Appendix B: Grammar
Appendix B: Grammar
Frequently Misused Words
accept/except
- Accept means to receive.
- Except means to exclude.
Correct: I will accept the gift from Ruth.
Correct: Everyone went to the meeting except Henry.
affect/effect
- Affect as a verb means to influence.
- Effect as a verb means to cause.
- Effect as a noun means a result.
Correct: Eating habits affect people’s health.
Correct: He plans to effect many changes in his company.
Correct: Her decisions may have a negative effect on her future.
allusion/illusion
- An allusion is an indirect reference to something else.
- An illusion is a hallucination or something that is seen but does not really exist.
Correct: The allusion was to the political candidate’s record.
Correct: David Copperfield made the Statue of Liberty disappear through an illusion.
among/between
- Between compares two items or several items seen as distinct from one another.
- Among compares three or more items.
Correct: Alex chose between history and social science for his major.
Correct: Emma chose between Harvard, Brown, and Yale.
Correct: Among Anne’s most-loved books, Middlemarch was by far her favorite.
Correct: This was the best choice among all the options.
assure/ensure/insure
- Use assure for things that are alive.
Correct: John assured Megan that he’d come to the party early.
- Use ensure to guarantee events and conditions.
Correct: Being organized ensures you will get to class on time.
- Use insure for all of the above in financial contexts.
Correct: Michael wondered if the caterers were insured against loss.
entitled/titled
- Entitled refers to deserving something.
- Titled refers to a name.
Correct: After all the work he did, he is entitled to a day off.
Correct: The book was titled Walden.
e.g./etc./i.e.
- E.g. means “for example.”
- I.e. means “that is.”
- Etc. means “and so on.”
Correct: Connie does not eat at fast food restaurants (e.g., McDonald’s and Burger King).
Correct: Mark loves watching Donald Duck’s nephews (i.e., Huey, Dewey, and Louie).
Correct: For the trip, Rachel packed clothes, towels, shoes, etc.
farther/further
- Farther applies to an actual distance.
- Further refers to a degree or extent.
Correct: She can run farther than her sister.
Correct: His father will go no further in his concessions.
fewer/less
- Fewer refers to a number.
- Less refers to a quantity or extent.
Correct: The old theatre held fewer viewers than the new one does.
Correct: Glen earns less money than Rick does.
it’s/its
- It’s is a contraction for “it is.”
- Its is the possessive form.
Correct: It’s snowing outside.
Correct: The dog lost its bone.
over/more than
- Over refers to a spatial relationship.
- More than is the preferred choice when referring to numbers.
Correct: The cardinal flew over the tree.
Correct: More than 250 students visited campus last week.
perspective/prospective
- Perspective refers to someone’s outlook on a topic.
- Prospective makes reference to the future.
Correct: Because he is from another country, he has a different perspective on politics than I do.
Correct: Cedarville is offering a campus tour for prospective students.
principle/principal
- A principle is a fundamental truth or logic.
- Principal refers to a position of authority, such as a school principal, the principal player of an orchestra, or a capital sum.
Correct: Kara operates under the principle that justice will triumph.
Correct: Cindy is principal of the school.
toward/towards
- The American version of this word never includes an “s” on the end.
- The same rule applies for words such as backward, afterward, forward, and among.
pronouns noun/pronoun agreement
- Pronouns should agree with their antecedents (nouns) in number.
- Do not use a singular noun with a plural pronoun, or vice versa.
Correct: Most people want to have their cake and eat it too.
Incorrect: Everyone wants to have their cake and eat it too.
which/that
- That introduces a statement that limits or restricts its antecedent.
- Which introduces a statement that clarifies or adds information about its antecedent and is usually set apart with commas.
Correct: The organization that raises the most funds wins the competition.
Correct: The lawnmower, which is in the garage, needs sharpening.
who/that
- Who refers to people.
- That refers to groups or things.
Correct: John remembers the faculty members who made the greatest difference in his life.
Correct: John remembers the basketball games that were most exciting.
who/whom
- Who is a subject pronoun (a nominative case pronoun).
- It can be substituted with he, she, they, or we.
Correct: Who is that person in the corner? Correct: He is the man who received the award.
- Whom is used as an object (an objective case pronoun).
- It can be substituted with him, her, them, or us.
Correct: Whom can we turn to in a time of crisis?
Correct: Jones is the man with whom I went fishing last spring.
Correct: The women, two of whom are my sisters, went shopping in Easton.