Common Usage Errors

Common Usage Errors

1. There, They’re, and Their
   1. We’re going to the house over there.
   2. There are too many people in this room.
   3. That is their puppy.
   4. They’re going to be late.
   5. He said they’re on their way.
   6. There’s going to be a show tonight.
   7. Give the blanket to the Smiths; it is theirs.
2. Whose and Who’s
   1. Whose shoes are these?
   2. Who’s playing at the club tonight?
   3. Who’s going to the game?
   4. Whose house is that?
3. Your and You’re
   1. You’re going to be late!
   2. That is your book bag.
   3. You’re not telling the truth.
4. Affect is a verb that means to influence. Effect is a noun meaning result.
   1. His lack of studying affected his grades.
   2. The seasoning affected the taste of the food.
   3. The effects of radiation include wrinkles, cancer cells, and skin discoloration.
   4. What are the effects of not studying for a test?
5. Loose is an adjective meaning free or not securely attached. Lose is a very meaning to fail to keep.
   1. His pants were very loose after he lost weight.
   2. The knot became loose.
   3. We will lose the game if you don’t play.
   4. Did you lose your keys?
6. Principal is a noun meaning that head of a school. Principle is a noun meaning a fundamental truth.
   1. The principal is your pal.
   2. It is the principle of the matter.
   3. We study the principles of physics.
   4. These are the basic principles of life.
7. Lead, Led, and Lead
   1. I will lead you down the correct path.
   2. He led me down the road.
   3. My pencil lead broke
8. Whether and Weather
   1. Whether or not you agree, I don’t care.
   2. The weather outside is beautiful!
9. Too, To, and Two
   1. You are too nice!
   2. We will go too!
   3. He is two this year!
   4. We will go to the store.
10. Accept and Except
    1. I will accept your offer.
    2. He was accepted into law school.
    3. Everyone may go except you.
11. Advise and Advice
    1. I would advise you to go to college.
    2. His advice was to study for the test.
12. Than and Then
    1. He is taller than Henry.
    2. After you go to the store, then you may go with your friends.
13. Who/Whom: If you can replace it with he or she, use “who.” If you can replace it with him or her, use “whom.”
    1. I gave it to George who is the class president.
    2. To whom am I speaking?
    3. Who is at the door?
    4. I gave the present to whom it belonged.
14. Access and Excess
    1. The lady has access to the house because she has a key.
    2. There is an excess amount of soap in the dishwasher.
15. Breath and Breathe
    1. Take a deep breath before you take the taste.
    2. Don’t forget to breathe while exercising.
16. Buy/by/bye
    1. Please buy milk from the store.
    2. We went by the park. The book is written by George.
    3. Don’t forget to say “bye” to your cousins.
17. Choose/chose
    1. Choose your answer wisely.
    2. We will choose two captains for the team.
    3. I chose cheesecake for dessert.
18. desert/dessert
    1. The desert it hot.
    2. You would always want two desserts after dinner. (two ss)
19. have/of
    1. NEVER say, “could of, should of, would of”
    2. We should have studied because we could have passed the test. We would have made an A.
20. it's/its
    1. It’s hot outside.
    2. The puppy ate its bone.
    3. NEVER use Its’ -This word does not exist
21. knew/new
    1. I knew her from school.
    2. I bought a new pair of shoes.
22. of/off
    1. We are late because of a wreck.
    2. Please shut off the lights.
23. patience/patients
    1. Please have patience while waiting in the line.
    2. The doctor needed to see many patients in his office.
24. peace/piece
    1. We need more peace in the world.
    2. I want a piece of pie.
25. presence/presents
    1. They felt a presence of ghosts in the house.
    2. She received many presents on her birthday.
26. quiet/quit/quite
    1. Please be quiet during the test.
    2. Don’t quit now!
    3. They were quite angry when they receive the bill.
27. right/rite/write
    1. Make a right turn at the light.
    2. It is your right to pursue happiness.
    3. The ceremony was a rite of passage.
    4. Please write your name clearly.
28. sense/since/cents
    1. It doesn’t make any sense.
    2. Use your sense of smell.
    3. Since I was late, I had to get a tardy note. We are hungry since we skipped lunch.
    4. The cookie cost fifty cents.
29. through/threw/thorough/throw/though
    1. We went through the doors.
    2. He threw the ball.
    3. They did a thorough investigation.
    4. He had to throw the ball across the field.
    5. Even though I am tired, I need to stay awake.
30. waist/waste
    1. Her waist is very small.
    2. Please don’t waste food.
31. weak/week
    1. I felt weak after I was sick.
    2. It has been a long week!
32. were/wear/where/we're
    1. We were at the game last night.
    2. What will you wear to prom?
    3. Where are you going?
    4. We’re going to be late!
33. which/witch
    1. Which direction should we go?
    2. There is a wicked witch in the forest.
34. passed/past
    1. We passed the test!
    2. He passed the ball to me.
    3. We drove past the house.
    4. Forget about the past and concentrate on the future.
35. wait/weight
    1. We need to wait in line.
    2. What was the weight of the fish you caught?
36. now/no/know
    1. Now is the time to act. I need your homework now.
    2. Her mom said, “No, you cannot go.”
    3. I know her from my church.
37. good/well
    1. The food tasted really good. It was a good concert.
    2. He sings well. She plays basketball well.
38. fewer/less: Use fewer with objects that can be counted one by one; use less quantities and qualities that cannot be counted