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Bring and take are very easily confused as their
meanings are similar. To prevent confusing these two words, remember
that bring means to carry something towards yourself, while
take means to carry something away from yourself.
Example 1 (bring--correct usage): Bring
the supplies to my house so we can work on the project.
Note that in the sentence above, the direction of the action is
towards the speaker.
Example 2 (take-correct usage): Take
the supplies to your house so we can work on the project.
In Example 2, take, rather than bring, is used because
the direction of the action is away from the speaker.
Who would want to be given a gift and then told there’s a charge? Anything that is a gift is free; otherwise, it isn’t a gift. Likewise, if there is a cost involved, it is definitely not a gift.
The term free gift is used frequently by retailers to entice customers with a bonus offer: "Free gift with the purchase of $50 or more!"
Stay away from marketing lingo and avoid using free with gift. Remember that a gift always comes with no strings attached—period.
Further and farther are often used interchangeably,
although they actually have slightly different meanings. Both words
refer to distance, but the distinction is in the type of distance.
Further refers to mental distance, while farther refers
to physical distance. Take a look at the differences as illustrated
in the sentences below:
Example 1 (further-correct usage): The student
read further in the textbook. (Note that the distance traveled
is only mental.)
Example 2 (farther-correct usage): I have
to drive farther to work than to school. (In this sentence,
we are referring to an actual distance that is measurable in miles,
kilometers, etc., so the word farther is used.)
For more information, see...
Take a look at the following sentence:
Eating healthy foods that are low in fat reduces the risk of
some cancers.
It sounds correct, right? Well, yes and no. It depends on whom
you ask.
There is an ongoing debate over the usage of healthy versus
healthful. Some say healthy should be used to
refer only to the wellness of living things (for example, a healthy
body), while healthful is the word of choice to refer to
anything that promotes good health (like food, exercise, etc.).
Others believe that both words are acceptable to use in reference
to health-promoting substances or practices (for example, healthy
or healthful food). Healthy is used more often
than healthful, by far, and it is stated as correct usage
by reputable sources. So take your pick.
For more information, see…
This is one word that has become almost completely acceptable in
its incorrect form, hence its “questionable” status.
Most people use it to mean "it is hoped that," as in
the following sentence:
Example 1: Hopefully, the rain will
stop in time for the outdoor concert.
Hopefully can also be used to describe performing an action "in
a hopeful manner," as the following example demonstrates:
Example 2: We hopefully waited for the
winner of the competition to be announced.
Example 2 illustrates what is considered by some to be the only
correct usage of hopefully, while Example 1 is considered
an outright error.
The argument against using hopefully in the manner of
Example 1 is that the adverb--hopefully--is not modifying
anything. The rain (in Example 1) is not performing an action in
a hopeful manner. Other adverbs, such as thankfully, frankly,
and honestly, are used similarly.
There is much debate over the correctness of using adverbs this
way. To avoid controversy, switch from hopefully to I
hope or we hope. Or you can choose to go with the
masses and continue to use hopefully. Hopefully, no one
will correct you.
For more information, see…
Regardless of what you may read or hear people say, irregardless
is an unnecessary and illogical substitution for regardless.
For some strange reason, this hideous word has slipped into the
English language. Think for a second about the logic behind the
construction of the word irregardless: The prefix ir-
means "the absence of," and the suffix -less means "the absence
of." Is it really necessary to indicate the absence of regard twice?
I think not. Remember that regardless is a complete word
on its own without the redundant ir- at the beginning.
For more information,
see...
This is an error that may get me some nasty letters from my neighbors
here in the South, where I live. It involves the usage of the word
mash. Having grown up in the southern United States, I have
become accustomed to hearing the word mash used in sentences
such as, "Mash the button on the elevator." However, the
best word to use for this sentence would be press. Mash
means "to crush," but press means "to act on with a steady
force," "to bear heavily down on," or "to squeeze or compress."
Just remember that you mash potatoes, but you press
buttons.
Nauseous and nauseated have two different definitions,
but recently they have become almost interchangeable. To many people,
the following two sentences have exactly the same meaning:
Example 1: I feel nauseated when I am nervous.
Example 2: I feel nauseous when I am nervous.
In both sentences, the speaker is referring to a feeling of queasiness.
It is becoming increasingly common to hear the second example above,
which uses nauseous in place of nauseated. Actually,
these words have two separate meanings. Nauseous is used
when referring to something that actually causes a feeling of sickness,
while nauseated is used to refer to the actual sensation
of sickness, as illustrated in the following sentences:
Example 3 (nauseous-correct usage): The
smell of rotten eggs is nauseous.
Example 4 (nauseated-correct usage): The smell of
rotten eggs makes me nauseated.
Example 3 illustrates the correct usage of the word nauseous,
because it refers to the smell of rotten eggs--something which causes
a feeling of sickness. In Example 4, nauseated is used to
refer to the feeling of nausea. Just remember that when you are
feeling sick, use nauseated, but when you are referring
to something that actually causes you to be sick, use nauseous.
Please note that the word nauseating is synonymous
with nauseous in that both refer to something that causes
nausea. To say, "The smell of rotten eggs is nauseating"
would be as correct as saying, "The smell of rotten eggs is nauseous."
The real confusion, however, lies in the difference between nauseous
and nauseated.
If you've ever given a speech or lecture, you more than likely
have used a stand called a lectern as a place to lay your
papers or notes. However, you probably didn't refer to the stand
as a lectern. Like most people, you probably called it a
podium. But a podium is actually a raised platform
used to stand upon when speaking in front of a group. Remember that
you stand behind a lectern, while you stand on
a podium.
If you are wondering why one would differentiate between these
two words, consider the origin of the word podium. It is
a Latin word derived from the Greek word podion, a form of
pous or podos, meaning foot. Aha! By looking
at the derivative of the word, it becomes clear why a podium
is something that is stood upon--its root means foot.
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