRONG: Dottie is an skilled typist.
RIGHT: Dottie is a skilled typist.
Note: Remember that the vowel u often has a consonant sound (yew) at the beginning of words such as union and university; they therefore must be preceded by a even though they start with a vowel.
For some reason (perhaps a holdover from England, where initial h's are often not pronounced) many people incorrectly use an before such words as hotel, historical, and hysterical. Remember that these words begin with the consonant h and must be preceded by a. However, when the h is silent, as in herb or heir, an is correct.
GOOF #21
Misuse of Reknown for Renowned
Lately more and more people commit goofs by writing and saying reknown (apparently because of confusion with known) when they mean renowned.
There are two important points to remember:
1) There is no such word as reknown;
2) Renown (without a k) is a noun that means fame; if you want to say a person or thing is famous, you must use the corresponding adjective, renowned.
WRONG: Lincoln was a statesman of wide reknown.
RIGHT: Lincoln was a statesman of wide renown.
WRONG: Lincoln was a reknown statesman.
RIGHT: Lincoln was a renowned statesman.
If you habitually misuse reknown to mean famous, you'll become renowned yourself for committing illiterate goofs.
GOOF #22
Misuse of For Free
Here's another prime example of a silly aberration, which has become so accepted that the proper use of the simple adverb free is seldom seen or heard these days.
In the sense of without cost, free means for nothing. When you say for free, therefore, you are really saying for for nothing--flagrantly redundant double-talk:
WRONG: Chris got his second cup of coffee for free.
RIGHT: Chris got his second cup of coffee free.
I know this constantly seen-and-heard goof is easy to commit, because I caught plenty of flak when I was quoted (probably correctly, alas) as saying for free during a Wall Street Journal interview. Moral: If you want to stay free of criticism, keep your speech and writing completely free of for free!
The Remaining Goofs are the Most Commonly Confused Words (Arranged in Alphabetical Order)
GOOF #23
Confusion of Affect and Effect
These frequently confused words have similar but definitely different meanings. Affect means to have an influence on or cause a change in. The verb effect means to produce a result or bring about. These examples should make the difference clear:
WRONG: Smoking can adversely effect health.
RIGHT: Smoking can adversely affect health.
WRONG: Quitting may affect an improvement.
RIGHT: Quitting may effect an improvement.
Note: To compound the confusion, effect is also a noun, which is properly used as follows: Smoking can have an adverse effect on health.
Learning to use these words correctly can help effect a favorable change in the way people judge you, affect your career, and thus have a good effect on your earning power.
GOOF #24
Confusion of Aggravate and Irritate
Many people use aggravate to mean irritate. This may be acceptable as colloquial speech, but the words should not be confused in careful writing. Aggravate means to make worse; irritate means to exasperate or inflame. Notice the difference in these examples:
WRONG: His careless writing aggravated me.
RIGHT: His careless writing irritated me
WRONG: The bad weather irritated my cold.
RIGHT: The bad weather aggravated my cold.
Confusing these words may irritate people and aggravate the situation you're in.
GOOF #25
Confusion of Allude and Elude
These verbs are called homonyms or homophones--words that sound the same or nearly the same but differ in spelling or meaning. As you might expect, these rascals cause a great deal of confusion, so be on your guard! (You'll fine a very handy list of some of the most troublesome homonyms beginning on page 53.)
Allude means to make an indirect reference to. Elude means to evade or escape from. If you use one of these words when you mean the other, the result can be rather ridiculous:
WRONG: Harry eluded to his girlfriend.
RIGHT: Harry alluded to his girlfriend.
WRONG: The runner cleverly alluded the tackler.
RIGHT: The runner cleverly eluded the tackler.
When you allude to the right word instead of the wrong you, you elude criticism.
GOOF #26
Confusion of Bad and Badly
Bad (like good) should be used with descriptive verbs such as look, feel, sound, and taste:
WRONG: Bert's black eye looked very badly.
RIGHT: Bert's black eye looked very bad.
WRONG: I felt badly about being late.
RIGHT: I felt bad about being late.
Badly (like well) should be used with all other verbs:
WRONG: The team lost because it played bad.
RIGHT: The team lost because it played badly.
Misusing the language badly will make you look bad and hold you back.
GOOF #27
Confusion of Can and May
"Can we talk?" the woman asks the man. What a silly question! Of course they can talk, unless their tongues are tied, because can denotes the ability to do something. What she should say is "May we talk?" because may denotes permission to do something, the meaning she intends.
Remember that when you ask permission, may is not only the correct word, it's also the polite word:
WRONG: Can I read your letter from Joan?
RIGHT: May I read your letter from Joan?
This sentence clearly illustrates the difference between the two words:
RIGHT: You may read the letter if you can find it.
You can make a better impression by using may correctly and politely when asking permission.
GOOF #28
Confusion of Compromise and Compose
These words confuse so many people that they seem to be misused more often than not. The way to remember the difference is this: The whole comprises the parts; the parts compose the whole.
These examples should help to make it clearer:
WRONG: The team composes eleven players.
RIGHT: The team comprises eleven players.
WRONG: Eleven players comprise the team.
RIGHT: Eleven players compose the team.
WRONG: The team is comprised of eleven players.
RIGHT: The team is composed of eleven players.
It is confusing, isn't it? Maybe it's simpler and safer to avoid these words entirely and say "The team is made up of eleven players" or "Eleven players make up the team."
GOOF #29
Confusion of Disinterested and Uninterested
Most people think these words are synonymous or interchangeable, but there's an important difference between them. Disinterested means impartial. Uninterested means indifferent to or not interested in. Notice the distinction in these examples:
WRONG: An umpire should be uninterested.
RIGHT: An umpire should be disinterested.
WRONG: Ted was disinterested in the dull lecture.
RIGHT: Ted was uninterested in the dull lecture.
If you're asked to settle a dispute, try to be completely disinterested even though you may be uninterested in being the referee.
GOOF #30
Confusion of Farther and Further
This has been committed so frequently in the media that millions of people are misusing these words nowadays, but there's an easy way to remember which is which.
When you refer to physical distance, always use farther--the word that has far in it:
WRONG: New York is further east than St. Louis.
RIGHT: New York is farther east than St. Louis.
Use further when you refer to additional time or amount:
WRONG: This requires farther study.
RIGHT: This requires further study.
WRONG: Schedule the meeting farther in the future.
RIGHT: Schedule the meeting further in the future.
The farther you travel on your vacation, the further your bank account will drop.
GOOF #31
Confusion of Fewer and Less
Here's a very simple rule to help you be less confused about the distinction between these words and make fewer misuses of them.
Fewer refers to things that can be counted:
WRONG: Less people voted this year.
RIGHT: Fewer people voted this year.
Less refers to things that cannot be counted:
WRONG: He has fewer brains than she does.
RIGHT: He has less brains than she does.
Exception: In some cases, when referring to time or money, less is correct:
RIGHT: It took Jean less than five minutes to spend a little less than one hundred dollars.
However, you would say "I have fewer hours of spare time than Sam does" and "I have fewer dollars to spend than Sue does." It does get confusing, doesn't it?
GOOF #32
Confusion of Fortunate and Fortuitous
Contrary to popular opinion, these words are not synonymous. Many people say fortuitous (happening by chance) when they mean fortunate (lucky or auspicious). It is okay to say that an encounter was fortuitous if it was both lucky and accidental, but if it was only lucky, you should say fortunate:
WRONG: My appointment with Bill proved to be fortuitous.
RIGHT: My appointment with Bill proved to be fortunate.
If an encounter was merely accidental, you should say fortuitous:
RIGHT: Running across Sue at the supermarket was fortuitous; I had been hoping to see her.
GOOF #33
Confusion of Good and Well
This very common error seems to occur most often in sports broadcasts and on the sports pages. Could it be because many student athletes seem to spend more time practicing for games than learning to speak proper English?
Good should be used with descriptive verbs such as look, feel, sound, and taste:
WRONG: This beer tastes well.
RIGHT: This beer tastes good.
WRONG: The quarterback is looking well today.*
RIGHT: The quarterback is looking good today.
Remember to use well with all other verbs:
WRONG: The team is playing good today.
RIGHT: The team is playing well today.
Use well to refer to one's state of health; use good to refer to one's appearance.
* This is correct, however, if you mean he looks healthy.
GOOF #34
Confusion of Imply and Infer
It's amazing how many "well-educated" people get these two little words mixed up or think they are synonymous. They aren't. Imply means to state indirectly; infer means to draw a conclusion. Notice the important difference:
WRONG: From the size of his car, she implied that he was rich.
RIGHT: From the size of his car, she inferred that he was rich.
WRONG: Al meant to infer that Steve was misinformed, not lying.
RIGHT: Al meant to imply that Steve was misinformed, not lying.
When a friend implies that you misused a word, you should infer that he's trying to be helpful, not critical.
GOOF #35
Confusion of Lay and Lie
If we're not careful, even the best of us mess this up rather regularly. Here's an easy way to remember which to use.
Lay means to place something down and takes an object (a transitive verb):
WRONG: Lie your head on the pillow.
RIGHT: Lay your head on the pillow.
Lie means to recline or be situated and does not take an object (an intransitive verb):
WRONG: Lay down on the bed
RIGHT: Lie down on the bed.
This sentence should make the distinction quite clear:
RIGHT: Lie down on the bed and lay your head on the pillow.
Adding to the confusion is the fact that the past tense of lie is lay, and the past tense of lay is laid--as correctly used in the following example:
RIGHT: He lay down on the sofa after he laid the book on the table.
English can be tough, and that's no lie!
GOOF #36
Confusion of Lend and Loan
Although many people use these words interchangeably as verbs, careful speakers and writers observe the distinction that lend is the correct verb, while loan is a noun meaning money or something else lent for temporary use and should not be used as a verb:
WRONG: Joe asked Jim to loan him ten dollars.
RIGHT: Joe asked Jim to lend him ten dollars.
WRONG: Please loan me your lawn mower.
RIGHT: Please lend me your lawn mower.
The proper usage of the two words is clearly illustrated in this example:
RIGHT: If she asks for the loan of my car, I'll be glad to lend it to her.
They say distance lends enchantment, but not when the distant person hasn't repaid the loan he received from you.
GOOF #37
Confusion of That and Which
Here's another case where many people use the words interchangeably, but you shouldn't if you want to be absolutely correct.
That is properly used to introduce a restrictive, or defining, clause (which identifies what is being talked about) and is not preceded by a comma:
WRONG: Gwen liked the book which I gave her.
RIGHT: Gwen liked the book that I gave her.
Which should be used to introduce a nonrestrictive, or nondefining, clause (which gives additional information about the subject that has already been identified) and is always preceded by a comma:
WRONG: The book I gave Gwen, that she liked, was written by Mark Twain.
RIGHT: The book I gave Gwen, which she liked, was written by Mark Twain.
Note: In some cases it is permissible to use which to introduce a restrictive clause to avoid repetition of the word that in a preceding phrase:
RIGHT: I gave Gwen that book which I thought she would like.
GOOF #38
Confusion of Use and Used To
The verb use is correctly employed in the past tense with to (used to) to indicated a former state or regular practice. But today we frequently see and hear the aberration use to--probably because that's the way it sounds when used to is not carefully enunciated.
This goof will make you look very careless, so be sure to avoid it, especially in writing:
WRONG: We use to go there all the time.
RIGHT: We used to go there all the time.
WRONG: Betty couldn't get use to the heat.
RIGHT: Betty couldn't get used to the heat.
When you become used to avoiding goofs like use to, you'll make a much better impression.
GOOF #39
Confusion of Who and That
The countless communicators who stumble over this one will probably never appear in Who's Who!
Always use who to refer to persons:
WRONG: The man that won was very happy.
RIGHT: The man who won was very happy.
Exception: That is correct when referring to a class, species, or type of person: They are the kind of students that does well in English.
Use that to refer only to animals and things:
WRONG: This is the dog who barked.
RIGHT: This is the dog that barked.
WRONG: Alice misses the tree who died.
RIGHT: Alice misses the tree that died.
People who learn to use words that are correct usually get ahead of those who don't.
GOOF #40
Confusion of Who and Whom
This is another one that is confused by multitudes of people who forget "for whom the bell tolls."
Who always refers to the subject of the statement. Whom always refers to the object of the statement. That's not too hard to remember, but confusion arises because people often mix up the subject and object, especially when the sentence is a little involved:
WRONG: Joe asked whom was coming to see us.
RIGHT: Joe asked who was coming to see us.
Note that who is correct because it's the subject of was coming, not the object of asked.
WRONG: The man who Jan preferred was handsome.
RIGHT: The man whom Jan preferred was handsome.
Note that whom is correct because it refers to the object of preferred, not the subject of was.
If you're a person who can't distinguish between the subject and the object, ask not for whom the bell tolls. It tolls for thee!
GOOF #41
Confusion of Worse and Worst
For some reason, more and more people seem to be using worse when they mean worst. It's a flagrant goof that signals a sad gap in their education, so remember to be careful in statements such as these:
WRONG: It was the worse mistake he ever made.
RIGHT: It was the worst mistake he ever made.
WRONG: If worse comes to worse, I'll give in.
RIGHT: If worst comes to worst, I'll give in.*
Worst (not worse!) is also the word you want in the idioms at worst, get the worst of it, and in the worst way.
It's bad to misuse words in speech; it's worse to misuse them in writing; it's worst of all not to care about goofs!
*Some dictionaries list "if worse comes to worst" as an alternate version of this idiom; take your choice.