The complete idiot guide part 43 pps

Guide to Grammar and Usage 3 9 3 Words Often Confused Some pairs of words are mixed up with each other.. Sometimes it is because the words sound alike; at other times it is because they

Guide to Grammar and Usage 3 9 3

Words Often Confused

Some pairs of words are mixed up with each other Sometimes it is because the words sound alike; at other times it is because they are spelled alike The following words are often confused, misused, and abused

Word

accept

except

affect

effect

already

all ready

all together

altogether

altar

alter

ascent

assent

bare

bear

brake

break

capital

Capitol

conscience

conscious

desert

dessert

emigrate

Definition

take leave out influence result before prepared everyone at once completely table of worship

to change rising agreement uncovered animal endure stop destroy government seat where the U.S

legislature meets one's sense of right and wrong

awake leave behind arid region sweet served at the end of a meal leave a country

Example

Accept my thanks

Everyone except him

This affects your ear

The effect of the law

Elvis already left

He was all ready to go

They yell all together

It was altogether wrong

Put the Bible on the altar

Alter the skirt

The rocket's ascent took an hour Nod to show assent

The window was bare

The bear growled

Can you bear the noise?

Use the car's brake

Don't break the dish!

Visit the capital

Congress meets in the Capitol Listen to your conscience

She was conscious during surgery Desert a sinking ship

Camels travel in the desert

I love a rich dessert

She emigrated from France

continues

3 9 4 Appendix (

continued

Word

immigrate

lay

lie

lead

led

learn

teach

loose

lose

passed

past

principal

principle

rise

raise

respectfully

respectively

stationary

stationery

than

then

their

there

they're

weather

whether

Definition

enter a country put down

be flat

writing material conducted receive facts give facts not fastened misplace went by gone by main head of a school rule

get up lift with respect

in the stated order staying in place writing paper comparison

at that time belonging to them place

they are atmospheric conditions

if

Example

To immigrate means to enter a new homeland

present: Lay your cards down, past: He laid the cards down, future: He will lay his cards down, perfect: She has laid her cards down present: The cat lies down,

past: The cat lay down, future: The cat will lie down, perfect: The cat has lain down That's a lead pencil

We were led to safety

You learn grammar

I teach grammar

The clasp is loose

I might lose the necklace

We passed the new library

They helped in the past

The principal road is Main Street

C J Jarvis is the principal

You know the principles of grammar The cost of living will rise

Raise your arms

The audience clapped respectfully The red, blue, and green books belong

to John, Billie, and Lee, respectively The car was stationary

Kings have nice stationery

Kansas is bigger than Rhode Island The state was then very dry

It is their book

Put it there

They're good friends

The weather is rainy

Whether or not you agree

Index

«

abbreviations, 229-232

abridged dictionaries, 196-198

accusative case See objective case

acronyms, 232

action verbs, 36

active sentences, creating, 297-298

active voice, 18, 73, 297

Adams, Franklin P., 5

adjectival phrases, 140-141

adjective clauses, 157-159

adjectives, 47-50

adverbs, compared, 100-101

articles, 48

common adjectives, 48

comparative degree, 102-103

comparative levels, 102-105

compound adjectives, 48

indefinite adjectives, 48

irregular adjectives, 104-105

linking verbs, using after, 106-107

positive degree, 102-103

proper adjectives, 48

rules, 108

superlative degree, 102-105

adverb clauses, 156-157

adverbial phrases, 140-142

adverbs, 50-52

adjectives, compared, 100-101

common non -ly adverbs, 50

comparative degree, 102-103

comparative levels, 102-105

conjunctive adverbs, 51-52

irregular adverbs, 104-105

misuse of, 20 positive degree, 102-103 rules, 108

superlative degree, 102-105

affect and effect, compared, 303

agreement, 111-112, 119 collective nouns, 115-116 indefinite pronouns, 116-118 number

plural, 113-114, 120-121 singular, 112-113 pronouns, antecedents, 122-124 rules, 112

subjects, 119-120 Allan, John, 254

American Heritage Dictionary, The, 197

antecedents, 53 pronouns agreement, 122-124 placement, 20 references, 89-98

anxious and eager, compared, 303

apostrophes, 19, 220-222 apposition, 210

appositive phrases, 140-145 appositives, 142-143

Arabian Nights, The, 272

archaic words, 304 Archimedes, 5 argumentation, 271-273 articles, 48

definite, 48 nouns, 35-36 indefinite, 48-49

as and like, compared, 134-135 assure and ensure and insure, compared, 303

396 The Complete Idiot's Guide to Grammar and Style, Second Edition

audience

considering, 263-269

empathy, 264-265

survey, 265

aural and oral, compared, 305

Austen, Jane, 260

authentic and genuine, compared, 303

B

bad news messages, composing, 340-342

bad and badly, compared, 106

base form

tenses, 60

verbs, 61

bias-free language, 316-318

Bierce, Ambrose, 235

block style, 329

brackets, 219

bureaucratic language, 319

business letters, 328

designing, 328

formats, 328-330

buzzwords, 291

C

capitalization, 223-229

Capote, Truman, 252

case, 78-79

choppy sentences, 184-185

chronological resumes, 332-333

Churchill, Winston, 125

clarity

importance of, 11

styles, importance of, 255-258

classes, verbs, 61-64

clauses, 126, 151-152, 160-163

adjective, 157-159

adverb, 156-157

dependent, 152-153

elliptical, 160

independent, 152-153 coordinating, 179-182 nonrestrictive, 97 noun, 159 restrictive, 97 subordinating conjunctions, 153-155, 182-185

Clemm, Virginia, 254 clichés, 321-322 avoiding, 20 proverbs, compared, 323 coherence, styles, importance of, 255-258 collective nouns, 28, 115-116

colloquial language, 301 colons, 213-215

comma splices, 174-175 commands, 279

commas, 209-212,284 unnecessary use of, 19 common adjectives, 48 common nouns, 28 communication standards, 11 comparative levels, adjectives and adverbs, 102-105

compass points, capitalization, 226 complaints, composing, 350-353

compleat and complete, compared, 304

complex sentences, 169 subordination, 182-185 compound adjectives, 48 compound nouns, 28 compound sentences, 169 compound-complex sentences, 170 computer grammar-checking programs, 20,

200 computer spell-check programs, 199 computer thesaurus programs, 202

Concise Oxford Dictionary of Current English, The, 197

conjugation, verbs, 65 conjunctions, 39-41 coordinating, 39-40, 179 correlative, 40

subordinate, 40-41, 153-155, 182-185

Index 397

conjunctive adverbs, 51-52, 285

connotations, 201, 299

Conrad, Joseph, 5

consistency, styles, importance of, 253-257

context, importance of, 302

contractions, 221, 241-242

possessive pronouns, 82

Cooper, James Fenimore, 257

coordinating conjunctions, 39-40, 179, 284

coordination

sentences, 178-182

subordination, compared, 185

correlative conjunctions, 40

cover letters, creating, 330-337

Crisis, The, 260

Crisp, Quentin, 77

cultural considerations, writing and speech,

11

cultures, organizations, 268

D

dangling modifiers, 126-128

dangling participles, avoiding, 20

dashes, 217-218

Dean, Dizzy, 8

Declaration of Independence, The, 272

declarative sentences, 172

definite articles, 48

nouns, 35-36

degrees of comparison, adjectives and

adverbs, 102-105

demonstrative pronouns, 54

denotations, 201, 299

dependent (subordinate) clauses, 152-153

adjective, 157-159

adverb, 156-157

noun, 159

subordinating conjunctions, 153-155

detail, writings, importance of, 280-282

Devils Dictionary, The, 235

dialects, 4, 302

Dickens, Charles, 259 diction, 300, 307-310 archaic words, 304 colloquial language, 301 dialect, 302

Edited American English, 301 elevated diction, 301

homophones, 308-309 slang, 301

tone, 302 vernacular, 302 dictionaries, 194-195 computer spell-check programs, 199 purchasing, 196-198

replacing, 197 specialized, 198-199 thesauruses, 201 usage labels, 196

Dictionary of American Regional English, 199 Dictionary of Contemporary Usage, A, 198 Dictionary of Foreign Phrases and Abbreviations,

199

Dictionary of Modern English Usage, 7, 198 Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English,

199

Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins, 198

Didion, Joan, 252 direct objects, 81 double negatives, 19, 108-110 doublespeak, avoiding, 318

E

e-mail messages, composing, 353-356

eager and anxious, compared, 303

Edited American English, 301 editing sentences, 294-295

effect and affect, compared, 303

efficiency, importance of, 11

Elements of Style, The, 10, 252

elevated diction, 301 ellipses, 217-218

398 The Complete Idiot's Guide to Grammar and Style, Second Edition

elliptical clauses, 160

else and other, compared, 105

empathy, audiences, 264-265

English dialects, 4

ensure and insure and assure, compared, 303

essential appositives, 144

etymologies, 199

euphemisms, 320-321

exclamation points, 19, 207

exclamatory sentences, 172

exonerative passive voice, 75

expletives, 294-295

exposition, 271

F

farther and further, compared, 304

fewer and less, compared, 103

flaming e-mail messages, 355

flaunt and flout, compared, 304

foreign term dictionaries, 199

formal usage, 8

formats, business letters, 328-330

forward slashes, 219-220

Fowler, Henry, 7

fragments (sentence), 173-174

friendly letters, composing, 346-347

further and farther, compared, 304

future perfect progressive tense, 68

future perfect tense, 60, 68

future progressive tense, 68

future tense, 60, 68

G

gatekeepers, 264

genitive case See possessive case

genuine and authentic, compared, 303

gerunds, 140, 147-149

"Gettysburg Address," 260

good news messages, composing, 340

good and well, compared, 106

grammar-checking programs, 200

grammarians and writers, compared, 7

H

Hawthorne, Nathaniel, 253 helping verbs, 3 7

homonyms, 245, 299 homophones, 235, 245, 308-309

hopefully, usage, 134

hyphens, 217-218

I

idioms misuse of, 20 modals, 70 imperative mood, 73 imperative sentences, 172

imply and infer, compared, 305

incomplete sentences, 19 indefinite adjectives, 48 indefinite articles, 48-49 indefinite pronouns, 54-55, 116-118 independent (main) clauses, 152-153 coordinating, 179-182

subordinating conjunctions, 153-155 indicative mood, 72

indirect objects, 81

infer and imply, compared, 305

infinitive phrases, 140, 148-149 prepositional phrases, compared, 149 split infinitives, 18, 133

inflated language, 320 inflections, 78 informal usage, 8

insure and ensure and asssure, compared, 303

intensive pronouns, 54, 83 nonstandard intensive pronouns, avoiding,

83 interjections, 56 interrogative pronouns, 54 interrogative sentences, 172 intransitive verbs, 65 irregular adjectives, 104-105 irregular adverbs, 104-105 irregular verbs, 62-65

it, as unclear antecedent, 95-97

J-K

jargon, 318-319

bureaucratic language, 319

euphemisms, 320-321

inflated language, 320

Kidder, Tracy, 252

King, Martin Luther, Jr., 187

L

labels, dictionaries, 196

Last of the Mohicans, The, 257

less, least, compared, 103

letters

bad news 340-342

business, 328-330

complaint, 350-352

condolence, 348-349

friendly, 346-347

good news, 340

opinion, 350-353

thank you, 338-339

like and as, compared, 134-135

Lincoln, Abraham, 260

linguistics, 7

linking verbs, 37, 82

adjectives, using after, 106-107

longhand, writing, 193-194

M

main clauses See independent main clauses

many, usage, 117

McMurtry, Larry, 270

McPhee, John, 252

me and /, compared, 83

measurements, singularity, 120

mechanics, 10

messages, composing

bad news, 340-342

e-mail, 353-356

good news, 340

Index 399

metaphors, 131 mixed, avoiding, 20, 131-132 misplaced modifiers, 128-131 mispronounced words, spelling errors, 244-245

mixed metaphors, avoiding, 20, 131-132 mnemonics, 236

modals, 70

Modern American Usage, 198

modified block style, 329

modifiers, 126 See also adjectives; adverbs

dangling, 126-128 misplaced, 128-131 moods

imperative, 73 indicative, 72 subjunctive, 73 verbs, 72

N

narration, 271-272

New Dictionary of American Slang, The, 199 New Rogefs Thesaurus of the English Language

in Dictionary Form, The, 202

nominative case (subject), 79 nonessential appositives, 144 non-native speakers of English, 44, 49, 68,

108, 324 nonrestrictive clauses, 97 nonstandard English, 8-9 notes, composing, 338-339 noun clauses, 159

nouns, 27-36 appositives, 142-143 case, 78

collective, 28, 115-116 common, 28

compound, 28 definite articles, 35-36 plural, 31-34, 120 possessive, 29-30 predicate nominatives, 80, 119

*tOO The Complete Idiot's Guide to

prepositional phrases, 43

pronouns, 53-56

proper, 28

word origin, 28

numbers, 112

agreement, 119-120

collective nouns, 115-116

commas, 211

indefinite pronouns, 116-118

plural, 113-114

nouns, 120

verbs, 120-121

singular, 112-113

0

objective case (accusative), 79

one-word commands, 166

oral and aural, compared, 305

organizations, cultures, 268

Origins: A Short Etymological Dictionary of

Modern English, 198

orthography, 235

Orwell, George, 323

other and else, compared, 105

Oxford English Dictionary, The, 198

P

Paine, Thomas, 260

parallel structure, 186-189, 256

parentheses, 218-219

participle phrases, 140, 146-147

dangling participles, avoiding, 20

parts of speech, 27-60

passive voice, 18, 73-75, 297

active voice, converting to, 297-298

exonerative passive voice, 75

past participles, 61

past perfect tense, 60, 68

past progressive perfect tense, 68

past progressive tense, 68

past tense, 60-61, 67-68

ir and Style, Second Edition

Pennington, James, 254 perfect form, tenses, 60 periods, 206, 284-285 personal pronouns, 53 persuasion, 272-273 perverse rules, 15-18 phonology, 235 phrases, 139-140 adjectival, 140-141 adverbial, 140, 142 appositive, 140-145 gerund, 140 infinitive, 140 participle, 140 prepositional, 140-141 redundancies, 296 verbal, 140, 145-146 gerund, 147-148 infinitive, 148-149 participle, 146-147

See also clauses

Plato, 7 plural, 112 collective nouns, 115-116 indefinite pronouns, 116-118 nouns, 31-34, 120

subjects, 113-114 verbs, 113-114, 120-122 Poe, Edgar Allan, 253-254 Pooley, Robert, 85

positive degree, adjectives and adverbs, 102-103

possessive case (genitive), 79 possessive nouns, 29-30 possessive pronouns, 54, 94 contractions, 82

predicate nominatives, 80, 119 predicates, 36

prefixes, 237 prepositional phrases, 43-45, 118, 140-141 adjectival, 141

adverbial, 142 infinitives, compared, 149

Index M)l

prepositions, 42-46

ending sentences with, 135

present participles, 61

present perfect progressive tense, 68

present perfect tense, 60, 67

present tense, 60-61

Pride and Prejudice, 260

primary audiences, 264

principal parts, verbs, 61

progressive form, tenses, 60

pronoun references, 89-98

pronouns, 53-56, 77-78

agreement, 20

antecedents, 53

agreement, 122-124

appositives, 142-143

case, 78-79

demonstrative, 54

frequency, 94

indefinite, 54-55, 116-118

inflections, 78

intensive, 54, 83

interrogative, 54

personal, 53

placement, 20, 93

plural personal, 123

possessive, 54, 94

contractions, 82

predicate nominatives, 80, 119

pronoun references, 89-98

reflexive, 54

nonstandard reflexive, 83

relative, 54

rules, 79-84

style, 256

proper adjectives, 48

proper nouns, 28

proverbs and clichés, compared, 323

punctuation, 203-208

apostrophes, 19, 220-222

brackets, 219

colons, 213-215

commas, 209-212 unnecessary use of, 19 dashes, 217-218

ellipses, 217-218 exclamation marks, unnecessary use of, 19 exclamation points, 207

hyphens, 217-218 importance of, 284-286 parentheses, 218-219 periods, 206

question marks, 206-207 quotation marks, 215-217 semicolons, 179, 213-215 slashes, 219-220

M

question marks, 206-207 questions, 279

quotation marks, 215-217

Random House College Dictionary, The, 198

readers, 171 redundancies, 19 avoiding, 287-290 phrases, 296 repetition, compared, 296 referents, 89-98

reflexive pronouns, 54 nonstandard reflexive pronouns, avoiding,

83 regional term dictionaries, 199 regular verbs, 62

relative clauses, 158 relative pronouns, 54 repetition, 256-257 redundancy, compared, 296 restrictive clauses, 97

resumes, 330 chronological, 332-333 creating, 330-337 skills, 333-335 run-on sentences, 19, 174-175

kdl The Complete Idiot's Guide to

S

secondary audiences, 264

semiblock style, 329

semicolons, 19, 179, 213-215, 284

sensual and sensuous, compared, 305

sentence fragments, 173-174

sentences, 19, 165-167

active, creating, 297-298

choppy, 184-185

combining, 295-296

comma splices, 174-175

complex, 169

compound, 169

compound-complex, 170

coordination, 178-182

editing, 294-295

elements, 36

fragments, 173-174

functions, 172

length, varying, 277-279

one-word commands, 166

parallel structure, 186-189

prepositions, ending with, 135

revising, 294-295

run-on, 174-175

simple, 168

stringy, 180

structure, 167, 170-171

subordination, 182-185

types, varying, 276

sexist language, avoiding, 312-315

silent letters, 245

simple form, verbs, 61

simple future tense, 68

simple past tense, 67

simple sentences, 168

singular, 112

collective nouns, 115-116

indefinite pronouns, 116-118

subjects, 112-113

verbs, 112-113

ir and Style, Second Edition

skills resumes, 333-335 slang, 8, 301

slanted language avoiding, 323 slashes, 219-220 speaking, standards, 11 spell-check programs, 199 spelling, 234-235

commonly mispronounced words, 244-245

commonly misspelled words, 246-248 contractions, 241-242

homophones, 235 importance of, 235 improving, 235-237 irregular endings, 245 prefixes, 237

rules, 242-244 silent letters, 245 suffixes, 237-241 split infinitives, 18, 133 Standard Written English, 8, 301 Steele, Richard, 270

Stevenson, Robert Louis, 134 stringy sentences, 180

Strunk, William, 10 style, 10,251-253 audience considering, 263-269 empathy, 264-265 clarity, 257-258 coherence, 255-257 consistency, 253-255 developing, 258-260 importance of, 284-286 myths, 261-262

Orwell, George, 323

subject case See nominative case

subjects, 36 agreement, 119-120 plural subjects, 113-114 singular subjects, 112-113 verbs, agreement, 19