NL_EOL_SE07_P1_C12_286-305.qxd 4/18/07 2:57 PM Page 286 CHAPTER A Glossary of Usage Common Usage Problems Diagnostic Preview Correcting Errors in Usage Each of the following sentences contains an error in the use of for- mal, standard English. Revise each sentence to correct the error. EXAMPLE 1. They did they’re best to help. 1. They did their best to help. 1. We are already for our trip to Washington, D.C. 2. They divided the crackers equally between the four toddlers. 3. Please take those packages here to me. 4. Elena had a cold, but she is feeling good now. 5. Mr. Chang he is my tai chi instructor. 6. Will you learn me how to play chess? 7. May I borrow that there collection of Cheyenne folk tales? 8. Tara might of come with us, but she had to baby-sit. 9. We use to live in Karachi, Pakistan. 10. She is the woman which owns the Great Dane. 11. I dropped the pictures, but I think they’re alright. 12. I read where Mayor Alvarez will visit our school. 13. Their the best players on the team this season. 14. The pipes busted last winter during a hard freeze. 15. We cannot go sailing without we wear life jackets. 16. Her new apartment is bigger then her last one. 286 Chapter 12 A Glossary of Usage NL_EOL_SE07_P1_C12_286-305.qxd 4/18/07 2:57 PM Page 287 17. The group went everywheres together. 18. Lydia acted like she was bored. 19. Antonyms are when words are opposite in meaning. 20. I hope that you will except my apology. About the Glossary This chapter contains an alphabetical list, or glossary, of many common problems in English usage. You will notice throughout Reference Note the chapter that some examples are labeled nonstandard, standard, For a list of words often formal, or informal. Nonstandard English is language that does confused, see page 400. not follow the rules and guidelines of standard English. Standard English is language that is grammatically correct and appropriate in formal and informal situations. Formal identifies usage that is COMPUTER TIP appropriate in serious speaking and writing situations (such as in USAGE The spellchecker will help speeches and compositions for school). The label informal indi- you catch misspelled words cates standard usage common in conversation and in everyday such as anywheres. The writing such as personal letters. grammar checker may help The following are examples of formal and informal English. you catch errors such as double negatives. How- ever, in the case of words Formal Informal that are often misused, such as than and then, angry steamed you will have to check unpleasant yucky your work yourself for correct usage. agreeable cool very impressive totally awesome a, an Use a before words beginning with a consonant sound. Use an before words beginning with a vowel sound. Keep in HELP mind that the sound, not the actual letter, that a word begins In doing the with determines whether a or an should be used. exercises in this chapter, be sure to use only standard EXAMPLES They are building a hospital near our house. English. I bought a one-way ticket. [Even though o is a vowel, the word one begins with a consonant sound.] I would like an orange. We worked for an hour. [Although h is a consonant, the Avoid common usage word hour begins with a vowel sound. The h is not pro- problems. nounced.] A Glossary of Usage 287 NL_EOL_SE07_P1_C12_286-305.qxd 4/18/07 2:57 PM Page 288 accept, except Accept is a verb; it means “to receive.” Except may be used as either a verb or a preposition. As a verb, it means “to leave out.”As a preposition, except means “excluding.” EXAMPLES Ann accepted the gift. [verb] No one will be excepted from writing a research paper. [verb] All my friends will be there except Jorge. [preposition] ain’t Do not use this nonstandard word in formal situations. all right Used as an adjective, all right means “satisfactory” or “unhurt.”Used as an adverb, all right means “well enough.” All right should be written as two words. EXAMPLES Your science project looks all right to me. [adjective] Judy cut her toe, but she is all right now. [adjective] USAGE I did all right in the drama club tryouts. [adverb] a lot A lot should be written as two words. EXAMPLE I have read a lot of American Indian folk tales. Many writers overuse a lot. Whenever you run across a lot as you revise your own already, all ready Already means “previously.” All ready writing, try to replace it means “completely prepared.” with a more exact word or EXAMPLES By 5:00 P.M., I had already cooked dinner. phrase. The students were all ready for the trip. ACCEPTABLE Emily Dickinson wrote a lot of poems. among See between, among. BETTER anyways, anywheres, everywheres, nowheres, Emily Dickinson wrote somewheres These words should have no final s. hundreds of poems. EXAMPLE I looked everywhere [not everywheres] for it! as See like, as. as if, as though See like, as if, as though. at Do not use at after where. NONSTANDARD Where are the Persian miniatures at? STANDARD Where are the Persian miniatures? bad, badly Bad is an adjective. It modifies nouns and pro- nouns. Badly is an adverb. It modifies verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. 288 Chapter 12 A Glossary of Usage NL_EOL_SE07_P1_C12_286-305.qxd 4/18/07 2:57 PM Page 289 EXAMPLES The fruit tastes bad. [The predicate adjective bad modifies fruit.] Don’t treat him badly. [The adverb badly modifies the verb Do treat.] The expression feel badly has become acceptable Exercise 1 Identifying Correct Usage in informal situations For each of the following sentences, choose the word or word although it is not strictly grammatical English. group in parentheses that is correct according to the rules of formal, standard usage. INFORMAL Carl felt badly about EXAMPLE 1. Navajo people came to the American Southwest from losing the race. (somewhere, somewheres) in the North. FORMAL 1. somewhere Carl felt bad about losing 1. One group of Navajos settled in the region where the Pueblo the race. people (lived, lived at). 2. The Pueblo people were (already, all ready) farming and liv- USAGE ing in permanent dwellings by the time the Navajos arrived. 3. The Navajos may have (excepted, accepted) the practice of sand painting from the Pueblos and adapted it to fit their own customs. 4. When the Navajo artists are (all ready, already) to begin a sand painting, they gather in a circle, as shown in the picture here. 5. When creating a sand painting, (a, an) artist receives directions from the singer, who leads the ceremony. 6. The painter might make a certain design when things are not (all right,allright) in the community. 7. The Navajo sand painter may also use this art to help someone who is injured or feeling (badly, bad). 8. Because sand paintings used in healing ceremonies are swept away at the end of each ceremony, the designs are recorded nowhere (accept, except) in the artist’s imagination. 9. However, the patterns used in sand painting (ain’t, aren’t) limited to this art form. 10. Variations of the sacred designs can be found almost (anywheres, anywhere) on items that the Navajos make. A Glossary of Usage 289 NL_EOL_SE07_P1_C12_286-305.qxd 4/18/07 2:57 PM Page 290 beside, besides Beside is a preposition that means “by the side of” someone or something. Besides, when used as a preposition, means “in addition to.”As an adverb, besides means “moreover.” EXAMPLES That lamp should be placed beside the sofa. Besides Marcia and Tom, who was cast in the play? It’s too cold to run outside. Besides, the track is still muddy. between, among Use between when referring to two items at a time, even when they are part of a group consisting of more than two. EXAMPLES Who was standing between you and Sue? Between the season’s track meets, I trained very hard. USAGE [Although there may have been more than two meets, the training occurred between any two of them.] There isn’t much difference between these three brands of juice. [Although there are more than two brands, each one is being compared with the others separately.] Use among when referring to a group rather than individuals. EXAMPLES We divided the burritos among the five of us. There was much discussion among the governors. [The governors are thought of as a group.] bring, take Bring means “to come carrying something.” Take means “to go carrying something.”Think of bring as related to come (to), take as related to go (from). EXAMPLES Please bring that chair here. Now take this one over there. bust, busted Avoid using these words as verbs in formal English. Use a form of either burst or break or catch or arrest. EXAMPLES The pipe burst [not busted] after the storm. The Japanese raku vase broke [not busted] when it fell. Mom caught [not busted] our dog Pepper digging in Avoid common usage problems. the garden. Did the police arrest [not bust] the burglar? 290 Chapter 12 A Glossary of Usage NL_EOL_SE07_P1_C12_286-305.qxd 4/18/07 2:57 PM Page 291 can’t hardly, can’t scarcely The words hardly and Reference Note scarcely are negative words. They should not be used with another For more about double negative word. negatives, see page 273. EXAMPLES I can [not can’t] hardly wait to hear your new CD.