Usage

[TalonRider]

USAGE

Part 2

Farther/further

? farther (adverb): Additional to actual distance.

o The office that you are looking for is just a little farther down the hall.

? further (adjective): To a greater extent.

o We have to further discuss the new line at the next department meeting.

Formally/formerly

? formally (adverb): In compliance with rules, procedures, regulations.

o She soon will be formally installed as president of the Management Club.

? formerly (adverb): In the past; some time ago.

o He was formerly in charge of Accounting and now runs Purchasing.

Fourth/forth

? fourth (adjective): Preceded by three in a series.

o Ellen is the fourth secretary we've had in Human Resources.

? forth (adverb): Forward; onward

o The manager gave us permission to go forth with the project.

Healthful/healthy

? healthful (adjective): Promotes good health.

o Eating three healthful meals a day can prevent many illnesses.

? healthy (adjective): In good health.

o People need to eat properly in order to remain healthy.

Imply/infer

? imply (verb) To suggest.

o I hope you don't mean to imply that I have done something to sabotage your project.

? infer (verb): To guess or conclude.

o One might infer, from the anger you are showing, that this news is quite upsetting to you.

Indict/indite

? indict (verb): To charge with a crime.

o The committee can make investigation into the wrong-doing, but only a judge can indict the perpetrators.

? indite (verb) To write.

o It will take me just a minute to indite my greetings on the birthday card.

Inequity/iniquity

? inequity (noun): Unfairness.

o I am incredibly concerned about the inequity of the division of labor between my coworker and me, because I seem to do much more than he.

? iniquity (noun): A wicked act or thing.

o The iniquity of emptying out the pensions of elderly retires to make the company appear more profitable should be punished to the highest degree.

Ingenious/ingenuous

? ingenious (adjective): Clever.

o Magda has come up with an ingenious solution to the problem that will save an incredible amount of time.

? ingenuous (adjective): Na?ve; openly straightforward.

o Evan's ingenuous description of the problems in this department should not be misconstrued as slander; he really wants to make things better around here.

Lay/lie

? lay (verb): To Place.

o Please lay the report on the table so Alice will see it when she comes in.

? lie (verb): To recline.

o After struggling for ten hours with getting all the boxes into the house, I will lie down for an hour.

Learn/teach

? learn (verb): To receive knowledge from something or someone.

o Penny learned the new computer program quickly.

? teach (verb): To impart knowledge to someone else.

o Each of the supervisors will teach New Employee Orientation.

Let/leave

? let (verb): To allow or permit.

o Ellen let me borrow here copy of the annual report.

? leave (verb): To go away; to depart.

o Sally must leave for the meeting immediately after lunch.

Liable/libel

? liable (adjective): Legally obligated; responsible

o We are liable for any injury that happens on our property.

? libel (noun): Defamatory statement.

o Libel against our company is non tolerated; our attorneys send letters to those who slander our good name,

Loath/loathe

? loath (adjective): Unwilling or reluctant.

o I am loath to start the inventory of the back warehouse, because it is a messy job.

? loathe (verb): to hate.

o I loathe days like this when I miss my train, spill my coffee, and delete important files all before noon.

Lose/loose

? lose (verb): To be unable to find or obtain.

o Jenny was afraid she would lose the bid.

? loose (verb): To make free; untie.

o Why loose your anger on me?

Maybe/may be

? maybe (adverb): Perhaps.

o Maybe we can ask the Quality Team to address the Customer Service issues.

? may be (verb): A possibility exists.

o It may be that the meeting will be delayed, because Ms. Jensen has not yet returned to the office.

Moral/morale

? moral (adjective): Virtuous.

o The way to determine the moral thing to do in a situation is to think of how you would like to be treated.

? morale (noun): Spirit.

o The best way to keep up company morale is to acknowledge when someone has done a good job.

Persecute/prosecute

? persecute (verb): To oppose.

o Throughout history, it seems that one group is always persecuting another through wars and invasions.

? prosecute (verb): To sue.

o We are going to prosecute this case against those who embezzled from the pension fund and, hopefully, reclaim some money for the retirees.

Personal/personnel

? personal (adjective): Private; individual; involving one person.

o The manager asked her assistant to do several personal errands.

? personnel (noun): Employees of an organization.

o Acme hired several new personnel to complete the conversion project.

? personnel (adjective): Referring to employees.

o The Personnel Department is responsible for all hiring functions.

Perspective/prospective

? perspective (noun): A View

o There is a better perspective of the stage from the balcony.

? prospective (adjective): Likely or expected to happen.

o The prospective hires had to complete a personality inventory and present a five-minute report about some area of business.

Plaintiff/plaintive

? plaintiff (noun): Party suing in a lawsuit.

o The plaintiff alleges that the defendant willfully neglected his legal duties.

? plaintive (adjective): Mournful.

o The grieving man let out a plaintive cry.

Populace/populous

? populace (adjective): The masses; the general public.

o The populace is now equipped with ever smaller media recording devices that only specialists had previously.

? populous (adjective): Heavily settled.

o This area has become so populous over the past decade that the county is revisiting the zoning laws in hopes of keeping a check on the population growth.

Precede/proceed

? precede (verb): To go before.

o The groom and the attendants should all precede the bride down the aisle.

? proceed (verb): To go forward.

o After the wedding, we will proceed to the restaurant for the reception.

Principal/principle

? principal (adjective): First in rank or importance.

o The financial security was the principal reason he joined the firm.

? principal (noun): The person in a lead position or the head of an educational institution; a sum of money that earns interest.

o The principal called an all-school assembly to announce the awards.

o The principal plus interest is due in 45 days.

? principle (noun): A fundamental truth or law.

o Ben practices the principles of ethical management.

Rebut/refute

? rebut (verb): To argue in opposition.

o Marisol rebutted the opposition's argument that the workplace was safe with the documented conditions that existed in the factory at that time.

? refute (verb): To prove wrong.

o The photos and workers' statements were more than enough to refute the opposition's argument of work-place safety.

Regardless/irrespective/irregardless

? regardless (adverb): Without regard for objections; anyway.

o Regardless of his feelings, she took the new job.

? irrespective (adverb): Without consideration of; regardless of.

o The department bonus is disbursed among everyone equally; irrespective of individual merit.

? irregardless: Not a real word. Some writers mistakenly use irregardless to mean "without regard," but the prefix ir is unnecessary, since regardless is already a negative.

Respectively/respectfully

? respectively (adverb): In a proper sequence or order.

o Chris was elected in the positions of vice president and treasurer, respectively

? respectfully (adverb): With respect.

o The new director spoke respectfully of his predecessor.

Simple/simplistic

? simple (adjective): Clear and easy to understand.

o The directions are simple: add hot water and drink.

? simplistic (adjective): Oversimplified.

o "What goes up must come down" is a simplistic explanation for the destruction I see before me.

Stationery/stationary

? stationery (adjective): Writing paper and envelopes.

o We need to order new stationery for the office.

? stationary (adjective): In a fixed position.

o Riding a stationary bicycle is a good form of exercise.

That/which

? that (pronoun): Pronoun that refers to a party of the sentence integral to meaning.

o We are going to the building that is on the corner of First and Howard.

? which (pronoun): A relative pronoun that designates additional detail or information.

o Room 24, which is down the hall, is where the conference is going to be held.

Then/than

? then (adverb): At a certain time, later.

o First, we'll send out the customer survey, then we'll develop the new program.

? than (conjunction): A word used to introduce a comparison.

o Beth is better than Ellen at using the computer.

Two/too/to

? two (adjective): The number 2.

o I need two copies of the Henderson report immediately.

? too (adverb): In addition; more than; also; very.

o Our budget is too high at present.

? to (preposition): Toward.

o Mary went to the meeting.

Uninterested/disinterested

? uninterested (adjective): Bored.

o She appeared totally uninterested in the conversation as she gazed out the window.

? disinterested (adjective): Unbiased; objective.

o We need to bring in a disinterested third party to resolve this dispute.

Veracious/voracious

? veracious (adjective): Honest; truthful.

o Andy gave a veracious account of what had happened, despite the fact that people had encouraged him to lie.

? voracious (adjective): Having a huge appetite; greedy.

o Elle is a voracious reader; her apartment is crammed with book shelves.

Waive/wave

? waive (verb): To give up (a claim or right).

o The contract stipulates that the author will produce the book as a work for hire and waive all future claims on royalties.

? wave (verb): To gesture; to signal.

o With a wave of his hand, David signaled Alec to come into the office.

Weather/whether

? weather (noun): The state of the atmosphere.

o The weather prediction for the weekend is great: plenty of sun with few clouds.

? whether (conjunction): Used to introduce stated or implied alternative possibility or possibilities.

o I don't know whether the art supply store will be open at this hour.

Exercise 15 – Usage 1

Hi-light the correct choice to complete each of the following sentences.

1. It doesn't (affect/effect) me either way.

2. Georgia (eluded, alluded) to the conversation we had earlier.

3. I took him to the (sight/cite/site) of the new building.

4. I think the black really (compliments/complements) the red.

5. We asked Geoff's opinion since he is a(n) (disinterested/uninterested) bystander.

6. Jinx says she wants to go (to/too).

7. From Johnson's attitude, I (implied/inferred) there was trouble.

8. It's the (principle/principal) of the thing that makes me question his integrity.

9. I said my goodbyes (respectively/respectfully) to avoid hard feelings.

10. His book is better (then, than) hers.

Exercise 16 – Usage 2

Hi-light the correct choice to complete each of the following sentences.

1. The heroine saved millions of lives, but nearly lost her own, in the most (climatic/climactic) moment of the movie.

2. Sean told a joke to (defuse/diffuse) the hostile tension that developed amongst the guests.

3. We will (precede/proceed) with the demolition once the residents have removed their belongings.

4. A professional arbiter acts as a (uninterested/disinterested) party to help resolve a dispute.

5. I have a (veracious/voracious) thirst for knowledge about medieval financial institutions, a passionate interest of mine.

6. Our goal of becoming the top firm in the industry was (elusive/ illusive) until Sandro joined the company.

7. Are you trying to (imply/infer) that I had ulterior motives in choosing my sister's company for the contract?

8. I don't like speaking to her because she seems to (critique/criticize) something about me every time she opens her mouth.

9. We are out of time for now, but we can discuss this (farther/further) at a later date.

10. Health insurance will be (deducted/deduced) from your salary before taxes are calculated.

[sat8997]

I'm adding to your list because this one just drives me nuts when I see it, and I see it all the time.

Waist/Waste

Waist (noun) - The part of the human body between the ribs and the hips.

Waste (verb) - To use or spend in a careless or useless way. This one can also be used as a noun, but if you've got your character putting their hand on someone's 'waste' I don't think I want to read any more of your story.

Sharon

[Graeme]

One I know I've done a few times, but I think I've got it right now:

discrete/discreet

discrete (adjective) -- apart or detached from others; separate; distinct

discreet (adjective) -- judicious in one's conduct or speech; prudent; circumspect

I kept using the first one when I should've been using the second....

[aj]

And another:

Elocution vs Electrocution.

Okay, I've never actually seen anyone switch them up, mostly because no one ever uses the word 'elocution' any more...but I could see it happening. Something along the lines of "Oh my! He has nearly perfect diction and electrocution."

cheers!

aj

[Cole Parker]

Recently, I've seen 'past' and 'passed' substituted freely for each other, a blunder of the first water. I won't explain them. Aren't they self-evident, as much so as many of the words above?

C

[Camy]

I've recently seen 'menstruations' used instead of 'ministrations'

[DesDownunder]

We actually had a local Adult Supplies Shop with a large sign on the front of the building that read,

"Martial Aids"

Did they mean marital aids?

The sign disappeared some years ago, not because of the misspelling but because the word "Aids" was thought to be detrimental to their business.

No I am not joking.

[blue]

This one, I see very often:

* past -- noun: a past, the past; adverb: he went past the closet on the way out;

* passed -- verb; he passed;

A pair misused that I see often:

* definite(ly) = it is definite, certain;

* defiant(ly) = it defies, opposes; "dee-FIE-unt-lee"

[TalonRider]

The sign disappeared some years ago, not because of the misspelling but because the word "Aids" was thought to be detrimental to their business.

Thats quite possible. I've notice over the years in the Health Care field, that the title Nurse Aide is being replaced with Nursing Assistant.