Glossary
O
G.1: Write the phrase you misused and the rule.
Do not write just “G” or “Glossary.”
oblige, obligate
Both words mean “to require by legal, moral or social ties.”
RIGHT: Schools are obliged by law to preserve confidentiality.
RIGHT: Schools are obligated by law to preserve confidentiality.
“Obligate” carries a stronger sense of requirement, whether the action is welcome or not.
RIGHT: I never liked my cousin, but I felt obligated to attend his graduation party.
“Oblige” can mean “to make grateful or indebted” or “to do a service or favor for.”
WRONG: We felt obligated to our hosts for their kindness.
RIGHT: We felt obliged to our hosts for their kindness.
WRONG: He obligated me by honoring my request.
RIGHT: He obliged me by honoring my request.
of, have
Imprecise pronunciation leads to a common error:
WRONG: could of, might of, should of, would of
RIGHT: could have, might have, should have, would have
often times
Whether spelled as one word or two, a redundancy for “often.”
once said
Avoid the cliché “once said” when you introduce a quotation.
UNNECESSARY: Confucius once said, “Respect yourself and others will respect you.”
How does the writer know Confucius did not say it four times? Or seventeen times? Usually the phrase “once said” only tells readers, “I have no idea when or why someone said this; I’m just copying it out of a dictionary of quotations because I want to sound wise and well-read.”
one
Sometimes writers resort to “one” to avoid the second-person “you” or the clumsy “he or she.” Often they end up with errors of pronoun agreement, using the plural “they” or “their” to refer to the singular “one.” Even if they avoid the grammatical error, “one” still sounds stilted as an indefinite pronoun. Find alternatives:
WRONG: One should not swim after their meal.
AWKWARD: One should not swim after a meal.
BETTER: Swimming after a meal is dangerous.
WRONG: If one is qualified, they should be eligible for office.
AWKWARD: If one is qualified, one should be eligible for office.
BETTER: Qualified candidates should be eligible.
only
Locate the adverb “only” with care.
AMBIGUOUS: She pleaded to her angry sister, “I only borrowed one of your dresses.”
Is she saying that she did not steal it?
CLEAR: She pleaded to her angry sister, “I borrowed only one of your dresses.”
USAGE TIP: It’s Only Love
The Importance of Adverb Placement
How many of the sentences below mean exactly the same thing?
1. Only she told him that she loved him.
2. She only told him that she loved him.
3. She told only him that she loved him.
4. She told him only that she loved him.
5. She told him that only she loved him.
6. She told him that she only loved him.
7. She told him that she loved only him.
8. She told him that she loved him only.
optimism, hope
Some people mistakenly think a flashy big word with a Latin root is always better than everyday, down-to-earth English.
VAGUE: The doctor was optimistic that my ankle was completely healed.
PRECISE: The doctor was hopeful that my ankle was completely healed.
In academic writing “optimism” is a philosophical term for the belief that our world is the best possible world. The Keables Guide recommends thinking twice even about using “optimistic” to mean a personality type, when all you mean is “cheerful” or “kind-hearted.” In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Bennet is no philosopher; she is merely good-natured.
VAGUE: Austen characterizes Jane as an optimist.
PRECISE: Austen characterizes Jane as kind-hearted but naively trusting.