20. Usage Glossary
a Use a before consonant sounds (a car, a history, a union). accept (verb) "to take," "to receive": I accept the award gladly. adapt (verb) "to adjust": Some people adapt easily to new environments. advice (noun) "guidance": My doctor gave me sound advice. affect (verb) "to influence": Technology affects people in different ways. aid (noun) "assistance": Her role is to provide aid to homeless children; (verb) "to assist": She aids homeless children. allude "to make reference to": Poets frequently allude to Greek and Roman myths. allusion "indirect reference": In his footnotes, Eliot explains the allusions in The Waste Land to readers. a lot (always two words) "many": She has a lot of energy. all ready "everyone prepared": The students are all ready to explore the Internet. all right (always two words) "satisfactory," "certainly": It is all right to admit that you are wrong. all together "everyone in one place": When we put our resources all together, we discovered that we had more than we needed to cover our expenses. altar (noun) "place of worship": The altar was decorated with flowers. among "shared by a group" (usually three or more): They are among the ten best athletes in the school. amount (noun) "quantity of something that cannot be counted": The amount of money needed to fund the project is staggering. (verb) "to equal": It doesn't amount to much. anxious "nervous, worried": I am anxious about my grades. any more "no more": We don't want to buy any more property. anyone "any person": Did anyone come? anyways Nonstandard for anyway.
anywheres Nonstandard for anywhere.
appraise "to calculate value": The teacher appraises students' abilities at midterm. as (conjunction) "in the way that": The computer didn't work as the instructions said it would. ascent (noun) "rising," "advancement": The ascent of the rocket into space was swift. assistance (noun) "aid": Work-study students provide assistance in the library. bad (adjective) "not good," "sick," "sorry": This is a bad situation. bare (adjective) "naked": I like to walk around with bare feet; (verb) "to expose": I bared my soul to the poetry of the moment. bazaar (noun) "marketplace or fair for the sale of goods": On our vacation to Mexico, we visited several local bazaars. because of See due to/because of.
beside (preposition) "next to": We sat beside the president of the company. between See among/between.
bring "to move an object toward something": Bring your roommate to the party. can "to be able to do something": With practice, you can learn the difference between can and may. capital "city in which the seat of government is located": Santa Fe is the capital of New Mexico; (noun) "possessions and their value": If we want more capital, we'll have to raise more money. censer (noun) "incense burner": The censer gave off a lot of smoke. cite (verb) "to acknowledge": When you quote someone in a paper, be sure you cite the source. coarse (adjective) "rough": The texture of the fabric is coarse. complement (noun) "that which completes": The baby had the full complement of fingers and toes; (verb) "to complete": The printed book complements the online tutorial. conscience (noun) "sense of right and wrong": He reads my stories only because he has a guilty conscience. continual "repeatedly," "over and over": Updating our database is a continual process. could care less Nonstandard for couldn't care less.
could of Nonstandard for could have.
council (noun) "advisory or legislative body": The council of elders debated my future. criteria (plural of criterion) "standard for judgment": The criteria for choosing the winner were varied.
data (plural of datum) "facts": The data are here in this research report.
defer "to delay," "to yield": I defer to your judgment. deference "respect," "consideration": We turned the music down in deference to those who wanted to sleep. desert (noun) "dry, barren place": The heat of the desert was fierce; (verb) "to leave": I will not desert my friends. device (noun) "plan," "piece of equipment": A mouse is a device used to move a pointer in a computer program. different from Different from is preferred to different than: His attitude toward studying is different from mine. due to "resulting from": The bags under my eyes are due to stress. eager See anxious/eager.
effect See affect/effect.
elude See allude/elude.
eminent "prominent," "important": The professor was eminent in the field. enthused Use enthusiastic: The grammarian was enthusiastic when he praised me for never using enthused.
envelop (verb) "to enclose completely": The mist will envelop us as soon as we enter the rain forest. every one "each individual": Every one of the athletes was tested for steroid use. except See accept/except.
farther "at a greater distance": Ken's rescue team traveled farther than my team did to help the victims. few, fewer "a limited number of countable items": A few of us went to the concert. formally "not casually": The rules were formally approved by the city council. good (adjective) not to be used in place of the adverb well: This plan is good. hanged "killed by hanging": The victors hanged their enemies. hisself Nonstandard for himself.
hopefully "filled with hope": We moved hopefully toward the future. Do not use hopefully to mean "I hope that," "we hope that," and so forth.
human (noun or adjective) "referring to people": To be fallible is to be human. illusion See allusion/illusion.
immanent See eminent/immanent/imminent. imply "to suggest indirectly": I don't mean to imply that you are wrong. incidence "rate of occurrence": The incidence of heart disease among Americans is high. irregardless Nonstandard for regardless.
its (possessive pronoun) "belonging to it": Its colors were iridescent. kind of/sort of Avoid kind of and sort of when you mean "somewhat": The movie was somewhat scary.
later (adverb) "subsequently": We'll play with the kitten later. lay (verb + object) "to place something": He lay the book on the table. lead (verb) "to go before": If you lead, we will follow; (noun) "metal," "position at the front": Anthony Hopkins played the lead. less See few/fewer/little/less.
lessen (verb) "to decrease": Your bravery will lessen our fear.
lesson (noun) "something learned by study or experience": That is the lesson I learned from you.
liable "obligated, responsible": The landlord is liable for the roof repairs. lie See lay/lie.
like See as/like.
little See few/fewer/little/less.
loose (adjective) "not tight": The bolts on the car door are loose. many "large number of something countable": Many of our investments will pay off. may See can/may.
may be (verb) "might be": I may be getting better. may of Nonstandard for may have.
media Plural of medium: Computers, newspapers, and TV are communications media. Media has also come to have a singular sense in speech. Formally, use the plural.
might of Nonstandard for might have.
much See many/much.
must of Nonstandard for must have.
nowheres Nonstandard for nowhere.
number See amount/number.
number of Number of should be followed by a plural noun: a number of options.
off of Of is unnecessary: Get off the road!
passed (verb) past tense of pass: Roaring down the road, he passed me. patience (noun) "ability to wait": Have some patience. persecute "to harrass": He felt persecuted by her attentions. personal (adjective) "relating to an individual," "private": I don't care to share details of my personal life. phenomena Plural of phenomenon, "observable facts or events": Like other astronomical phenomena, the eclipse can be easily explained.
plus Do not use plus to join independent clauses; use moreover or in addition to: Your salary in addition to mine will cover our expenses.
precede "to come before": She preceded me into the house. prescribe "to order treatment": The doctor will prescribe a medicine to relieve the pain. principal (noun) "chief person," "capital sum": We may earn no interest, but we won't lose the principal; (adjective) "most important": The book's principal effect was to change my viewpoint on the economics of ecology. raise (verb + object) "to lift," "to grow": She raised her arms heavenward; (noun) "increase in salary." respectfully "with respect": We behave respectfully around him. right (adjective) "correct": Roberta was the right woman for the job; (noun) "something allowed," "location of the right side," "conservative position": It is their right as Americans. sensual "pleasing to the senses, especially sexual": Don Juan was addicted to sensual experiences. set (verb + object) "to place something": I set the dish on the table. should of Nonstandard for should have.
sight See cite/sight/site.
site See cite/sight/site.
some time (adjective + noun) "span of time": We have some time before the test begins. somewheres Nonstandard for somewhere.
sort of See kind of/sort of.
stationary (adjective) "not moving": When the wind died, the sailboat was stationary. statue "sculpture": The Venus de Milo is a famous statue. suppose to Incorrect spelling of supposed to.
take See bring/take.
than (conjunction) used in comparisons: Learning to sail was easier than learning to windsurf. that Use that for essential clauses: The handbook that we use for English is written by Rodrigues and Tuman. their (pronoun) "belonging to them": Their values are not my values. theirselves Nonstandard for themselves.
thorough (adjective) "exhaustive": His review of my essay was thorough. to (preposition) "toward": I am going to school. try and Nonstandard for try to.
unique "one of a kind": Among actors, Jimmy Stewart is unique.
use to Nonstandard for used to.
wear (verb) "to bear or carry on the person," "to cause to degenerate by use": You can wear what you want. weather (noun) "atmosphere": The weather outside is frightful. well See good/well.
which See that/which.
which/who Do not use which to refer to people; use who: She is the person who helped me the most.
who Use who for subjects and subject complements: I will check to see who is at the door. who's Contraction of who is: Who's this sweating at the table? would of Nonstandard for would have.
an Use an before vowel sounds (an elk, an X-ray, an herb).
except (preposition) "not counting": Except for the lack of plumbing, the apartment is perfect; (verb) "to leave out": Please except that package from the group.
adept (adjective) "skillful": She is adept at mastering new tasks.
adopt (verb) "to care for as one's own": He adopts a new image when needed.
advise (verb) "to recommend," "to inform": I often advise her on what to wear.
effect (noun) "consequence": It has both positive and negative effects on job performance; (verb) "to bring about," "to cause to occur": Skiing effects a sense of exhilaration.
aide (noun) "an assistant": As an aide, she helps in countless ways.
elude "to avoid capture": Some poems elude interpretation.
illusion "false appearance": Her weight loss is an illusion.
alot Incorrect spelling of a lot.
already "previously": Already, the teacher has assigned the first two chapters.
alright Incorrect spelling of all right.
altogether "completely": You have an altogether different reading list.
alter (verb) "to change": The flowers altered the usual appearance of the church.
between "shared by individuals" (usually two): Tara sat between Julia and Peter.
number (noun) "quantity of something that can be counted": The number of students required for state funding is 750; (verb) "to include, " "to assign a number to": The chorus numbers twenty.
eager "characterized by enthusiastic interest": I am eager to go on vacation.
anymore "any longer": We don't live here anymore.
any one "any member of a group": Any one of you would be welcome.
apprise "to inform": He apprises them of their strengths and weaknesses.
like (preposition) "similar to": I would prefer a computer like Anna's. Do not use like in place of as or as if in formal writing: They acted as if they were drunk.
assent (verb) "to agree": I assent to the compromise; (noun) "agreement": After winning the school board's assent, schools began to include Darwinism in the curriculum.
assistants (plural noun) "helpers": The librarian always requests additional student assistants.
badly (adverb) "not well": We have performed badly.
bear (noun) "animal": The polar bear is an arctic resident; (verb) "to carry," "to tolerate": I cannot bear to listen to that music.
bizarre (adjective) "strange": It was bizarre to run into our neighbors in Mexico.
besides (preposition) "in addition to," "except": Besides the members' spouses, we were the only visitors invited; (adverb) "moreover," "also": I don't want to go to class; besides, I love the park.
take "to move an object away from something": When you exit the train, take your belongings.
may "to ask for or be granted permission": You may not use can in this sentence.
capitol "the building that houses the legislature": In Santa Fe, the capitol is shaped like a Zia sun symbol.
censor (verb) "to alter," "to delete": Many critics would love to censor this artist's work; (noun) "one who censors": The censor didn't like my sentence, so he censored it.
censure (noun) "condemnation"; (verb) "to blame," "to condemn": The student government censured me for making that statement.
sight (noun) "ability to see," "something that is seen": Wearing an eight-foot feathered headdress, he was a magnificent sight; (verb) "to glimpse": In Memphis last week, Elvis was sighted in the supermarket.
site (noun) "location": The archeological site exposed several layers of human occupation; (verb) "to place": I sited the deer tracks in the forest.
course (noun) "path," "unit of study": This is a writing course.
compliment (noun) "expression of admiration": The author paid Carol a compliment; (verb) "to flatter": The author complimented Carol.
conscious (adjective) "aware": He is not conscious of how others react to him.
continuous "without interruption": The continuous rivalry between the two of them was harmful.
counsel (noun) "advice": Her counsel was useful; (verb) "to give advice": In the end, they counseled me wisely.
differ "to disagree," "to be unlike": I beg to differ with you.
difference "being unlike": You and I have a difference of opinion.
diffidence "shyness": His diffidence accounts for his lack of a social life.
dessert (noun) "sweet course at the end of a meal": Dessert is my favorite part of any meal.
devise (verb) "to think up": Whoever devised the mouse had a great idea.
different than Use different than when a construction using different from is wordy: I am a different person than I was two years ago.
because of "as the result of": My grade in the class dropped because of this assignment.
immanent "operating within reality," "inherent": Knowing which word to use is not an immanent skill — it must be learned.
imminent "about to happen": The test is imminent.
envelope (noun) "wrapper, usually for a letter": Place the invitation in the envelope.
everyone "all": Everyone participated in the talent show.
further "to a greater degree": Ken explained that further travel was necessary to reach those in need of help.
little, less "a small quantity of an uncountable item": It will cost less if you make it yourself.
formerly "before": Formerly, there were no guidelines about sorting household trash.
well (adverb): The plan will work well.
hung "suspended": I hung my clothes out to dry.
humane (adjective) "compassionate": The humane treatment of animals is uppermost in Kate's mind.
imminent See eminent/immanent/imminent.
infer "to draw a conclusion": You may have inferred from what I said that I love you.
incidents "occurrences": Many incidents during the Revolution led to American patriot losses.
it's contraction for it is: It's a great day.
latter (adjective) "last mentioned": Of the two stories, I prefer the latter.
lie (verb + no object) "to assume or be in a reclining position": He went to his bedroom to lie down.
led past participle of lead: When you led us yesterday, we followed you.
likely "future possibility": Even if the roof isn't leaking now, it is likely to leak in the future.
lose (verb) "to misplace," "to not win": If we invest poorly, we might lose our money.
much "large number of something uncountable": Much effort was wasted in this endeavor.
maybe (adverb) "perhaps": Maybe we should open a savings account.
past (adjective) "previous": His past exploits are legendary.
patient (adjective) "calm": Be patient; (noun) "someone receiving medical treatment": I was his only patient.
prosecute "to bring to trial": She was prosecuted for grand larceny.
personnel (noun) "employees": The director of personnel takes all new employees to lunch.
proceed "to go forward," "to continue": Please, proceed carefully into the room.
proscribe "to forbid": Smoking is proscribed here.
principle (noun) "rule," "fundamental law": Tornadoes are based upon physical principles.
rise (verb + no object) "to get up": Hot air balloons, however, rise more slowly; (noun) "ascent," "hilltop": The rise in temperature was deadly.
respectively "in the order named": We saw Kurt, Marian, and Diane, respectively, enter the building.
rite (noun) "ceremony": For New Yorkers, the first Yankees game is a rite of passage.
sensuous "pleasing to the senses, particularly with regard to the arts": The poet's use of sensuous detail helped us see, smell, and taste the food.
sit (verb + no object) "to be in or assume a sitting position": I will sit here and eat my dinner.
sometime (adverb) "at an unspecified time": I will probably feel nervous about it sometime soon.
sometimes (adverb) "now and then," "occasionally": Sometimes I'm funny that way.
stationery (noun) "letter paper": The captain took out her stationery and wrote a letter to her husband.
stature "height," "status": The sculptor had great stature among his peers.
statute "law": The town has many outdated statutes in its civil code.
then (adverb) "at that time," "besides": Then I ran the boat aground.
which Use which for nonessential clauses: The text, which was written by Rodrigues and Tuman, includes suggestions for using a word processor.
there (adverb) "in that place": "The mouse is over there!" he screamed; (expletive) used to introduce a sentence or clause: There are some values I accept.
they're contraction for they are: They're probably more comfortable than I am.
through (preposition) "in and then out": He did not drive through it with his car; (adverb) "completely," "finished": I was soaked through.
too (adverb) "in addition," "excessively": I am going to the store, too.
two (noun) "one more than one": I am going to two places.
were (verb) past tense of be: You were raised to do the right thing.
where (adverb or conjunction) "in that place": You can go where you want.
whether (conjunction) "if": I don't know whether it will ever be delightful.
whom Use whom for objects: I am the person whom she helped.
whose (pronoun) possessive form of who: He's the person whose tongue is burning from the chili peppers.
