My English Book for Daily Use

[Wingnut]

Thank you Wing, it was late in the day at work and I had a headache coming on and so I just chose the one word confusion that bothered me the most. And then for the definitions I went right off the top of my head. I knew I got something wrong with the senses, I tried counting them but felt like I was missing one of them. Thank you for the corrections!

You weren't missing any of them, you just couldn't add. :) You named 'sense' and then listed the other four as examples.

[Tarnished]

You weren't missing any of them, you just couldn't add. :) You named 'sense' and then listed the other four as examples.

No I did miss one, hearing. Like I said, it was right before going home and I was tired. Heck, I'm tired now, then again lately I feel like I am always tired.

Anyway kids, let that be a lesson to you, there are five senses not four, sight (not site), smell, touch, taste, and hearing. There got them all that time.

[Guest]

No I did miss one, hearing. Like I said, it was right before going home and I was tired. Heck, I'm tired now, then again lately I feel like I am always tired.

Anyway kids, let that be a lesson to you, there are five senses not four, sight (not site), smell, touch, taste, and hearing. There got them all that time.

I thought there were six? They even made a movie of the 6th one...

[Tarnished]

I thought there were six? They even made a movie of the 6th one...

Well, I think only a few people have that sense, I certainly can't see ghosts.

[Blackmarch]

English is only my 3rd language, so I had to really study it to learn how to speak/write in it.

I noticed that a lot of Americans (including my husband) has taken a lot of words for granted because of their everyday use. I see it in this forum as well. If you ask me to write in Cebuano Visaya (my 1st language), I will not guarantee that it is grammatically correct either (or even spelled correctly).

So, I just thought I'd start this thread to see if anybody can spot some word swaps in the forum.

One I found today:

principal versus principle.

Principal is the main character - like the head of an elementary school is the principal. Principle is the fundamental rule or law - like the principles of the gospel are faith, repentance, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Another one I found a while back:

affect versus effect

The easiest way to distinguish one versus the other is through the statement that when you affect a situation, you have an effect on it.

there, their, and they're

These ones are fairly easy to differentiate. There is a place - like I want to go there. Their is possesive - like It is their house. They're is short for They are.

Any others?

Well I must say that you are writing rather well....

I wish that many americans who routinely post/chat/blog/write online could do as well.

Goose and geese but not moose and meese

;P

[MeIRL]

Well I must say that you are writing rather well....

I wish that many americans who routinely post/chat/blog/write online could do as well.

Goose and geese but not moose and meese

;P

Moosen.

[Tarnished]

Moosen.

That reminds me of this article from Richard Lederer's book Anguished English Foxen in the Henhice | Verbatim | Find Articles at BNET

[Dravin]

I'd like to point out that a lot of cases of lose versus loose and chose versus choose are a case of typo as opposed to word confusion. At least in my case.

Since this seems to be slightly pet peevy I'm gonna add:

Irregardless.

Let's break it down.

Ir = negative prefix.

regard = respect/esteem

less = negative suffix

So irregard* would mean without respect. regardless would mean without respect. Irregardless means without without respect. So since in English a double negative is a positive, aside from assaulting my ears you are saying the opposite of what you think you are.

* I'm aware that properly that would be disregard, but work with me.

Edited February 9, 2010 by Dravin

[Guest]

I encountered this one:

council versus counsel

Council is some kind of a committee - like the council of Nicea. Counsel is to give advise.

Hmm... is that advise or advice? Advise is a verb while advice is a noun, I think... or is it? My english is failing me.

[pam]

I'd like to point out that a lot of cases of lose versus loose and chose versus choose are a case of typo as opposed to word confusion. At least in my case

Okay sure. We'll go with that.

[Moksha]

Some spelling differences

Australia (British) or USA

• At night I get into my PJ's (short for pyjamas or is it pajamas)?
• Titbit is actually British but I prefer tidbit because, um well the other sounds a bit you know?
• Faeces or feces
• diarrhoea or diarrhea
• Foetus or fetus
• haemorrhage or hemorrhage
• labour or labor (in Australia both are used Labor refers to a political party)
• anaesthesia or anesthesia
• oesophagus or esophagus
• licence or license (actually both are used in Australia - licence (noun) is the piece of paper allowing us to drive while license (verb) is when we are licensed to run something).
• programme or program (for computer it's a program in Australia)
• Practice or practise (Doctors practice (business/building and we practise writing)

I can see the advantages to each spelling. The British spelling keeps you more in contact with the Commonwealth. The American spelling leaves out unnecessary vowels and is thus easier to actually spell the word phonetically. Having both lets you have the advantages of each and reduces the chance of potential Vegemite overdoesing.

[Wingnut]

I encountered this one:

council versus counsel

Council is some kind of a committee - like the council of Nicea. Counsel is to give advise.

Hmm... is that advise or advice? Advise is a verb while advice is a noun, I think... or is it? My english is failing me.

Advise = verb: I advise you to be careful with your investments.

Advice = noun: I need some advice.

[FunkyTown]

Irregardless bothers me. As does misuse of common words.

"For all intensive purposes" is actually "For all intents and purposes". YAAAAH! It's not that hard. "For all intents and purposes" actually makes sense.

Oh, and people who can't capitalize. ee cummings wasn't cool when he was alive. We don't need to hear him now that he's dead.