Commonly Misused Expressions
January 4th 2008 00:55
I'll be working on a series of grammar-related things that anger me. If I can educate just a few people, I've done something right.
All right.
Idiomatic in familiar speech as a detached phrase in the sense, "Agreed," or "Go ahead." In other uses better avoided. Always written as two words.
Certainly.
Used indiscriminately by some speakers, much as others use very, to intensify any and every statement. A mannerism of this kind, bad in speech, is even worse in writing.
Clever.
This word has been greatly overused; it is best restricted to ingenuity displayed in small matters.
Due to.
Incorrectly used for through, because of, or owing to, in adverbial phrases: "He lost the first game, due to carelessness." In correct use related as predicate or as modifier to a particular noun: "This invention is due to Edison;" "losses due to preventable fires."
However.
In the meaning nevertheless, not to come first in its sentence or clause.
Kind of. Not to be used as a substitute for rather (before adjectives and verbs), or except in familiar style, for something like (before nouns). Restrict it to its literal sense: "Amber is a kind of fossil resin;" "I dislike that kind of notoriety." The same holds true of sort of.
Literal, literally.
Often incorrectly used in support of exaggeration or violent metaphor.
Most.
Not to be used for almost.
For more go to Really Long Link which is where I so blatantly stole them from.
All right.
Idiomatic in familiar speech as a detached phrase in the sense, "Agreed," or "Go ahead." In other uses better avoided. Always written as two words.
Certainly.
Used indiscriminately by some speakers, much as others use very, to intensify any and every statement. A mannerism of this kind, bad in speech, is even worse in writing.
Clever.
This word has been greatly overused; it is best restricted to ingenuity displayed in small matters.
Due to.
Incorrectly used for through, because of, or owing to, in adverbial phrases: "He lost the first game, due to carelessness." In correct use related as predicate or as modifier to a particular noun: "This invention is due to Edison;" "losses due to preventable fires."
However.
In the meaning nevertheless, not to come first in its sentence or clause.
Kind of. Not to be used as a substitute for rather (before adjectives and verbs), or except in familiar style, for something like (before nouns). Restrict it to its literal sense: "Amber is a kind of fossil resin;" "I dislike that kind of notoriety." The same holds true of sort of.
Literal, literally.
Often incorrectly used in support of exaggeration or violent metaphor.
Most.
Not to be used for almost.
For more go to Really Long Link which is where I so blatantly stole them from.
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