April 11, 2016
Writing Tip of the Week
Word Usage—Part 2
As/Because/Since
Because “since” has at least two meanings—“from some time in the past”
and “because”—some sentences that begin with “since” may be ambiguous:
“The father hasn’t made support payments since he was denied visitation.” The
sentence may mean that the denial was his motive to stop the payments or just the
time at which he stopped making them. Use “since” only when referring to time
and “because” to show cause-and-effect relationships. Avoid using “as” in causeand-effect relationships because it may be ambiguous and misunderstood to mean
“while.”
A While/Awhile
“A while” is an article plus a noun; “awhile” is an adverb. Use “awhile”
only when modifying a verb, not as an object of a preposition. “The officer
waited awhile before entering the house; once inside, he paused for a while
before going into the garage.”
Compare To/Compare With/Contrast
“Compare with” is the most common usage and means to point out
similarities and differences. Use “compare to” when pointing out only
similarities; use “contrast” when pointing out only differences.
Comprise/Compose/Include
“Comprise” means “to contain”: “The committee comprised three lawyers
and two doctors.” “Is composed of” may be substituted for “comprise” without
changing the meaning. Note that “comprise” denotes a complete listing;
“include” may mean a partial listing.
Counsel/Council
“Counsel” means “advice,” “lawyer,” or “to advise.” “Council” means “a
deliberative body.”
Adapted from: The Legal Writing Handbook—Oates, Enquist, & Kunsch;
The Penguin Handbook—Faigley; and The Redbook—Garner
Prepared by Chris Dunn