Common Word Errors Found in Books
Okay, it's been making me nuts and it suddenly occurred to me that it could be very useful to start a list of errors I commonly find within books from spelling to grammatical rules to style issues which seem to be falling by the wayside. So, the following is an evolving list and one which I suggest authors explore to reduce or eliminate them from their own publications.
This list is in no way complete and please send suggestions and comments of your own...I don't necessarily promise to include them, but...
| A versus An |
Credit to: |
| A | An |
|---|
| Part of Grammar: |
| Indefinite article |
Indefinite article |
Rule: The general rule is that a is used before words beginning with a consonant while an is used before words beginning with a vowel. The exception to this rule is acronyms that when spoken begin with the sound of a vowel or a consonant. |
| Examples: |
This is a NATO operation
That's a NAK |
That's an NFS
Ya got an NiCD?
That's an NIS system. |
Other acronyms beginning with h and sounding like it will use a : a HAZ-MAT, a Hz, a HomePNA, a HEPNET. |
Most acronyms beginning with an h starting with an aitch sound and will use an in front of it: an HCL, an HDTV, an HTTP. |
| | The same is true for other consonant-starting acronyms: when L sounds like el ; M sounds like em ; N sounds like en ; s sounds like es ; and, X sounds like ex . |
| Affect versus Effect |
Credit to: Grammar Girl |
| Affect | Effect |
|---|
| Part of Grammar: |
| Verb, Noun |
Noun, Verb |
Verb:
To influence
To act in a way that you don't feel
Noun:
When speaking about psychology with reference to someone's mood. Psychologists know that you can never really understand what someone else is feeling. You can only know how they appear to be feeling.
|
Noun:
A result
Verb:
To bring about, accomplish |
| Examples: |
Verb:
The arrows affected the aardvark.
The rain affected Amy's hairdo.
She affected an air of superiority.
Noun:
She displayed a happy affect. |
Noun:
The effect was eye-popping.
The sound effects were amazing.
Verb:
The rain had no effect on Amy's hairdo. |
| Alright versus All Right |
Credit to: |
| Alright | All right |
|---|
| Part of Grammar: |
| Nonstandard |
Adjective, Adverb, Exclamation |
| Okay, acceptable, satisfactory, permissible, allowable |
| Examples: |
All right, where is he?
Is he going to be all right? |
| And, Or |
Credit to: |
Rule: When used with items in a simple series, always use a , at the end of the word preceding the and or the or .
When item(s) use internal punctuation or each element in the series is longer creating a more complex series, use semi-colons to separate the elements with the , immediately after the and or the or . |
| Examples: |
Simple:
I bought bacon, eggs, and juice at the grocery store.
Complex:
George bought the bacon, it was Smithfield; Karen picked up some
organic eggs at the farm stand, Farmer Green's place; and, Mary picked the oranges off the trees to squeeze some juice. |
| A while vs Awhile |
Credit to: Grammar Girl and The Snarky Grammar Guide |
| A while | Awhile |
|---|
| Part of Grammar: |
| Noun |
Adverb |
Time, a length of time
Must always be accompanied by a preposition, such as for or ago |
For a time, for a while |
| Examples: |
I slept for a while.
I left work a while ago. |
I worked awhile before leaving for my date.
A useful trick courtesy of The Snarky Grammar Guide is to replace awhile with another adverb, such as slowly or happily . If it sounds fine, then continue with awhile . |
| Blond versus Blonde |
Credit to: Apple.com |
| Blond | Blonde |
|---|
| Part of Grammar: |
| Adjective, Noun |
Adjective |
Adjective:
Fair or pale yellow hair
Light in color or tone (when referring to wood and other substances)
Noun:
A person with fair hair and skin |
Adjective:
Fair or pale yellow hair
Noun:
A person with fair hair and skin |
| History of the Word: |
Mid-17th century and earlier, blond was used for both men and women.
By the late-17th century in France, a distinction was made between the sexes. |
| Examples: |
Did you see that blond?
I just love blond furniture. |
Mary is a beautiful blonde. |
| Brake versus Break |
Credit to: |
| Brake | Break |
|---|
| Part of Grammar: |
| Adjective, Noun, Verb |
Noun, Verb |
Adjective:
Noun:
Device for slowing or stopping a moving vehicle by applying pressure to the wheels
Slang:
Stopping
Verb:
Make a moving vehicle slow down or stop
|
Noun:
An interruption |
| Examples: |
Adjective:
The middle pedal in a manual transmission-equipped car is the brake pedal.
It has an anti-lock braking system.Noun:
Honey, can you have them check the brakes when you take the car in?
Hey, kiddo, put the brakes on!
Verb:
Braking in the snow requires short taps on the pedal. |
x |
| History of the Word: |
| Late-18th century |
x |
| Brunet versus Brunette |
Credit to: Apple.com |
| Brunet | Brunette |
|---|
| Part of Grammar: |
| Adjective, Noun |
Adjective, Noun |
Adjective:
Dark brown hair
Noun:
A person with dark brown hair |
| History of the Word: |
In the mid-16th century in France, brunette began to be used as a diminutive form of brun to refer to little brown-haired girl and has evolved to simply refer to all women with dark brown hair. |
| Examples: |
| Did you see that brunet? |
Mary is a beautiful brunette.
Why don't they ever tell brunette jokes? |
| But versus Butt |
Credit to: |
| But | Butt |
|---|
| Part of Grammar: |
| Preposition |
Noun |
| Rule: When expressing a contrast, always use a comma before but |
|
| Examples: |
She was cute, but a handful.
I wanted to go to the movies, but mom expected me to babysit. |
Butt of a joke
Nice butt
Cigarette butt
Butt of wine |
| Coarse versus Course |
Credit to: |
| Coarse | Course |
|---|
| Part of Grammar: |
| Adjective |
Noun, Verb |
| Rough or loose grain or texture: particles of sand, a person's features, food or drink |
Route or direction followed by a vehicle, geographic feature, sporting event or action
A series of dishes served in succession at one meal
progressive development
A series of lectures, lessons, concerts, readings, etc. |
| Examples: |
The beaches on the Nevada-side of Lake Tahoe have coarse sand while the sand in the Bahamas is much silkier.
Medieval bread was much coarser due to the milling process, which left particles of stone in the flour. |
There are typing courses available for those interested.
I prefer that the salad course follow the main course as it cleanses the palate so well.
Many rally races follow a preset course. |
| Compliment versus Complement |
Credit to: Daily Writing Tips |
| Compliment | Complement |
|---|
| Part of Grammar: |
| Adverb |
Preposition |
An expression of esteem, respect, affection, or admiration
Offering of praise or flattery to another person |
Completes or goes well with something
May also refer to color choices, as in complementary colors |
| Examples: |
With my compliments
Oh, that's a lovely dress.
There was a very complimentary review in the paper.
The drinks are complimentary. |
Oh, that color really complements your eyes!
We had the full complement of pots and pans.
Blue is the complement of orange while red is the complement of green. |
An interesting mnemonic aid was provided by TK from the same website: compliment with an i is the opposite of an insult while complement with an e makes equal or Cfoster's complete . My own interpretation is that complement goes well with ___ but then, that's the artist in me!
|
| Council vs Counsel |
Credit to: |
| Council | Counsel |
|---|
| Part of Grammar: |
| Noun |
Noun, Verb |
A body of people who gather to give advice, suggestions, rule, or act for a larger group
An individual would be called a councilor . |
Noun:
Advice
Verb:
Give advice to someone (usually formal)
An individual would be called a counselor . |
| Examples: |
The council will vote on the proposed regulation today.
John Jones is a councilor for the Fourth District. |
Noun:
Dr. Jones gave counsel to the unhappy boy.
Verb:
Dr. Jones counseled the wayward lads.
Dr. Jones is a counselor at the Home for Wayward Lads. |
| Crumble versus Crumple |
Credit to: Apple.com |
| Crumble | Crumple |
|---|
| Part of Grammar: |
| Noun, Verb |
Verb |
Noun:
Mixture of flour and butter that is rubbed to the texture of breadcrumbs and cooked as a topping for fruit
A dessert made with such a topping and a particular fruit
Verb:
Break or fall apart into small fragments over a period of time
Cause something to disintegrate over a period of time
|
Crush something so that it becomes creased and wrinkled
Become bent, crooked, or creased
A person suddenly flops down to the ground so that their body appears bent or broken
A person's face suddenly sags and shows an expression of desolation
Suddenly lose force or effectiveness |
| Examples: |
Noun:
Mom makes the best rhubarb crumble!
Verb:
The walls in that old house are crumbling.
The company's management is crumbling. |
He crumpled up the paper bag.
They heard the jetliner crumple moments before it crashed.
She crumpled to the floor in a dead faint.
The child's face crumpled and he began to howl.
Her composure crumpled. |
| Desert versus Dessert |
Credit to: |
| Desert | Dessert |
|---|
| Part of Grammar: |
| Adverb |
x |
| Define |
Define |
| Examples: |
| x |
x |
| earth versus Earth |
Credit to: Apple.com |
| earth | Earth |
|---|
| Part of Grammar: |
| Noun, Verb |
Noun |
Noun:
Surface of our planet
Soil
One of the four elements in ancient and medieval philosophy and in astrology
Substance of the human body in a poetic or literary sense
Underground lair or habitation of a badger or fox
British term:
Ground
Verb:
Pile soil around the root and lower stem of a plant
Driving a fox to its underground lair [Hunting term]
British term:
Ground
|
Name of a planet, a celestial body
Capitalize it when mentioned in connection with other capitalized heavenly bodies |
| Examples: |
The comet landed somewhere on earth.
The foxes went to earth. |
The Earth is located between Mars and Venus. |
| Eastern, Northern, Southern, Western |
Credit to: |
| x | x |
|---|
| Capitalization issues: |
| Capitalize |
Lowercase |
Geographical regions
When referring to a cultural or area distinction |
When used to indicate parts of states or provinces
Points of the compass: directions or location |
| Examples: |
West Virginia
Northern Europe
Southeast Asia
Midwest
Southern cooking |
southern Wisconsin
northern Quebec
northern Atlantic
|
| Fair versus Fare |
Credit to: |
| Fair | Fare |
|---|
| Part of Grammar: |
| Adjective, Adverb, Noun |
Noun, Verb |
Adjective:
Reasonable, just, legitimate
Pleasing to the eye or mind
Adverb:
Without cheating or trying to achieve unjust advantage
Noun:
A group of stalls or rides for the purpose of amusing
|
Noun:
food, money paid for transportation
Verb:
Perform in a particular way or over a particular period of time |
| Examples: |
Adjective:
Per the Copyright Office at the Library of Congress, one may use copyrighted material provided it is a fair use situation.
Adverb:
The game was played fairly.
Noun:
Are you going to the State Fair this year? |
Noun:
Avoid the fare at that inn!
Verb:
The house has not fared well over the years.
How are you faring? |
| God |
Credit to: Teaching College English |
| Part of Grammar: |
| Noun |
Rule:
God is capitalized when referring to the actual Divine Being
- This includes
He/Her , His/Her , Thee , Thou , Himself/Herself
- As a term of respect, any time you refer to a specific supreme being for any religion, i.e., Allah, Shiva, Buddha, etc.
god is lowercase when used
- With a slang phrase such as
Oh, god , god dammit , My, god , god bless , godspeed ,
- Referring to a generic god or gods/goddesses
|
| Examples: |
I don't believe in God.
Oh, for god's sake!
God is my Savior.
|
| In to versus Into |
Credit to: Diffen, The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation, Dictionary |
| In to | Into |
|---|
| Part of Grammar: |
| Adverb when followed by the preposition to |
Preposition |
A shortcut for the phrase, in order to
Combines direction and purpose |
Suggests movement, action, or transformation
Deeply interested or involved |
| Examples: |
I am going in to have a few drinks.
He turned his paper in to the teacher.
Run in the room.
The administrators wouldn't give in to the protesters |
I am going into the bar to have a few drinks.
Run into the room.
She turned everything she touched into gold.
...look into a book
...enter into it with enthusiasm
Look into this issue.
...plug your power cord into the socket.
turn into one hell of a |
| Italics |
Credit to: Purdue Owl Engagement; Chicago Manual of Style, 8.182 |
Rule: Always italicize the name of books (unless it is unpublished), magazines, newspapers, academic journals, films, television shows, long poems, plays, operas, oratorios, tone poems, musical albums, and other long musical compositions; and, works of art unless the name is part of a building, prize, organization, etc.
Individual song titles are in quotation marks. |
| It's versus Its |
|
| It's | Its |
|---|
| Part of Grammar: |
| Pronoun |
Pronoun |
Contraction of it is |
Possessive of it |
| Examples: |
It's the truth
can also be read as
It is the truth |
The doll hit its noggin on the stair
just doesn't sound right as
The doll hit it is noggin on the stair. |
| Lay versus Lie |
Credit to: Mignon Fogarty at Grammar Girl |
| Lay | Lie |
|---|
| Part of Grammar: |
Adjective, Noun, Verb
Requires a direct object:
- You lay the book down on the table (the book is the direct object).
Past tense: laid |
Noun, Verb
Does not require a direct object:
- You lie down on the sofa (no direct object).
Past tense: lay
Past participle: lain
|
Adjective:
belonging to, performed by, or pertaining to a person who is not of the clergy, law profession, medicine
Noun:
General appearance of an area
A short narrative or poem that is usually sung
Slang:
A partner for purposes of sexual intercourse
Verb:
Put down gently or carefully into a horizontal position |
Noun:
An untruth, a fabrication, a statement that is purposefully false
Verb:
The act of telling an untruth
Be in or assume a horizontal position |
| Examples: |
Adjective:
Checking out the lay of the land.
Noun:
He is a lay preacher.
She was a sweet lay.
A minstrel may have sung a lay such as the poem by Sir Walter Scott, The Lay of the Last Minstrel.
Verb:
Just lay the book down on the desk.
Past tense:
Last week, Steve lay down on the floor.
The cat lay in the mud after it rained yesterday. |
Noun:
He told a lie.
Verb:
Just lie there until I'm done.
Past tense:
He just laid there!
Past participle:
Steve has lain on the floor for days.
The cat has lain in the mud for hours. |
| Loose versus Lose |
Credit to: |
| Loose | Lose |
|---|
| Part of Grammar: |
| Adjective, Verb |
Verb |
Adjective:
Not firmly, tightly, or securely fixed in place
Detachable
Verb:
Set free; release
|
Fail to achieve an object, cause
Be deprived |
| Examples: |
Adjective:
These pants are too loose.
I have a loose tooth.
Verb:
There are coins loose in his pocket. |
Lose the shirt, baby.
What did you lose?
Did you lose your job? |
| Okay |
Credit to: Apple.com |
| Okay |
|---|
| Part of Grammar: |
| Adjective, Adverb, Exclamation, Noun, Verb |
Adjective:
Satisfactory, but not exceptionally or especially good
Adverb:
In a satisfactory manner or to a satisfactory extent
Exclamation:
Expresses assent, agreement, or acceptance.
Noun:
Authorization or approval
Verb:
Sanction or give approval to
|
| Acceptable Versions |
UNacceptable Versions |
| Examples: |
Standard:
OK
O.K.
okay
kay, 'kay
Alternative English Spelling:
okey
Per Television Shows:
- okie dokie (Little Rascals)
- okely dokely, okely-dokely do (Ned Flanders from The Simpsons)
- m'kay (Mr. Mackey in South Park
Instant Messaging:
k, kk
Verb:
OK's, OK'd, OK'ing
|
ok
|
Adjective:
The food was okay.
Are you okay?
I'm not sure if it's OK?
Adverb:
The computer continues to work okay.
Exclamation:
OK, OK, I give in.
Used to introduce an utterance: OK, let's go.
Noun:
When will they give us the okay?
Verb:
He's OK'ing that now.
|
| On to versus Onto |
Credit to: Using English, Free Dictionary |
| On to | Onto |
|---|
| Part of Grammar: |
Preposition
Part of a phrasal verb, i.e., "on" is considered part of the verb |
Preposition |
moving on to bigger problems |
Move to a position that is on
Become aware of a secret or something illegal
Make contact with something or someone |
| Examples: |
They moved on to deal with other things.
The child jumped on the bed (indicating that the child is already on the bed).
Move those boxes on the shelf. |
She ran onto the pavement.
The detective was onto something.
The child jumped onto the bed (indicating that the child was not yet on the bed jumping).
Move those boxes onto the shelf. |
| Palate vs Palette vs Pallet |
| Palate | Palette | Pallet |
|---|
| Part of Grammar: |
| Noun |
Noun |
Noun |
Taste sensors contained in the roof of the mouth
An appreciation for food and drink or simply liking |
A flat surface used by artists to hold paint
A blunt blade used to scrape or apply paint
A range of colors used by an artist when creating a particular piece of art, a decorator in designing a room, a scene, etc., or a musician in choosing tones or instruments for a piece
Range of colors used in a computer or software program |
A portable platform used to keep objects or people off the ground or make it easier to move a pile of objects with a forklift
A crude mattress, usually found on the floor
As used in heraldry, "the diminutive of the pale, a narrow vertical strip, usually borne in groups of two or three" Apple's Dictionary, Version 2.1.3 (80.4) |
| Examples: |
That man has no palate for a decent wine!
Can you taste the tartness of the lime?
You have a very discerning palate for fine things. |
Michelangelo squeezed out the colors he would use on the ceiling onto his palette.
Using his palette knife, Picasso picked up the color and spread it across the canvas. |
Thank god for forklifts! It's so much easier to move pallets of boxes with one.
He made up a pallet of furs on the cave floor. |
| Pass vs Passed vs Past |
Credit to: |
| Pass | Passed | Past |
|---|
| Part of Grammar: |
| Noun, Verb |
Verb |
Adjective, Adverb, Noun, Preposition |
Noun:
A route over or through mountains
An act of instance of moving past or through something
A flirtatious act
Verb:
Approach and continue beyond something/someone |
Past tense of pass |
Adjective:
Gone by in time and no longer existing
Adverb:
Pass from one side of something to the other
Noun:
Time or period of time before the moment of speaking or writing
Preposition:
To or on the further side of
|
| Examples: |
Noun:
Head 'em off at the pass!
He made a pass at me.
Verb:
...until the prophecy came to pass.
|
He passed on last month.
That jerk passed me again! |
Adjective:
It's past time.
Noun:
The past is over and done with.
Preposition:
Let me past!
|
| Presence vs Presents |
Credit to: |
| Presence | Presents |
|---|
| Part of Grammar: |
| Noun |
Noun, Verb |
State or fact of existing, occurring, being present in a place or thing
A person or thing that exists or is present in a place but is not seen or visible
It is never plural. |
Noun:
Gift
Verb:
The giving of something to another as a reward or gift
|
| Examples: |
Very successful actors have a presence that causes people to be aware of them.
Luke sensed a presence in the Force.
He had the presence of mind to remain calm.
The United States maintains a military presence in volatile areas. |
Noun:
Yeah! Christmas presents!!
Verb:
The lieutenant was presented with the Purple Heart.
The Academy Awards is a ceremony in which an Oscar is presented as a prize. |
| Rain vs Reign vs Rein |
Credit to: |
| Rain | Reign | Rein |
|---|
| Part of Grammar: |
| Noun, Verb |
Noun, Verb |
Noun, Verb |
Noun:
Water that condenses from vapor and falls from the sky as drops, i.e., weather
Verb:
It may also be applied to anything that appears to fall through the air is quantities
To pour down
To give abundantly |
Noun:
Period of time in which a person rules over a country, or a team holds onto a title
Verb:
Exercise of the power of a ruling monarch
Predominant, prevail
|
Noun:
A narrow width of leather allowing the guidance of a four-legged creature, usually a horse or donkey
Verb:
The act of guiding a four-legged creature |
| Examples: |
Noun:
The rain is falling gently from the clouds.
Verb:
It's raining cats and dogs.
It never rains, but it pours.
Don't rain on my parade! |
Noun:
Queen Elizabeth II's reign has lasted for over 58 years.
Verb:
Confusion reigned in the ranks of milling soldiers. |
Noun:
Hold the reins for me, will you?
Verb:
The drover reined in his team. |
| Ravage versus Ravish |
Credit to: Encarta® World English Dictionary |
| Ravage | Ravish |
|---|
| Part of Grammar: |
| Verb |
Verb |
Noun:
Act or habit of destroying or plundering something
Damaging or disfiguring effects of something, especially time
Verb:
Wreck or utterly destroy something through a violent onslaught of some kind
Plunder or sack a place or area |
Carry something or someone off by violent force
Force someone to engage in sexual intercourse
Overwhelm someone with deep and pleasurable feelings or emotions |
| Examples: |
The tsunami ravaged the Indonesian coastline.
The effects of smog ravaged public buildings made of stone.
Napoleon's armies ravaged the countryside. |
She had the most ravishing features.
He ravished her with his eyes. |
| Shone vs Shined vs Shown |
Credit to: Grammarist |
| Shone |
Shined |
Shown |
| Part of Grammar: |
The word shine has two meanings:
- To emit light, intransitive, or
- To gleam by polishing, transitive
|
|
Past tense of shine |
Past tense of shine |
Past tense of show |
| Examples: |
| The sun shone. |
Shoes get shined. |
She was shown up as a fake. |
| Resume versus Résumé |
Credit to: |
| Resume | Résumé |
|---|
| Part of Grammar: |
| Adverb |
Noun |
| Define |
Define |
| Examples: |
| x |
x |
| Ringer versus Wringer |
Credit to: |
| Ringer | Wringer |
|---|
| Part of Grammar: |
| Adverb |
x |
| Define |
Define |
| Examples: |
| x |
x |
| Taught versus Taut |
Credit to: |
| Taught | Taut |
|---|
| Part of Grammar: |
| Adverb |
x |
| Define |
Define |
| Examples: |
| x |
x |
| Than versus Then |
Credit to: Dictionary.com |
| Than | Then |
|---|
| Part of Grammar: |
| Conjunction, Preposition |
Adjective, Adverb, Noun |
Conjunction & Preposition:
Introduces the second element in a comparison
Used in expressions introducing an exception or contrast
Conjunction:
Used in expressions indicating one thing happening immediately after another
|
Adjective:
Being, being such, existing or being at the time indicated
Adverb:
At that time, at the time in question, at the same time
After that, next, afterward
Noun:
That time |
| Examples: |
Conjunction:
Jack doesn't know anymore than I do.
They observe rather than act.
Scarcely was the work completed than it was abandoned.
Preposition:
He was much smaller than his son.
He claims not to own anything other than his home
|
Adjective:
...the then prime minister
Adverb:
I got smarter, but by then I was also older.
We bought the land and then built the house.
Noun:
We have not been back since then. |
| Their vs There vs They're |
Credit to: |
| Their | There | They're |
|---|
| Part of Grammar: |
| Adverb |
x |
| Define |
Define |
| Examples: |
| x |
x |
| To vs Too vs Two |
Credit to: |
| To | Too | Two |
|---|
| Part of Grammar: |
| Adverb |
x |
Number |
| Define |
Define |
x |
| Examples: |
| x |
x |
x |
| Vain vs Vane vs Vein |
Credit to: Apple Dictionary. |
| Vain | Vane | Vein |
|---|
| Part of Grammar: |
| Adjective |
Noun |
Noun |
Thinking very highly of yourself, your appearance
Useless effort |
A broad blade that, with other blades, is attached to a wheel which spins by the efforts of wind or water producing energy
A projecting surface which guides the motion of a projectile such as the feather on an arrow, a fin on a torpedo |
A thin tube found inside living beings that conveys blood
A rib running through a leaf or bract
A streak or stripe in a rock, tree, cheese, marble, granite
A distinctive quality, style, or tendency
A below-ground channel of water |
| Examples: |
He's so vain.
Her efforts were in vain. |
A weathervane or ceiling fan consists of such vanes. |
Blood courses through the veins of humans and animals.
There's a lovely vein of cream streaking through that red marble.
Most of his work is in that vein of agony. |
| Vice versus Vise |
Credit to: |
| Vice | Vise |
|---|
| Part of Grammar: |
| Noun, Preposition |
Noun |
| Definition: |
Noun:
Bad, immoral, or wicked behavior
Weak character
Bad habit
British spelling for vise
Preposition:
Modifies any noun it precedes indicating a deputy, i.e., "vice-admiral", "vice-president" |
A tool with movable jaws used to hold an object firmly in place while work is done on it, typically attached to a workbench
May denote a screw or winch |
| Examples: |
Noun:
Chocolate is my vice.
That man has more vices than the devil!
Preposition:
The president and the vice-president will be present for the meeting. |
That dog grabs on like a vise!
Use the vise to hold the two pieces together. |
| Wail versus Whale |
Credit to: |
| Wail | Whale |
|---|
| Part of Grammar: |
| Verb |
Adjective, Noun, or Verb |
| Cry out hard and loud |
Adjective:
Describes a really good thing
Noun:
Huge mammal that lives in water and surfaces to breathe
Verb:
Hit someone hard and repeatedly |
| Examples: |
She wailed at the funeral of her child.
The baby was wailing.
On an historical/religious note, the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem is sacred to Jews as a site for prayer and pilgrimage. |
She was having a whale of a time at the party.
Fortunes were made on the East Coast by whalers hunting whales for their oil.
The muggers whaled on their victim.
|
| Weather vs Whether |
Credit to: Apple's Dictionary |
| Weather | Whether |
|---|
| Part of Grammar: |
| Noun, Verb |
Conjunction
whether or no is a common phrase used to indicate |
Noun:
A change in the atmosphere
Verb:
Wear away or change the appearance or texture by long exposure to the weather
Come safely through a storm, whether that storm is literal or metaphorical
Use boards or tiles to keep out the rain, snow, or wind |
Expressing a doubt or choice between alternatives
Or is usually in there somewhere
Expressing an inquiry or investigation (usually through an indirect question) |
| Examples: |
Noun:
Hmmm, I wonder what the weather will be like when we get there?
Verb:
His face was weathered from all the exposure to the elements.
The cliff face was weathered from the wind and waves pounding against it. |
I'm going whether you like it or not.
Well, it's a question of whether or no the storm comes in as expected.
I'll see whether she's home (the or not is implied). |
| Well |
Rule: When used as a qualifier, hyphenate well with whatever is being qualified |
| Examples: |
| Well-liked, well-lit |
| Who's versus Whose |
Credit to: |
| Who's | Whose |
|---|
| Part of Grammar: |
| Pronoun - Interrogative |
Possessive - Adjective or Pronoun |
Contraction for who is or who has |
Belonging to or associated with which person
Somewhat of a possessive in that the following noun belongs to or is associated with a person/object mentioned |
| Examples: |
Who's out there?
Who's left the lights on?
Who's that idiot? |
Adjective:
He's a man whose opinion I respect.
Pronoun:
Whose keys are these?
Whose kids are those? |
| You're versus Your |
Credit to: |
| You're | Your |
|---|
| Part of Grammar: |
| Contraction |
Possessive |
| Define |
Define |
| Examples: |
| x |
x |
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