Common English Usage Errors

8/13/2019 Common English Usage Errors

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Common English Usage Errorsby Vaughn Aubuchon

Here is a list showing the 5 most common Englishlanguage usage errors, according to my observations.These include affect-effect, than-then, there-their-they're, your and you're, singular sub ects, and thearticles of s!eech.

". #ommon $sage Errors- ". Affect vs. effect- %. Than vs. then- &. There vs. their vs. they're- . (our vs. (ou're- 5. The articles of s!eech - a, an and the.%. )ther Errors

&. *unny +ritish tuff . ingular rou! Tense- ingular sub ects !erceived as !lural -- Agreement in number of sub ect and verb5. Trite E !ressions

30 100 60 30 80 80 30

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1. Common Usage Errors

Usage Error Examples

Affect vs. Effect This is by far the #1 English usage error. I actually believethat these two words are used incorrectly !"E ! TE$ thanthey are used correctly.%s a verb & %ffect 'eans to (%)E %$ I$ *+E$,E uponso'ething. %ffect is seldo' used as a noun- e cept by

$or'an ailer.%s a verb & effect 'eans to ,%+/E.%s a noun & an effect is the "E/+*T of so'e action.

1. Effect )erbIncorrect This page will not effect you.

%ffect )erb,orrect This page will not affect you.

%ffect )erb This page will affect change. ,!+* be correct- but

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Incorrect probably is not what is 'eant2

Effect )erb,orrect

This page will effect change. directly cause- or bring aboutchange2

$oun Incorrect This page will not have any affect . not a noun.2

$oun ,orrect This page will not have any effect .

2. Than vs. Then Than refers to the ,! 4%"I/!$ of two ite's.Then refers to TI E.any 5ritish spea ers prefer to use the word then - in

instances when than would be correct.

IncorrectCorrect

7oogle is better then ahoo. co''on in 5ritish spea ers27oogle is better than ahoo.

IncorrectCorrect

If ahoo fails- than 7oogle rules.If ahoo fails- then 7oogle rules.

3. There vs. Theirvs. They're

a triple ho'ophone2

There refers to place.Their refers to possession.They9re is a contraction of they are .

IncorrectCorrect

7oogle will prevail over there co'petition.7oogle will prevail over their co'petition.

IncorrectCorrect

The /E! 'anual is over their .The /E! 'anual is over there .

IncorrectIncorrect,orrect

It:9 hard to tell what their going to do.It9s hard to tell what there going to do.It9s hard to tell what they're going to do.

4.Yo r vs. Yo 're

ur is what te ting typists use 'odern perversion2.our refers to possession.ou9re is a contraction of you are .

IncorrectCorrect

I a' going over to ur house.I a' going over to your house.


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IncorrectCorrect

our going over to 'y house.ou9re going over to 'y house.

!. "ing lar " #$ects !ften- a person 'ay thin that a sub;ect noun is plural- because it refers to a group of individuals- but the word

group itself is /I$7+*%". /o'e e a'ples are group-co'pany- club- organi


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"o rce Expression Correct

%pple Thin ifferent Thin ifferently

=ellogg9s /tart %ging /'art /tart %ging /'artly

/ubway Eat resh Eat resh ood

/ay bye&bye to the adverb.They used to teach it in school.

!nly an adverb can 'odify a verb or anad;ective.

$obody see's to now this any'ore.

2. 7ra'atical Errors

Error Error Correct

IncorrectE pression I could care less I could $!T care less

$on&word Irregardless "egardless

@0 C0 160 & AB0 180

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British English Observations3. The 5rits see' to be

confused about the letter "

1. The 5ritish li e to A&& an to the E(& of wordsending in %

)or*

A+E ,CA(

-ron nciation ,T,"/

-ron nciation

%sia %&


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%ndro'eda %n&dro'&e&da %n&dro'&e&der

,uba ,u&ba ,u&ber

lorida lo&ri&da lo&er&der

idea i&dee&a i&dear

2. The 5ritish li e to & 0- the at the E(& a word

)or*A+E ,CA(-ron nciation

,T,"/-ron nciation

after af&ter off&tah

butter but&ter but&tah

car car cah

far far fah

her hur huh

'other 'o&ther 'o&tha

near near nih

october oc&toe&ber oc&toe&ba

par par po

tear tare teh

water wah&ter wah&tah

wal wal woc

!ff&tah a woc - po huh cah nih the wah&tah. )/AT

3. The 5ritish li e to & 0- the in the +,&& E of aword

)or*A+E ,CA(-ron nciation

,T,"/-ron nciation

apart a&part a&pot


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beers beers bi


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YE 60&"5 This *rives me n ts56reen ay E*ge " 0 t 6reen ay E*ge " 0 t5 /oly ver# n m#er

atman.>e are discussing a /I$7*E tea'- not all the residents of 7reen 5ay.

",(6 E)or*s 7hich

containm ltipleo#$ects A+E ,CA( Usage

.,T,"/ Usage

7oogle 7oogle says use lin s. 7oogle say use lin s.

icrosoft icrosoft does searchwell. icrosoft do search well.

group The group says no. The group say no.

co'pany The co'pany sells trash. The co'pany sell trash.

school The school says no. The school say no.

&

+/% is 'ore highlyevolved ?The 5ritish are incapableof grouping 'ultipleob;ects into a na'e of agroup- 7hich is a",(6U A term .

7oogle is !$E co'pany-etc.

This usage sounds ;ust plain daft to %'ericans-and drives us cra


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5. Latest Trite Expressions

At the end of the day - blah&blah&blah. He

doubled down on what he had said. Having said that - blah- blah blah. Like, then he goes, like, blah&blah&li8e &blah. He walked back his re'ar s./he showed 'a;or Side Boob.

Changes 9 -eople ecoming a:y an* "t pi*

)erbs are replacing nouns verbing 2 &&& ,onsults has replaced consultations.&& ail has replaced failure.&& "ead has replaced article- boo - etc.&& "edee' has replaced rede'ption.&& "eveal has replaced revelation.&& /pend has replaced e penditure.

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Vaughn's Summaries

@00A&@013 )aughn %ubuchonwww.vaughns&1&pagers.co'%ll "ights "eserved

This )aughns ,o''on English +sage Errors /u''ary-and funny britspea page

was last updated on @013&11&11.
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Common English Usage Errors