Transcript COMMON ERRORS

COMMON ERRORS
A QUICK FIX
WACKY WORDS
• A & AN – A BEFORE
CONSONANT SOUND
(EVEN IF MADE BY A
VOWEL) “A CAT”, “A
UNIVERSITY”. AN
BEFORE A VOWEL
SOUND “AN OASIS”,
“AN M&M
• AFFECT AND EFFECT
EFFECT IS NOUN AND
AFFECT IS VERB 90% OF
THE TIME.
• AFFECT = INFLUENCE
• EFFECT = CAUSE
• TOO MUCH RAINY
WEATHER AFFECTS
(INFLUENCES) MY
MOOD.
• TOO MUCH RAINY
WEATHER EFFECTED
(CAUSED) THE
FLOODING IN
HAMBURG TOWNSHIP
WACKY WORDS
• ALL RIGHT IS RIGHT; ALRIGHT IS NOT A
WORD
• A LOT IS TWO WORDS
• AMONG MEANS MORE THAN TWO ARE
INVOLVED; BETWEEN MEANS TWO
• AMOUNT = HOW MUCH (YOU CAN’T
COUNT THE NUMBER; NUMBER MEANS =
HOW MANY (YOU CAN COUNT THEM)
WACKY WORDS
• AND = ADDITION; TO = ATTEMPT
• WHEN YOU WRITE PAPERS, TRY AND WRITE
RIGHT.
• WHEN YOU WRITE PAPERS, TRY TO WRITE
RIGHT.
• ANYWAY = WORD; ANYWAYS IS NOT A
WORD
• AROUND = APPROXIMATELY IS VERY
INFORMAL; I AM A HEAVYWEIGHT FIGHTER,
AND I WEIGH AROUND (ABOUT) 240.
WACKY WORDS
• IN BACK OF = INFORMAL; BEHIND =
FORMAL; KRISTEN, PUT YOUR BICYCLE
BEHIND THE HOUSE.
• BETTER = INFORMAL; HAD BETTER =
MORE INFORMAL; YOU SHOULD DO
YOUR HOMEWORK.
• BRING = MOVEMENT TOWARD THE
SPEAKER; TAKE SHOWS MOVEMENT
AWAY FROM THE SPEAKER
WACKY WORDS
• BY = PREPOSITION; BUY = PURCHASE; BYE =
SALUTATION
• CAN = HAS THE ABILITY TO DO SOMETHING;
MAY = PERMISSION TO DO SOMETHING; MAY
= MIGHT DO SOMETHING
• DIFFERENT FROM = TWO THINGS COMPARED;
DIFFERENT THAN = CLAUSES THAT FOLLOW;
THIS MOVIE IS DIFFERENT THAN I THOUGHT IT
WOULD BE.
WACKY WORDS
• EVERY PLACE (SOME PLACE, ANY PLACE, NO
PLACE) = INFORMAL; I’VE LOOKED
EVERYWHERE (NOT EVERY PLACE) FOR MY
SHOES.
• FARTHER = DISTANCE; FURTHER = LONGER OR
MORE
• FEWER = COUNTING; LESS = NO COUNTING;
THERE ARE FEWER KIDS THAN I EXPECTED.
THERE IS LESS SNOW THAN I THOUGHT.
WACKY WORDS
• FEET = MEASUREMENT (SIX FEET TALL);
FOOT = COMPOUND ADJECTIVES (I
NEED FOUR 10-FOOT BOARDS OF
LUMBER.
• GOOD = ADJECTIVE; WELL = ADVERB
• GOT = REDUNDANCY; I HAVE GOT.
• HAVE NOT OF. I SHOULD HAVE, NOT I
SHOULD OF…
WACKY WORDS
• IN = WHERE SOMETHING IS RIGHT NOW; INTO
= MOVEMENT FROM ONE PLACE TO
ANOTHER (GO INTO THE HOUSE. I AM IN THE
CAR.)
• ITS = POSSESSIVE; IT’S = IT IS OR IT HAS
• LIKE = PREPOSITION TO COMPARE ONE
THING TO ANOTHER “SIMILAR TO” OR “FOR
EXAMPLE” (THIS FLOWER LOOKS LIKE A
ROSE.) AS AND AS IF = CONJUNCTIONS USED
BEFORE CLAUSES. (I STUDIED HARD AS I KNEW
I SHOULD.)
WACKY WORDS
• LIKE = COMPARISONS, THAT =
CONJUNCTION (I FEEL THAT YOU
SHOULD GIVE ME AN “A” ON THAT
PAPER.)
• LOSE, LOOSE
• MYSELF = REFLEXIVE. DON’T USE WHEN
YOU SHOULD USE “ME” OR “I” (KATE
AND MYSELF (I) WERE INVITED.)
WACKY WORDS
• PAIR = SINGULAR; PAIRS = PLURAL. (WE
RENTED THREE PAIRS OF SKIS.)
• PLAN ON = INFORMAL (DO YOU PLAN
ON (PLAN TO) GO TO THE GAME?)
• SIT = TAKE A SEAT OR SIT DOWN; SET =
PLACE SOMETHING.
• THAN = CONJUNCTION, TWO PARTS OF
SENTENCE COMPARED; THEN = ADVERB
WHEN SOMETHING HAPPENED.
WACKY WORDS
• THIS = SOMETHING CLOSE AT HAND (I
BOUGHT A (NOT THIS) NEW DRESS THAT I
WANT TO SHOW YOU.
• TO, TOO, TWO
• WAITING ON = SOMEONE SERVING YOU;
WAITING FOR IS USUALLY RIGHT.
• THAT = ESSENTIAL CLAUSE; WHICH =
NONESSENTIAL CLAUSE (INSERT THE WORDS
“BY THE WAY” TO CHECK) COMMA RULE
WACKY WORDS
• WHICH = THINGS; WHO = PEOPLE
• WHO = NOMINATIVE; WHOM = OBJECTIVE
• HOW COME AND WHAT FOR = INFORMAL.
USE “WHY”
• ONE WORD OR TWO? CAN YOU PUT OTHER
WORDS IN THE MIDDLE?
• WE WERE ALREADY TO LEAVE. OR
• WE WERE ALL (SET AND PACKED) READY TO
LEAVE.