Common Writing (And Speaking) Errors
CAPITALIZATION
Besides a headline, only Proper Nouns are capitalized, i.e. names of countries, cities, weekdays, most foreign words, etc. - and some other words in order to distinguish them from a different meaning; for instance, state vs. State, board vs. Board. Ordinary nouns should not be capitalized in English, even when emphasized. Use italics, underlining or bold print, if you can't resist emphasizing.
On the other hand, grammatical or technical terms should be capitalized (since they are Proper Nouns), for example, "Present Tense", since both words, present and tense, have different meanings when not capitalized.
Foreign words are usually capitalized as well, since they are considered Proper Nouns.
Examples why only Proper Nouns need to be capitalized:
- A verb in the Perfect Tense may also be expressed in a perfect tense.
- The present tense is expressed in the Present Tense, not the Past Tense.
- An expression in the Passive Voice is not necessarily a passive voice.
- A verb in the Subjunctive Mood has little to do with anyone's mood.
- The students were not asked to use Proper Nouns, but to use proper nouns to express themselves.
- I am a native American, but not a Native American.
ACCENTS
Though English per se does not use accents, French words like Résumé needs both, to be capitalized and accented, in order to distinguish it from the verb (to) resume. The same should be done with words like Café. Distinguish also: Fiancé is the word for men and Fiancée is the word for women.
CHARACTERS & LETTERS
Distinguish between a character and a letter. None of our western alphabets have characters. Chinese and Japanese, on the other hand, have characters but not letters. The words "alphabet" and "characters" are mutually exclusive.
ALSO and TOO
The word "also" is used in the middle of a sentence, whereas "too" is used at the end. FALSE: "I do this also". Correct English: "I do this too" OR, "I also do this". Some people prefer a comma before "too", thus: "we are coming, too".
IF and WHETHER
The conjunction "if" is only used in conditional clauses. Example: "I will visit you tomorrow, if I can get the day off." In any other case, use "whether". Example: "I was wondering whether I can visit you tomorrow." - "I don't know whether they are coming." – “Let me know whether you need help.” (The added words "or not" are usually superfluous)
IF and WOULD
The Conjunction "if" generally does not mix with the word "would". WRONG: "If he would do this, ..." CORRECT: "If he were to do this, ..." Use the Pluperfect Tense when referring to the past. Example: "If he had been there, the accident could have been avoided." (NOT "If he was there ...")
WERE vs. WAS
"If it was" is always wrong. Say or write: "if it were / if I were / if he were", etc. - Simple rule: The word "if" requires the Subjunctive in the Imperfect and Pluperfect Tenses (only in the Present Tense can it be Indicative). - Examples:– WRONG: “I could have helped, if I was there”. CORRECT: I could have helped, if I had been there. - WRONG: “If this was so, I could …” CORRECT: “If this had been so, I could …”; or "If this were so...", depending on the larger context. WRONG: "If he was the president". CORRECT: "If he were the president".
BETWEEN
"In between" is an unnecessary duplication and nonsensical. WRONG: "The field is in between Westend and Bolten". Correct: "The field is between Westend and Bolten".
LAG and LEG
The words "leg" and "lag" mean completely different things. Hence, "We are on the last lag (not "leg", which also makes no sense). Leg is what you are walking on. A lag is falling behind in movement or progress.
WHOM/WHO vs. THAT
DO NOT use "that" when referring to persons. Use "who" or "whom" respectively. Example:
WRONG: "The person that I admire". - CORRECT: "The person whom I admire".
WRONG: "The people that live in Asia". - CORRECT: "The people who live in Asia".
FINISHED vs. DONE
Turkeys are done (in the oven),
People are finished.
English words are no fun,
When they are not distinguished.
APOSTROPHES
Apostrophes do not make plural words! Hence, use a plain "s" when making plural words ; for example, "in the 1990s", "CNAs wanted", "Student IDs", "in the 70s" ... "she has all As on her report card".
PUSHING and PRESSING
A button is pressed, not pushed. Hence: "Press the button" is more correct. A cart, for example, is pushed (from point A to point B). Hence: "Push the cart."
WHO vs. WHOM
Use "who" only when it is the subject of a sentence. Example: "I don't know who it is?"; but use "whom" when it is the Direct Object, such as, "I don't know whom to contact". Also: Use "to whom" if it is the Indirect Object, such as, "To whom it may concern". Rule of thumb: Whenever you can substitute or answer with "him" or "her", use "whom"; when with "to him" or "to her", use "to whom". Examples: “WHOM could you help today?” – “WHOM could you ask?” – “For WHOM did you vote?”
PREPOSITIONS
All Prepositions in the English language require the Direct Object (Accusative Case). Hence, for example, "This is between you and me"; or, "this relates to you and us", "a gift for my mom and me". - “... to my dad and them”.
WITH and ALONG
Sentences like "I am coming with" or "Are you going with" are not English. Real English is: "I am coming along" and/or, "Are you coming along". The Preposition "with" requires a pronoun or noun (in the Accusative case) to follow. Hence, if you want to use "with", you need to say, for example, "Are you going with me"; or, "I am coming with you"; or, "I am taking this item with me".
ANYWAY and ANYHOW
There are no such English words as "anyways" and "anywho". There is only ANYWAY and ANYHOW.
THE SAME
"My friend has the same car that I have." This means you and he are sharing one car.
If you are trying to say that your friend drives the same model or type of car, say: "My friend has the same model (or brand, type, kind) of car that I have."
THE NEGLECTED "D"
WRONG: "I am please to announce ..." CORRECT: I am pleased to announce ... - WRONG: "First come, first serve." CORRECT: "First come, first served"
In both cases, it is the Past Perfect Participle, not the Present Tense. WRONG: "Stay tune". CORRECT: Stay tuned."
Also: It is iced tea. NOT "ice" tea (which makes no sense)
HOW TO
WRONG: "Learn to speak Czech." CORRECT: "Learn how to speak Czech."
MAY vs. CAN
The pupil asks, "Can I go to the toilet", upon which the teacher responds, "I am sure you can. The question is whether you may."
Use "may" (instead of "can") when asking for permission!
TALKING TO and SPEAKING WITH
While there is no firm rule, it is better English to say or write "He is talking to us" vs. "He is talking with us".
In the same way, use "He is speaking with us" vs. "He is speaking to us".
THE MISSING "TO"
Incorrect: "He helped him succeed."
CORRECT: He helped him to succeed."
UNTIL
The word "until" is sometimes shorted to say just "til". Though commonly used, it should not be spelled "till", which is also nonsensical. Besides, the word "till" has a different meaning in English.
INSIDE
WRONG: "The table is inside of the building". The word "inside" is already a Preposition and hence does not need an added Preposition, such as "of". In other words, two Prepositions in a row don't make sense. Examples of correct English: "The table is inside the building"; or "Smoking is only permitted outside the house".
This is not to be confused with the use of "inside" and "outside" as a Noun: the inside, the outside. In this case, one must use the Preposition "of". Examples: "The inside of a house", but again: "inside the house". "The outside of the car", but always "outside the car".
ANYONE
CORRECT: "Anyone wants candy?" (NOT: "Anyone want candy?"): "anyone" is a singular word (grammatically), just like the word "everyone". Hence, we also say, "Everyone is ready", not "everyone are ready".
TELL ME WHEN
Though commonly asked, for example, while pouring a beverage, “Tell me when”, is nevertheless short for “Tell me when to stop”. Hence the colloquial version “tell me when” remains to be poor English.
LIE and LAY
Remember, "I lie down" ("to lie [down]" is an intransitive verb), but "I lay the book on the table" ("to lay" is a transitive verb). However, "Yesterday, I lay down" (Past Tense of "to lie down"), but "I laid down the book" (Past Tense of "to lay down"). Remember these principal parts:
Present Tense Imperfect Tense (Simple Past) Perfect Tense
I lie (down) I lay I have laid (down)
I lay (something down) I laid I have laid
LIKE and AS
"Say it as it is", not …"like it is". The words "it is" form a complete sentence (Subject and Predicate). Hence "as it is", not "like it is". "Like" is usually used in comparisons; e.g., "He acts like his dad". Another example: "As I said ..." (NOT "Like I said").
AS vs. SINCE
The Conjunction "since" indicates a causal condition. Example: "Since it is raining, they aren't leaving yet."
The Conjunction "as" indicates a parallel condition, often interchangeable with the Conjunction "while". Example: "As/while we were walking up the steps I realized I had forgotten my room keys."
WRONG: "As I am not interested in the product, I decline to buy it." CORRECT: Since I am not interested in the product, I decline to buy it."
WRONG: "Since I was studying, I heard a noise." CORRECT: "As I was studying, I heard a noise." OR: "While I was studying, I heard a noise."
THE “ME TOO” NONSENSE
Say or write: "My friend is older than I am" (not "my friend is older than me"). Another example: "I like the food". -- "I do too" (not "me too").
AN and A
Use the Indefinite Article "a" before a word starting with a consonant. Use "an" before a word starting with a vowel (a, e, i, o, u).
NEITHER
Replace "me neither" with real English: "Neither do I" or "Neither am I", depending on the previous sentence.
ENDING SENTENCES WITH PREPOSITIONS
Avoid ending sentences with Prepositions. Rephrase your sentence, if necessary, to use correct grammar. WRONG: "Who it may concern to.” - CORRECT: "To whom it may concern". -- WRONG: "who are you talking to?" (there are two grammar errors: "Who" instead of "whom" and a Preposition at the end of the sentence); CORRECT: "to whom are you talking?". Similarly (in most cases), "turn off the light" is better than "turn the light off"; or better: "I am leaving out the cheese" than: "I am leaving the cheese out". AT In correct English, we say, "Where is it?" and NOT: "Where is it at?"- If you are hung up on an afterword, say, "Where is it located?" instead.
UNNECESSARY DUPLICATION
Avoid "and also", since both have the same meaning. This applies to "each and everyone" as well. Other examples of faulty expressions: "tiny little house", "old geezer", "dinky little place", "kit and caboodle". These are all cute colloquialisms but nevertheless poor English.
CONJUNCTIONS
The Conjunction "but" always follows a main clause. Hence, it cannot start a sentence. Use "However," instead. – Needless to say, one cannot possibly start a sentence (after a period) with "And".
SINGULAR AND PLURAL
Use correct Singular and Plural. The word "criterion" is singular, such as "a criterion for success is …" -- The plural is "criteria", such as "there are many criteria for …" -- "There is people in the building" is incorrect. Say or write: There are people in the building. The plural of "millennium" is "millennia" (NOT "millenniums"). Say: “These many” instead of “this many” (“many” is a plural word, “this” is a singular word!). The word "data" is a plural word. Hence, "the data are ..."
PAST TENSE
Use correct Imperfect Tense (Simple Past) and Perfect Tense verb forms. Example: "I am broke" (= I am out of money), but "the copier is broken". "The carpet is torn", but "I tore up the check".
ITS vs. IT’S
"Don't judge a book by its cover". However, "It's (= it is) hot outside".
THERE vs. THEIR
"Their book", "there are people". Also remember: They're happy = they are happy.
While saying "it's", "what's" etc. is fine, it should not be used in formal writing. Use "it is", "what is" etc.
WHOSE vs. WHO’S
“Whose book is it?” (Possessive). “Who’s (= who is) there?”
OFF
The Prepositions “off” and “of” don't match. Hence correctly: “Get off the lawn”, “get off me” (NOT “get off of me”); “I got it off the internet (NOT “I got it off of the internet”); "the street off highway 7" (NOT "the street off of highway 7")
THE UNNECESSARY “OF” AGAIN
It is either “The feeding of animals is prohibited” (with “of”) or, “Feeding animals is prohibited” (no “of”). The first sentence is a Gerund construction and hence “of” is used. The second sentence is a Participle construction and hence no “of” is used. Another example: “Thank you for sharing your time”, but “Thank you for the sharing of your time. (In the first sentence “sharing” is a Participle, and in second sentence “the sharing” is Gerund).
MENTORING
The student of a mentor is called a protégé or mentoree. The derivation of mentoree, as opposed to the incorrect word "mentee" (which really does not exist in English), is an example of back-formation, since the "-or" ending of the word mentor is also included in the verb to mentor
(someone). Other examples of this rule are: "to employ" --> "employee" and "to supervise" --> "supervisee".
LANGUAGE TEACHERS
An "English teacher" is someone who teaches in England. A "French teacher" is a Frenchman who happens to be a teacher.
Use instead: teacher of English; teacher of French etc., when referring to language teachers who teach a foreign language outside their respective country.
CAKE VS. TORTE
A torte is typically round (hence the name) and has various layers, typically containing whipped cream and then some sort of frosting or whipped cream decoration on the outside. - Hence it is Black Forest Torte NOT “cake” (especially since there is also “Black Forest Cake”, which is much different than its counterpart, the torte) and German Chocolate Torte.
WHOLISTIC
Though many people spell it "holistic", which is a common error and above all not logical. Remember, the word wholistic derives from "whole" and has nothing to do with a "hole", but everything with the word "whole".
SCIENCE OR FICTION
The wording "science fiction" is an oxymoron. It is either science or fiction, but can't be both. Hence say or write just "fiction".
PRETERIT
There is no such Tense as "Preterit(e)" in English. The term Preterit simply means past action.
English has three Past Tenses (demonstrated with the Verb to go):
(1) I went (Imperfect Tense or Simple Past)
(2) I have gone (Perfect Tense)
(3) I had gone (Pluperfect).
All of these three are Preterits!
A NUMBER
The word "number" is singular. Hence, we say,"There is a number of visitors" (NOT: "There are a number of visitors").
We also say, "There are two sides to the story", not "there is to sides of the story".
WRONG: "There is five books on the table." CORRECT: There are five books on the table.
AND, BUT
Avoid beginning sentences with the Conjunctions and, but, or. They are meant to connect a main clause with either another main clause or a subordinate clause. If you can't resist, use a semicolon (instead of the period); or some other word, such as "However", "Then", etc.
SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT
(1) A 16-year old is not a "young adult", but a teenager and minor. Teenagers under the age of 18 (or 19 in some States) are NOT adults!
(2) A 17-year old is not a "young woman", but a teenager.
IN & ABOUT
It is either "in" or "about". It can't be both.
Example:
Incorrect: "He died in about 645."
CORRECT: Use either: "He died in 645" or "He died around 645."
USE OF GERUND
A Gerund is commonly defined as "verbal noun". Hence doing something becomes usually the Subject of a sentence. If we want to describe something, such as in our sample sentence below ("by practicing meditation"), it cannot be in the Subject Case (Nominative).
Incorrect: "Practicing meditation we learn how to calm down." (Gerund "practicing meditation" is in the Nominative Case)
CORRECT: "By practicing meditation we lean how to calm down."
Incorrect: "Going on a trip abroad we visited many different countries."
CORRECT: "By going on a trip abroad we saw many different countries".
Incorrect: "Doing this job I found fulfillment."
CORRECT: "In doing this job I found fulfillment."
ALL
Do not use "all" in conjunction with an Article (such as "the").
Poor: "I saw all the people."
CORRECT: "I saw all people."
There may be some colloquial exceptions, such as "all the time", but colloquialisms should be avoided when writing!
THE CORRECT TIME
There are three ways how to write clock time correctly:
1:20 PM (or: p.m.) — standard American [spoken: "one thirty pm”]
13:20 — (24-hour time (or International Time) [spoken: "thirteen twenty”]
1320 — Military Time [spoken: "thirteen hundred twenty”]
If you are not in the military, do not write or speak in military time, as this is not appropriate.
"Us Two"
It is just "us two" is poor English. Say instead: "It is just the two of us".
A "Paid Volunteer"?
The word “paid volunteer” is an oxymoron. Either one is volunteer or one is being paid. Both are mutually exclusive!