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TODAY’S episode will help you choose between words that are often confusing. It will also alert you to avoid certain words and expressions in school or business writing. All ready, already.
All ready, written as two words, is an adjective phrase that means “completely ready”. Already written as one word, is an adverb that means “before” or “by this time.” By the time supper was all ready, the guests had already arrived.
Anxious, eager. Anxious means “uneasy or worried about some event or situation.” Eager means, “having a keen interest” or feeling impatient for something expected. Ben is anxious about the outcome of the difficult test. Being as, being that — Although the expressions “being as” and “being that” sometimes replace “because or since” in informal conversation, you should always avoid them in formal speaking and writing.
Beside, besides — Beside means “next to”. Besides means “moreover” or in addition to” Raymond set beside me at dinner”. Besides having a fine dinner, we also ate deserts. Between, among — Use between when comparing one person or thing with another person or with an entire group.
Use among to show relationship in which more than two persons or things are considered as a group. Bring, take — Bring means “to carry from a distant place to a closer one”. Take means “to carry from a nearby to a more distant one.” Bring me a copy of your literature textbook when you come tomorrow.
The cab will take you to the airport from here tomorrow.
Can, may — “Can” implies the ability to do something. “May” implies permission to do something or the possibility of doing it. You may go to the movie if you can pay the price of a ticket. Although “can” is sometimes used in place of “may” in informal speech, you should distinguish between them when speaking and writing formally.
Ensure, assure, insure. Ensure means to make sure of something, to guarantee it. Assure means to reassure someone, to remove doubt. Insure means to cover something with insurance or to secure it. Fewer, less. Fewer is generally used to refer to things or qualities that cannot be counted.
In addition, less is sometimes used with figures that are regarded as single amounts or single quantities. Hanged, hung — When your meaning is “put to death by hanging”. Use hanged in the past tense. In all other cases, use hung.
Irregardless, regardless —Both the prefix ir- and suffix –less have negative meanings. When they are used together, they produce a double negative, which is incorrect. Therefore, you, you should use “regardless” rather than
“Irregardless”. Rebecca listens to whatever her friends say regardless of their opinions.
Learn, teach—Learn means to gain knowledge. Teach means to instruct or to give knowledge. Reuben learns well from his teacher. Mr Moyo teaches us our spelling lessons. Leave, let—Leave means to go away; depart. Let means to allow or to permit. With the word “alone” you may use either let or leave.
Precede, proceed — Use “precede” when you mean to go or come before. Use “proceed” when you mean to continue or to move along. August precedes September. The line of students will proceed slowly. Lend, loan—Lend is a verb.
Loan is a noun. Although loan is sometimes used informally as a verb “lend” is preferable. I will lend you my pen if you return it tomorrow after the examination. Thank you for the loan.
Like, as —Use like, a preposition to introduce a prepositional phrase. Use as a subordinate conjunction to introduce a subordinate clause. Many authorities believe that “like” should not be used before a clause in formal English. Jane looks like her sister. Raina baby-sits tonight as she always does on Saturdays.
Reason . . . is that, because — Because means “for the reason that”. Therefore, do not use because after reason . . . Use either “reason” . . . is that or “because” alone. Respectfully, respectively. Use respectfully to mean with respect. Use respectively to mean “in the order named.
Lewis spoke respectfully to his boss. Rose and Grace are third and fourth in line, respectively. Sit, set — Sit means to be seated. It rarely takes an object. Set means to put or to place, and it generally takes an object. When set is used to mean “the sun is going down”. To, too, two. Use “to”when you mean in the direction of.
Also use “to” before a verb to form an infinitive. Use “too” when you mean also or excessively. Two is the number that comes after one. We will drive to the nearest shopping centre. I need to buy new shoes. My mother will come along too. I have two laptops.
Toward, towards — These words are interchangeable as prepositions, they both mean in the direction of. He ran toward his house. He drove towards his house.
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