Glossary Of Usage

Front 1

a, an

Back 1

use "a" before words beginning with a consonant sound
use "an" before words beginning with a vowel sound

Front 2

accept, except

Back 2

verb - to recieve
Ann accepted the gift

verb- to leave out
preposition- excluding
All my friends will be there except Jeremiah.

Front 3

ain't

Back 3

NEVER USE THIS WORD!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Front 4

all right

Back 4

Always TWO words!
Your science project looks all right to me.

Front 5

a lot

Back 5

should be written as two words

I have read a lot today.

Front 6

already
all ready

Back 6

Already: previously

All ready: completely prepared

Front 7

Anyways, anywheres, everywheres, nowheres, somewheres

Back 7

These words should have no final "s".

Front 8

at

Back 8

do not use at after where:
Not - Where are the Persian miniatures at? Yes - Where are the Persian miniatures?

Front 9

bad, badly

Back 9

Bad: adjective

Badly: adverb
Don't treat him badly.
This fruit tastes bad

Front 10

beside, besides

Back 10

Beside: "By the side of" - preposition
Besides: " in addition to" or "More over".

Front 11

between, among

Back 11

Between: two items

Among: A group

Front 12

bring, take

Back 12

Bring: "to come carrying something"
Take: "to go carrying something"

Front 13

bust, busted

Back 13

do not use these; instead, use these: burst, broke, caught, and arrest

Front 14

can't hardly, can't scarcely

Back 14

hardly and scarcely are negative words already without can't. Instead, use can or had.

Front 15

could of

Back 15

don't write OF with the helping verb COULD. write instead could have. also avoid ought to of, should of, would of, might of, and must of.

Front 16

fewer, less

Back 16

fewer: used with plural words
less: used with singular words
fewer tells "how many". less tells "how much".

Front 17

good, well

Back 17

Good is an adjective. don't use it as a verb; instead, use well, which doubles as an adverb.

Front 18

had ought, hadn't ought

Back 18

OUGHT shouldn't be used with HAD.
You ought to learn to dance the polka.

Front 19

he, she, they

Back 19

don't use these pronouns right next to its antecedent or else it's called Double Subject.

Michael Jordan HE was the best basket-ball player ever.

Michael Jordan was the best basket-ball player ever.

Front 20

hisself, theirself, theirselves

Back 20

these words are nonstandard english. instead, use himself and themselves.

Front 21

how come

Back 21

HOW COME is often used instead of WHY. use WHY instead

Front 22

its, it's

Back 22

its: possessive

it's: it is or it has

Front 23

kind, sort, type

Back 23

these words should be used accordingly with the following words: this, that, these, and those.

Front 24

kind of, sort of

Back 24

use "somewhat" or "rather" instead.
"i feel kind of tired."
"i feel somewhat tired."

Front 25

learn, teach

Back 25

learn: to acquire knowledge

teach: to instruct or show how

Front 26

leave, let

Back 26

leave: to go away

let: to allow or permit

Front 27

like, as

Back 27

like is a preposition; it often starts a prepositional phrase. "as" is used also to introduce prepositional phrases. in proper english, "as" is perfered.

Front 28

like, as if, as though

Back 28

like shouldn't be used in place of as if or as though.

Front 29

of

Back 29

do not use "of" with prepositions such as 'inside, off, and outside'.
We waited outside (not outside of) the theater.

Front 30

real

Back 30

"very" or "extremely"

Wrong: the new car is real quiet.
Right: The new car is "very" quiet.

Front 31

some, somewhat

Back 31

do not use "some" for the adverb "somewhat".
I like baseball some. - wrong
I like baseball somewhat. -right

Front 32

than, then

Back 32

than: subordinating conjunction used in making expressions.

then: adverb meaning "next" or "after that"

Front 33

their, there, they're

Back 33

their: possessive form of they
there: "at that place"
they're: contraction of they are

Front 34

them

Back 34

them should not be used as an adjective. use "these" or "those"

'Where did you put those (not them) papers?'

Front 35

this here, that there

Back 35

the words 'here' and 'there' are not needed after the words 'this' and 'that'.

Front 36

try and

Back 36

try and is often used instead of 'try to'.

Wrong - I will try and be there early.

Right - I will try to be there early.

Front 37

use to, used to

Back 37

don't leave off the 'd' when you write 'used to'. same goes for 'supposed to'.

Front 38

way, ways

Back 38

use way, not ways, in referring to a distance.
"Do we have to go a long way(not ways) out of town?"

Front 39

when, where

Back 39

don't use when or where incorrectly to begin a definition.

'a homophone is when a word sounds like another word but has a different meaning and spelling.'

right - 'A homophone is a word that sounds like another word but has a different meaning and spelling.

Front 40

where

Back 40

don't use 'where' for 'that'.

did you read in the newsletter that(not where) the teen center is closing.

Front 41

who, which, that

Back 41

who: people only

which: things only

that: both

Front 42

whose, who's

Back 42

whose is used as the possessive form of who and as an interrogative pronoun. Who's is a contraction of "who is" or "who has".

Front 43

without, unless

Back 43

don't use the preposition "without" in place of the conjunction "unless".

I can't go unless(not without) I ask Dad.

Front 44

your, you're

Back 44

"your" is the possessive form of "you". "you're" is the contraction "you are".