100 Common Usage

Problems
Knowledge/Growth Support
A Guide from www.kgsupport.com
Including additional common usage
problems from public domain websites.

a, an:
Use the article a before consonant sounds
and the article an before vowel sounds.
Words beginning with h, o, and u can
either sound.
A history class. A one-way path. A uniform
look.
An apple. An hour. An honor. An FBI agent.

Accept, except:
Accept is a verb meaning to receive, and
except is a preposition meaning other than
or leaving out.
Everyone accepted the invitation except for
Cassie.
Verb: She did not accept the job for flimsy
reasons.
Preposition: We were all excited about the
reunion, except for Maggie.

Accuse, allege:
Accuse means to blame, whereas allege
means to state as fact something that
has not been proved.
He was accused of treason, which he
vehemently denied.
It was alleged that he secretly cooperated
with the Japanese in WWII.

Adapt, adopt:
Adapt means to change, but adopt
means to take as ones own.
We were finally able to adapt to the cold
climate of the area.
The group adopted the strategy and
implemented it in the entire unit.

Advice, advise:
Advice, a noun, means an opinion.
Advise is a verb that means to express an
opinion to.
I miss pieces of advice that mother used
to bombard me with.
She always advised me to remain strong
and independent.

Affect, effect:
Affect is normally a verb meaning to
influence. Effect is usually a noun that
means result. Sometimes effect is a verb
that means to cause.
I would not let my personal problems affect
the quality of my work.
The effect of the earthquake on Beijing was
disastrous.
She effected policies that benefited the
entire organization.

Aggravate:
Aggravate means to make something
worse; it should not be used to refer to
annoyance
Less Acceptable: She was severely
aggravated by his rude behavior.
Preferred: Delaying your visit to the doctor
will only aggravate your ailment.

Aint:
Aint is nonstandard English. It is a
contraction of am not. Avoid using it in
writing and speech.
I aint going to the party tonight.
I am not going to the party tonight.
Aint, aint a word so you better aint say
it!

Allot, a lot:
The verb allot means to divide in parts or to
give out shares. A lot is an informal phrase
meaning a great many, so you should not use it
in formal writing. Alot is a common incorrect
spelling. It should never be used; we dont write
alittle, so dont write alot!
Examples:
Allot: My husband allotted a portion of his
monthly pay for his sisters matriculation.
A lot: He has a lot of relatives in the suburbs.

All ready, already:

All ready, which functions as an adjective,
is an expression meaning ready. Already,
an adverb, means by or before this time
or even now.
Adjective: We are all ready to listen to
the proposition.
Adverb: We have already arrived at a
decision.

All right, alright:

Alright is a nonstandard spelling. Use the
two-word version in writing.
Nonstandard: It is alright with the group
that you take your share in advanced.
Correct: It is all right with the group that
you take your share in advanced.

All together, altogether:

All together means all at once.
Altogether means completely.
All together, the members of the
parliament moved that the motion be
reconsidered.
They did not agree altogether that the
bill was worth passing.

a.m., p.m.:
a.m. refers to the hours before noon, p.m.
to hours after noon. Numbers are not
spelled out when you use these
abbreviations nor should you use phrases
such as in the morning or in the
evening with them.
Incorrect: We will leave for Calgary at nine
A.M. in the morning.
Correct: We will leave for Calgary at nine
A.M.

Among, between:
Among and between are prepositions.
Among is used with three or more items.
Between is generally used with only two
items.
John was certainly among the most
talented students in his class.
John always comes between Frank and
myself.

Amount, number:
Amount is used with quantities that cannot
be counted. Use number when items can
be counted.
A small amount of lotion, a large amount
of profit.
A number of books, a number of
delegates

Anxious:
Anxious means worried or uneasy. It
should not be used to mean eager.
Ambiguous: We are always anxious about
meeting new friends.
Clear: We are always eager to meet new
friends.

Anyone, any one, everyone, every

one:
Anyone and everyone mean any person
and every person. Any one means any
single person or thing, and ever one
means every single person or thing.
Anyone may try out the new dish.
Any one of these dishes may be tried out.
Everyone did not like the dish.
Every one of the dishes was horrible.

Anyway, anywhere, everywhere,

nowhere, somewhere:
These are adverbs and should never end
in s.
Nonstandard: It does not matter if the host
refuses because the group will still go
anyways.
Correct: It does not matter if the host
refuses because the group will still go
anyway.

As:
As should not be used to mean because
or since.
Less acceptable: As she was terribly sick,
she was not able to join the competition.
Preferred: Because she was terribly sick,
she was not able to join the competition.

As to:
As to is awkward. Substitute about.
Nonstandard: There are a number of
theories as to how life began.
Correct: There are a number of theories
about how life began.

At:
Eliminate at when used after where.
Nonstandard: Do the visitors know where
the train station is at?
Correct: Do the visitors know where the
train station is?

At about:
Eliminate at or about if you find them used
together.
Less acceptable: The delegates arrived at
about noon.
Preferred: The delegates arrived at noon.

Awful, awfully:
Awful is used informally to mean
extremely bad. Awfully is also informal,
meaning very. In formal writing, awful
should be used to mean only inspiring
fear or awe.

Awful, awfully:
Informal: Mary looked awful when she
was hospitalized.
Better: Mary looked pale and weak when
she was hospitalized.
Informal: Mary was awfully weak.
Better: Mary was very weak.

Awesome
Awesome is used informally to mean
amazing, whereas it really means
inspiring awe or wonder.
Common: All the people we work with are
incrediblyawesome.
Preferred: On a large spring tide the flows
between the islands can be
trulyawesome.

Awhile, a while:
Awhile is an adverb, meaning for a
while. A while is an article and a noun
and is usually used after the preposition
for.
Rest awhile if the driver is not yet around.
Stay for a while and keep me company
while you wait for the driver.

Bad, badly:
Bad is an adjective and, therefore, must
not be used as an adverb after an action
verb. Badly is an adverb and, therefore,
must not be used as an adjective after a
linking verb, that is, feel bad, not feel
badly.
She was in abadaccident.
She was hurtbadlyin the accident

Beat, win:
Beat means to overcome. Win means
to achieve victory in. Replace win if the
sentence sense is beat.
Nonstandard: The Tigers won against the
Yankees in the final game.
The Tigers beat the Yankees in the final
game

Because:
Eliminate because if it follows the
reason, or rephrase the sentence.
Nonstandard: The reason I resigned is
because I was not prepared for the job.
Correct: The reason I resigned is that I
was not prepared for the job.
Or: I resigned because I was not prepared
for the job.

Being as, being that:

Replace either phrase with since or
because.
Nonstandard: Being that it was raining
outside, we cancelled our activity for the
day.
Correct: Because it was raining outside,
we cancelled our activity for the day.

Beside, besides:
Beside means at the side of or close
to. Besides means in addition to and
except for or apart from. They are not
interchangeable.
Linda was beside me during the entire
course of the interview.
Besides my educational background, I
was asked about my job experiences.

Bring, take:
Bring means to carry from a distant place
to a nearer one. Take means the
opposite, to carry from a near place to a
more distant place.
It is lunch time so please bring the lunch
boxes here.
It is lunch time so please take the lunch
boxes to the kids.

Bunch:
Bunch means a number of things of the
same kind. Do not use bunch to mean
group.
A group of professionals formed their own
labor union.
They bought a bunch of fruits with them.

Burst, bust, busted:

Burst is the present, past, and past
participle of the verb to burst. Bust and
busted are nonstandard English.
Nonstandard: Marco will bust if he takes
one more bite!
Correct: Marco will burst if he takes one
more bite!

But what:
But what is nonstandard English. Use that
Nonstandard: I do not doubt but what I will
succeed.
Correct: I do not doubt that I will succeed.

Can, may:
Use can to mean to have the ability to.
Use may to mean have permission to.
Ability: You can certainly carry that load.
Permission: Yes, you may use it.
Possibility: You may overcome that
challenge.

Cant help but:

Use cant help plus a gerund instead of
cant help but; for example, cant help
crying.
Nonstandard: I cannot help but think of
all the misery I went through.
Correct: I cannot help wondering how I
was able to solve all my problems.

Clipped words
Avoid clipped or shortened words, such as
gym, phone and photo in formal writing.
Informal: I kept a photo of you and your
family all these years.
Formal: I kept a photograph of you and
your family all these years.

Condemn, condone:
These words have nearly opposite
meanings. Condemn means to express
disapproval of. Condone means to
pardon or excuse.
She was condemned for betraying her
own country.
The government condoned her cruel acts.

Continual, continuous:
Continual means occurring over and over
in succession, but continuous means
occurring without stopping.
His continual tardiness caused his
dismissal from his post.
His continuous absence from his post
caused his dismissal.

Different from, different

than:
The expression different from is more
accepted.
Less acceptable: Her idea of marriage is
different than mine.
Preferred: Her idea of marriage is
different from mine.

Doesnt, dont:
Use doesnt with third person singular
subjects.
Nonstandard: She dont know where she
is heading to.
Standard: She does not know where she
is going to.
Common: She doesnt know where shes
going.

Done:
Done, the past participle of the verb to do,
follows a helping verb.
Nonstandard: Mr. Jones children always
done well in school.
Correct: Mr. Jones children have always
done well in school.

Dove:
Use dived instead of dove for the past
tense of the verb dive.
Nonstandard: I hurt myself yesterday
when I dove off the jetty into shallow
water.
Preferred: I hurt myself when I dived off
the jetty.
Correct: My favorite SCUBA experience
was the time I dived in the south of
Thailand.

Due to:
Use due to only when the words caused by
cant be substituted.
Nonstandard: The meeting was postponed
due to the gloomy weather.
Correct: The postponement of the meeting
was due to the gloomy weather.

Due to the fact that:

Use since or because instead.
Less acceptable: Due to the fact that we
were late, we lost the game by default.
Preferred: We lost the game by default
because we were late.

Each other, one another:

Most of the time these expressions are
interchangeable. Sometimes each other is
used when only two people or things are
involved, and one another is used when
more than two are involved.
Jesus taught us to love one another.
The couple held each others hand as
they walked down the aisle.

Emigrate, immigrate:
These are opposites. Emigrate means to
leave a country, and immigrate means
to enter a country. In both cases, it is a
reference to establishing a residency.
During the war, many Vietnamese
emigrated from the country.
Many Vietnamese immigrated to the US.

Enthused, enthusiastic:
Enthused is nonstandard English;
therefore, use enthusiastic.
Nonstandard: The employees were all
enthused about the new work
arrangement.
Correct: The employees were all
enthusiastic about the new work
arrangement.

Farther, further:
Farther is a reference to a measureable
distance, but further means to a greater
degree.
Grandmothers place is farther than what
we expected.
Grandmother asked us further which
route we took to get to her place.

Fewer, less:
Fewer is properly used with things that are
counted, and less is used with qualities or
quantities that are not counted.
Fewer books, fewer complaints.
Less trouble, less milk.

Former, latter:
In referring to two items, former
designates the first and latter, the second.
We bought some food and new toys for the
orphanage.
The former we gave to the orphanage
employees; the latter we gave to the kids.

Get, got, gotten:

Although these verbs are acceptable, it is
better to select different verbs if possible,
such as become, became, have become.
Informal: You need to get a permit for
fishing. He got a job in housekeeping. We
have gotten wealthier because of good
financial planning.
Better: You need to obtain a permit for
fishing. He was hired for a job in
housekeeping. We have acquired wealth
because of good financial planning.

Gone, went:
Gone, the past participle of the verb to go,
requires a helping verb. Went is the past
tense of go, and no helping verb is
required.
Nonstandard: Joe gone to see his family.
Correct: Joe went to see his family.
Correct: Joe could have gone to see his
family.

Good, lovely, nice:

Try to use more specific adjectives in their
place.
Weak: That was good explanation. The
weather is lovely. She wears nice clothes.
Better: That was an elaborate
explanation. The weather is warm. Se
wears fashionable clothes.

Good, well:
Good is an adjective and must not be used
as an adverb after an action verb. Well is
usually an adverb and be used after an
action verb. Well can also be an adjective
when it is used to mean healthy.
Therefore, it can be used after a linking
verb, for example, I feel well.
I am a good singer. I sing well.
I feel well doctor.

Hanged, hung:
Hanged means executed, and hung
means suspended.
The murderer was hanged for his crime.
Plants hung from the ceiling of the living
room.

Healthful, healthy:
Healthful is used with things (healthful
diet), and healthy refers to people.
Less acceptable: Tofu is a healthy food.
Preferred: Tofu is healthful.
Correct: The yoga instructor is a healthy
woman.

If, whether:
These conjunctions are interchangeable,
and whether does not need to be used
with or not.
The diplomats were wondering whether
(if) they made the right propositions.

In, into:
In is a position, but into implies
movement.
Each piece of accessory was placed in the
cabinet.
Please put all your things into the drawer.

Irregardless:
This is nonstandard English. Use
regardless instead.
Nonstandard: Irregardless of the election
results, you are still our choice.
Correct: Regardless of the election
results, you are still our choice.

Judicial, judicious:
Judicial refers to a legal system. Judicious
mans to show wisdom.
The highest judicial body in the US is the
Supreme Court.
The judges judicious decision earned
him much respect.

Just:
Place just, when it is used as an adverb
meaning no more than, immediately
before the word it modifies.
Less acceptable: Just clean the porch, not
the garage.
Preferred: Clean just the porch, not the
garage.

Kind of, sort of:

Do not use these words to mean rather
or somewhat.
Nonstandard: Anne was kind of
disappointed with her colleagues
performance.
Correct: Anne was somewhat
disappointed with her colleagues
performance.

Kind of a, sort of a:
Do not use a following kind of or sort of.
Nonstandard: Which kind of a book do
you prefer to read?
Correct: Which kind of book do you
prefer?

Kind of , sort of
Avoid expressions such as this kind of
clothes If kind or sort is singular the
object after of should be singular.
This kind of cloth.
These kind of clothes.

Lay, lie:
The principal parts of lay are lay, laying,
laid, laid. The principal parts of lie are lie,
lying, lay, lain. Lay means to set or put
something down, and it is usually
followed by a direct object. Lie means to
recline, and it is never followed by a
direct object.

Lay, lie:
Lay the vase on the desk.
They are laying the carpet tomorrow
afternoon.
Jack gently laid the eggs in the container.
Lie down and rest for a few minutes.
The children are lying on the carpet.
They were so tired they decided to lay
down.

Learn, teach:
Learn refers to gaining knowledge,
whereas teach means to give knowledge.
I learned so much from my elementary
English teacher.
My elementary English teacher used to
teach me so much.

Leave, let:
Leave means to allow to remain, and let
means to permit.
Nonstandard: Leave me to do this on my
own.
Correct: Let me do this on my own.

Like:
Like is a preposition and should not be
used in place of as.
Nonstandard: He is wise like a monkey is
wise.
Correct: He is wise as a monkey is wise.

Loose, lose:
Loose is commonly an adjective and used
in idioms e.g. cut loose, turn loose or
break loose. Lose is always a verb
meaning to miss from ones possession.
Grandma loves to wear loose clothes.
Lose this game, and you are out of the
entire tournament.

Mad:
When used in formal language, mad
means insane. When it is used in
informal language, it means angry
Informal: Jenny was so mad that she
threw the book at her brother.
Formal: She was brought to the asylum
because she was mad.

Maybe, may be:

Maybe is an adverb that means perhaps.
May be is a verb.
Adverb: Maybe we will make it to the
meeting on time.
Verb: She may be permitted to use the
conference room.

Morale, moral:
Moral means good or virtuous; it also
refers to the lesson or principle that can
be learned from a story or an event.
Morale refers to a mental condition or the
state of the spirits of a person.
A moral individual is admired by people.
The moral of the story was easy to
identify.
After losing the game, the teams morale
was low.

Moreover
Use the conjunction moreover to mean
the same thing as furthermore. It is used
to expound on a given idea and should not
be confused with besides which, when
used as a conjunction, also means
anyway.
Correct: Nurses are leaving the country for
greener pastures. Moreover, other skilled
professionals are following suit.

Number, numeral:
Use number to mean quantity and
numeral to mean the figure representing
the number, that is, the numeral that
comes after 3 is 4.

Of:
Do not use of after the verbs should,
would, could, or must. Use have instead.
Also eliminate of after the words outside,
inside, off, and atop.
Nonstandard: She must of remembered
she had an appointment.
Correct: She must have remembered she
had an appointment.
Less acceptable: The kid fell off of the
high chair.

OK, O.K., okay:

Do not use these words in formal writing.
In informal writing OK, O.K. and okay are
acceptably used to mean all right.
However, it is not accepted in formal
writing.
Informal: It is okay to bring your kids with
you to the annual company outing.
Formal: It is all right to bring your kids
with you to the annual company outing.

Only:
Make sure to place only immediately
preceding the word it logically modifies.
You only say you love me, that is, you say
it but you dont mean it; You say you love
only me, that is, I am the only one you
love.

Ought:
Do not use have or had with ought. Ought
is used with an infinitive; for example,
ought to wash, ought not to cry.
Nonstandard: The photocopy machine had
ought to work now.
Correct: The photocopy machine ought to
work now.

Outside of:
Do not use outside of to mean besides
or except.
Nonstandard: Outside of Terry, there was
no other eligible applicant.
Correct: Except Terry, there was no other
eligible applicant.

Parameter:
Use parameter only in mathematical
contexts to designate a variable.
Less acceptable: The team can solve the
problem within the parameters of the
requirement.
Preferred: The team can solve the problem
within the scope of the requirements.

Persecute, prosecute:
Persecute means to subject to ill
treatment, whereas prosecute means to
bring a lawsuit against.
He was not understood by the society at
first, so he was persecuted.
The former president was prosecuted for
the anomalies during her administration.

Plurals that dont end in s:

If a word ends in an a or i, be careful; it
may be plural. Some nouns are made
plural in the same way that they were in
their original language. For example,
criteria, phenomena and media are plural.
Singular: criterion, phenomenon and
medium.
Make sure that you treat them as plural,
not singular, nouns. That means that their
predicate must be plural for correct

 Incorrect: The committee has decided on

the judging criteria, which is to be used
for the competition.
Correct: The committee has decided on
the judging criteria, which are to be used
for the competition.

Passed or Past
Passed past tense and past participial form of
the verb to pass.
To Pass means to go forward, proceed, depart.
This can mean to move forward in time, space or
in action.
time:How did youpassthe time between
classes?
space: and then Jamespassedthe ball to me
and I scored a goal!
action:Charlizepassedall her exams.
Leilanis great-grandfather passed his fortune onto
her.

Past or Passed
Past, on the other hand, has many different meanings.
Though they work similarly, they are not all the same.
None of them, however, fill the same use as passed.
Past (adj.)gone in time, done with, over; (n.) time that
has gone by, a period of time, before the present; (prep.)
beyond an age or time of, after a particular hour; beyond
in place, further than a place; (adv.) to pass or go by
adjective:Its nowpasttime to hand in your
assignments.
noun:Whatever happened between us is in thepast.
preposition:Lets meet at halfpast10. [10:30]
adverb:Reese ranpasthim on her way to catch the bus.

Passed or Past
The best way to decide if youre meant to
use past or passed is to try writing the
sentence in the present tense.
While Jamespassesthe ball works,
Lets meet at halfpass10. does not.

Poorly:
Do not use poorly to mean ill in formal
writing.
Informal: She missed her class because
she was feeling poorly.
Formal: She missed her class because
she was feeling ill.

Precede, proceed:
Precede means to go before, and
proceed means to go forward.
The board meeting preceded the election
of officers.
The board proceeded with the
deliberation.

Principal, principle:
Principal can be a noun or an adjective.
As a noun, it means a person who has
controlling authority, and as an adjective,
it means most important. Principle is
always a noun, and it means a basic law.
You can remember the difference by
thinking of your principal as your PAL.

Principal, principle:
Adjective: Our principal plan is to make
an investment.
Noun: Mrs. Gallagher is the school
principal.
Noun: She follows her guiding principle
wholeheartedly.

Raise, rise:
Raise normally takes a direct object, but
rise never takes a direct object, as in I
raised the flag, but I rise every morning
at 6.
Raise your complaints before the board.
Rise to a new day.

Real:
Do not use real to mean very or really
in formal language.
Informal: This job is one real challenge.
Formal: This job is very challenging.

Refer back
This is a common confusion between
refer and look back. This usage is not
recommended in formal writing on the
premise that the re- of refer means
back, so refer back is redundant.
Refer back, however, is acceptable when
it means refer again.

Refer back
Nonstandard: In elucidating on the topic, I
would like to refer back to the work of
Johanssen et al.
Correct: In elucidating on the topic, I would
like to refer to the work of Johanssen et
al.
The proposal was referred back to the
committee which drafted it.
Please refer to the notes of the press

Says:
Do not use says in place of said.
Nonstandard: Then the teacher says to us,
Keep quiet!
Correct: Then the teacher said to us,
Keep quiet!

Seen:
Seen requires a helping verb, as in I was
seen at the movies, not I seen him at
the movies.

Set, sit:
Set is usually followed by a direct object
and means to put something in a specific
place. Sit means to be seated, and it is
never followed by a direct object. The
principal parts of sit are sit, sitting, sat are
never followed by a direct object.
Set the dining are in the corner.
Sit in the chair and get a feel of it before
you buy it.

Shape:
In formal language, do not use the word
shape to mean condition,
Informal: The boxer was in good shape.
Formal: The boxer was in good condition.

Since, because:
Use since when time is involved and
because when a reason is involved. Since
I last saw them, I read a book, but
Because they came last Saturday, I did not
finish the book I was reading.

Slow, slowly:
It is preferable to use slow as the adjective
and slowly as the adverb.
Less acceptable: Walk slow because the
path is slippery.
Preferred: Walk slowly because the path
is slippery.

Take and
Take and is a nonstandard expression.
Eliminate it entirely.
Nonstandard: Take and put these
manuscripts in the filing cabinet.
Correct: Put these manuscripts in the
filing cabinet.

That, which, who:

These pronouns refer to the following: that
people and things, which only things,
and who only people.
This is the resort that (or which) I have
been telling you about.
She is the teacher who (or that) received
employee of the year.

Their, there, theyre:

Their is a possessive pronoun. There is an
expletive or an adverb. Theyre is a
contraction of there are.
Pronoun: Their presentation is the best I
have seen in years.
Expletive: There must be no complaints,
or else the plan will fail.
Adverb: Jane placed all her things there.
Contraction: I fervently hope they are all
in high spirits.

Them, them there, them here,

this here, that there:
Replace with these, those or this if an
adjective is required.
Nonstandard: Them essays are written
very well.
Correct: These essays are written very
well.
Nonstandard: This here manuscript dates
back to the time of the ancient Romans.
Correct: This manuscript dates back to
the time of the ancient Romans.

Than, then:
Than is a comparative and is not to be
confused with then, which refers to time.
Example:

The applicant who came in today is

smarter than that who came yesterday.
Put the vegetables first, and then allow it
to simmer for a few minutes.

Till, until:
These words are interchangeable, but they
are often misspelled. Till should not be
spelled til or til. Until should not be
spelled untill.
We played by the seashore until we all
tired.

To, too, two:

To is a preposition. Too is an adverb used
to modify adjectives and adverbs. Two is a
number.
Preposition: We went to a concert last
night.
Infinitive: To put up ones own business is
not an easy task.
Adverb: She took the advice too
complacently.
Kathy bought a pink shirt so Ashley bought

Unique:
Unique means one of a kind; therefore, it
should not be modified by words such as
very or most.
Illogical: The group presented their output
in an extremely unique way.
Correct: The group presented their output
in a unique way.

Want in, want out:

These are nonstandard expressions and
should be avoided.
Nonstandard: I want in the bathroom but
its occupied.
Correct: I want to enter the bathroom
but its occupied.

Ways:
Ways is plural. Do not use the article a
immediately preceding ways.
Nonstandard: The chauffeur still has a
considerable ways to drive.
Correct: The chauffeur still has a
considerable way to drive.

When, where:
Do not use these words directly after a
linking verb. Also do not use where as a
substitute for that.
Nonstandard: An automat is where food
is dispensed by machines.
Correct: An automat is a cafeteria where
food is dispensed by machines.

When, where:
Nonstandard: My best memory of Mom
was when we went by the beach, and we
walk hand in hand.
Correct: My best memory of Mom is of
going to the beach, and walking hand in
hand with her.

Wherever or where ever

Used emphatically,wherevermay be two
words ("where ever") when used in
questions, though the single word
"wherever" is also common, especially in
US usage.
It is always acceptable to use wherever
instead.
Whereverhave you been all my life?
You can sitwhereveryou like.

Who or whom?
Who is used for someone who is doing
something.
Whom is used for someone who is having
something done to them.
Just remember if you would use he/she use
who.
If you would use him/her use whom.

Who or whom?
Incorrect: Whom cooked this delicious
steak? (Him cooked this delicious steak)
Correct: Who cooked this delicious steak?
(He cooked this delicious steak)
Correct: To whom did you give the gold
earrings? I gave the earrings to her.
Incorrect: Who did you invite to the party?
I invited he.
Correct: Whom did you invite? I invited
him.

-wise:
-wise: Do not use this suffix to create new
words.
Less acceptable: Costwise, this new
product we launched is better.
Preferred: This new product we launched is
cost-effective.

References
Adam. (2004). Englis(h) is the most
difficult European language to learn.
http://www.antimoon.com/forum/2004/410
6- .htm
Brautigam, Curtis R. (2001-2007). 10
Reasons why English is so difficult to
translate.
http://www.multilingualwebmaster.com/libr
a- ry/ten_reasons.html

References
Forlini, G. Grammar and composition. New
Jersey: Prentice Hall.
http://www.sk.com.br/skingl.html
Schultz, Ricardo (2005). English - The
International Language.
http://www.sk.com.br/skingl.html