Vocabulary general 5 potx

that/which
THAT/WHICH
I must confess that I do not myself observe the distinction between “that” and “which.” Furthermore,
there is little evidence that this distinction is or has ever been regularly made in past centuries by
careful writers of English. However, a small but impassioned group of authorities has urged the
distinction; so here is the information you will need to pacify them.
If you are defining something by distinguishing it from a larger class of which it is a member, use
“that”: “I chose the lettuce that had the fewest wilted leaves.” When the general class is not being
limited or defined in some way, then “which” is appropriate: “He made an iceberg Caesar salad,
which didn’t taste quite right.” Note that “which” is normally preceded by a comma, but “that” is not.
Comments on this issue by Jack Lynch.
List of errors
file:///C|/Temp/livres/commonerrors/errors/which.html03/09/2005 15:40:07
that kind/that kind of
THAT KIND
THAT KIND OF
Although expressions like “that kind thing” are common in some dialects, standard English requires “of” in this kind of phrase.
List of errors
file:///C|/Temp/livres/commonerrors/errors/thatkind.html03/09/2005 15:40:07
theirselves
THEIRSELVES
THEMSELVES
There is no such word as “theirselves” (and you certainly can’t spell it “theirselfs” or “thierselves"); it’s “themselves.” And there is no correct singular
form of this non-word; instead of “theirself” use “himself” or “herself."
List of errors
file:///C|/Temp/livres/commonerrors/errors/theirselves.html03/09/2005 15:40:08
them
THEM
THOSE
One use of “them” for “those” has become a standard catch phrase: “how do you like them apples?” This is deliberate dialectical humor. But “I like them
little canapes with the shrimp on top” is gauche; say instead "I like those little canapes."

List of errors
file:///C|/Temp/livres/commonerrors/errors/them.html03/09/2005 15:40:08
they’re/their/there
THEY’RE/THEIR/THERE
Many people are so spooked by apostrophes that a word like “they’re” seems to them as if it might
mean almost anything. In fact, it’s always a contraction of “they are.” If you’ve written “they’re,” ask
yourself whether you can substitute “they are.” If not, you’ve made a mistake. “Their” is a possessive
pronoun like “her” or “our” “They eat their hotdogs with sauerkraut.” Everything else is “there.”
“There goes the ball, out of the park! See it? Right there! There aren’t very many home runs like
that.” “Thier” is a common misspelling, but you can avoid it by remembering that “they” and “their”
begin with the same three letters. Another hint: “there” has “here” buried inside it to remind you it
refers to place, while “their” has “heir” buried in it to remind you that it has to do with possession.
List of errors
file:///C|/Temp/livres/commonerrors/errors/their.html03/09/2005 15:40:08
therefor/therefore
THEREFOR/THEREFORE
THEREFOR/THEREFORE The form without a final “E” is an archaic bit of legal terminology
meaning “for.” The word most people want is “therefore.”
List of errors
file:///C|/Temp/livres/commonerrors/errors/therefor.html03/09/2005 15:40:08
there” s
THERE’S
People often forget that “there’s” is a contraction of “there is” and mistakenly say “there’s three burrs
caught in your hair” when they mean “there’re” ("there are"). Use “there’s” only when referring to
one item. “There’s” can also be a contraction of “there has,” as in “There’s been some mistake in this
bill, clerk!"”
List of errors
file:///C|/Temp/livres/commonerrors/errors/there's.html03/09/2005 15:40:09
these are them
THESE ARE THEM/THESE ARE THEY

Although only the pickiest listeners will cringe when you say “these are them,” the traditionally
correct phrase is “these are they,” because “they” is the predicate nominative of “these.” However, if
people around you seem more comfortable with “it’s me” than “it’s I,” you might as well stick with
“these are them."
List of errors
file:///C|/Temp/livres/commonerrors/errors/thesearethem.html03/09/2005 15:40:09
these kind
THESE KIND
THIS KIND
In a sentence like “I love this kind of chocolates,” “this” modifies “kind” (singular) and not “chocolates” (plural), so it would be incorrect to change it to
“I love these kind of chocolates.” Only if “kind” itself is pluralized into “kinds” should “this” shift to “these“: “You keep making these kinds of
mistakes!"
List of errors
file:///C|/Temp/livres/commonerrors/errors/these.html03/09/2005 15:40:09
these ones
THESE ONES
THESE
By itself, there’s nothing wrong with the word “ones” as a plural: “surrounded by her loved ones.” However, “this one” should not be pluralized to
“these ones.” Just say “these."
List of errors
file:///C|/Temp/livres/commonerrors/errors/these_ones.html03/09/2005 15:40:10
they/their (singular)
THEY/THEIR (SINGULAR)
Using the plural pronoun to refer to a single person of unspecified gender is an old and honorable
pattern in English, not a newfangled bit of degeneracy or a politically correct plot to avoid sexism
(though it often serves the latter purpose). People who insist that “Everyone has brought his own
lunch” is the only correct form do not reflect the usage of centuries of fine writers. A good general
rule is that only when the singular noun does not specify an individual can it be replaced plausibly
with a plural pronoun: “Everybody” is a good example. We know that “everybody” is singular
because we say “everybody is here,“ not “everybody are here” yet we tend to think of “everybody” as

a group of individuals, so we usually say “everybody brought their own grievances to the bargaining
table.” “Anybody” is treated similarly.
However, in many written sentences the use of singular “their” and “they” creates an irritating clash
even when it passes unnoticed in speech. It is wise to shun this popular pattern in formal writing.
Often expressions can be pluralized to make the “they” or “their” indisputably proper: “All of them
have brought their own lunches.” “People” can often be substituted for “each.” Americans seldom
avail themselves of the otherwise very handy British “one” to avoid specifying gender because it
sounds to our ears rather pretentious: “One’s hound should retrieve only one’s own grouse.” If you
decide to try “one,” don’t switch to “they” in mid-sentence: “One has to be careful about how they
speak” sounds absurd because the word “one” so emphatically calls attention to its singleness. The
British also quite sensibly treat collective bodies like governmental units and corporations as plural
(“Parliament have approved their agenda”) whereas Americans insist on treating them as singular.
List of errors
file:///C|/Temp/livres/commonerrors/errors/they.html03/09/2005 15:40:10