The complete idiot guide part 43 pps

Guide
to
Grammar
and
Usage
393
Words
Often
Confused
Some
pairs of words are mixed up
with
each
other.
Sometimes it is because the words
sound alike; at
other
times it is because they are spelled alike. The following words
are often confused, misused, and abused.
Word
accept
except
affect
effect
already
all
ready
all
together
altogether
altar

alter
ascent
assent
bare
bear
brake
break
capital
Capitol
conscience
conscious
desert
dessert
emigrate
Definition
take
leave
out
influence
result
before
prepared
everyone at once
completely
table of worship
to change
rising
agreement
uncovered
animal

endure
stop
destroy
government seat
where the U.S.
legislature
meets
one's sense of right
and wrong
awake
leave
behind
arid
region
sweet served at the
end of a meal
leave
a country
Example
Accept
my thanks.
Everyone
except
him.
This affects your ear.
The effect of the law.
Elvis
already left.
He was all ready to go.
They yell all together.

It was altogether wrong.
Put the
Bible
on the altar.
Alter the skirt.
The rocket's ascent took an
hour.
Nod to show assent.
The window was bare.
The bear growled.
Can you bear the
noise?
Use the car's brake.
Don't
break the dish!
Visit the capital.
Congress
meets in the Capitol.
Listen
to your conscience.
She
was conscious during surgery.
Desert a sinking ship.
Camels travel in the desert.
I
love a rich dessert.
She
emigrated from France.
continues
394

Appendix
(
continued
Word
immigrate
lay
lie
lead
led
learn
teach
loose
lose
passed
past
principal
principle
rise
raise
respectfully
respectively
stationary
stationery
than
then
their
there
they're
weather
whether

Definition
enter a country
put down
be flat
writing material
conducted
receive facts
give
facts
not fastened
misplace
went
by
gone
by
main
head of
a
school
rule
get
up
lift
with
respect
in the stated order
staying
in place
writing paper
comparison

at
that
time
belonging
to
them
place
they are
atmospheric conditions
if
Example
To immigrate means to enter a
new homeland.
present: Lay your cards
down,
past: He laid the cards
down,
future: He will lay his cards
down,
perfect: She has laid her cards down.
present: The cat lies
down,
past: The cat lay
down,
future: The cat will lie
down,
perfect: The cat has lain down.
That's a lead pencil.
We were led to safety.
You learn grammar.

I
teach grammar.
The clasp is loose.
I
might lose the necklace.
We passed the new library.
They helped in the past.
The principal road is Main Street.
C. J.
Jarvis
is the principal.
You know the principles of grammar.
The cost of
living
will rise.
Raise
your arms.
The audience clapped respectfully.
The red, blue, and green books belong
to John,
Billie,
and Lee, respectively.
The car was stationary.
Kings
have nice stationery.
Kansas
is bigger than Rhode Island.
The state was
then
very dry.

It is their book.
Put it there.
They're good friends.
The weather is rainy.
Whether
or not you agree.
Index
«
abbreviations,
229-232
abridged dictionaries, 196-198
accusative
case.
See
objective case
acronyms,
232
action verbs, 36
active sentences, creating,
297-298
active voice,
18,
73,
297
Adams, Franklin P., 5
adjectival phrases,
140-141
adjective clauses,
157-159
adjectives,

47-50
adverbs,
compared,
100-101
articles, 48
common
adjectives, 48
comparative degree,
102-103
comparative levels,
102-105
compound
adjectives, 48
indefinite adjectives, 48
irregular adjectives,
104-105
linking verbs, using after,
106-107
positive degree,
102-103
proper
adjectives, 48
rules, 108
superlative degree,
102-105
adverb clauses,
156-157
adverbial phrases,
140-142
adverbs,

50-52
adjectives,
compared,
100-101
common
non
-ly
adverbs, 50
comparative degree,
102-103
comparative levels,
102-105
conjunctive adverbs,
51-52
irregular adverbs,
104-105
misuse of, 20
positive degree,
102-103
rules, 108
superlative degree,
102-105
affect
and
effect,
compared,
303
agreement,
111-112,
119

collective nouns,
115-116
indefinite pronouns,
116-118
number
plural,
113-114,
120-121
singular,
112-113
pronouns, antecedents,
122-124
rules,
112
subjects,
119-120
Allan, John, 254
American
Heritage
Dictionary,
The, 197
antecedents,
53
pronouns
agreement,
122-124
placement,
20
references,
89-98

anxious
and
eager,
compared,
303
apostrophes, 19,
220-222
apposition,
210
appositive phrases,
140-145
appositives,
142-143
Arabian
Nights,
The,
272
archaic words,
304
Archimedes, 5
argumentation,
271-273
articles, 48
definite, 48
nouns,
35-36
indefinite, 48-49
as
and
like,

compared,
134-135
assure
and
ensure
and
insure,
compared,
303
396
The
Complete
Idiot's
Guide
to
Grammar
and
Style,
Second
Edition
audience
considering,
263-269
empathy,
264-265
survey,
265
aural
and
oral,

compared, 305
Austen,
Jane,
260
authentic
and
genuine,
compared, 303
B
bad news
messages,
composing,
340-342
bad
and
badly,
compared, 106
base
form
tenses,
60
verbs,
61
bias-free
language,
316-318
Bierce,
Ambrose, 235
block style, 329
brackets,

219
bureaucratic
language,
319
business
letters, 328
designing,
328
formats,
328-330
buzzwords,
291
C
capitalization,
223-229
Capote,
Truman,
252
case,
78-79
choppy sentences,
184-185
chronological
resumes,
332-333
Churchill,
Winston,
125
clarity
importance of,

11
styles,
importance of,
255-258
classes,
verbs,
61-64
clauses,
126,
151-152,
160-163
adjective,
157-159
adverb,
156-157
dependent,
152-153
elliptical, 160
independent,
152-153
coordinating,
179-182
nonrestrictive, 97
noun,
159
restrictive, 97
subordinating conjunctions,
153-155,
182-185
Clemm,

Virginia,
254
clichés,
321-322
avoiding,
20
proverbs, compared, 323
coherence, styles, importance of,
255-258
collective nouns, 28,
115-116
colloquial
language,
301
colons,
213-215
comma splices,
174-175
commands, 279
commas,
209-212,284
unnecessary
use of, 19
common adjectives, 48
common nouns,
28
communication standards,
11
comparative levels, adjectives and adverbs,
102-105

compass points, capitalization, 226
complaints, composing,
350-353
compleat
and
complete,
compared, 304
complex sentences, 169
subordination,
182-185
compound
adjectives, 48
compound
nouns, 28
compound
sentences, 169
compound-complex sentences, 170
computer
grammar-checking programs, 20,
200
computer
spell-check programs,
199
computer
thesaurus programs, 202
Concise
Oxford
Dictionary
of
Current

English,
The, 197
conjugation, verbs, 65
conjunctions, 39-41
coordinating,
39-40,
179
correlative, 40
subordinate,
40-41, 153-155,
182-185
Index
397
conjunctive adverbs,
51-52,
285
connotations,
201,
299
Conrad, Joseph, 5
consistency,
styles,
importance
of,
253-257
context,
importance
of, 302
contractions,
221,

241-242
possessive
pronouns, 82
Cooper,
James Fenimore, 257
coordinating conjunctions,
39-40,
179,
284
coordination
sentences,
178-182
subordination,
compared,
185
correlative conjunctions, 40
cover letters, creating,
330-337
Crisis,
The, 260
Crisp,
Quentin,
77
cultural
considerations, writing and speech,
11
cultures, organizations, 268
D
dangling
modifiers,

126-128
dangling
participles, avoiding, 20
dashes,
217-218
Dean, Dizzy, 8
Declaration
of
Independence,
The, 272
declarative sentences,
172
definite articles, 48
nouns,
35-36
degrees
of comparison, adjectives and
adverbs,
102-105
demonstrative pronouns, 54
denotations,
201,
299
dependent
(subordinate)
clauses,
152-153
adjective,
157-159
adverb,

156-157
noun,
159
subordinating conjunctions,
153-155
detail, writings,
importance
of,
280-282
Devils
Dictionary,
The,
235
dialects,
4, 302
Dickens, Charles, 259
diction, 300,
307-310
archaic
words,
304
colloquial
language,
301
dialect, 302
Edited American
English,
301
elevated diction, 301
homophones, 308-309

slang,
301
tone,
302
vernacular, 302
dictionaries,
194-195
computer
spell-check programs, 199
purchasing, 196-198
replacing,
197
specialized, 198-199
thesauruses, 201
usage
labels, 196
Dictionary
of
American
Regional
English,
199
Dictionary
of
Contemporary
Usage,
A,
198
Dictionary
of

Foreign
Phrases
and
Abbreviations,
199
Dictionary
of
Modern
English
Usage,
7, 198
Dictionary
of
Slang
and
Unconventional
English,
199
Dictionary
of
Word
and
Phrase
Origins,
198
Didion, Joan,
252
direct
objects,
81

double
negatives, 19,
108-110
doublespeak, avoiding,
318
E
e-mail
messages,
composing,
353-356
eager
and
anxious,
compared,
303
Edited American
English,
301
editing sentences,
294-295
effect
and
affect,
compared,
303
efficiency,
importance
of,
11
Elements

of
Style,
The, 10,
252
elevated diction, 301
ellipses,
217-218
398
The
Complete Idiot's Guide
to
Grammar and Style,
Second
Edition
elliptical clauses, 160
else
and
other,
compared, 105
empathy, audiences,
264-265
English
dialects, 4
ensure
and
insure
and
assure,
compared, 303
essential

appositives, 144
etymologies,
199
euphemisms,
320-321
exclamation points, 19, 207
exclamatory sentences, 172
exonerative passive voice, 75
expletives,
294-295
exposition,
271
F
farther
and
further,
compared, 304
fewer
and
less,
compared, 103
flaming
e-mail
messages,
355
flaunt
and
flout, compared, 304
foreign
term

dictionaries, 199
formal
usage,
8
formats,
business
letters,
328-330
forward
slashes,
219-220
Fowler, Henry, 7
fragments (sentence),
173-174
friendly
letters, composing,
346-347
further
and
farther,
compared, 304
future
perfect
progressive tense, 68
future
perfect
tense, 60, 68
future
progressive tense, 68
future

tense, 60, 68
G
gatekeepers, 264
genitive
case.
See
possessive case
genuine
and
authentic,
compared, 303
gerunds,
140,
147-149
"Gettysburg Address," 260
good
news
messages,
composing, 340
good
and
well,
compared,
106
grammar-checking programs, 200
grammarians
and writers, compared, 7
H
Hawthorne,
Nathaniel,

253
helping verbs,
3
7
homonyms,
245,
299
homophones,
235, 245,
308-309
hopefully,
usage,
134
hyphens,
217-218
I
idioms
misuse of, 20
modals,
70
imperative mood, 73
imperative sentences,
172
imply
and
infer,
compared, 305
incomplete sentences, 19
indefinite adjectives, 48
indefinite articles, 48-49

indefinite pronouns,
54-55,
116-118
independent
(main) clauses,
152-153
coordinating,
179-182
subordinating conjunctions,
153-155
indicative mood, 72
indirect objects, 81
infer
and
imply,
compared, 305
infinitive phrases, 140,
148-149
prepositional phrases, compared, 149
split infinitives, 18, 133
inflated
language,
320
inflections, 78
informal
usage,
8
insure
and
ensure

and
asssure,
compared, 303
intensive pronouns,
54,
83
nonstandard intensive pronouns, avoiding,
83
interjections, 56
interrogative pronouns, 54
interrogative sentences, 172
intransitive verbs, 65
irregular
adjectives,
104-105
irregular
adverbs,
104-105
irregular
verbs,
62-65
it, as unclear antecedent, 95-97
J-K
jargon,
318-319
bureaucratic
language,
319
euphemisms,
320-321

inflated
language,
320
Kidder, Tracy,
252
King,
Martin
Luther,
Jr.,
187
L
labels,
dictionaries, 196
Last
of
the
Mohicans,
The, 257
less,
least,
compared,
103
letters
bad news
340-342
business,
328-330
complaint,
350-352
condolence,

348-349
friendly,
346-347
good
news, 340
opinion,
350-353
thank
you,
338-339
like
and
as,
compared,
134-135
Lincoln,
Abraham, 260
linguistics,
7
linking
verbs, 37, 82
adjectives,
using after, 106-107
longhand, writing,
193-194
M
main
clauses.
See
independent

main clauses
many,
usage,
117
McMurtry,
Larry, 270
McPhee,
John,
252
me and
/,
compared,
83
measurements, singularity, 120
mechanics, 10
messages,
composing
bad news,
340-342
e-mail,
353-356
good
news, 340
Index
399
metaphors,
131
mixed,
avoiding, 20,
131-132

misplaced modifiers,
128-131
mispronounced words, spelling errors,
244-245
mixed
metaphors, avoiding, 20,
131-132
mnemonics,
236
modals,
70
Modern
American
Usage,
198
modified block style,
329
modifiers,
126.
See
also
adjectives; adverbs.
dangling,
126-128
misplaced,
128-131
moods
imperative, 73
indicative, 72
subjunctive, 73

verbs, 72
N
narration,
271-272
New
Dictionary
of
American
Slang,
The,
199
New
Rogefs
Thesaurus
of
the
English
Language
in
Dictionary
Form,
The, 202
nominative case (subject), 79
nonessential appositives, 144
non-native speakers of
English,
44,
49, 68,
108,
324

nonrestrictive clauses, 97
nonstandard
English,
8-9
notes, composing,
338-339
noun
clauses,
159
nouns,
27-36
appositives,
142-143
case,
78
collective, 28,
115-116
common,
28
compound,
28
definite articles,
35-36
plural,
31-34,
120
possessive,
29-30
predicate
nominatives, 80,

119
*tOO
The
Complete Idiot's Guide to
prepositional phrases, 43
pronouns,
53-56
proper,
28
word
origin, 28
numbers,
112
agreement,
119-120
collective nouns,
115-116
commas,
211
indefinite pronouns,
116-118
plural,
113-114
nouns,
120
verbs,
120-121
singular,
112-113
0

objective case (accusative), 79
one-word
commands, 166
oral
and
aural,
compared,
305
organizations,
cultures, 268
Origins:
A
Short
Etymological
Dictionary
of
Modern
English,
198
orthography, 235
Orwell,
George, 323
other
and
else,
compared,
105
Oxford
English
Dictionary,

The, 198
P
Paine,
Thomas, 260
parallel
structure,
186-189,
256
parentheses,
218-219
participle phrases, 140,
146-147
dangling
participles, avoiding, 20
parts
of speech,
27-60
passive
voice,
18,
73-75,
297
active voice, converting to,
297-298
exonerative passive voice, 75
past participles, 61
past
perfect
tense, 60, 68
past progressive

perfect
tense, 68
past progressive tense, 68
past tense, 60-61, 67-68
ir
and Style,
Second
Edition
Pennington,
James,
254
perfect
form, tenses, 60
periods, 206,
284-285
personal pronouns,
53
persuasion,
272-273
perverse rules, 15-18
phonology,
235
phrases,
139-140
adjectival,
140-141
adverbial, 140, 142
appositive,
140-145
gerund, 140

infinitive, 140
participle, 140
prepositional,
140-141
redundancies, 296
verbal, 140,
145-146
gerund,
147-148
infinitive,
148-149
participle,
146-147
See
also
clauses
Plato,
7
plural,
112
collective nouns,
115-116
indefinite pronouns,
116-118
nouns,
31-34,
120
subjects,
113-114
verbs,

113-114,
120-122
Poe,
Edgar
Allan,
253-254
Pooley,
Robert,
85
positive degree, adjectives and adverbs,
102-103
possessive
case (genitive), 79
possessive
nouns,
29-30
possessive
pronouns,
54,
94
contractions, 82
predicate
nominatives, 80,
119
predicates, 36
prefixes,
237
prepositional phrases,
43-45,
118,

140-141
adjectival,
141
adverbial, 142
infinitives,
compared,
149
Index
M)l
prepositions,
42-46
ending sentences
with,
135
present participles,
61
present
perfect
progressive tense, 68
present
perfect
tense, 60, 67
present tense,
60-61
Pride
and
Prejudice,
260
primary audiences, 264
principal parts, verbs, 61

progressive
form, tenses, 60
pronoun
references, 89-98
pronouns,
53-56,
77-78
agreement, 20
antecedents, 53
agreement,
122-124
appositives,
142-143
case,
78-79
demonstrative, 54
frequency, 94
indefinite,
54-55,
116-118
inflections, 78
intensive,
54,
83
interrogative, 54
personal, 53
placement, 20, 93
plural personal, 123
possessive,
54,

94
contractions, 82
predicate nominatives, 80,
119
pronoun
references, 89-98
reflexive, 54
nonstandard reflexive, 83
relative, 54
rules,
79-84
style,
256
proper
adjectives, 48
proper
nouns,
28
proverbs and
clichés,
compared,
323
punctuation,
203-208
apostrophes, 19,
220-222
brackets,
219
colons,
213-215

commas,
209-212
unnecessary
use of,
19
dashes,
217-218
ellipses,
217-218
exclamation marks, unnecessary use of, 19
exclamation points, 207
hyphens,
217-218
importance of,
284-286
parentheses,
218-219
periods, 206
question marks, 206-207
quotation
marks,
215-217
semicolons,
179,
213-215
slashes,
219-220
M
question marks, 206-207
questions, 279

quotation
marks,
215-217
Random
House
College
Dictionary,
The,
198
readers,
171
redundancies, 19
avoiding,
287-290
phrases,
296
repetition,
compared, 296
referents, 89-98
reflexive pronouns, 54
nonstandard reflexive pronouns, avoiding,
83
regional
term
dictionaries, 199
regular
verbs, 62
relative clauses,
158
relative pronouns, 54

repetition,
256-257
redundancy, compared, 296
restrictive clauses, 97
resumes,
330
chronological,
332-333
creating,
330-337
skills,
333-335
run-on
sentences, 19,
174-175
kdl
The
Complete
Idiot's
Guide
to
S
secondary
audiences, 264
semiblock style, 329
semicolons,
19,
179,
213-215,
284

sensual
and
sensuous,
compared,
305
sentence fragments,
173-174
sentences, 19,
165-167
active, creating,
297-298
choppy,
184-185
combining,
295-296
comma splices,
174-175
complex, 169
compound,
169
compound-complex,
170
coordination,
178-182
editing,
294-295
elements, 36
fragments,
173-174
functions, 172

length, varying,
277-279
one-word
commands, 166
parallel
structure,
186-189
prepositions, ending
with,
135
revising,
294-295
run-on,
174-175
simple, 168
stringy,
180
structure,
167,
170-171
subordination,
182-185
types, varying, 276
sexist
language,
avoiding,
312-315
silent letters, 245
simple form, verbs, 61
simple

future
tense, 68
simple past tense, 67
simple sentences, 168
singular,
112
collective nouns,
115-116
indefinite pronouns,
116-118
subjects,
112-113
verbs,
112-113
ir
and
Style,
Second
Edition
skills
resumes,
333-335
slang,
8, 301
slanted language
avoiding,
323
slashes,
219-220
speaking,

standards,
11
spell-check programs, 199
spelling,
234-235
commonly mispronounced words,
244-245
commonly misspelled words,
246-248
contractions,
241-242
homophones,
235
importance
of, 235
improving,
235-237
irregular
endings, 245
prefixes,
237
rules,
242-244
silent letters, 245
suffixes,
237-241
split infinitives, 18, 133
Standard
Written
English,

8,
301
Steele,
Richard, 270
Stevenson,
Robert
Louis, 134
stringy
sentences,
180
Strunk, William, 10
style,
10,251-253
audience
considering,
263-269
empathy,
264-265
clarity,
257-258
coherence,
255-257
consistency,
253-255
developing,
258-260
importance
of,
284-286
myths,

261-262
Orwell,
George,
323
subject
case.
See
nominative case
subjects,
36
agreement,
119-120
plural subjects,
113-114
singular
subjects,
112-113
verbs, agreement, 19