| A | B |
|---|
| all the farther/faster | DO NOT USE. Use "as far as/as fast as" |
| and etc. | DO NOT USE. Use "etc." |
| anywheres/everywheres/nowheres | DO NOT USE with "s" on the end |
| as if/as though | use instead of "like" if hooking two clauses together |
| being as/being that | DO NOT USE. Use "since" or "because" |
| bust, busted | DO NOT USE. Use "burst" or "break" |
| can't hardly | DO NOT USE. Use "can hardly" or "can't" |
| can't scarcely | DO NOT USE. Use "can scarcely" or "can't" |
| could of | DO NOT USE "of" after a verb; use "could have" or "could've" |
| don't | CANNOT WORK with "he, she, it"; use "doesn't" |
| had of | DO NOT USE "of after a verb; use "had" alone |
| had ought | Use "ought" alone |
| he, she, they with noun subject | DO NOT USE a double subject |
| kind of a | use "kind of" alone to mean "type" or "variety" |
| kind of/sort of | DO NOT USE to mean "how much"; use "rather" or "somewhat" |
| might of, must of | DO NOT USE "of" after a verb; use "have" or "'ve" |
| off of | DO NOT USE two prepositions together; use "off" alone |
| sort of a | use "sort of" alone to mean "type" or "variety" |
| that there | DO NOT USE; use "that" alone |
| this here | DO NOT USE; use "this" alone |
| try and | DO NOT USE; use "try to" |
| when/where | DO NOT USE these words in a definition |
| accept | to receive (verb) |
| affect | to influence (verb) |
| allusion | reference to something (noun) |
| among | in THREE or more items |
| as | use instead of "like" after a verb to hook two clauses together (conjunction) |
| at after where | DO NOT USE after "where" or at end of sentence |
| beside | by the side of (preposition) |
| besides | in addition to (preposition) |
| between | in TWO items |
| bring | to come carrying something |
| discover | to find something that already exists |
| effect | result of some action (noun); accomplish or bring about (verb) |
| emigrate | to to fro a country to settle elsewhere |
| except | excluding (preposition); leave out (verb) |
| fewer | not so many; use before a PLURAL noun |
| good | beneficial, successful or favorable; tells "what kind", not how (adj) |
| hardly | with difficulty; do not use after "not" |
| illusion | false or overly optimistic idea (noun) |
| immigrate | to come into a country to settle there |
| imply | to suggest something |
| infer | to interpret or get meaning from a remark or an action |
| invent | to be the first to make something not known before |
| lay, laid, have laid | to put down |
| learn | to acquire information |
| leave | to go away |
| less | not so much; use before a SINGULAR noun |
| let | to permit or allow |
| lie, lay, have lain | to be on a horizontal surface |
| like | resembling (preposition); do not use to combine clauses |
| of | do not use after a verb (might, should, could, would, had) or another preposition (outside, inside, off) |
| ought | should; do not use with "had" |
| raise | to lift up |
| respectfully | with full respect |
| respectively | each in the order given |
| rise | to go up |
| set | put something in place |
| shall | intend to; use only with "I" or "we" |
| sit | become seated |
| some | do not use as adverb to mean "to what extent": use "somewhat" |
| take | to leave carrying something |
| teach | to instruct or provide information |
| than | conjunction used in comparisions |
| that | refers to people or things (pronoun) |
| them | those people or things (pronoun); DO NOT USE in front of a noun |
| then | at that time (adverb) |
| way | distance; do not use "ways" |
| well | skillfully (adverb); healthy, attractively groomed, satisfactory (adjective) |
| what | the thing that; do not use to introduce an adjective clause |
| which | refers only to things (pronoun) |
| who | refers only to people as a subject (pronoun) |
| whom | refers only to people as an object of verb or preposition (pronoun) |
