Usage Day 1
A/AN- using a or an depends on the sound that
begins the next word.
A + singular beginning with a consonant
An + singular noun beginning with a vowel
A + singular noun beginning with a consonant
sound: a user (sounds like “yoo-zer’)
An + nouns starting with silent “h”- an hour
These rules apply when using acronyms
ACCEPT, EXCEPT
Accept means to “receive.”
Except is usually a preposition meaning “but” or
“leaving out”
Except can also be a verb meaning “to leave out”
AFFECT, EFFECT
Majority of the time- Affect is a verb and effect is a
noun
Affect means “to influence”
Effect means “a result”
AIN’T
Colloquial/ slang do not use it in formal, academic
settings.
ALL THE FARTHER, ALL THE FASTER, AS FAR
AS
All the farther should be replaced with as far as
A lot
A lot not alot!
And etc.
Means “and so on”
Do not use the redundant phrase “and etc.”
ANYWAYS, ANYWHERES, EVERYWHERES,
NOWHERES, SOMEWHERES
These adverbs should never end in –s
AT
Do not use this preposition at the end of a
sentence/question.
BESIDE, BESIDES
Besides can mean “in addition to”
Beside means “next to”
BETWEEN, AMONGBetween- a choice that involves two distinct items
Among- More than two items
BORROW, LEND, LOANIn standard English the person providing an item
can loan it and the person receiving it can borrow
the item.
BRING, TAKE
You bring things here and take things there
BUST, BUSTEDDo not use busted to mean broken or to get
caught/arrested
It means to bring an end, to tame, to bankrupt or ruin
financially, to hit or punch, and to explode
CAN, MAYCan = ability
May= Permission
COULD OFDo not use of after a helping verb such as should,
would, could, or must. Use have instead.
DISCOVER, INVENTDiscovery is known as the act of detecting something
that already exists.
Invention is using objects, ideas or theories that already
exist in order to create a new object, idea, or theory that
are not already in existence.
DON’T, DOESN’TDo not use don’t with third-person singular subjects.
Instead, use doesn’t.
Example: This machine don’t/doesn’t work well.
FEWER, LESSUse fewer with things that can be counted.
Use less with qualities and quantities that cannot be
counted.
Usage Day 2
GOOD, WELLGood is an adjective.
Use good to modify nouns or pronouns.
Use good to modify sense verbs when they are being used to
describe how someone or something is, rather than to describe
an action.
Well is an adverb.
Use well to modify action verbs.
Well can also be used as an adjective to mean “in good health” or
“satisfactory.”
HAD OUGHT, HADN’T OUGHTDo not use ought with with have or had.
He, she, theyMom and Dad they took us fishing.
Do not rename the subjects with pronouns.
HISSELF, THEIRSELF, THEIRSELVESJust don’t use them (himself, themselves, etc.)
KIND, SORT, TYPE
Type usually means a precisely defined category.
Sort is more general, often about character rather than
definition and can be used in a negative way.
Kind is half way between, usually referring to large
categories or families of things that are naturally
related/
KIND OF, SORT OF
Do not use these phrases in formal speech.
Instead, use rather or somewhat.
LEARN, TEACH
Learn means “to receive knowledge.” Teach
means “to give knowledge”
LEAVE,LETLeave means “to allow to remain.” Let means “to permit.”
Leave my little brother go! (incorrect)
Let my little play! (correct)
Like, asLike is a preposition meaning “similar to” or “such as.” It should not be
used in place of the conjunction as.
We painted like we were skilled artists. (incorrect)
We painted as if we were skilled artists.
We painted like skilled artists.
OF
Do not use of after a helping verb such as should,
would, could, or must. Use have instead.
Do not use of after inside, outside, off, and atop.
Eliminate of.
BECAUSE, THATDo not use because after the phrase the reason.
Say “the reason is that” or reword the sentence.
SOME, SOMEWHATSome refers to quantity.
Somewhat refers to qualification of a condition.
THAN, THENUse than in comparison.
Use then as an adverb to refer to time.
THEM, THOSEDo not use them as a substitute for those.
THIS HERE, THAT THEREDo not use here/there after this/that
TRY AND, TRY TO
Use try to instead of try and.
Usage Day 3
USED TO, USE TO
Use used to
‘Use to' is correct in the negative and question
forms. 'I didn't use to like mushrooms, but now I eat
them all the time.’
WAY, WAYSUse way instead of ways when referring to
distance.
WHEN, WHERE
Do not use when or where immediately after a
linking verb.
Do not use where in place of that.
WHICH, THAT, TO
That and which refere to things; who refers only to
people
WITHOUT, UNLESSWithout is a preposition, because it introduces a word
or phrase.
Unless is a conjunction, because it introduces a clause.
Do not bake without Mom’s permission. This is a
preposition.
Do not bake unless your mom says it is okay. This is a
conjunction.
YOUR, YOU’RE
You're is short for you are.
Your shows that something belongs to "you" or is
related to "you" (e.g., your car, your father).