NOTE

We will use the standard of underlining subjects once and verbs twice.

Being able to find the right subject and verb will help you correct errors of
subject-verb agreement.

Basic Rule. A singular subject (she, Bill, car) takes a singular verb (is, goes,
shines), whereas a plural subject takes a plural verb.

Example: The list of items is/are on the desk.

If you know that list is the subject, then you will choose isfor the verb.

Rule 1. A subject will come before a phrase beginning with of. This is a key
rule for understanding subjects. The word of is the culprit in many, perhaps
most, subject-verb mistakes.

Hasty writers, speakers, readers, and listeners might miss the all-too-common
mistake in the following sentence:

Incorrect: A bouquet of yellow roses lend color and fragrance to the

room.

Correct: A bouquet of yellow roses lends . . . (bouquet lends, not roses

lend)

Rule 2. Two singular subjects connected by or, either/or, orneither/nor require

a singular verb.

Examples:
My aunt or my uncle is arriving by train today.
Neither Juan nor Carmen is available.
Either Kiana or Casey is helping today with stage decorations.
Rule 3. The verb in an or, either/or, or neither/nor sentence agrees with the
noun or pronoun closest to it.

Examples:
Neither the plates nor the serving bowl goes on that shelf.
Neither the serving bowl nor the plates go on that shelf.

This rule can lead to bumps in the road. For example, if I is one of two (or
more) subjects, it could lead to this odd sentence:

Awkward: Neither she, my friends, nor I am going to the festival.

If possible, it's best to reword such grammatically correct but awkward

sentences.

Better:
Neither she, I, nor my friends are going to the festival.
OR
She, my friends, and I are not going to the festival.

Rule 4. As a general rule, use a plural verb with two or more subjects when
they are connected by and.

Example: A car and a bike are my means of transportation.

But note these exceptions:

Exceptions:
Breaking and entering is against the law.
The bed and breakfast was charming.

In those sentences, breaking and entering and bed and breakfast are
compound nouns.
Rule 5a. Sometimes the subject is separated from the verb by such words
as along with, as well as, besides, not, etc. These words and phrases are not
part of the subject. Ignore them and use a singular verb when the subject is
singular.

Examples:
The politician, along with the newsmen, is expectedshortly.
Excitement, as well as nervousness, is the cause of her shaking.

Rule 5b. Parentheses are not part of the subject.

Example: Joe (and his trusty mutt) was always welcome.

If this seems awkward, try rewriting the sentence.

Rule 6. In sentences beginning with here or there, the true subject follows the
verb.

Examples:
There are four hurdles to jump.
There is a high hurdle to jump.
Here are the keys.

NOTE:

The word there's, a contraction of there is, leads to bad habits in informal
sentences like There's a lot of people here today, because it's easier to say
"there's" than "there are." Take care never to usethere's with a plural subject.

Rule 7. Use a singular verb with distances, periods of time, sums of money,
etc., when considered as a unit.

Examples:
Three miles is too far to walk.
 Five years is the maximum sentence for that offense.
Ten dollars is a high price to pay.
BUT
Ten dollars (i.e., dollar bills) were scattered on the floor.

Rule 8. With words that indicate portions—e.g., a lot, a majority, some, all—
Rule 1 given earlier in this section is reversed, and we are guided by the noun
after of. If the noun after of is singular, use a singular verb. If it is plural, use a
plural verb.

Examples:
A lot of the pie has disappeared.
A lot of the pies have disappeared.
A third of the city is unemployed.
A third of the people are unemployed.
All of the pie is gone.
All of the pies are gone.
Some of the pie is missing.
Some of the pies are missing.

NOTE

In recent years, the SAT testing service has considered none to be strictly
singular. However, according to Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English
Usage: "Clearly none has been both singular and plural since Old English and
still is. The notion that it is singular only is a myth of unknown origin that
appears to have arisen in the 19th century. If in context it seems like a
singular to you, use a singular verb; if it seems like a plural, use a plural verb.
Both are acceptable beyond serious criticism." When none is clearly intended
to mean "not one," it is followed by a singular verb.

Rule 9. With collective nouns such

as group, jury, family,audience, population, the verb might be singular or
plural, depending on the writer's intent.
 Examples:
All of my family has arrived OR have arrived.
Most of the jury is here OR are here.
A third of the population was not in favor OR were not in favor of the bill.

NOTE

Anyone who uses a plural verb with a collective noun must take care to be
accurate—and also consistent. It must not be done carelessly. The following
is the sort of flawed sentence one sees and hears a lot these days:

The staff is deciding how they want to vote.

Careful speakers and writers would avoid assigning the singular isand the
plural they to staff in the same sentence.

Consistent: The staff are deciding how they want to vote.

Rewriting such sentences is recommended whenever possible. The preceding

sentence would read even better as:

The staff members are deciding how they want to vote.

Rule 10. The word were replaces was in sentences that express a wish or are
contrary to fact:

Example: If Joe were here, you'd be sorry.

Shouldn't Joe be followed by was, not were, given that Joe is singular? But
Joe isn't actually here, so we say were, not was. The sentence demonstrates
the subjunctive mood, which is used to express things that are hypothetical,
wishful, imaginary, or factually contradictory. The subjunctive mood pairs
singular subjects with what we usually think of as plural verbs.
 Examples:
I wish it were Friday.
She requested that he raise his hand.

In the first example, a wishful statement, not a fact, is being expressed;

therefore, were, which we usually think of as a plural verb, is used with the
singular it. (Technically, it is the singular subject of the object clause in the
subjunctive mood: it were Friday.)

Normally, he raise would sound terrible to us. However, in the second

example, where a request is being expressed, the subjunctive mood is
correct.

Note: The subjunctive mood is losing ground in spoken English but should still
be used in formal speech and writing.
While grammar is not as static a science as is typically assumed, there are 20 rules of subject verb
agreement that attempt to objectify part of the English language form. Most of the concepts of
subject verb agreement are straightforward, yet some aspects of singular and plural usage in English
grammar are more complicated.
Consider the second person plural pronoun "y'all" as it's used in the southern American
dialect, for example. Addressing a group of people in the second person using standard
English is inefficient and requires more words.
A sentence like "I want to talk to all of you sitting at the table" in standard English can be
accomplished quite simply in southern American dialect with the sentence "I want to talk to
y'all."
Consequently, the 20 rules of subject verb agreement will vary somewhat by dialect.

What Are the Rules?

1. Subjects and verbs must agree in number. This is the cornerstone rule that forms the
background of the concept. In these examples the subject is underlined and the verb is in
italics
The dog growls when he is angry. The dogs growl when they are angry.
2. Don’t get confused by the words that come between the subject and verb; they do not
affect agreement.
The dog, who is chewing on my jeans, is usually very good.
3. Prepositional phrases between the subject and verb usually do not affect agreement.
The colors of the rainbow are beautiful.
4. When sentences start with “there” or “here,” the subject will always be placed after the
verb, so care needs to be taken to identify it correctly.
There is a problem with the balance sheet. Here are the papers you requested.
5. Subjects don't always come before verbs in questions. Make sure you accurately identify
the subject before deciding on the proper verb form to use.
Where are the pieces of this puzzle?
6. If two subjects are joined by "and," they typically require a plural verb form.
The cow and the pig are jumping over the moon.
7. The verb is singular if the two subjects separated by "and" refer to the same person or
thing.
Red beans and rice is my mom's favorite dish.
8. If one of the words "each," "every," or "no" comes before the subject, the verb is singular.
No smoking or drinking is allowed. Every man and woman is required to check in.
9. If the subjects are both singular and are connected by the words "or," "nor," "neither/nor,"
"either/or," and "not only/but also" the verb is singular.
Jessica or Christian is to blame for the accident.
10. The only time when the object of the preposition factors into the decision of plural or
singular verb forms is when noun and pronoun subjects like "some," "half," "none," "more,"
or "all" are followed by a prepositional phrase. In these sentences, the object of the
preposition determines the form of the verb.
All of the chicken is gone. All of the chickens are gone.
11. The singular verb form is usually used for units of measurement or time.
Four quarts of oil was required to get the car running.
12. If the subjects are both plural and are connected by the words "or," "nor," "neither/nor,"
"either/or," and "not only/but also" the verb is plural.
Dogs and cats are both available at the pound.
13. If one subject is singular and one plural and the words are connected by the words "or,"
"nor," "neither/nor," "either/or," and "not only/but also", you use the verb form of the subject
that is nearest the verb.
Either the bears or the lion has escaped from the zoo. Neither the lion nor
thebears have escaped from the zoo.
14. Indefinite pronouns typically take singular verbs. *
Everybody wants to be loved.
15. * Except for the pronouns "few," "many," "several," "both," "all," and "some" that always
take the plural form.
Few were left alive after the flood.
16. If two infinitives are separated by "and" they take the plural form of the verb.
To walk and to chew gum require great skill.
17. When gerunds are used as the subject of a sentence, they take the singular form of the
verb; but, when they are linked by "and," they take the plural form.
Standing in the water was a bad idea. Swimming in the ocean and playing
drums are my hobbies.
18. Collective nouns like "herd," "senate," "class," and "crowd," usually take a singular verb
form.
The herd is stampeding.
19. Titles of books, movies, novels, etc. are treated as singular and take a singular verb.
The Burbs is a movie starring Tom Hanks.
20. Final Rule – Remember, only the subject affects the verb!
For more examples, check out Examples of Subject Verb Agreement.

Challenges of Grammar Rules

The problem with some grammar rules, from the perspective of modern linguistics, is that
there is not one absolute grammar rule in the English language. Most American native-
English speakers equate standard English with being correct and any non-standard
variation of English with being incorrect.
In reality, however, the concept of standard American English is really the privileging of a particular
dialect of English that originates from the Ohio River Valley. This is the dialect of English that the
anchors of the nightly news speak and that we base our notions of correctand incorrect grammar on.
It is important to recognize that no grammar usage is any more correct or incorrect than any other on
a functional level, and our notions of correct andincorrect are culturally constructed.

Common
Correct spelling Spelling advice
misspelling
accomodate,
accommodate,accommodation two cs, two ms
accomodation
achieve i before e acheive
across one c accross
aggressive,aggression two gs agressive, agression
apparently -ent not -ant apparantly
appearance ends with -ance appearence
argument no e after the u arguement
assassination two double s’s assasination
basically ends with -ally basicly
beginning double n before the -ing begining
believe i before e beleive, belive
bizarre one z, double -r bizzare
business begins with busi- buisness
calendar -ar not -er calender
Caribbean one r, two bs Carribean
cemetery ends with -ery cemetary
chauffeur ends with -eur chauffer
colleague -ea- in the middle collegue
coming one m comming
double m, doublet,
committee commitee
double e
completely ends with -ely completly
conscious -sc- in the middle concious
curiosity -os- in the middle curiousity
definitely -ite- not –ate- definately
dilemma -mm- not -mn- dilemna
disappear one s, two ps dissapear
disappoint one s, two ps dissapoint
ecstasy ends with –sy ecstacy
embarrass two rs, two s’s embarass
environment n before the m enviroment
existence ends with -ence existance
Fahrenheit begins with Fahr- Farenheit
familiar ends with -iar familar
finally two ls finaly
fluorescent begins with fluor- florescent
foreign e before i foriegn
foreseeable begins with fore- forseeable
forty begins with for- fourty
forward begins with for- foward
friend i before e freind
further begins with fur- futher
gist begins with g- jist
glamorous -mor- in the middle glamourous
government n before the m goverment
guard begins with gua- gaurd
happened ends with -ened happend
harrass,
harass,harassment one r, two s’s
harrassment
honorary -nor- in the middle honourary
humorous -mor- in the middle humourous
idiosyncrasy ends with -asy idiosyncracy
immediately ends with -ely immediatly
incidentally ends with -ally incidently
independent ends with -ent independant
interrupt two rs interupt
irresistible ends with -ible irresistable
knowledge remember the d knowlege
remember the
liaise, liaison liase, liason
second i: liais-
lollipop i in the middle lollypop
millennium, millennia double l, double n millenium, millenia
Neanderthal ends with -thal Neandertal
necessary one c, two s’s neccessary
noticeable remember the middle e noticable
occasion two cs, one s ocassion, occassion
occurred, occurring two cs, two rs occured, occuring
two cs, two rs, -ence not - occurance,
occurrence
ance occurence
pavilion one l pavillion
persistent ends with -ent persistant
pharaoh ends with -aoh pharoah
piece i before e peice
politician ends with -cian politican
Portuguese ends with –guese Portugese
 two s’s in the middle and
possession posession
two at the end
preferred, preferring two rs prefered, prefering
propaganda begins with propa- propoganda
publicly ends with –cly publically
really two ls realy
receive e before i recieve
referred, referring two rs refered, refering
religious ends with -gious religous
remember -mem- in the middle rember, remeber
resistance ends with -ance resistence
sense ends with -se sence
separate -par- in the middle seperate
siege i before e seige
successful two cs, two s’s succesful
supersede ends with -sede supercede
surprise begins with sur- suprise
tattoo two ts, two os tatoo
tendency ends with -ency tendancy
therefore ends with -fore therefor
threshold one h in the middle threshhold
tommorow,
tomorrow one m, two rs
tommorrow
begins with ton-, ends
tongue tounge
with -gue
truly no e truely
unforeseen remember the eafter the r unforseen
unfortunately ends with -ely unfortunatly
until one l at the end untill
weird e before i wierd
wherever one e in the middle whereever
which begins with wh- wich

 absence  knowledge
 address  leisure
 advice  library
 all right  license
 arctic  maintenance
 beginning  mathematics
 believe  mediocre
 bicycle  millennium
 broccoli  miniature
 bureau  miscellaneous
 calendar  mischievous
 camaraderie  misspell
 ceiling  mysterious
 cemetery  necessary
 changeable  neighbor
 conscientious  nuclear
 conscious  occasion
 decease  occurrence
 deceive  odyssey
 definite  piece
 descent  pigeon
 desperate  playwright
 device  precede
 disastrous  prejudice
 ecstasy  privilege
 embarrass  pumpkin
 exercise  raspberry
 fascinate  receive
 February  rhythm
 fiery  sacrilegious
 fluorescent  science
 foreign  scissors
 government  separate
 grateful  sincerely
 guarantee  special
 harass  thorough
 height  through
 humorous  truly
 independent  until
 jealous  Wednesday
 jewelry  weird
  judgment  you're
 ketchup

1. abate
become less in amount or intensity

2. abdicate
give up, such as power, as of monarchs and emperors

3. aberration
a state or condition markedly different from the norm

4. abstain
refrain from doing, consuming, or partaking in something

5. adversity
a state of misfortune or affliction

6. aesthetic
characterized by an appreciation of beauty or good taste

7. amicable
 characterized by friendship and good will

8. anachronistic
chronologically misplaced

9. arid
lacking sufficient water or rainfall

10. asylum
a shelter from danger or hardship

11. benevolent
showing or motivated by sympathy and understanding

12. bias
a partiality preventing objective consideration of an issue

13. boisterous
full of rough and exuberant animal spirits

14. brazen
unrestrained by convention or propriety

15. brusque
 marked by rude or peremptory shortness

16. camaraderie
the quality of affording easy familiarity and sociability

17. canny
showing self-interest and shrewdness in dealing with others

18. capacious
large in the amount that can be contained

19. capitulate
surrender under agreed conditions

20. clairvoyant
someone who can perceive things not present to the senses

21. collaborate
work together on a common enterprise or project

22. compassion
a deep awareness of and sympathy for another's suffering

23. compromise
 an accommodation in which both sides make concessions

24. condescending
characteristic of those who treat others with arrogance

25. conditional
imposing or depending on or containing an assumption

26. conformist
someone who follows established standards of conduct

27. conundrum
a difficult problem

28. convergence
the act of coming closer

29. deleterious
harmful to living things

30. demagogue
a leader who seeks support by appealing to popular passions

31. digression
 a message that departs from the main subject

32. diligent
quietly and steadily persevering in detail or exactness

33. discredit
the state of being held in low esteem

34. disdain
lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike

35. divergent
tending to move apart in different directions

36. empathy
understanding and entering into another's feelings

37. emulate
strive to equal or match, especially by imitating

38. enervating
causing weakness or debilitation

39. ephemeral
 anything short-lived, as an insect that lives only for a day

40. evanescent
tending to vanish like vapor

41. exemplary
worthy of imitation

42. extenuating
partially excusing or justifying

43. florid
elaborately or excessively ornamented

44. forbearance
a delay in enforcing rights or claims or privileges

45. fortitude
strength of mind that enables one to endure adversity

46. fortuitous
occurring by happy chance

47. foster
 providing nurture though not related by blood or legal ties

48. fraught
filled with or attended with

49. frugal
avoiding waste

50. hackneyed
repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse

51. haughty
having or showing arrogant superiority

52. hedonist
someone motivated by desires for sensual pleasures

53. hypothesis
a tentative insight that is not yet verified or tested

54. impetuous
characterized by undue haste and lack of thought

55. impute
 attribute or credit to

56. inconsequential
lacking worth or importance

57. inevitable
incapable of being avoided or prevented

58. intrepid
invulnerable to fear or intimidation

59. intuitive
spontaneously derived from or prompted by a natural tendency

60. jubilation
a feeling of extreme joy

61. lobbyist
someone who is employed to persuade how legislators vote

62. longevity
the property of having lived for a considerable time

63. mundane
 found in the ordinary course of events

64. nonchalant
marked by blithe unconcern

65. opulent
rich and superior in quality

66. orator
a person who delivers a speech

67. ostentatious
intended to attract notice and impress others

68. parched
dried out by heat or excessive exposure to sunlight

69. perfidious
tending to betray

70. pragmatic
concerned with practical matters

71. precocious
 characterized by exceptionally early development

72. pretentious
creating an appearance of importance or distinction

73. procrastinate
postpone doing what one should be doing

74. prosaic
lacking wit or imagination

75. prosperity
the condition of having good fortune

76. provocative
serving or tending to excite or stimulate

77. prudent
marked by sound judgment

78. querulous
habitually complaining

79. rancorous
 showing deep-seated resentment

80. reclusive
withdrawn from society; seeking solitude

81. reconciliation
the reestablishment of cordial relations

82. renovation
the act of improving by renewing and restoring

83. restrained
under control

84. reverence
a feeling of profound respect for someone or something

85. sagacity
the ability to understand and discriminate between relations

86. scrutinize
examine carefully for accuracy

87. spontaneous
 said or done without having been planned in advance

88. spurious
plausible but false

89. submissive
inclined or willing to give in to orders or wishes of others

90. substantiate
establish or strengthen as with new evidence or facts

91. subtle
difficult to detect or grasp by the mind or analyze

92. superficial
of, affecting, or being on or near the surface

93. superfluous
more than is needed, desired, or required

94. surreptitious
marked by quiet and caution and secrecy

95. tactful
 having a sense of what is considerate in dealing with others

96. tenacious
stubbornly unyielding

97. transient
lasting a very short time

98. venerable
profoundly honored

99. vindicate
show to be right by providing justification or proof

100. wary
marked by keen caution and watchful prudence

misused words

1. Hear, Hear.
The phrase isn’t “here, here”.
“Hear, hear” originated in the British House of Commons and is a
short form of the cheer for “hear him, hear him”. They don’t do
applause much in Parliament, so this phrase is a substitute for
that.

2. For all intents and purposes

The phrase is not “for all intensive purposes”. I suppose it’s
possible that your purposes could be intense, but the right phrase
is “intents and purposes”.

3. Et cetera
The abbreviation “etc.” when spelled out is “et cetera” not “ex
cetera”. It’s Latin for “and the rest”. You might also run into “et
al.”, which is an abbreviation of the Latin et alia and means “and
others”. You need the period after “al.” to indicate that it’s an
abbreviation.

4. Rein it in
Think horses. When you rein something in, you’re slowing it down
or bringing it more under control. “Reign” is the word used to
describe the rule of a monarch. Similarly, if you give someone “free
rein”, you’re letting them have a bit of leeway, not giving them a
throne or a kingdom.
5. In regard to
It should either be “as regards”, “with regard to”, or “in regard to”.
“In regards to” is a popular misuse.

6. You and Me vs. You and I

First trick: The other person comes first in the sentence (think of it
as good manners). So it would be correct to say “Susan and Me”,
not “Me and Susan”. Now, as for whether you use “me” or “I”?

Second trick: Read the sentence without the other person in it, and
see if it sounds right. For example: “Amber sent copies of her book
to Susan and I”. Remove Susan, and you’re left with “Amber sent
copies of her book to I.” Nope, that doesn’t work. Here, the proper
personal pronoun is “me”.

Or “Jim and me went to the movies”. You wouldn’t say “Me went
to the movies” unless you’re Cookie Monster, so here you’d use “I”.

7. Cite/Site/Sight
“Cite” means to reference, quote, or mention something. You’d cite
an article or a blog post in your book, perhaps.

“Site” is a location. Construction site, site of the crime, even the

virtual world of the web site.

“Sight” is either something that is seen (You’re a sight for sore

eyes!), the act of seeing something (you might sight land in your
binoculars), or even an aspiration (like setting your sights on a
particular career goal). And by the way, you go “sightseeing”, not
“siteseeing”.

8. Could Have/Should Have

The proper phrase is “could have” or “should have”, and the
contraction is “could’ve”. In our patterns of speech in American
English, both the phrase and the contraction sound like “could of”
or “should of” when pronounced (and that’s likely why this
confusion started in the first place) but they’re incorrect.

9. Couldn’t Care Less

If you could care less, that means you actually are capable of
caring less, which isn’t what you’re going for when you’re driven to
use this phrase. If the truth is that you can’t imagine caring any
less than you do about something, the proper phrase is “couldn’t
care less.”

10.Supposedly
Not “supposably”. Ever.

11. Enamored Of
This one isn’t nearly as common. and I confess it’s a bit nitpicky as
the incorrect version is pretty widely accepted now. The correct
phrase is actually “enamored of”, not “enamored by”. “Enamored
with” is okay, but not necessarily preferred if you’re the grammar
snot type. If you’re “enamored by” Justin Bieber, that actually
means he’s all smitten with you, you lucky dog.

English is weird, I know.

12. Dialogue
A dialogue is a conversation or discussion. It’s a noun, a thing. You
don’t “dialogue” with someone, you “have a dialogue”. Yes, I know
it’s become common in business language to use dialogue as a
verb. But it’s jargon and it sounds terrible in correspondence.

We could do a whole post on jargon, but for the moment, I digress.

13. Flesh out and Flush out

You “flesh out” an idea to add substance to it and develop it
further. Think adding more flesh to the bone. You “flush out” the
rabbit from the hedges or the ducks from the marsh or the
criminal from his hiding place.

14. Gibe and Jibe (and Jive)

If your ideas don’t mesh well, they didn’t jibe (which means they
didn’t agree). If they didn’t jive that probably means they needed a
lot more rhythm and that guy from Airplane. A “gibe” is a joke or a
tease.
15. Say Your Piece
If you’re about to “say your piece”, that means you’re about to
speak aloud a piece of your writing or perhaps give a piece of your
mind. You don’t “say your peace”.

At a wedding, you either “speak now or forever hold your peace”,

which means to maintain your silence forever and ever. If you’re
“holding your piece” I certainly hope you’re a police officer or in
the privacy of your own home.

16. Cue and Queue

If you’re standing in line, you’re in a queue or “queuing up”. If
you’re scheduling a post or piece of content, you’re “queuing it up”
or “putting it in the queue”. It’s such a strange word to look at and
type, but it has French origins and is correct in these contexts
when you mean to put something into a schedule or process.

Cues are things like pool sticks and indicators for actors to speak
their parts.

17. Case In Point

This is often confused as “case and point”, but that’s incorrect. We
don’t really use the phrase “in point” much anymore — that’s kind
of old English usage when discussing something that’s relevant —
 but the correct phrase is “case in point” when you’re referencing
an example to support something.
18. Toe The Line
You don’t tow it (unless you’re Mater).

Toeing the line is about teetering on the edge of that line so closely
that you’re near to stepping over it. Sassy people like me toe the
line often and nearly get in trouble. But not quite. Mostly.

19. If you don’t mind my asking…

This one is a bit of an obscure and little-known grammar thing,
and one of those rules where — when you use it correctly — people
are probably going to think you’re doing it wrong when you’re one
of the few who is doing it right.

But the proper way to say a phrase like this with a gerund — that’s a
verb ending in -ing — is to use the possessive form of the adjective
“my”, rather than saying “If you don’t mind me asking”. Think of it
like this: the asking is an action that belongs to you. Another
example? “Do you think my speaking at this event would be a good
career move?”

It’s a common misuse but not a commonly known rule so I’m

chucking it in here as a “well isn’t that nifty”.

20. Adverse and Averse

If I had a dollar for every time I read this one…
Adverse is an adjective meaning “bad”, like having an adverse
reaction to a food or a bee sting, or when referring to adverse
weather conditions.

If you’re against doing something or avoid it whenever you can,

you’re averseto it. I have an aversion to peas. Whoever decided
that mushy green balls constituted food needs to have their taste
buds checked.

21. Home In
If you’re getting closer to a location or an idea or the central point
of an argument, you’rehoming in on it. The phrase comes from the
old use of homing pigeons. The common misuse is to say hone
in on something, based on mishearing home as hone when the
phrase is spoken aloud.

Hone is a perfectly legitimate word, which means to sharpen (as in

a knife edge). But hone inisn’t the correct phrase.

I’ll admit in advance that, like many language usage things, there
is some debate over this one. Some say hone in is an appropriate
use since it’s become so common.

I realize language evolves, in some cases for good reason (say, we

need a word to describe something that hasn’t existed in that
context before). But in this case, when there’s a perfectly
reasonable and correct alternative that means what you intended
in the first place and the misuse is simply due to hearing
something incorrectly, why not learn and use the correct phrase?
<end curmudgeonly grumbling>
22. Irrespective
This is the correct word when you mean “regardless
of”. Irregardless is not a correct word. By its very nature it is a
double negative. The end.

[Ed. — People have passionately argued with me on this one. Just

because it’s in the dictionary does not make it correct or good
grammar. Just because people use it doesn’t mean it’s good, either.
I specifically worded this to say it’s not a correct word since,
technically, the word exists even if I think it’s the sloppiest piece of
garbage known to the English language aside from text-speak and
I believe you sound silly when you use it. Hate on me all you like.]

See my previous point about accepting incorrect things simply

because people persist in using them incorrectly. Grammar snob,
out.

23. Champing at the Bit

Believe it or not, this is the correct phrase, not chomping at the
bit. Champingmeans making loud biting or chewing noises, and of
course the bit part is in reference to the bit of rubber or metal
that’s in a horse’s mouth when they have a bridle on. They love to
chew at it noisily, thus the origin of the phrase.

There you go. Impress your friends. They’ll think you’re wrong,
but that’s ok. You can send them to this post (or Google) and gloat.

24. Bated Breath

When you are anticipating something so much that you’re hardly
breathing, you’re waiting with bated breath. The verb abate means
to lessen or reduce, which is where this word comes from.

If you wait with baited breath you might need to ditch the herring
and grab a toothbrush.

25. Principal and Principle

Principal means a bunch of different things, but the confusion is
usually because the words are pronounced exactly the same way so
it’s impossible to tell in spoken language which is being used.

The first use of principal is when it is an adjective meaning first,

primary, or main; for example, “the principal reason that I’m
concerned with this contract is…”.

As a noun, principal is sometimes used in job titles, as in the

“principal architect”. You have a principal of a school. The part of
your mortgage that isn’t interest is the principal (i.e. the main part
of the loan). The word has several meanings with this spelling, so
when in doubt, look it up.

A principle is a noun only and means a rule, doctrine, belief, law,

or tenet (which, by the way, is not a tenant. Those live in buildings
or dwellings or some kind. Hey! Bonus grammar oopsie.).

26. Sneak Peek

Often written incorrectly as sneak peak, this phrase is about
getting a special glimpse at something, not a secret mountain
summit. Unless you’re climbing a mountain secretly, in which case
I guess you could have a sneak peak.

But most often what you mean to write is sneak peek. Don’t let the
“ea” part of sneak make you write it twice.

27. Loath To
If you are unwilling or reluctant to do something, you are loath
to do it. If you also hate it, you might indeed loathe it. But they are
definitely different words, and leaving the “e” off of loath is not a
mistake!

I loathe doing laundry, but I am loath to let it pile up for weeks

since I’ll run out of underwear.

28. Fewer vs. Less

The simplest way to remember which of these to
use: Fewer typically refers to individual, discrete numbers of
things that you could count one by one. There are fewer people in
that line than this one. (Though that never seems to be the case
when I choose a grocery line.)

Less refers to volume, or an amount. There is less water in that

glass than there was before. There is less interest in reading
newspapers these days.

The possible confusing exception here is around time or money.

We usually refer to those as amounts rather than specific
numbers, so we have less time and less money than we often wish
to.

29. By Accident
Please. For the love of all things sacred. The proper preposition
here is by. Things happen by accident, not on accident. Please?
Thank you.

30. By popular demand: Affect

vs. Effect
In the last post I said I wasn’t going to tackle some of the more
commonly addressed errors since they’re in so many places. But
several people mentioned and asked about this one, so here goes.
This is a confusing one, so it’s no wonder it so often gets mangled.

Most of the time, you can think of affect as a verb and effect as a
noun. For example, you affectsomething (influence it) and end up
having an effect(result) on it. You also have personal effects in
your briefcase or that you collect when you make bail. The
Mythbusters guys are awesome at special effects.

A less common but correct use of affect as a verb is also to put on

an exaggerated display. It’s most often heard in phrases like
“affecting an air of sophistication”.

The weird ones:

 Effect as a verb meaning “create”, as in “I’m eager to effect
change in this organization.” Business gurus, take note.
 Affect as a noun, where the emphasis is on the first syllable
(AF-fect). It refers to an emotion or an emotional state. This
usage isn’t common unless you’re a scientist or doctor of some
kind, but it’s a legitimate use of this word.

I know. It’s confusing. Did I mention English is weird? It is.

31. Used To
You used to be a kid and now you’re an adult. Or most of you are,
anyway.

The smooshed-together “d” and “t” between used and to makes

this phrase sound like use to. Same goes for supposed
to (not suppose to)

Accept vs. Except

These two words sound similar but have very different

meanings. Accept means to receive something willingly: “His
mom accepted his explanation” or “She accepted the gift
graciously.” Except signifies exclusion: “I can attend every meeting except the
one next week.”

To help you remember, note that both except and exclusion begin with ex.

Affect vs. Effect

To make these words even more confusing than they already are, both can be
used as either a noun or a verb.
Let’s start with the verbs. Affect means to influence something or
someone; effectmeans to accomplish something. “Your job was affected by
the organizational restructuring” but “These changes will be effected on
Monday.”

As a noun, an effect is the result of something: “The sunny weather had a

huge effect on sales.” It’s almost always the right choice because the
noun affect refers to an emotional state and is rarely used outside of
psychological circles: “The patient’s affect was flat.”

Lie vs. Lay

We’re all pretty clear on the lie that means an untruth. It’s the other usage that
trips us up. Lie also means to recline: “Why don’t you lie down and
rest?” Lay requires an object: “Lay the book on the table.” Lie is something
you can do by yourself, but you need an object to lay.

It’s more confusing in the past tense. The past tense of lie is—you guessed
it—lay: “I laydown for an hour last night.” And the past tense of lay is laid:
“I laid the book on the table.”

Bring vs. Take

Bring and take both describe transporting something or someone from one
place to another, but the correct usage depends on the speaker’s point of
view. Somebody brings something to you, but you take it to somewhere else:
“Bring me the mail, then take your shoes to your room.”

Just remember, if the movement is toward you, use bring; if the movement is
away from you, use take.

Ironic vs. Coincidental

A lot of people get this wrong. If you break your leg the day before a ski trip,
that’s not ironic—it’s coincidental (and bad luck).

Ironic has several meanings, all of which include some type of reversal of
what was expected. Verbal irony is when a person says one thing but clearly
means another. Situational irony is when a result is the opposite of what was
expected. O. Henry was a master of situational irony. In “The Gift of the Magi,”
Jim sells his watch to buy combs for his wife’s hair, and she sells her hair to
buy a chain for Jim’s watch. Each character sold something precious to buy a
gift for the other, but those gifts were intended for what the other person sold.
That is true irony.

If you break your leg the day before a ski trip, that’s coincidental. If you drive
up to the mountains to ski, and there was more snow back at your house,
that’s ironic.

Imply vs. Infer

To imply means to suggest something without saying it outright.

To infer means to draw a conclusion from what someone else implies. As a
general rule, the speaker/writer implies, and the listener/reader infers.

Nauseous vs. Nauseated

Nauseous has been misused so often that the incorrect usage is accepted in
some circles. Still, it’s important to note the difference. Nauseous means
causing nausea; nauseated means experiencing nausea.

So, if your circle includes ultra-particular grammar sticklers, never say

“I’m nauseous“ unless you want them to be snickering behind your back.

Comprise vs. Compose

These are two of the most commonly misused words in the English
language. Comprisemeans to include; compose means to make up.

It all comes down to parts versus the whole. When you use comprise, you put
the whole first: “A soccer game comprises (includes) two halves.” When you
use compose, you put the pieces first: “Fifty states compose (make up) the
United States of America.”

Farther vs. Further

Farther refers to physical distance, while further describes the degree or

extent of an action or situation. “I can’t run any farther,” but “I have
nothing further to say.”

If you can substitute “more” or “additional,” use further.

Fewer vs. Less

Use fewer when you’re referring to separate items that can be counted;
use less when referring to a whole: “You have fewer dollars, but less money.”