G.1: Write the phrase you misused and the rule.

Do not write just “G” or “Glossary.”

has to, have to, have got to

In place of these weak phrases, try the old-fashioned, sadly neglected, vigorous word “must.”

WEAK: We have to solve the problem of homelessness.

STRONGER: We must solve the problem of homelessness.

(the) hidden meaning

When you write about literature, avoid phrases like “hidden meaning” and “deeper meaning.” They sound like boasting, and they give the false impression that writers set out to deceive readers. Be more objective. Sometimes students who write “hidden” or “deeper meaning” are really talking about the difference between figurative and literal meanings.

BOASTFUL: The poem seems to be about a horse, but the hidden meaning is about a train.

OBJECTIVE: The poem uses an extended metaphor comparing a train to a horse.

hopefully

Much misused. It should modify a living thing capable of hope. See DMT (Part Two).

WRONG: Hopefully, UCLA will accept me.

RIGHT: I hope UCLA will accept me.

RIGHT: I wait hopefully for good news from UCLA.

how

A simple word that causes much awkwardness. “How” means “in what way or manner.” It is best used before adjectives (“how good you look”), adverbs (“how quickly time flies”), or phrases or clauses of explanation (“how to program computers,” “how the West was won”). Some of the ways we use it in casual speech may be too imprecise for formal writing. If your teacher marks “how,” you have made one of the following errors. Identify which one and correct it.

1. Avoid confusing “how” with “that”:

WRONG (followed by a clause): He told me how he is doing well.

RIGHT: He told me that he is doing well.

RIGHT (followed by a modifier): He told me how well he is doing.

2. Avoid using “how” as the object of a verb or preposition:

AWKWARD (object of a verb): I like how you wear your hair.

RIGHT: I like the way you wear your hair. I like your hairstyle.

AWKWARD (object of preposition): He tells her about how he loves her.

BETTER: He tells her that he loves her. He tells her how deeply he loves her.

3. Avoid using “and how” to create loose parallelism:

LOOSE: I admire her beautiful singing and how she dances gracefully.

BETTER: I admire her beautiful singing and graceful dancing.

LOOSE: He describes the snow and how beautiful it looks.

BETTER: He describes the beauty of the snow.

4. “How” is usually unnecessary in “how to” constructions:

UNNECESSARY: My brother taught me how to ride a bicycle.

SIMPLER: My brother taught me to ride a bicycle.

however

Beware of two errors. The first is far more common.

1. “However” is the most frequently mispunctuated word in the English language. If your teacher marks “however” in your writing, do not replace it; use it correctly. Often it creates comma splices and fused sentences:

WRONG: I go, however, he stays.

WRONG: I go, however he stays.

WRONG: I go however he stays.

RIGHT: I go; however, he stays.

A comma links “however” to the clause it modifies; a semicolon or period separates it from the other clause. “However” provides transition between clauses but does not make them one sentence. “However” can be placed at different points within the clause it modifies, but if it is not at the beginning or end, it requires two commas:

WRONG: My sister, however is tall.

RIGHT: My sister, however, is tall.

RIGHT: However, my sister is tall.

RIGHT: My sister is tall, however.

With no comma, readers may think you are using “however” in a different sense:

However you do it, just get it done!

However hard I kick, the ball doesn’t move.

2. “However” is adversative, like “nevertheless” and the subordinating conjunction “although.” In other words, it expresses opposition or contrast between two statements. If you use “however,” the statement that follows must seem somehow contradictory to what you have previously stated.

ILLOGICAL: There were dark clouds; however, it rained. Nevertheless, we got wet.

LOGICAL: There were dark clouds; however, it did not rain.

human, humane; humanistic, humanitarian

People sometimes confuse these terms when they are trying to call someone kind. Only “humane” and “humanitarian” mean “kind,” and they usually refer to kindness in serving society (as opposed to interpersonal relations).

human: natural to a human being.

We all have human weaknesses.

He was a total stranger, but he treated us with human decency and kindness.

humane: kind or gentle.

Prisoners of war deserve humane treatment.

humanitarian: promoting human welfare and social reform.

Her organization provides humanitarian aid in developing countries.

humanistic: pertaining to the study of human affairs (as opposed the the supernatural)

Humanistic scholars of the Renaissance studied ancient Greek philosophy.

“Humanism” is most often used as a historical term describing the cultural movement in Renaissance Europe characterized by a revival of classical learning, an individualistic and critical spirit, and a shift of emphasis from religious to secular concerns. It was a reaction to medieval attitudes that concentrated on religious worship and respect for tradition and authority. Humanists felt the purpose of education was to prepare the individual for civic life, not just to prepare the soul for the afterlife. We derive our term “the humanities” from their educational program of grammar, rhetoric, history, poetry, and moral philosophy.