To lead
past tense :led
Metal: lead
To lose (mislay)
Loose : poorly tied
Programme: a planned sequence
Program: a computer program
Disc: a flat circle
Disk: computer storage
Common mistakes
Information is always singular
Data is always plural (singular
is datum)
Singular
criterion
formulae
radius
stratum
index
appendix
matrix
axis
analysis
Plural
criteria
formulae
radii
strata
indices
appendices
matrices
axes
analyses
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The apostrophe
Possessive: the manager’s car
With a plural, the apostrophe comes after the s: scientists’
discoveries; all students’ best interests
In English, the days of the week, languages,
nationalities, months start with a capital letter. So
do titles like “Biomedical Engineering”.
On Monday I usually go to German lessons with
my Dutch friend who studies Biology at university.
•Omitted letters
I did not = I didn’t
I would not= I won’t
These words are not recommended in scientific writing
Exception
It is= it’s
Possessive “its” has no apostrophe
Throughout the 1990s
All staff have PhDs
Difficult pairs of words
Fewer/less: fewer is for integers, less is for other quantities
Less than 20%
Fewer than 50 qualified engineers
Affect/effect
The strike will affect deliveries (verb)
The strike is having an effect (noun)
How does this effect students and their chances of getting a job after
graduation?
The government’s policies have a crippling affect on the construction
industry.
Complement/compliment
Also complementary and complimentary
You complement a team if you brought skills that the team lacked.
They will compliment you on your skills.
Discrete/discreet
Maths/good manners
Practice/practise
Practice is the noun, practise the verb
I want to practise engineering, so I have set up a practice with my
brother
Principal/principle
Principal:adjective meaning first in importance or noun for head of a
school etc. A principle is a law.
Among the principles of mechanics, students learn about principal
stress
Plane/plain
Surface which is flat/simple
Relevant/relative
Facts which are relative to the discussion
Continuous/continual
Continuous means without interruption. Continual means regular but
not continuous
Imply/infer
The results imply something, you infer it
2
Alternative/alternate
You may have use of the car on alternate days. You will have to make
alternative arrangements when you don’t have it.
Spot 14 mistakes
Other information to support my application
My principle reason for applying for this post is that I feel that CG Freeland is a
company that can be proud of it’s record in innovative design. Your new
activities in enviromental control (to which I beleive I can contribute) perfectly
compliment your exsisting specialisms. I am interested in post E15 (Graduate),
but I would like to be considered for any alternate vacancies.
My main liesure activity is swiming. I have won country medals on no less than
six ocasions, and I represented England at the last commonwealth games
Sincerely,
Adrian Mole
Common mistakes
Other information to support my application
My principle reason for applying for this post is that I feel that CG Freeland is
a company that can be proud of it’s record in innovative design. Your new
activities in enviromental control (to which I beleive I can contribute) perfectly
compliment your exsisting specialisms. I am interested in post E15 (Graduate),
but I would like to be considered for any alternate vacancies.
My main liesure activity is swiming. I have won country medals on no less
than six ocasions, and I represented England at the last commonwealth games
Sincerely,
Adrian Mole
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Il sistema permette di eliminare
The system allows to eliminate (allows elimination of)
Il sangue è un liquido
The blood is a liquid (no THE)
Faccio una doccia, faccio la cena
I do a shower...(I take a shower)
Informations...(always singular)
To elaborate ...(instead of to process)
Sensibility, sensible (instead of sensitive).
3