Usage Day 1

1. Usage Day 1 • A/AN- using a or an depends on the sound that begins the next word. • A + singular beginning with a consonant • An + singular noun beginning with a vowel • A + singular noun beginning with a consonant sound: a user (sounds like “yoo-zer’) • An + nouns starting with silent “h”- an hour • These rules apply when using acronyms

2. ACCEPT, EXCEPT • Accept means to “receive.” • Except is usually a preposition meaning “but” or “leaving out” • Except can also be a verb meaning “to leave out”

3. AFFECT, EFFECT • Majority of the time- Affect is a verb and effect is a noun • Affect means “to influence” • Effect means “a result”

4. AIN’T • Colloquial/ slang do not use it in formal, academic settings. • ALL THE FARTHER, ALL THE FASTER, AS FAR AS • All the farther should be replaced with as far as

5. A lot • A lot not alot! • And etc. • Means “and so on” • Do not use the redundant phrase “and etc.”

6. ANYWAYS, ANYWHERES, EVERYWHERES, NOWHERES, SOMEWHERES • These adverbs should never end in –s • AT • Do not use this preposition at the end of a sentence/question.

7. BESIDE, BESIDES • Besides can mean “in addition to” • Beside means “next to” • BETWEEN, AMONG- • Between- a choice that involves two distinct items • Among- More than two items

8. BORROW, LEND, LOAN- • In standard English the person providing an item can loan it and the person receiving it can borrow the item. • BRING, TAKE • You bring things here and take things there

9. BUST, BUSTED- • Do not use busted to mean broken or to get caught/arrested • It means to bring an end, to tame, to bankrupt or ruin financially, to hit or punch, and to explode • CAN, MAY- • Can = ability • May= Permission

10. COULD OF- • Do not use of after a helping verb such as should, would, could, or must. Use have instead. • DISCOVER, INVENT- • Discovery is known as the act of detecting something that already exists. • Invention is using objects, ideas or theories that already exist in order to create a new object, idea, or theory that are not already in existence.

11. DON’T, DOESN’T- • Do not use don’t with third-person singular subjects. Instead, use doesn’t. • Example: This machine don’t/doesn’t work well. • FEWER, LESS- • Use fewer with things that can be counted. • Use less with qualities and quantities that cannot be counted.

12. Usage Day 2 • GOOD, WELL- • Good is an adjective. • Use good to modify nouns or pronouns. • Use good to modify sense verbs when they are being used to describe how someone or something is, rather than to describe an action. • Well is an adverb. • Use well to modify action verbs. • Well can also be used as an adjective to mean “in good health” or “satisfactory.”

13. HAD OUGHT, HADN’T OUGHT- • Do not use ought with with have or had. • He, she, they- • Mom and Dad they took us fishing. • Do not rename the subjects with pronouns.

14. HISSELF, THEIRSELF, THEIRSELVES- • Just don’t use them (himself, themselves, etc.) • KIND, SORT, TYPE • Type usually means a precisely defined category. • Sort is more general, often about character rather than definition and can be used in a negative way. • Kind is half way between, usually referring to large categories or families of things that are naturally related/

15. KIND OF, SORT OF • Do not use these phrases in formal speech. Instead, use rather or somewhat. • LEARN, TEACH • Learn means “to receive knowledge.” Teach means “to give knowledge”

16. LEAVE,LET- • Leave means “to allow to remain.” Let means “to permit.” • Leave my little brother go! (incorrect) • Let my little play! (correct) • Like, as- • Like is a preposition meaning “similar to” or “such as.” It should not be used in place of the conjunction as. • We painted like we were skilled artists. (incorrect) • We painted as if we were skilled artists. • We painted like skilled artists.

17. OF • Do not use of after a helping verb such as should, would, could, or must. Use have instead. • Do not use of after inside, outside, off, and atop. Eliminate of. • BECAUSE, THAT- • Do not use because after the phrase the reason. Say “the reason is that” or reword the sentence.

18. SOME, SOMEWHAT- • Some refers to quantity. • Somewhat refers to qualification of a condition. • THAN, THEN- • Use than in comparison. • Use then as an adverb to refer to time.

19. THEM, THOSE- • Do not use them as a substitute for those. • THIS HERE, THAT THERE- • Do not use here/there after this/that • TRY AND, TRY TO • Use try to instead of try and.

20. Usage Day 3 • USED TO, USE TO • Use used to • ‘Use to' is correct in the negative and question forms. 'I didn't use to like mushrooms, but now I eat them all the time.’ • WAY, WAYS- • Use way instead of ways when referring to distance.

21. WHEN, WHERE • Do not use when or where immediately after a linking verb. • Do not use where in place of that. • WHICH, THAT, TO • That and which refere to things; who refers only to people

22. WITHOUT, UNLESS- • Without is a preposition, because it introduces a word or phrase. • Unless is a conjunction, because it introduces a clause. • Do not bake without Mom’s permission. This is a preposition. • Do not bake unless your mom says it is okay. This is a conjunction.

23. YOUR, YOU’RE • You're is short for you are. • Your shows that something belongs to "you" or is related to "you" (e.g., your car, your father).