not gastly gipsy/gypsy Both spellings are correct, gipsies or gypsies plural See PLURALS iii.. not goverment as it is often mispronounced governor not -er gradual gradually gradual + ly
Trang 1(not gastly)
gipsy/gypsy
Both spellings are correct,
gipsies or gypsies (plural)
See PLURALS (iii).
glamorous
glamour
good will or goodwill?
Always write as one word when referring to the prestige and trading value of a business
He bought the GOODWILL for five thousand
pounds
Use either two words or one word when referring to general feelings of kindness and support
As a gesture of GOOD WILL, she cancelled the fine gorgeous
(not -gous)
See SOFT c AND SOFT G
gorilla or guerilla?
A GORILLA is an animal.
A GUERILLA is a revolutionary fighter.
gossip
gossiped, gossiping (not -pp)
See ADDING ENDINGS (iv).
gourmand or gourmet?
A GOURMAND is greedy and over-indulges where
fine food is concerned
A GOURMET is a connoisseur of fine food.
(not -our-)
Trang 2(not goverment as it is often mispronounced)
governor
(not -er)
gradual
gradually
gradual + ly (not gradully)
graffiti
This is increasingly used in a general sense (like the word 'writing') and its plural force is forgotten when
it comes to matching it with a verb:
There was GRAFFITI all over the wall.
A few conservative writers would like a plural verb.
(There were GRAFFITI all over the wall.)
graffito (singular) graffiti (plural)
See FOREIGN PLURALS.
grammar
(not -er)
gramophone
(not grama-)
grandad/granddad
Both spellings are correct.
grandchild
granddaughter
grandfather
grandma
grandmother
grandparent
grandson
Trang 3grate or great?
Use these exemplar sentences as a guide:
The fire was burning brightly in the GRATE.
GRATE the potato coarsely.
Christopher Wren was a GREAT architect.
grateful
(not greatful)
grief
(not -ei-)
grievance
(not -ence)
grievous
(not -ious)
grotto (singular)
grottoes or grottos (plural)
guage
Wrong spelling See GAUGE.
guarantee
guardian
guess
guest
guttural
(not -er-)
Trang 4haemorrhage
(not -rh-)
half (singular) halves (plural)
See PLURALS (v)
halo (singular) haloes or halos (plural)
See PLURALS (iv).
handkerchief (singular) handkerchiefs (plural) (not -nk-)
See PLURALS (v)
hanged or hung?
People are HANGED.
Things like clothes and pictures are HUNG.
happen
happened, happening (not -nn-)
harass
(not -rr-)
hardly
See DOUBLE NEGATIVES.
hasn't
(not has'nt)
haven't
(not have'nt)
headquarters
(not headquaters)
hear or here?
You HEAR with your ear.
Use HERE to indicate place:
d
(not had'nt)
(not -rh-)
Trang 5Come over HERE.
heard or herd?
We HEARD their voices outside.
We photographed the HERD of deer.
heifer
See EI/IE SPELLING RULE.
height
See EI/IE SPELLING RULE.
heinous
See EI/IE SPELLING RULE.
herd
See HEARD OR HERD?.
here
See HEAR OR HERE?.
hero (singular) heroes (plural)
See PLURALS (iv).
heroin or heroine?
HEROIN is a drug
A HEROINE is a female hero.
hers
No apostrophe is needed
This is mine; this is HERS.
HERS has a yellow handle.
hiccough or hiccup?
Both words are pronounced 'hiccup' and either spelling can be used The second spelling (hiccup) is more usual
hiccup
hiccuped, hiccuping (not -pp-)
hieroglyphics
Trang 6high-tech or hi-tec?
Both spellings are correct for the adjective derived from high technology:
A HI-TEC factory
A HIGH-TECH computer system
Without the hyphen, each word can be used as a noun replacing 'high technology':
A generation familiar with HIGH TECH
The latest development in HI TEC
hindrance
(not hinderance)
hippopotamus (singular) hippopotami or
hippopotamuses (plural)
See FOREIGN PLURALS.
historic or historical?
HISTORIC means famous in history, memorable, or
likely to go down in recorded history:
a HISTORIC meeting
HISTORICAL means existing in the past or
representing something that could have happened in the past:
a HISTORICAL novel
a HISTORICAL fact
Note It would not be wrong to say or write an historic meeting, an historical novel, an historical fact However, this usage of an before words like
hotel, historic and historical is becoming much less common, now that the h beginning these words is usually voiced
hoard or horde?
To HOARD is to save something in a secret place.
A HOARD is a secret store.