Common+Usage+Prob+2

COMMON USAGE PROBLEMS 2

Nonstandard: If you had of played, we would have won.  Standard: If you had played, we would have won.  Nonstandard: The box fell off of the shelf.  Standard: The box fell off the shelf. Type in the content of your page here.
 * __beside, besides __** Beside means "at the side of." Besides means "in addition to." (Secret Service agents stand beside the President. There are other motives besides greed.) 
 * __can't hardly __** A confusion between cannot and can hardly. The construction is unacceptable in formal writing. Sue cannot, can't or can hardly. 
 * __capital, capitol __** Capitol is the spelling used for the government building ("We could see the capitol from our hotel building"), while capital is the correct spelling for all other uses ("What is the capital of Colorado?"). 
 * __<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;">choose, chose __**<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;"> Choose is a present tense verb ("Choose your partners"), while chose is a past tense verb ("The girls chose two seniors"). <span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;">
 * __<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;">cite, site, sight __**<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;"> Cite means to indicate ("You must cite all sources used in your paper"). A site is a place ("Independence is the site of Harry Truman's home"). A sight is a vision ("You're a sight for sore eyes!"). <span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;">
 * __<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;">coarse, course __**<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;"> Coarse is an adjective meaning rough or crude ("He uses coarse language"), while course is a noun meaning a path of action ("The course in speech helped my diction"). <span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;">
 * __<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;">complement, compliment __**<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;"> Complement means to make whole or complete or that which makes whole or complete ("The complement, or full crew, is 600 people). Compliment means respect, affection, or esteem ("Convey my compliments to the captain"). <span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;">
 * __<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;">consul, council, councilor, counsel, counselor __**<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;"> Consul is a diplomat to a foreign country. Council refers to a group to discuss and take action on official matters ("Student Council"); a councilor is a member of such a group. Counsel is advice or to advise. A counselor ("your guidance counselor") is an adviser. <span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;">
 * __<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;">des' ert, desert', dessert __**<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;"> A desert (pronounced des' ert) is a dry region. To desert (pronounced desert') is to leave. The dessert is the last part a meal ("We ate chocolate cake for dessert). <span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;">
 * __<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;">different from, different than __**<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;"> Although both different from and different than are common American usages, the preferred idiom is different from. <span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;">
 * __<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;">emigrant, immigrant __**<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;"> An emigrant is a person who moves out of a country; an immigrant is one who moves into a country. Thus, refugees from Central America and elsewhere who settle in the United States are emigrants from their native countries and immigrants here. A similar distinction holds for the verbs emigrate and immigrate. <span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;">
 * __<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;">fewer, less __**<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;"> Fewer is used to describe things that can be counted. Less refers to quantity or degree. (Patrick has fewer headaches than he used to have. There has been less rain this year than last year. This dishwasher will give you less trouble than that one.) <span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;">
 * __<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;">formally, formerly __**<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;"> Formally means in a formal or standardized manner ("for weddings one should dress formally"). Formerly means previously ("The high ridges of the Blue Ridge Mountains were formerly the bed of an ancient sea"). <span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;">
 * __<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;">further, farther; furthest, farthest __**<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;"> Generally, in good usage, farther is used for comparisons of distance and further for anything else. (Robin's punt went farther than Jenny's. [distance] Pablo has advanced further in his study of English. [extent]) <span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;">
 * __<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;">good, well __**<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;"> Good is an adjective. Do not use it to modify a verb. Well is an adverb except in three uses: (1) when used to mean "healthy," (2) when used to mean "neatly groomed" or "attractively dressed," and (3) when used to mean "satisfactory." <span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;">
 * __<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;">had of, off of __**<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;"> The use of is both unnecessary and undesirable. <span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;">