Glossary Of Usage Warriner’s English Composition and Grammar

a, an • These short words are called indefinite articles. They refer to

one general group.

• Rule: • Use a before words beginning with a consonant sound;

use an before words beginning with a vowel sound. • An is used before hour because hour begins with a vowel sound.

• Examples: • A woman bought Larry’s car. • Maria was in an accident in her father’s car.

accept, except• Rule: • Accept is a verb; it means “to receive.” • Except as a verb means “to leave out”; as a preposition it means

“excluding.”

• Examples: • I accepted the gift gratefully. • Debbie has a perfect attendance record, if you except the day she

stayed home with the flu. • We were busy every evening this week except Tuesday.

adapt, adopt • Rule: • Adapt means “to change in order to fit or be more suitable; to

adjust.” • Adopt means “to take something and make it one’s own.”

• Examples: • When it rained on the day of the senior class picnic, we adapted

our plans. • The Broadway play was adapted from a popular television

miniseries. • The couple who adopted the baby read many books and adopted

some suggestions for infant care.

affect, effect • Rule: • Affect is usually a verb; it means “to impress” or “to influence (frequently the mind

or feelings.)” • Effect as a verb means “to accomplish, to bring about.” • Effect as a noun means “the result of some action.”

• Examples: • Try not to let careless remarks affect you. • The school board effected (brought about) drastic changes in the budget. • The effects (results) of the hurricane were shown on the evening news.

Video: http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Examples+of+Affect+Vs.+Effect&Form=VQFRVP#view=detail&mid=BD59B16A8ED6C56ED431BD59B16A8ED6C56ED431

Practice for affect/effect Activity: Complete on your own. Compare with a partner. Vote as a class. Check responses. http://www.towson.edu/ows/_vti_bin/shtml.dll/exerciseaffect2.htm

all the farther, all the faster • Rule: • Used informally in some parts of the country to mean “as far as,

as fast as.”

• Examples: • Dialect:

• Thirty miles per hour was all the faster the first airplane could travel.

• Standard: • Thirty miles per hour was as fast as the first airplane could travel.

allusion, illusion • Rule: • An allusion is a reference to something. • An illusion is a mistaken idea.

• Examples: • In her essay she made many allusions to the American pioneers. • The behind-the-scenes report destroyed her illusions of

Hollywood.

alumni, alumnae• Rule: • Alumni is the plural of alumnus (male graduate). • Alumnae is the plural of alumna (female graduate). • The graduates of a co-educational school are referred to (as a

group) as alumni.

• Examples: • All of my sisters are alumnae of Adam’s High School. • Both men are alumni of Harvard. • My parents went to their college alumni reunion.

amount, number • Rule: • Use amount to refer to a singular word. • Use number to refer to a plural word.

• Examples: • The amount of research (singular) on stress is overwhelming. • A number of reports (plural) on stress are available.

and etc. • Rule: • Since etc. is an abbreviation of the Latin et cetera, which means

“and other things,” you are using and twice when you write “and etc.”

• Examples: • The new store in the mall sells DVDs, cameras, radios, video

games, etc.

and which, but which • Rule: • The expressions and which, but which (and who, but who)

should be used only when a which (or who) clause precedes them in the sentence.

• Examples: • Nonstandard: Our jazz band was pleased with the audience’s

enthusiastic response and which we had not expected before the concert.

• Standard: Our jazz band was please with the audience’s response, which was enthusiastic and which we had not expected before the concert.

• Standard: Our jazz band was please with the audience’s enthusiastic response, which we had not expected before the concert.

anywheres, everywheres, nowheres • Rule: • Use these words and others like them without the final s.

• Examples: • I could not find my keys anywhere; I looked everywhere, but they

were nowhere in the house.

at• Rule: • Do not use at after where.

• Examples: • Nonstandard: Where are they living at now? • Standard: Where are they living now?

Formative Assessment: • Complete Exercise 1 on your own without using your notes. • Once you have finished, partner up and discuss your answers.

You may use your notes as reference at this point. • Each group member must have the right answer AND

understand the justification of that answer. • I will be calling on students to tell me the correct answer AND

explain why it is the correct answer. • You will need to grade your paper accurately: I will be taking it

up to enter as a Formative Assessment for this unit.

because • Rule:

• The use of because after reason is common in informal English, but it is generally avoided in formal writing.

• Examples: • Not Standard: The reason is because…. • Not Standard: The reason she arrived late was because her car had a

flat tire. • Standard: The reason she arrived late was that her car had a flat tire. • Standard: She arrived late because her car had a flat tire.

being as, being that • Rule:

• Nonstandard English when used for since or because

• Examples: • Nonstandard: Being as Emily had lived in Montreal for five years, she

could speak both French and English. • Standard: Because Emily had lived in Montreal for five years, she

could speak both French and English.

beside, besides • Rule:

• Beside means “by the side of” someone or something. • Besides means “in addition to.”

• Examples: • Who sits beside you in English class? • Besides my homework, I have an errand to run.

between, among • Rule: • Use between when you are thinking of two items at a time,

whether or not they are part of a larger group. • Use among when you are thinking of a group rather than of

separate individuals.

• Examples: • We have to choose between Anne and Lisa. • She is respected among her peers. • I cannot remember the difference between the polka and the

two-step. • I hated to decide among so many qualified applicants.

bring, take • Rule:

• Use bring when the meaning is to convey something to the person speaking.

• Use take when the meaning is to convey something away from the person speaking.

• Bring is related to come; take is related to go.

• Examples: • Remember to bring your new albums when you come to my house. • Take your warm jacket when you go to the game this afternoon.

• http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/confusing_words/bring_take.htm

could of • Rule:

• This phrase is sometimes carelessly written for could have.

• Examples: • Nonstandard: Wanda could of told us it wasn’t a costume party

before we rented these chicken suits. • Standard: Wanda could have told us it wasn’t a costume party before

we rented these chicken suits.

credible, creditable, credulous • Rule:

• Credible means “believable.” • Creditable means “praiseworthy.”• Credulous means “inclined to believe just about anything.”

• Examples: • The child gave a credible excuse for breaking the window in the

kitchen. • Her quick thinking and competent action were creditable. • The credulous woman and her neighbors signed up for the trip to

Mars.

data • Rule: • Data is the plural form of the Latin datum.• According to the book, “You will be safer if, in your writing, you

use the word as a plural.”

• Examples: • The census data were finally published.

discover, invent • Rule:

• Invent means “to make something not known before, to bring something into existence.”

• Discover means “to find something that has been in existence but was unknown.”

• Examples: • Elias Howe invented the sewing machine. • The engineers discovered new oil deposits in Michigan.

done • Rule:

• Done is not the past form of do. The past form of do is did. • Done always needs a helping verb: has done, was done, will be

done, etc.

• Examples: • Nonstandard: We done all our chores in an hour. • Standard: We did all our chores in an hour. • Standard: We had done all our chores in an hour.

• Nonstandard: I done that. • Standard: I did that. • Standard: I have done that.

don’t • Rule: • A contraction of do not, don’t should not be used with a singular

noun or the third person of singular pronouns (it, he, she). • Use doesn’t.

• Examples: • Nonstandard: It don’t worry us. (It do not worry us.) • Standard: It doesn’t worry us. (It does not worry us.)

emigrate, immigrate • Rule: • Emigrate means “to go from a county” to settle elsewhere. • Immigrate means “to come into a country” to settle.

• Examples: • The war has forced thousands of people to emigrate from their

homeland to other, more peaceful countries. • Marie’s grandparents immigrated here in 1950.

famous, notorious • Rule: • Famous means “well and widely known.” • Notorious means “widely known” but in an unfavorable sense.

• Examples: • Oprah is famous. • Al Capone was a notorious gangster in the 1920’s.

fewer, less • Rule:

• Fewer is used before a plural noun. • Less is used before a singular noun.

• Examples: • We printed fewer prom tickets this year. • I spent less time in the library this morning.

good, well • Rule:

• Good is always an adjective. It should never be used to modify a verb.

• Well may be used as an adjective or adverb.

• Examples: • Nonstandard: The choir sang good at the concert. • Standard: The choir sang well at the concert. • Nonstandard: We bowled very good as a team. • Standard: We bowled very well as a team.

Formative Assessment: • Complete Exercise 2 on your own without using your notes. • Once you have finished, partner up and discuss your answers.

You may use your notes as reference at this point. • Each group member must have the right answer AND

understand the justification of that answer. • I will be calling on students to tell me the correct answer AND

explain why it is the correct answer. • You will need to grade your paper accurately: I will be taking it

up to enter as a Formative Assessment for this unit.

Mini Summative Assessment

Had of • Rule:

• The of is superfluous.

• Examples:• Nonstandard: IF we had of asked permission, we could have used the

auditorium for our meeting. • Standard: If we had asked permission, we could have used the

auditorium for our meeting.

Had ought, Hadn’t ought • Rule: • Do not use had with ought.

• Examples: • Nonstandard: They had ought to be more patient. • Standard: They ought to be more patient. • Nonstandard: I hadn’t ought to go to the movies again. • Standard: I ought not to go to the movies again.

He, she, they, etc. • Rule: • Do not use unnecessary pronouns after a noun. • This error is sometimes called the double subject.

• Examples: • Nonstandard: My cousin she designs her own clothes. • Standard: My cousin designs her own clothes.

Hisself, theirselves • Rule: • These words are sometimes incorrectly used for himself,

themselves.

• Examples: • Nonstandard: Lou built the shed hisself. • Standard: Lou built the shed himself.

Imply, infer • Rule: • Imply means “to suggest something.” • Infer means “to interpret, to get a certain meaning from a remark

or action.” • The speaker or writer implies. The listener or reader infers.

• Examples: • Mrs. Hanson implied during her lecture that we needed more

practice. • We inferred from her comments that we need to practice more.

In, into • Rule:• In standard formal usage, observe the difference in meaning

between these words. • In means “within.”• Into suggests movement from the outside to the inside.

• Examples: • Standard: Feeling nervous, I walked into [not in] the personnel

office. • Nonstandard: We threw some pennies in the well and made a

wish. • Standard: We threw some pennies into the well and made a wish.

Kind of, sort of • Rule: • In standard formal usage the adjectives this, these, that, those

are made to agree in number with the words kind, sort, type; this kind, these kinds; that sort, these sorts.

• Examples: • We prefer this kind of magazines. • We prefer these kinds of magazines.

Kind of, sort of • Rule: • In standard formal usage, avoid using these expressions to mean

“rather” or “somewhat.”

• Examples: • Informal: I feel kind of depressed today. • Formal: I feel rather [somewhat] depressed today.

Kind of a, sort of a • Rule: • The “a” is superfluous.

• Examples: • Informal: What kind of a sports car is this?• Formal: What kind of sports car is this?

Lay, lie • Rule: • The verb lie means “to assume a lying position” or “to be in a lying

position.” Its principal parts are lie, (is) lying, lay, (have) lain. This verb is intransitive; that is, it never has an object. You never “lie” anything down.

• The verb lay means “to put” or “to place something.” Its principal parts are lay, (is) laying, laid, (have) laid. This verb is transitive; that is, it may have an object or be in passive voice.

• Examples: • The pattern lies on top of the fabric. (intransitive/no object)• You lay the fabric on a flat surface. (transitive/object: fabric)• The fabric is laid on a hard, flat table. (passive voice)

• Strategy: • When faced with a lay-lie problem, ask yourself two questions:

Learn, teach • Rule: • Learn means “to acquire knowledge.”• Teach means “to dispense knowledge.”

• Examples: • If Mrs. Green teaches [not learns] us, we will learn more.

Leave, let • Rule: • Leave (left) means “to go away.”• Let means “to allow, to permit.”

• Examples: • Nonstandard: Leave us finish our dinner.• Standard: Let us finish our dinner. • Nonstandard: He shouldn’t have left us borrow his car. • Standard: He shouldn’t have let us borrow his car.

Like, as • Rule: • Like is a preposition and introduces a prepositional phrase. • As is usually a conjunction and introduces a subordinate clause.

• Examples: • Jo sings like her sister. [prepositional phrase]• Jo sings as her sister does. [subordinate clause]

Like, as if • Rule: • Like should not be used for as if or as though, which are

conjunctions used to introduce clauses.• Examples: • Informal: She looks like she studied all night. • Formal: She looks as if [as though] she studied all night. (clause)

Likely, liable • Rule:• These words are often used interchangeably, but some writers of

standard formal English prefer to observe the following distinctions.

• Likely is used to express simple probability. • Liable is used to express probability with a suggestion of harm or

misfortune; it is also used to mean “responsible” or “answerable.”

• Examples: • Ginny is likely to arrive at any minute. • The children playing near the gravel pit are liable to get hurt. • Mrs. Lee is liable for the damages her daughter caused.

Myself, ourselves • Rule: • Most careful writers of English avoid using pronouns ending in

–self, -selves to replace personal pronouns as subjects or objects.

• Examples: • Amy and I [not myself] are in charge of decorations. • Could you do a favor for Wanda and me? [not myself]