Practical Grammar and Composition - LightNovelsOnl.com
You're reading novel online at LightNovelsOnl.com. Please use the follow button to get notifications about your favorite novels and its latest chapters so you can come back anytime and won't miss anything.
Wrong: _Nowhere near_ so many people came as were expected.
Right: _Not nearly_ so many people came as were expected.
Right: James was _nowhere near_ the scene of the fire.
OF. Do not use _of_ for _have_ in such expressions as _could, have, might have, should have_, etc.
Wrong: If I _could of_ been there.
Right: If I _could have_ been there.
ONLY. Guard against the improper use of _only_ after a negative.
See --46.
Wrong: There _are not only_ four books on that subject.
Right: There _are only_ four books on that subject.
OUTSIDE OF. Do not use _outside of_ for _aside from_.
Wrong: _Outside of_ James, all had a good time.
Right: _Aside from_ James, all had a good time.
OVER WITH. Do not use _over with_ for _over_.
Wrong: I must write the letter and have it _over with_.
PANTS. Do not use the word _pants_ for _trousers_.
PHOTO. Do not use _photo_ for _photograph_.
PIECE. Do not use _piece_ in the sense of _way_ or _distance_.
Wrong: I shall walk a _little piece_ with you.
Right: I shall walk a _little way_ with you.
PLACE. Do not use _place_ after _any, every, no_, etc., in the sense of _anywhere, everywhere, nowhere_, etc.
Wrong: I can not find it _any place_.
Right: I can not find it _anywhere_.
PLENTY. Do not use _plenty_ as an adjective or an adverb.
Wrong: Money is _plenty_. He is _plenty able_ to do it.
Right: Money is _plentiful_. He is _quite able_ to do it.
POORLY. Do not use _poorly_ for _ill_ or _bad_.
Wrong: He feels very _poorly_.
PRINCIPLE, PRINc.i.p.aL. Do not confuse _principle_ and _princ.i.p.al_.
_Principle_ means a _rule_ or _truth_. _Princ.i.p.al_ means _leader, chief, the most important_.
PROPOSE. Do not use _propose_ in the sense of _intend_.
Wrong: I _propose_ to tell all I know.
Right: I _intend_ to tell all I know.
PROVIDING. Do not use _providing_ for _if_ or _on the condition_.
Wrong: I will go _providing_ you can get tickets for three.
Right: I will go _on the condition that_ you get the tickets.
RAISE, RISE. Do not confuse _raise_ with _rise_. See --57.
RECOMMEND, RECOMMENDATION. Do not use _recommend_ as a noun.
_Recommendation_ is the noun.
Wrong: Her employer gave her a good _recommend_.
Right: Her employer gave her a good _recommendation_.
RIGHT AWAY, RIGHT OFF. Do not use _right away_ or _right off_ in the sense of _immediately_.
Wrong: After the play we will come _right off_.
Right: After the play we will come _at once_.
SAME. Do not use _same_ as a p.r.o.noun.
Wrong: I will write the letter and mail _same_ at once.
Right: I will write the letter and mail _it_ at once.
SAY. Do not use _say_ in the sense of _order_ or _command_.
Wrong: Your mother _said for_ you to come home at once.
Right: Your mother _said that_ you should come home at once.
SCARCELY. Do not use _scarcely_ after a negative. See --46.
