На основании Вашего запроса эти примеры могут содержать грубую лексику.
На основании Вашего запроса эти примеры могут содержать разговорную лексику.
Also, if enough people use a word incorrectly it becomes correct.
At 48 months, often uses words incorrectly or uses a similar or related word instead of the correct word
If he reads a word incorrectly, so that its meaning is changed, he must repeat it.
Если он прочел слово неправильно, так что смысл изменился, он должен повторить его.
Do not correct your child when they say a word incorrectly.
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For a few years during elementary school, virtually every sentence my friends and I uttered included the word “like.” This awful speech habit led to plenty of well-deserved ridicule, which made me determined to stop overusing unnecessary words. I thought I was succeeding on this front for years, until I started doing freelance writing assignments for a client who wasn’t a fan of superfluous words, including “that.” Then, I learned just how guilty I was of overusing the word “that” in my writing. It was basically my new, written version of “like.”
While phasing out “like” was pretty simple, removing unnecessary uses of “that” from my writing proved challenging because this word legitimately belongs in many sentences. To help you avoid similar grief, today I’d like to share a few tips for avoiding overusing “that” and using “that” in a sentence correctly.
When to Use ‘That’ in a Sentence
First, it’s important to know when “that” is really needed in a sentence. This word frequently attaches dependent clauses to independent clauses, and it is strictly necessary if a clause begins with certain subordinating conjunctions, such as before, while and in addition to. “That” also should be used before clauses that clarify a noun.
- She said that although the sunrise workout sounded like a brilliant idea, sleeping in also sounded good.
- The notion that their project would be finished by the original deadline was laughable.
“That” additionally should appear after certain verbs, such as contend, estimate and point out. If you’re a native speaker, you can probably intuitively identify many of these verbs.
- He enthusiastically declared that he would stop procrastinating tomorrow.
You also should use “that” if a sentence would sound awkward without it. If you’re in doubt, include it, since this does less harm than incorrectly omitting it.
When to Leave Out ‘That’
To decide whether you can omit “that” from a sentence, check how naturally and intelligibly the sentence reads without it. Usually, you can drop “that” if it follows a verb that essentially means “to say.” This omission mimics natural speech and shouldn’t change the meaning of the sentence.
- The children claimed an ice cream break would help them study more effectively.
- She insisted she wasn’t responsible for the houseplant’s untimely death.
However, it’s usually better to keep “that” if other words fall between the verb and the dependent clause.
- The kids also said this morning that a television break would enhance their studying.
- She admitted begrudgingly that she might have contributed to the plant’s demise.
You also can usually omit “that” if it precedes a simple relative clause.
- Neither of them was particularly excited about the compromise (that) they reached.
Using ‘That’ Twice in a Row
When you’re trimming unnecessary uses of “that” from your writing, be sure to pay attention to sentences where it appears multiple times or even twice in a row (“that that”). These sentences can be grammatically correct but stylistically undesirable. For example, at BKA, we use Associated Press Style, which requires sentences to be constructed in a manner that eliminates consecutive uses of “that.”
- He confessed that that plan had been formulated on three hours of sleep.
- He confessed that they had only slept three hours when they formulated that plan.
Even if you’re not following a strict style guide, it’s often beneficial to try revising sentences to avoid using “that” too redundantly.
Using ‘That’ or ‘Which’
It can be tempting to cut back on “that” by replacing it with “which,” but these words aren’t actually interchangeable. “That” introduces information that is integral to the meaning of a sentence, while “which” precedes information that is non-essential and offset by commas.
- The first kindergarten class that all 31 students attended was miraculously free of mishaps.
- The first kindergarten class, which all 31 students attended, was miraculously free of mishaps.
In this example, each sentence has a distinct meaning. The first describes a specific class when all 31 students were present for the first time, while in the second, the attendance of all 31 kids is a non-essential detail.
Got All That?
Striking the right balance between overusing the word “that” and omitting it improperly takes a little thought, but with practice, it should become second nature. What other common words do people overuse? Tell us about it in the comments section! If you’re looking for help on grammar rules, check out some of our other GrammarSpot posts.
On today’s episode of Thinking in English, let’s learn some of the English words you are probably using incorrectly!
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Hopefully, after listening to a few episodes of this podcast, you’ve come to realise the flexibility and ever-changing nature of the English language. Words are invented, evolve, change meaning, and sometimes disappear from our vocabularies.
Think of the word “awful.” What does it mean? In modern English, the dictionary defines “awful” as very bad or unpleasant. However, originally it meant the complete opposite. A combination of the words “awe” and “full,” “awful” was used to refer to something that “inspired wonder or fear.” Over the years, the word was used incorrectly by so many people that eventually the meaning completely changed. There are hundreds of similar examples in the English language of words with meanings that have evolved from their original meaning.
However, not all of these words have been accepted to the degree of the term “awful.” Many words are regularly used incorrectly – sometimes in the wrong grammatical sense and other times with the completely wrong meaning. Today I want to introduce to you all a few English words that are commonly misused by both native speakers and language learners. Perhaps in the future such words’ meanings will completely change, but as of the time I’m writing this episode people are using them all incorrectly!
Literally
I’ve chosen literally as the first word of today’s episode because it is probably the most misused word in modern English, is at risk of losing its original meaning in the next few decades, and I find its incorrect use really annoying. In standard English, literally means actual fact. It means ‘in a literal sense, as opposed to a non-literal or exaggerated sense.’
Literally is used to say that something really happened, in a completely accurate way, or to emphasise the truth or accuracy of your statement. It is a synonym for words including ‘precisely,’ ‘exactly,’ or ‘accurately.’ For example, the celebration ‘Mardi Gras’ literally translates as “Fat Tuesday” in French. Or, there are literally hundreds of thousands of podcasts on Spotify.
However, you’ve probably heard literally used incorrectly. Somehow, the word has taken on the exact opposite meaning – something that isn’t an actual fact. It is used as a synonym for ‘virtually’ or ‘figuratively’. A friend of mine once told me that “she was literally going to die from embarrassment.” She didn’t actually mean she was going to die, but instead used literally as to emphasise her embarrassment. Instead, she should have said “she was going to die from embarrassment – figuratively speaking.”
Another friend once told me the restaurant we were meeting at was literally opposite the train station – I arrived at the train station, looked at the restaurants opposite and couldn’t seem to find it. In fact, the restaurant was about 50m away – it was close but not literally opposite. Make sure you don’t make the same mistakes as my friends!
Ironic
Have you heard the song Ironic by Alanis Morrissette? It is really famous! Her song describes various situations in life and follows them by asking the questions “Isn’t it ironic? Don’t you think?” Let me read you one of the song’s verses,
“A traffic jam when you’re already late
A no-smoking sign on your cigarette break
It’s like ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife
It’s meeting the man of my dreams
And then meeting his beautiful wife
And isn’t it ironic … don’t you think?”
Alanis Morissette, Ironic
Well, to answer Alanis’s questions, no… I don’t think any of that is ironic… because they are not ironic. The situations are examples of coincidences, not irony. A “no smoking sign on your cigarette break” is annoying, unfortunate, and coincidental, but it is not ironic. However, the fact that Alanis Morissette wrote a whole song about irony without including any ironic examples, may in itself be ironic!
An ironic statement conveys a meaning that is opposite of its literal meaning – when you make an ironic statement, you say one thing, but mean something different. If there is a terrible storm, with gusting winds and torrential rain, an ironic statement would be to say “what a beautiful day”! This is the most common form of irony – verbal irony. You can also have dramatic irony – for example a TV show where the audience knows something the characters do not – and situational irony – where outcomes turn out different to what is expected.
Irregardless
Even though irregardless is commonly used, it is not actually a real word. What people want to say is ‘regardless’ – used to mean “in spite of present circumstances.” For example “Regardless of the result, I’m happy with my answers in the exam.” Or, “regardless of how many times you ask, I’m not going to lend you my car.”
Irregardless is a portmanteau (so a combination) or ‘regardless’ and ‘irrespective.’ While some people consider irregardless as part of non-standard or different variants of English, and it has been used for hundreds of years, I would advise all of you to avoid it! Instead, just use either “regardless” or “irrespective”!
Poisonous
The reason I’ve included poisonous on this list is because of a discussion I overheard about poisonous snakes. The people involved in that discussion were talking about what they would do if they got bitten by a poisonous snake – things like how they would get the poison out of their body, how they should go to hospital, and whether they should capture the snake that bit them! However, they made a common mistake – poisonous is not the correct word!
Something that is poisonous could be fatal (in other words kill you) if you eat it, drink it, inhale it, or absorb it. Some wild mushrooms are poisonous, the apple Snow White ate was poisonous, and medicine can be poisonous if used incorrectly. Something that could kill you if it bites you is venomous not poisonous. The Inland Taipan is the most venomous snake in the world! All over the TV, internet, and magazines you will see references to poisonous snakes – but, in fact, most dangerous snakes are not poisonous. They deliver toxins by biting – they are venomous.
Ultimate
Ultimate is not necessarily always misused, but often people don’t know all the meanings of the term and don’t follow the proper grammar. Most people think ultimate means ‘the best of all,’ and this is correct! It can be used as a noun – such as “Rolex is the ultimate in luxury watch brands” – or as an adjective – such as “they want to challenge the ultimate power of the President.” However, in the sentence “it is not possible to predict the ultimate outcome of the situation,” ultimate doesn’t mean the best, but means the final.
You should use ultimate to describe the final result or aim of a series of events, or the original source or cause of something! I’m not sure what my ultimate aim is for this podcast, but some people have told me I should ultimately try to make this my job! Ultimate can be used for best, final, or last!
Regularly
Regularly is also commonly misunderstood. Regularly does not mean to do something frequently, but instead to do something consistently. Let me give you an example. Person 1 plays golf the second Tuesday of every month, and has done so for five years. Person 2 played golf twice last week, seven times the week before, zero times three weeks ago, and once the week before that. Many people would say that person two regularly plays golf – but actually they don’t. They play frequently, or often.
Regularly means at uniform intervals of time, and with a consistent or definite pattern – therefore, the golfer who only plays once a month, but always the same day, golfs regularly. Take another example, “the school reunion has taken place regularly every two years.” It is regular because it is consistent – every two years!
Inflammable
The final commonly misused word I’m going to introduce today is an interesting one – inflammable. Sometimes, the English language can be confusing and contradictory. As a prefix, ‘in’ can have the meaning of ‘no’ or ‘not’ – if something is ‘inoffensive’ it is not offensive, or ‘inaction’ means no or a lack of action. Therefore, as ‘flammable’ means easy to set on fire, inflammable should mean the opposite – difficult to set on fire – right? Actually, wrong.
Flammable and inflammable actually mean the exact same thing. They both mean that something can catch fire easily. It is one of the more confusing things in the English language, but you will see both words commonly used on fire safety material.
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It’s very common to find ourselves in a situation where we have used the wrong word, whether by accident or because we genuinely weren’t aware of the appropriate term. This happens to everyone on occasion, however, what is it that you’re supposed to call the use of the wrong word?
What Is It Called When You Use The Wrong Word?
There is a particular variety of terms and phrases that can describe the moment or incident when we use the wrong word. For the purposes of this article, we will be taking an in-depth look at the following ten terms in particular:
- Malapropism
- Catachresis
- Miswording
- Typo
- Eggcorn
- Solecism
- Misuse
- Infelicity
- Slip Of The Tongue
- Error
The preferred version that we are going to highlight is “malapropism”. This is because the term “malapropism” is the best and most accurate way of describing the incident when we use the wrong word – whether in speech or written context.
Malapropism
“Malapropism” is both a formal and professional term that we can utilize. Cambridge Dictionary defines “malapropism” as the wrong use of one word instead of another word because they sound similar to each other, with results that are unintentionally funny.
Therefore, a “malapropism” may be an instance of incorrect use of a word, but it’s done so in an innocently amusing way.
Here are a few examples that showcase the use of this term in a sentence:
- I had the funniest malapropism occur today when I was speaking to my dance instructor. I said I wanted to dance the flamingo, as opposed to the flamenco.
- An excellent example of malapropism is; Jesus cured the leopards, instead of saying, Jesus cured the lepers.
- It’s okay if you slip up and have a malapropism moment – you just need to learn from the situation for future use.
Catachresis
Another phenomenally formal and professional alternate term that we can choose to use is “catachresis”. The term “catachresis” is defined as the use of a word in a way that is not at all correct or proper. This makes it an incredibly applicable synonym for “using the wrong word”.
An example of “catachresis” would be to use the word mitigate in place of mediate or meditate.
For additional information on the use of this word, we can go over the following examples:
- The earliest uses of catachresis can be dated back to the mid 16th century, proving that it is a common error.
- Catachresis can be the complete misuse or the strained use of unsuitable words.
- Catachresis is actually classified as being a rhetorical term for the inappropriate use of any word.
Miswording
We can choose to use the term “miswording” as another alternative or synonym. The term “miswording” is defined as being the incorrect use of a word or to word or phrase something incorrectly, in a way that comes off as a lack of understanding or utterly nonsensical.
We can also consider “miswording” as the incorrect expression or pronunciation of the correct word. Despite attempting to use the correct word, this is still considered wrong, as it could confuse or mislead someone.
We will now go over these various examples that include this particular term:
- Her miswording throughout the essay made it so I could barely comprehend what she was meaning to say.
- Miswording to this extent is not an acceptable error in university – I suggest you consider a tutor.
- My boyfriend was miswording and rambling all at the same time, which caused me to believe that he was delirious.
Typo
While using the wrong word often occurs through speech, it can also occur in text as well. Cambridge Dictionary defines a “typo” as a small mistake in a text made when it was typed or printed. Therefore, when a “typo” occurs, it’s often a misspelled or misused word.
A “typo” is a typographical error and because of this, it will generally be autocorrected by a phone or computer, however, this is not always the case. Occasionally, the mistake is left behind or autocorrect to the wrong term, which can cause greater confusion.
The following examples highlight the use of this particular term:
- I had the most embarrassing typo in a text conversation with my father today – I was mortified.
- I hate when autocorrect believes my favourite swear word is a typo and corrects it to “duck”.
- My sister had the funniest typo in our group conversation with our parents – we all had such a laugh over it.
Eggcorn
A very uncommon, but an applicable term that we can use as an alternative is “eggcorn”. Cambridge Dictionary defines the term “eggcorn” is a word or phrase that a person wrongly thinks is another word or phrase that sounds similar. An example of this is using acorn in place of “eggcorn”.
Often, an “eggcorn” occurs because we have misheard or misinterpreted a term previously, which was never corrected. This can occur in both speech and text.
Here are some examples that we can go over for this term:
- An example of an eggcorn is writing tow the line, instead of toe the line.
- My teacher called me out in front of the rest of the class because she said I consistently use eggcorns, but what do nuts have to do with this?
- I didn’t know what an eggcorn was until my professor explained it to me.
Solecism
We can choose to use the term “solecism” very similarly to our other alternate terms that we have gone over. Cambridge Dictionary defines a “solecism” as a grammatical mistake, as well as behaviour that is a social mistake or is not polite.
A “solecism” can occur in person, speech or in writing.
For additional clarity on the use of this term, we can go over these examples:
- I made far too many grammatical solecisms throughout my essay, so my teacher returned my paper to me to redo it.
- Burping in public without immediately saying excuse me is an example of social solecism.
- It’s important to have a vast understanding of a language, as well as a good comprehension of spelling, in order to cut down on the number of solecisms you make.
Misuse
Although the term “misuse” can apply to many situations, it’s certainly applicable for the use of the wrong word or phrase. Cambridge Dictionary defines the term “misuse” as to use something in an unsuitable way or in a way that was not intended.
Because of this, we can consider speaking, writing or typing the incorrect word to be “misuse”.
We can now take a closer look at some examples that use this particular term:
- My teacher is unimpressed with my consistent misuse of the term potency, as opposed to the proper term, which is apparently potential.
- She has a blatant misuse of swear words, in place of the adequate or correct term.
- If you misuse the incorrect term more than five times on our online test, you are automatically given a failing grade.
Infelicity
We can consider “infelicity” to be the inappropriate use of a work, remark or suggestion. This is because Cambridge Dictionary defines “infelicity” as the fact that something is not suitable or correct in a situation. Because of this “infelicities” can often come across as entirely rude or unpleasant.
It’s important to note that an “infelicity” can happen during a conversation either in person, over the phone, through text or even email.
Some examples that we can take a look at, that include this term are:
- There is both an abundance of infelicities and inconsistencies in this book, which leads me to believe that it was plagiarized.
- Rewatching herself on video, she winced as she heard her repeated infelicity and the way she had botched the script.
- A had an infelicity during my presentation in front of my class, which was incredibly embarrassing.
Slip Of The Tongue
Another great alternative that we can use, as well as our only phrase synonym, is a “slip of the tongue”. Cambridge Dictionary defines a “slip of the tongue” as something that you say by accident when you intended to say something else.
Because of this, we can consider a “slip of the tongue” the blurting out of a private secret, this misuse of a phrase and the use of the incorrect word.
Here are various examples that include the use of this specific phrase:
- I had a slip of the tongue in front of my best friend’s parents and accidentally told them that she tried marijuana at a party.
- I called my mother’s new boyfriend by her previous boyfriend’s name and neither was impressed with that slip of the tongue.
- I apologize wholeheartedly for that honest slip of the tongue moment.
Error
The last alternative that we will be going over is “error”. Although the term “error” is another generic term, it is applicable to a situation where we say the wrong word. Often, we consider this to be an “error” in speech, but it can be applied for writing or text as well.
Cambridge Dictionary defines the term “error” as something done or written by accident that is not correct, not accurate, or does not give the right result. We can also consider an “error” to be a generalized mistake.
We will now look over our last few examples for this article, all of which include this term:
- He made an error in his speech but immediately corrected himself in a way that the audience appreciated.
- I’ve made a very crucial error in communication and sent the delivery driver to my old address – I am so sorry!
- She made an error in judgement and assumably called me by my younger sister’s name.
You may also like: 16 Best Replies When Someone Corrects Your Grammar
Martin holds a Master’s degree in Finance and International Business. He has six years of experience in professional communication with clients, executives, and colleagues. Furthermore, he has teaching experience from Aarhus University. Martin has been featured as an expert in communication and teaching on Forbes and Shopify. Read more about Martin here.
Are you using some common words wrongly? All sorts of weird uses are making their appearance on the language stage. Here are twenty of the most common ones but maybe soon, they will no longer be a problem, as language evolves. Ask me again, ten years from now.
1. Acute vs. Chronic
These words are normally used to describe pain. An acute pain means one that is sharp and sudden while a chronic one has been affecting you for a very long time. ‘Acute’ has other meanings which usually refer to a penetrating insight or a crucial situation.
Correct: ‘ I felt an acute pain in my shoulder which did not last long, fortunately.’
Incorrect: ‘He has suffered from acute pain in the hip for almost ten years’. ‘Chronic’ should be used here.
2. Affect vs. Effect
We talk about side effects when referring to illness or medication. ‘Effect’ is used as a noun which simply means ‘the result of’. The problem arises when people confuse this with the verb ‘affect’ which means to influence in a negative way.
Correct : ‘One of the effects of the recession was an increase in unemployment.’
Incorrect:- ‘Her serious illness effected him greatly.’ ‘Affected’ should be used here
3. Because vs. Since
Look at this sentence: ‘Since you know Jack, there was no need to introduce you’. ‘Since’ is used when the reason is actually known by everybody. We use ‘because’ when the reason is not clear or obvious. ‘I was late because of the awful traffic’ is fine here. Imagine if we used ‘since’ in this sentence. It would sound very strange!
4. Bring vs. Take
If you are coming to my house for dinner, I can ask you to bring a bottle of wine. When leaving, I can remind you, ‘Don’t forget to take your smartphone’. It all depends on the direction. Usually, ‘bring’ denotes that someone is coming towards you. If you are headed in another direction, ‘take’ is the right one to use.
5. Cache vs. Cachet
You often come across the word ‘cache’ when you are told that there is a problem with your browser and that the cache should be emptied. It just means a memory storage unit for URLs has become rather crowded. ‘Cache’ can also be used for storing weapons and treasure.
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‘Cachet’ can mean a mark of excellence or prestige, as in ‘The name Churchill has a certain cachet’. It can also mean an official seal on a document or letter.
6. Deserts vs Deserts vs Desserts
Brown Betty, Funnel cake and Red velvet cake are all American desserts. That is easy (and delicious). Note the double ’s’ in the spelling. But how do you pronounce it? Click here to hear it.
Now, what about the other two? The first one is desert (stress on first syllable) which is the word we use when talking about the Sahara and sandy places. It can be singular or plural.
The other ‘deserts’ (more often plural than not; second syllable is stressed) can mean deserving punishment or the reward for something nasty. It comes from the old French word ‘deservir’ which means ‘deserve’. So, when you are satisfied that someone has been fairly punished for some nasty crime, then you can safely use it. It usually goes well with the word ‘just’ to emphasis that justice has been done.
Correct: ‘Finally the murderous Archdeacon gets his just deserts and is killed by Quasimodo’
Here is one ridiculous example I have invented which illustrates the use of all three in one sentence: – ‘As I sat in my desert tent, enjoying my pecan pie dessert, I could not help feeling delighted that Bernie Madoff had got his just deserts for stealing money from his investors.’
7. Discreet vs Discrete
How discreet are you? If you are an expert in avoiding asking people embarrassing questions or you are careful to keep confidential information to yourself, then you are discreet. Congrats!
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‘Discrete’ means something entirely different. It means separate or distinct parts or units. We can correctly write:
‘We examined discrete market segments before deciding on pricing’
8. Elicit vs. Illicit
The word ‘elicit’ comes from the Latin ‘elicere’ or ‘licere’ which means to entice or coax, especially in the context of getting the truth or getting a response. A correct use would be: ‘Our survey did not elicit many responses’ It is typically used in situations where you are seeking a comment, a testimony or information of some kind.
The word ‘illicit’ describes something illegal or which does not conform to common standards.
Incorrect: ‘He carried on an elicit affair with John’s wife.’ The correct word should be ‘illicit’
9. Emigrate vs. Immigrate
Think of ‘emigrate’ as a means of exit. Both words begin with ‘e’ and means that emigrants get out when they want to leave their country of origin. We usually talk about our family in this way. ‘My great grandfather emigrated from Ireland when famine stalked the land’ is correct.
‘Immigrate’ describes the process of entering the country. We talk about ‘immigration policies’ and ‘illegal immigration’.
10. Expresso vs. Espresso
I cannot understand why people incorrectly label espresso coffee as ‘expresso’. Does it mean that it has an extra shot of caffeine or am I missing something? It is a complete mystery to me. I have heard a rumour that some baristas at Starbucks are incorrectly using the term ’expresso’.
11. I could care less vs. I couldn’t care less
Another mystery! People are actually saying ‘I could care less’ which means that they basically care but they want to do it less. What they really mean is that they do not give a damn. The correct way of saying that is ‘I couldn’t care less’.
12. I.e. vs. E.g.
If you want to give an example of something and do not want to give the whole list, just use ‘e.g.’ The original Latin meaning is ‘for example’. A correct sentence would be ‘Some staff (e.g. Mary and Lou) are on a training course.’
If you want to explain something, use ‘ i.e.’ from the Latin id est which basically means you need to give an explanation, reiterate or simply say it in other words. Spot the incorrect sentence here:
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1. It happened in July, i.e. three months ago.
2. It happened in July, e.g. three months ago.
Number 2 is incorrect because it is not an example, it is a specific event.
13. Incredible vs. Incredulous
‘Unbelievable’ is the idea you want to get across when you use ‘incredible’. It has a very positive meaning in that it is unbelievably good.
‘Incredulous’ has the meaning of a person being slightly sceptical or unwilling to believe, so it does have a negative connotation.
‘She looked at them with an incredulous stare’ is correct.
14. Ironic
This word is often misused. It simply means there is some incongruity in a situation or comment. When I told my sister that a cardiologist friend of mine had died of a heart attack, she remarked that it was rather ironic. This was a correct usage of the word. You could be ironic if you say you feel great when you are clearly suffering from a terrible cough. But annoying events such as bad weather on your holiday are not ‘ironic’. They are just an unhappy coincidence or bad luck.
15. It’s vs. its
Look, it is just an apostrophe (‘), so what on earth is all the fuss? Well, the problem is that people are using ‘it’s, (the contraction of ‘it is’ or ‘it has’) instead of ‘its’ (the possessive pronoun). Spot the incorrect sentence here:
1. It’s been a long time
2. Australia has a booming economy; it’s mining industry has helped enormously
3. The fox did not venture far from its den
Number 2 is incorrect as the possessive pronoun (its) is needed. If you are ever in doubt, just try substituting the ‘it’s’ with ‘it is’, the full form, and you quickly see the problem. If we do that with sentence number 2, we get
‘Australia has a booming economy – it is mining industry has helped enormously’. It does not make sense.
16. For all intents and purposes vs. For all intensive purposes
People have started misusing ‘for all intents and purposes’ which simple means ‘the most usual or practical situations or purposes’. If you use ‘for all intensive purposes’ in describing a job, the person may think that there are emergency or life saving scenarios involved.
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17. Lose vs. loose
If you are wearing a loose fitting dress, it just means the opposite of tight. It has nothing to do with ‘lose’ which is a verb for not winning a match, or missing an opportunity.
18. Me-me Vs. Meme
The word ’meme’ rhymes with ‘cream’ so dead easy to say. As we all know, it is just a viral image or piece of funny text which gets spread round the Internet. The only problem is that if you say this word incorrectly and use ‘me-me’, people may think you are being more than a little selfish!
19. Principle vs. Principal
“My guiding principles in life are to be honest, genuine, thoughtful and caring.”- Prince William Prince William is talking about his values, ethics and beliefs. But when we use the word ’principal’ it can have different meanings such as:
- The head of a school.
- The primary or main element.
- A sum of money lent.
- First in order of importance, e.g. ‘The country’s principal cities’.
- The leading performer in opera or concerts.
20. Than vs. Then
These get easily confused because they have almost the same pronunciation, as many of the examples above. When you make comparisons, you have to use ‘than’, e.g. ‘John is a better performer than Robin’
As for ‘then’, this is used to describe various time events. It can mean afterwards, a consequence or at a time in the past.
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Look at these examples using ‘then’ correctly:
- Turn right at the traffic lights, then continue along Highway 23
- If you had listened to her, then you would not be in trouble now.
- I was much slimmer back then.
This list is by no means exhaustive and I have only covered the principal meanings and usage. Let us know in the comments which ones you have trouble in remembering and using.
Featured photo credit: Dictionary/Kenneth Movie via flickr.com
Have you ever been confused about when you should use the word that instead of which? Or when to use which instead of that? The wrong usage of these words is common.
And, yeah, it’s common to be confused. A lot of professional writers seem to be confused about this and often use these words incorrectly. In the old days, I used that for everything and didn’t worry about proper usage.
“Don’t worry about it.”
Then I became an English teacher, and students ask pesky questions like, “When do I use that and when do I use which?”
Here’s an Easy Way to Get Unconfused
It’s a grammar thing, and most of us really don’t like grammar, but sometimes it’s good to know a thing or two.
- Use THAT when what follows can’t be cut from the sentence without changing the meaning.
- Use WHICH when what follows can be cut from the sentence without changing the meaning. What follows is extra information, which might be nice but isn’t necessary.
- FYI:Â put a comma before WHICH and after, if the phrase doesn’t end the sentence.
If you aren’t a grammar geek, don’t read the next two sentences.
- The word that comes before a restrictive clause. A restrictive phrase or clause adds meaning to a sentence and cannot be cut without altering the meaning.
- The word which comes before a nonrestrictive clause. A nonrestrictive phrase or clause is extra information, which could be interesting but isn’t essential to the meaning.
Non-grammar geeks: It’s okay to read from here down
Here are some examples of when to use which:
- My car, which is red, is broke down. (We don’t need to know the car is red.)
- The new landscaping, which looks disgusting, isn’t practical. (That the writer thinks the landscaping looks disgusting isn’t necessary to the meaning of the sentence)
- My trash cans, which stink like sewage, are too big to fit on the side of the house. (Same thing here.)
Here are some examples of when to use that:
- The English class that I need is full. (“that I need” refers to the specific English class and can’t be cut. It’s unlikely all the English classes are full; it’s only the class the writer needs.)
- The baseball game that we had tickets for was canceled. (Not all the games were canceled.)
- The tree that drops blue flowers is messy and a nuisance. (Not all the trees drop blue flowers.)
I’m a big fan of cutting unnecessary words. That is a word you can often cut without changing the meaning of your sentence. If you can cut it, do so. For example:
- The English class I need is full.
- The baseball game we had ticket for was canceled.
- The tree that drops blue flower is messy. (Cutting that doesn’t work with this sentence)
One more thing about that: never use it when referring to people; use who. I’ve seen some Internet articles advising people to use that when referring to people. Wrong! We all probably slip and use that for people in everyday speech, but don’t do it in writing. It’s not just bad form; it’s really bad form.
- The boy who broke the window ran away.
- The girl who hit a home run fell.
- My uncle, who looks like George Clooney, couldn’t make it.
- My grandparents, who have been married for forty years, went on vacation.
I hope you noticed that who works in the same ways as that and which. The first two who phrases are necessary to the meaning of the sentence (restrictive) and don’t require commas. The last two require commas because the who phrases aren’t necessary to the meaning of the sentences (nonrestrictive); however, if they were necessary to the meaning of the sentence, then the commas aren’t necessary. If you have one uncle in example three, then the phrase isn’t necessary. If you have several uncles and one looks like George Clooney, then, the comment is necessary to the meaning of the sentence. Yeah, I know. You really didn’t want to read the grammar words again.
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The Usual Reminders
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