Common English Usage Errors

by Vaughn Aubuchon Here is a list showing the 5 most common English language usage errors, according to my observations. These include affect-effect, than-then, there-theirthey're, your and you're, singular sub ects, and the articles 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 verb

5. Trite E.!ressions

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1. Common Usage Errors

Usage Error
Affect vs. Effect This is by far the #1 English usage error. I actually believe that these two words are used incorrectly !"E !#TE$ than they are used correctly. %s a verb & %ffect 'eans to (%)E %$ I$#*+E$,E upon so'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.

Examples

1.

Effect )erb This page will not effect you. Incorrect %ffect )erb This page will not affect you. ,orrect %ffect )erb This page will affect change. 0,!+*1 be correct- but

Incorrect probably is not what is 'eant2 Effect )erb This page will effect change. 0directly cause- or bring about ,orrect change2 $oun Incorrect This page will not have any affect. 0not a noun.2

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

2. Than vs. Then

3Than3 refers to the ,! 4%"I/!$ of two ite's. 3Then3 refers to TI E. any 5ritish spea6ers prefer to use the word 3then3- in instances when 3than3 would be correct.

Incorrect 7oogle is better then 8ahoo. 0co''on in 5ritish spea6ers2 Correct 7oogle is better than 8ahoo. Incorrect If 8ahoo fails- than 7oogle rules. Correct If 8ahoo fails- then 7oogle rules.

3. There vs. Their

vs. They're
0a triple ho'ophone2

3There3 refers to place. 3Their3 refers to possession. 3They9re3 is a contraction of 3they are3.

Incorrect 7oogle will prevail over there co'petition. Correct 7oogle will prevail over their co'petition. Incorrect The /E! 'anual is over their. Correct The /E! 'anual is over there. Incorrect It:9 hard to tell what their going to do. Incorrect It9s hard to tell what there going to do. ,orrect It9s hard to tell what they're going to do.

4.

Yo r vs. Yo 're

ur is what te.ting typists use 0'odern perversion2. 38our3 refers to possession. 38ou9re3 is a contraction of 3you are3.

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

Incorrect 8our going over to 'y house. Correct 8ou9re going over to 'y house.

!. "ing lar " #$ects

!ften- a person 'ay thin6 that a sub;ect noun is pluralbecause it refers to a group of individuals- but the word 3group3 itself is /I$7+*%". /o'e e.a'ples are groupco'pany- club- organi<ation- 55,- #5I- ,I%- 7oogle- etc. %ll are singular.

Incorrect 7oogle are going to ta6e over the world 05ritish spea6er2 Correct 7oogle is going to ta6e over the world 0+/ spea6er2. Incorrect The people at 7oogle is going to ta6e over the world. Correct The people at 7oogle are going to ta6e over the world.

%. Articles of "peech $othing identifies %sian spea6ers faster than the non&usage of

the articles of speech- because the articles of speech do $!T e.ist in ,hinese- =orean- )ietna'ese- etc. It is e.tre'ely difficult to convey to a nonnative spea6er the proper use of the English articles of speech & a- an and the. any beco'e so confused that they refuse to use the' at all- a'plifying the proble'. These errors are seldo' 'ade by native spea6ers.

Incorrect I a' going to store. >(%T are you going to store? 04ut in storage?2 Correct Correct @0 1A0 I a' going to the store. 0a 6nown or previously 'entioned store2 I a' going to a store. 0an unspecified store- or a store previously not visited or discussed2 A@0 & B80

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2. Other English Errors

1. /ay 5ye&5ye to the %dverb

"o rce %pple =ellogg9s

Expression
3Thin6 1ifferent3 3/tart %ging /'art3

Correct
3Thin6 1ifferently3 3/tart %ging /'artly3 3Eat #resh #ood3

/ubway 3Eat #resh3

/ay bye&bye to the adverb. They used to teach it in school. 3!nly an adverb can 'odify a verb or an ad;ective.3 $obody see's to 6now this any'ore.

2. 7ra'atical Errors
Error

Error

Correct
3I could $!T care less3 "egardless 180

Incorrect 3I could care less3 E.pression $on&word @0 C0 Irregardless 160 & AB0

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British English Observations 3. The 5rits see' to be confused about the letter 3"3
1. The 5ritish li6e to A&& an ' to the E(& of words ending in %
)or*

A+E',CA( -ron nciation

.',T,"/ -ron nciation

%&<hure %f&ri&cur %&'er&i&cur

%sia %&<hu %frica %f&ri&ca %'erica %&'er&i&ca

%ndro'eda

%n&dro'&e&da

%n&dro'&e&der ,u&ber #lo&er&der i&dear

,uba ,u&ba #lorida #lo&ri&da

idea i&dee&a

2. The 5ritish li6e to &'0- the ' at the E(& a word

)or*

A+E',CA( -ron nciation

.',T,"/ -ron nciation

off&tah but&tah cah fah huh 'o&tha nih oc&toe&ba po6 teh wah&tah woc6

after af&ter butter but&ter car car far her 'other far hur 'o&ther

near near october oc&toe&ber par6 par6

tear tare water wal6 wah&ter wal6

!ff&tah a woc6- po6 huh cah nih the wah&tah. )/AT1

3. The 5ritish li6e to &'0- the ' in the +,&&2E of a word

)or*

A+E',CA( -ron nciation

.',T,"/ -ron nciation

a&pot

apart a&part

beers beers birth dar6 birth dar6

bi<< buth doc6 uhth gull 'oc6&it pot sto< wuc6 wuld yi<< cun&tie ,an9t drop T(I/ "D

earth urrth girl gir&il 'ar6et 'ar&6it

part part stars stars wor6 wor6 world years Exception3 world years coun&try

#uh yi<< on uhth- offtah doc6- wuldly gulls drin6 bi<< at wuc6. )/AT1 )hat is the r le1 )here an ' *oes not exist4 insert one. .UT4 if an ' ," present4 *on't prono nce it5 @0 1@0 160 & AB0 160

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British English Observations A. $o /ingular 7roup Tense

4. %nother 5ritish %no'aly & There can be (0 ",(6U2A' )0'& that can represent a 6'0U-. % singular verb nu'ber is defined differently between the +./. and 5ritain.

YE 60&"5 This *rives me n ts5 6reen .ay E*ge" 0 t4 6reen .ay E*ge" 0 t5 /oly ver# n m#er4 .atman. >e are discussing a /I$7*E tea'- not all the residents of 7reen 5ay.
",(62E )or*s47hich contain m ltiple o#$ects

A+E',CA( Usage

. .',T,"/ Usage 7oogle say use lin6s. icrosoft do search well. The group say no. The co'pany sell trash. The school say no. This usage sounds ;ust plain daft to %'ericansand drives us cra<y. 1edicated to ancient concepts- cannot 'ove forward. $o 'atter what the noun is- the verb nu'ber is %*>%8/ plural. @00

7oogle 7oogle says use lin6s. icrosoft icrosoft does search well.

group The group says no. co'pany The co'pany sells trash.

school The school says no. +/% is 'ore highly evolved ? The 5ritish are incapable of grouping 'ultiple ob;ects into a na'e of a group- 7hich is a ",(6U2A' term. 7oogle is !$E co'panyetc. @0 1@0 @00 & B@0

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5. Latest Trite Expressions

3At the end of the day- blah&blah&blah.3 3He doubled down3 on what he had said. 3Having said that3- blah- blah blah. 3Like, then he goes, like, blah&blah&li8e&blah. 3He walked back3 his re'ar6s. 3/he showed 'a;or Side Boob.3

Changes 9 -eople .ecoming 2a:y an* "t

)erbs are replacing nouns 03verbing32 & && 3,onsults3 has replaced consultations. && 3#ail3 has replaced failure. && 3"ead3 has replaced article- boo6- etc. && 3"edee'3 has replaced rede'ption. && 3"eveal3 has replaced revelation. && 3/pend3 has replaced e.penditure.

pi*

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Vaughn's Summaries E@00A&@013 )aughn %ubuchon www.vaughns&1&pagers.co' %ll "ights "eserved This )aughns ,o''on English +sage Errors /u''aryand funny britspea6 page was last updated on @013&11&11.