VOCABULARY

Vocabulary knowledge implies a rich understanding of the word. It means knowing a word by definition
and associating experiences with that word.

1. Structural Analysis. Words are made up of the smallest meaningful units called morphemes. The
visual scrutiny of unfamiliar words to identify morphemes is called structural analysis. Knowing the
roots, prefixes, and suffixes of words helps reveal the meaning of the total word form.
a) Root words are words from which other words are formed by adding a beginning part (prefix) or
an ending part (suffix)
active (move) porter (carry) contradiction (to speak)
b) Prefixes are word parts added to the beginning of a word
benevolent (good) decline (from) nonsense (not)
c) Suffixes are syllables added at the end of a word to form a new word with a different meaning
Biology (study of) homeless (without) scientist (one who does)

2. Word Formation. Words undergo changes. The following are five processes of word formation:
a) Clipping means to cut off the beginning or the end of the word. It may mean cutting from both
ends, leaving a part to stand for the whole.
phone photo psycho trigo chem.
b) Blending is formed by fusing or putting two words together. Usually the first part of one word
is blended or fused with the last part of another. The blended word then gets its meaning from
the two words put together.
Eurasian Philhealth cosmonaut smog telecast
c) Compounding uses two or three words put together to make a full form. Most often the
meaning of the word is different from its parts. Sometimes it is the meaning of the two words
put together.
tightwad blackout first aid runner-up trigger-happy
d) Acronymy is the use of initial letter or syllables of several words in succession.
PPSTA UNESCO AWOL scuba radar
e) Folk or Popular Etymology results from changing a word in part or in whole to make it more
like a familiar word.
belfry isle bachelor barbeque caesarian

3. Context Clues. The meaning of a word may be determined by its environment – the words that
surround it, either coming before or after it in the sentence of in the paragraph.
a) Definition is considered the simplest and most obvious way by which the meaning of a word is
revealed. The be verb is used to equate the term to be defined to the familiar word in the
sentence.
Psychiatry is the branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis, treatment, and
prevention of mental disorders.
b) Restatement may be in the form of synonyms, examples, elaboration by the use of modifiers,
and pairing closely related words. It is usually introduced by signal words: that is, for example,
such as, like, in the way, that, in other words, what this means, etc. It may also be signaled by
the dash and the parentheses.
He was a true peripatetic, like the walking philosophers who followed Aristotle and the
wandering Jews of Israel.
c) Synonym is a word that means essentially the same thing as another word. It is usually preceded
by the function word or. Sometimes the synonym may be found in another sentence within the
paragraph.
God is omniscient, or all-knowing.
d) Antonym is the opposite or contrasting word that may serve as a clue to the unfamiliar word.
Julia’s remarks are generally not nebulous, but clear.
e) Inference requires reading between lines to see connections and relationships not explicitly
stated in a particular passage.
The practicing physician as a rule is completely unskilled in obstetrics. His preliminary
training contains little or nothing concerning the details of pregnancy and childbirth.

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 f) Homophones & Words with Multiple Meanings indicate several meanings that a word has in
English.
Susan bought a bar of soap.
The soldiers tried to bar the enemies.
The brilliant student passed the bar examination.
g) Words of Various Disciplines are the basic meaning of specialized vocabulary in a particular
subject area.
The capital of the Philippines is Metro Manila. (Social Science)
His capital for the new business is one million pesos. (Math)
h) Multiple Context make the meaning of unfamiliar words clearer and easily understood.
Butterflies fly from flower to flower.
How high did the boy fly his kite?
Airplanes fly regularly from Manila to Hongkong.

4. Idioms. An idiom is an expression peculiar to a language. It usually has several associated meanings
which are not readily understandable from its grammatical construction and cannot be derived from
the meaning of its separate elements.
 cross to bear – endure a kind of burden
 close-fisted – a miser
 cold-reception – unfriendly
 broad daylight – open, full daylight
 blackmail – money extorted by threat of intimidation
 Argus-eyed – jealously watchful
 what not -etcetera
 blue-blood – noble blood
 chicken-hearted – a timid, cowardly fellow
 absent-minded – to be inattentive of what is going on
 fair weather friend – a friend who deserts you in time of difficulties
 henpecked husband – a submissive husband
 laughing stock – object of ridicule
 greenhorn – an inexperienced person
 by heart – from memory
 burn the midnight oil – study or work far into the night
 bundle from heaven – new-born baby
 belle of the ball – most popular girl
 blanket authority – complete right or privilege
 behind the times – unprogressive
 came to terms – deal with misunderstanding

5. Figures of Speech. These forms of expressions are used to convey meaning or heighten effect, often
by comparing or identifying one thing with another that has meaning or connotation familiar to the
reader or listener.
a) Simile – a comparison between two unlike objects by using like or as
His mind is like a sponge.
b) Metaphor – an indirect comparison of unlike objects
She is a phantom of delight
c) Personification – the giving of human characteristics & capabilities to nonhuman things such as
inanimate objects, abstract ideas, or animals
The clouds cried a torrent of tears.
d) Apostrophe – an address to the absent as if present or to the inanimate as if human
“O wind, if winter comes, can spring be far behind?”
e) Hyperbole – the use of excessive exaggeration for effect
Waves mountain high broke over the reef.
f) Oxymoron – the combining of contraries to portray a particular image or to produce a striking
effect
Parting is such sweet sorrow.
g) Paradox – uses a phrase or statement that on surface seems contradictory, but makes some kind
of emotional sense
Let us go to war for peace.
h) Metonymy – substitutes a word that closely relates to a person or thing
Have you no respect for gray hairs?

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 i) Synecdoche – uses a part to represent the whole
No busy hand provoke a tear/No roving foot shall crush thee here
j) Litotes – makes a deliberate understatement used to affirm by negating its opposite
Regine Velasquez is not a bad singer.
k) Irony – the opposite of what is expected is what happens
To cry like a baby, that’s a fine way for a man to act.
l) Allusion – refers to a literary, biblical, historical, mythological, scientific event, character, or
place
Beware of the kiss of Judas!
m) Antithesis – a contrast of words or ideas
She looks like an innocent flower but watch out for the serpent under it

6. Rhetorical Devices. These are sound devices used to convey meaning through rhyme and rhythm.
a) Onomatopoeia – uses a word having a sound that imitates what it denotes
hiss, bang, buzz, hush , swoosh
b) Alliteration – involves the repetition of initial consonant sounds
wicked and wan, threatening throngs
c) Assonance – uses repetition of vowels without repetition of consonants, also called a vowel
rhyme
alone, alone, all, all, alone
d) Consonance – repeats the final consonant sounds, also called a slant rhyme
dreary and weary; odds and ends
e) Rhyme – employs identical sounds from the vowel of the accented syllables to the end
hold, told, mold, gold; die, sky, my, fly, pie
f) Anaphora – repeats a word or words at the beginning of two or more successive clauses or
verses
Cannons to the right of them/Cannons to the left of them

READING COMPREHENSION

Reading comprehension questions usually fall into several general categories.

1. Main Idea. This usually refers to the passage as a whole, not to some segment or part of the
passage. Questions are usually about the main idea or theme of the passage, about a possible
title, or about the author’s primary objective. The main idea is typically (but not always) found in
the first paragraph. It is the statement that gives the overall theme of the passage. In many cases,
it is in the form of an argument, including a premise and conclusion.

World War II brought new demands and needs to the nation in the 1940s.
Financing the war meant additional taxes and changes to payroll processing. An armed
force with millions of people produced new challenges in administration and record
keeping. New weapons required countless calculations and tests. Defense research
demanded the development of large-scale computing devices.

2. Supporting Ideas. This is about the idea expressed in one part of the passage rather than about
the passage as a whole. This type of question is to distinguish between the main idea and those
themes that support it, some of which may be implicit or implied rather than explicitly stated.

Males and females are each associated with different kinds of behavior, and what
is considered masculine and feminine differs from society to society. These concepts of
masculinity and femininity extend to how people walk, sit, talk, and dress. In our society,
as in all others, men walk and talk in certain ways and until very recently dressed very
differently from women. In some societies, different spatial areas are associated with
males and females – women in many Middle Eastern societies are restricted to certain
parts of the house and may only come into contact with the males who are members of
their family. In such societies, the coffee house and the market are defined as male
domains. In contrast, in some African societies, women predominate in the marketplace.

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3. Drawing Inferences. This asks about ideas that are not explicitly stated in a passage. The
question refers meanings implied by the author based on information given in the passage.

The procedure is actually quite simple. First, you arrange the items into different
groups. Of course one pile may be sufficient depending on how much there is to do. If
you have to go somewhere else due to lack of facilities that is the next step; otherwise,
you are pretty well set. It is important not to overdo things. That is, it is better to do too
few things at once than too many. In the short run this may not seem important but
complications can easily arise. A mistake can be expensive as well. At first, the whole
procedure will seem complicated. Soon, however, it will become just another facet of
life. It is difficult to foresee any end to the necessity for this task in the immediate future,
but then, one never can tell. After the procedure is completed one arranges the materials
into different groups again. Then they can be put into their appropriate places.
Eventually they will be used once more and the whole cycle will then have to be
repeated. However, that is part of life.

4. Specific Details. This type of questions asks about specific facts or details the author has stated
explicitly in the passage.

Today, farmers grow about 449 million tons of corn worldwide. In terms of area
under cultivation, it’s the world’s second or third largest crop. Providing 19 percent of
the world’s food calories and 15 percent of its food-crop protein, global corn production
yields about 200 pounds of the cereal for every individual alive. It should come as no
surprise, then, that corn – also known as maize – is a staple for some 200 million people,
including nearly half the world’s chronically malnourished. However, conventional corn
is deficient in the vitamin niacin, and roughly half its protein in lacks lysine and
tryptophan – two essential amino acids. As a result, this staple is not a sufficient protein
source, for children, the sick, and pregnant or lactating women.

5. Tone or Attitude of the Passage. This concentrates on the author’s style, attitude, or mood. The
use of key words such as adjectives that reveal if the author is “pessimistic,” “critical,”
“supportive,” or “objective” about an event, idea, or situation in the passage help determine the
tone or attitude.

Them dirty lousy politicians is getting altogether too high and might, the way
they is always arranging to take advantage of the little businessmen by raising up the tax
payments and collecting more money from the little fellows. They ain’t nothing much
can be done about this here business, because them politicians has certainly got the inside
connections and they always work through undercover arrangements. It’s might funny
that the generals and the admirals and the presidents of the big corporations aren’t paying
out no oversized tax installments but just the little businessmen who aren’t getting much
money nohow.
6. The Logical Structure of the Passage. This tests the overall meaning, logic, or organization of a
passage. The question asks how several ideas in a passage are interrelated or how a passage is
constructed, classifies, compares, describes events, or situations.

Let’s begin then to investigate the characteristics of your memory system as it

now operates. You may be surprised to discover that there is already more to your
memory system than you realize even existed. Scientific investigations of memory and
how it works have turned up the fact that each of us actually has three completely
different types of memory. These memory systems are called immediate memory, short-
term memory, and long-term memory. Each of these retains, and loses, information
differently. In addition, the life span of information within each system varies.
Consequently, each is use for different purposes and we must learn how to use each most
effectively. Whenever something is to be remembered for only a short period, it can go
into short-term memory; it if is to be used immediately, immediate memory is where it
belongs.

7. Determining the Meaning of Words from the Context. When a question asks for the meaning
of a word, it can usually e deduced from the context of the passage.

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 Nature loves edges. Take a place where mountain meets plain, field joins forest,
or river fuses with ocean. Abundant wildness usually occurs where one kind of habitat
hits another. At a good edge the number and variety of living things – the quotient of
ecological diversity – generally exceed what can be found in a more uniform habitat.
And because humans appreciate visual contrasts, edges often mean aesthetic distinctness
too. So it is with an estuary, the biological hot spot and scenic climax where freshwater
and saltwater first meet head on.

READING COMPREHENSION STRATEGIES

 Answer passages with familiar subject matter first.

 Read the questions first, then the passage.
 Underline parts of the passage.
 Read all the answer alternatives.
 Learn to identify the major question types.

GRAMMAR

It is important to recognize common errors in grammar and usage based on the basic rules of grammar.

A. Verb Errors
1. Verb Tense. Check if the correct verb tense has been used in the sentence.
 When I came home, the children still didn’t finish dinner.
 When I came home, the children still hadn’t finished dinner.
In reported speech, check that the rule of sequence of tenses has been observed.
 She promised she will come.
 She promised she would come.

2. Tense Formation. Know the past participle of irregular verbs.

 He throwed it out the window.
 He threw it out the window.

3. Subject-Verb Agreement. Check if the verb agrees with the subject in number.
 There is many reasons why I can’t help you.
 There are many reasons why I can’t help you.

4. Conditional Sentences. The word if will NEVER be followed by the words will or would.
 If I would have known, I wouldn’t have gone.
 If I had known, I wouldn’t have gone.

5. Expressions of Desire. Unfulfilled desires are expressed by the form “________ had hoped
that ________ would (or could, or might) do ________.”
 I wish I heard that story about him before I met him.
 I wish I had heard (or could have heard or would have heard) that story about him before
I met him.

6. Verbs Followed by Verb Words. A verb word is the infinitive without the to.
 She ignored the doctor’s recommendation that she stops smoking.
 She ignored the doctor’s recommendation that she stop smoking.

7. Tag Endings. Check for three things in tag endings: a) Does the ending use the same person
as the sentence verb? b) Does the ending use the same tense as the sentence verb? c) If the
sentence verb is positive, is the ending negative; if the sentence verb is negative, is the ending
positive?
 She’s been there before, isn’t she?
 She’s been there before, hasn’t she?

8. Negative Imperatives. There are two forms for negative imperatives.

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  Would you please don’t smoke here.
 Please don’t smoke here. or Would you please not smoke here.

9. Affirmative and Negative Agreement of Verbs. There are two correct forms for both the
affirmative and negative agreements.
 I haven’t seen the film and hasn’t either.
 I haven’t seen the film and she hasn’t either.
or I haven’t seen the film and neither has she.

10. Infinitives of Gerunds in the Complement of Verbs. Some verbs may be followed by
either an infinitive or a gerund. Others may require either one or the other for idiomatic
reasons.
 I intend learning French next semester.
 I intend to learn French next semester.

11. Verbs Requiring How in the Complement. The verbs KNOW, TEACH, LEARN, and
SHOW require the word how before an infinitive in the complement.
 She knows to drive.  She knows how to drive.
12. Idiomatic Verbs Expressions. There are a few commonly used idiomatic verb expressions.
a. must have (done) – it is a logical conclusion
They’re late. They must have missed the bus.
b. had better (do) – it is advisable
It’s getting cold. You had better take your coat.
c. used to (do) – was in the habit of doing in the past
I used to smoke a pack of cigarettes a day, but I stopped.
d. to be used to – to be accustomed to
The noise doesn’t bother me; I’m used to studying with the radio on.
e. make someone do – force someone to do
My mother made me take my little sister with me to the movies.
f. would rather – would prefer
I would rather you didn’t speak to her.

B. Pronoun Errors
1. Pronoun Subject-Object. Check if a pronoun is the SUBJECT or the OBJECT of a verb or
preposition.
 All of us – Fred, Jane, Alice, and me – were late.
 All of us – Fred, Jane, Alice, and I – were late.

2. Who and Whom. When in doubt about the correctness of WHO/WHOM, try substituting
the subject/object of a simpler pronoun to clarify the meaning.
 I don’t know who Sarah meant.
 I don’t know whom Sarah meant.

3. Pronoun Subject- Verb Agreement. Check if the pronoun and its verb agree in number.
 Jessa is absent, but a few of the class is here.
 Jessa is absent, but a few of the class are here.

4. Possessive Pronoun Agreement. Check if possessive pronouns agree in person and number.
 If anyone calls, take their name.
 If anyone calls, take his name.

5. Pronouns After the Verb To Be. TO BE is an intransitive verb and will always be followed
by a subject pronoun.
 It must have been her at the door.
 It must have been she at the door.

6. Position of Relative Pronouns. A relative pronoun refers to the word preceding it. If the
meaning is unclear, the pronoun is in the wrong position.
 He could park right in front of the door, which was very convenient.
 His being allowed to park right in front of the door was very convenient.

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 7. Parallelism of Impersonal Pronouns. In forms using impersonal pronouns, use either
“one… one’s/his or her” or “you… your.”
 One should take your duties seriously.
 One should take one’s/his or her duties seriously.
 or You should take your duties seriously.

C. Adjective and Adverb Errors

1. Use of Adjectives and Adverbs. Check if a word modifier is an adjective or an adverb and
make sure the correct form is used.
 I sure wish I were rich!  I surely wish I were rich!

2. Adjectives with Verbs of Sense. Intransitive verbs are described by adjectives while
transitive verbs are modified with adverbs.
 She looked very well.  She looked very good!

3. Comparatives. In using adjectives of one or two syllables ending in –y, add –er. Other
words of more than one syllable use more. Adverbs of one syllable add –er; longer adverbs
use more.
 This exercise is harder then the last one
 This exercise is harder than the last one.

4. Parallel Comparisons. Check if the correct form is used in parallel comparisons.

 The more you practice, you will get better.
 The more you practice, the better you will get.

5. Illogical Comparatives. Check comparisons to make sure they make sense.

 Texas is bigger than any state in the United States.
 Texas is bigger than any other state in the United States.

6. Identical Comparisons. Something can be the same as or like something else. Do not mix
up the two forms.
 Your dress is the same like mine.
 Your dress is like mine. or  Your dress is the same as mine.

7. Idioms Using Comparative Structures. Some idiomatic terms are formed like
comparatives although they are not true comparisons.
 You may have to spend so much as two hours waiting.
 You may have to spend as much as two hours waiting.

8. Noun – Adjectives. When a noun is used as an adjective, treat it as an adjective. Do not

pluralize or add ‘s.
 You’re talking like a two-years-old child!
 You’re talking like a two-year-old child!

9. Ordinal and Cardinal Numbers. Ordinal numbers (first, second, third, etc.) are preceded
by the. Cardinal numbers (one, two, three, etc.) are not.
 We missed first act.  We missed the first act.

10. Modifying Countable and Non-countable Nouns. If a noun can be preceded by a number,
it is a countable noun; if not it is uncountable.
 I was surprised by the large amount of people who came.
 I was surprised by the large number of people who came.

D. Errors in Usage
1. Connectors. Do not mix different forms in connecting ideas.
 She speaks not only Spanish but French as well.
 She speaks Spanish and French.
 She speaks Spanish. She also speaks French.
 She speaks Spanish and French too.
 She speaks not only Spanish but also French.

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  She speaks both Spanish and French.
 She speaks Spanish as well as French.

2. Question Word Connectors. When a question word such as when or what is used as a
connector, the clause that follows is not a question. Do not use the interrogative form.
 Do you know when does the movie start?  Do you know when the movie starts?

3. Because. It is incorrect to say: The reason is because… Use: The reason is that…
 The reason he was rejected was because he was too young.
 The reason he was rejected was that he was too young.
 He was rejected because of his young age.
 He was rejected because he was too young.

4. Purpose Connectors. The word so by itself means therefore. So that means in order to or in
order that.
 We took a cab so we would be on time.  We took a cab so that we would be on time
5. Dangling Modifiers. An introductory verbal modifier should be directly followed by the
noun or pronoun that it modifies. Such a modifier will star with a gerund of participial phrase
and be followed by a comma. Look for the modified noun or pronoun immediately after the
comma.
 Seeing that the hour was late, it was decided to postpone the committee vote.
 Seeing that the hour was late, the committee decided to postpone the vote.

6. Parallel Construction. In sentences containing a series of two or more items, check to see if
the same form has been used for all the items in the series. Do not mix infinitives with
gerunds, adjectives with participial phrases or verbs with nouns.
 The film was interesting, exciting, and it was made well.
 The film was interesting, exciting, and well-made.

7. Unnecessary Modifiers. In general, the more simply an idea is stated, the better it is.
 That depends on the state of the general condition of the situation.
 That depends on the situation.

8. Commonly Confused Words. Be aware of the commonly misused words in English.

 He was laying in bed all day yesterday.
 He was lying in bed all day yesterday.

9. Misused Words and Prepositional Idioms. Take note of the prepositions in common
idioms.
 They came despite of the rain.
 They came in spite of the rain or  They came despite the rain.

TIPS TO HELP YOU COPE

Read the sentence carefully.

Check for pronoun errors, if there are none,
check the verbs
If you find no errors in either verbs or pronouns, look at
adjectives and adverbs.
Other possible errors include the use of incorrect idioms
and faulty parallelism.
Be aware of the common grammar and usage errors

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THE TRADITIONAL CONCERNS: WORD CHOICE AND GRAMMAR

A. Sentence Fragment. A sentence expresses a logically complete idea. If the idea is not
complete – if your reader is left wondering what you mean – you probably have omitted
some essential element.
? She spent her first week on the job as a researcher. Compiling information
from digests and journals.
? Because the operator was careless. The new computer was damaged.
B. Comma Splice. Two complete ideas (independent clauses), which should be separated by a
period or a semicolon, are incorrectly joined by a comma.
? Sarah did a great job, she was promoted.
? This is a new technique, therefore, some people mistrust it.
C. Run-on Sentence. A sentence that crams, too many ideas without needed breaks or pauses.
? The hourglass is more accurate than the water clock because water in a water
clock must always be at the same temperature to flow at the same speed since
water evaporates and must be replenished at regular intervals, thus being less
effective than the hourglass for measuring time.
D. Faulty Coordination. Ideas of equal importance are joined, within simple or compound
sentences, with coordinating conjunctions: and, but, or, nor, for, so, and yet.
? Joseph had a drinking problem and he dropped out of school.
? I will try and help you.
? The climax in jogging comes after a few kilometers and I can no longer feel
stride after stride and it seems as if I am floating and jogging becomes almost a
reflex and my arms and legs continue to move and my mind no longer has to
control their actions.
E. Faulty Subordination. Proper subordination shows that a less important idea is dependent
on a more important idea using subordinating conjunctions: because, so, if, unless, after,
until, since, while, as and although.
? Television viewers can relate to an athlete they idolize and they feel obliged to
but the product endorsed by their hero.
? This teacher is often late for work, and he writes illogical reports, and he is a
poor manager, and he should be fired.
? This job which I took when I graduated from college, while I waited for a better
one to come along, which is boring, where I’ve gained no useful experience, make
me anxious to quit.
F. Faulty Agreement – Subject and Verb. The subject should agree in number with the verb.
In more complicated sentences – those in which the subject is separated from its verb by
other words – we sometimes lose track of the subject-verb relationship.
? The lion’s share of diesels are sold in Europe.
? A system of line extend horizontally to form a grid.
? Each of the crew members were injured.
? Everyone in the group have practiced long hours.
? The committee meet weekly to discuss ness business.
G. Faulty Agreement – Pronoun and Referent. A pronoun can make sense only if it refers to
a specific noun (its referent or antecedent), with which it must agree in gender and number.
? Anyone can get their degree form that college.
? Each candidate described her plans in details.
H. Faulty or Vague Pronoun Reference. Whenever a pronoun is used, it must refer to one
clearly identified referent; otherwise the message will be confusing.
? Rolly told Ramon that his wife loves him.
? He drove away from his menial job, boring lifestyle, and damp apartment,
happy to be leaving it behind.
? The problem with our defective machinery is compounded by the operator’s
incompetence. That annoys me!

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I. Faulty Pronoun Case. A pronoun’s case (nominative, objective, or possessive) is
determined by its role in a sentence: as subject, object, or indicator of possession.
? Whom is responsible to who?
? The debate was between Marina and I.
? Us teacher are accountable for our decisions.
? A group of we teachers will fly to the convention.
J. Faulty Modification. A sentence’s word order (syntax) helps determine its effectiveness and
meaning.
? Dialing the phone, the cat ran out the open door.
? While walking, a cold chill ran through my body.
? Gina typed another memo on our computer that was useless.
? She volunteered immediately to help the landslide victims in Leyte.
K. Faulty Parallelism. To reflect relationships among items of equal importance, express them
in identical grammatical form.
? We here highly resolve … that government of the people, which the people
created and maintain, serving the people shall not perish from the earth.
? The new teacher is enthusiastic, skilled, and you can depend on her.
? In her new assignment, she felt lonely and without a friend.
? She sleeps well, jogs daily, as well as eating high-protein foods.
L. Sentence Shifts. Shifts in point of view damage coherence.
? When you finish the jog, one will have a sense of pride.
? One should sift the flour before they make the pie.
? He delivered the plans for the apartment complex, and the building site was also
inspected by him.
? She delivered the blueprints, inspected the foundation, wrote her report, and
takes the afternoon off.
? Unscrew the valve and then steel wool should be used to clean the fitting.
? Jim wonders, if he will get the job and will he like it?
M. Effective Punctuation. Punctuation marks are like road signs and traffic signals that give a
simple way of making one be understood. Compare the two letters below.

Dear Jack, Dear Jack,

I want a man who knows what love is
all about. You are generous, kind, and
thoughtful. People who are not like
you admit to being useless and inferior.
You have ruined me for other men. I
yearn for you. I have no feelings
whatsoever when we’re apart. I can be
forever happy – will you let me be
yours?
Jill
I want a man who knows what love is.
All about you are generous, kind, and
thoughtful people who are not like you.
Admit to being useless and inferior.
You have ruined me. For other men I
yearn! For you. I have no feelings
whatsoever. When we’re apart I can be
forever happy. Will you let me be?
Yours,
Jill

Words and Expressions Commonly Misused. Many words and expressions are not so much
bad English as bad style, the commonplaces of careless writing.
 All right. Idiomatic in familiar speech as a detached phrase in the sense “Agreed,” or
“O.K.”
 Alternate, Alternative. The words are not always interchangeable as nouns or
adjectives. The first means every other one in a series; the second, one of two
possiblilities.
 Among, Between. When more than two things or persons are involved, among is usually
called for. When, however, more that two are involved but each is considered
individually, between is preferred.
 Anticipate. Use expect in the sense of simple expectation

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 Anybody. In the sense of “any person,” not to be written as two words, Any body means
“any corpse.”
 Anyone. In the sense of “anybody,” written as one word. Any one means “any single
person.”
 As to whether. Whether is sufficient.
 As yet. Yet nearly always is as good, if not better.
 Careless. The dismissive “I couldn’t care less” is often used with the shortened “not”
mistakenly omitted: “ I could care less.”
 Certainly. Used indiscriminately by some speakers much as other use very, in an attempt
to intensify any and every statement.
 Consider. Not followed by as when it means “believe to be.”
 Contact. As a transitive verb, the word is vague and self-important. Do not contact
people; get in touch with them, look them up, phone them, find them, or meet them.
 Cope. An intransitive verb used with with. In formal writing, one doesn’t “cope,” one
“copes with” something or somebody.
 Disinterested. Means “impartial.” Do not confuse it with uninterested which means
“not interested in.”
 Each and every one. Avoid, except in dialogue.
 Effect. As a noun, means “result”; as a verb, means “to bring about,” “to accomplish”
(not to be confused with affect, which means “to influence”)
 Enthuse. An annoying verb growing out of the noun enthusiasm. Not recommended.
 Factor. A hackneyed word; the expressions of which is a part can usually be replaced by
something more direct and idiomatic
 Farther, Further. Farther serves best as distance word, further as a time or quantity
word
 Finalize. A pompous, ambiguous verb.
 Hopefully. This once-useful adverb meaning “with hope” has been distorted and is now
widely used to mean “I hope” or “it is to be hoped.”
 However. Avoid starting a sentence with however when the meaning is “nevertheless.”
The word usually serves better when not in first position.
 Imply, Infer. Not interchangeable. Something implied is something suggested or
indicated, though not expresses. Something inferred is something deduced from evidence
at hand.
 In regard to. Often wrongly written in regards to. But as regards is correct, and means
the same thing.
 Insightful. The word is suspicious overstatement for “perceptive.”
 Irregardless. Should be regardless.
 -ize. Do not coin verbs by adding this tempting suffix. Many good and useful verbs do
end in –ize: summarize, harmonize, fertilize. But there is a growing list of abominations:
prioritize, utilize, personalize, finalize.
 Kind of. Except in familiar style, not to be used as a substitute for rather or something
like.
 Like. Not to be used for the conjunction as. Like governs nouns and pronouns; before
phrases and clauses the equivalent word is as.
 Nice. A shaggy, all-purpose word, to be used sparingly in formal composition.
 Ongoing. A mix of “continuing” and “active” and is usually superfluous.
 One of the most. There is nothing wrong with the grammar; the formula is simply
threadbare.
 Prestigious. Often an adjective of last resort. It’s in the dictionary, but that doesn’t mean
you have to use it.
 Respective, Respectively. These words may usually be omitted with advantage.
 Secondly, thirdly, etc. Unless you are prepared to begin with firstly, and defend it
(which will be difficult), do not prettify numbers with –ly.
 Thanking you in advance. This sounds as if the writer meant, “It will not be worth my
while to write to you again.”

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 The foreseeable future. A cliché, and a fuzzy one.
 The truth is … The fact is … A bad beginning for a sentence. If you feel you are
possessed of the truth, or of the fact, simple state it. Do not give advance billing.
 Very. Use this word sparingly. Where emphasis is necessary, use words strong in
themselves.

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