What is an error in English?
The concept of language errors is a fuzzy one. I'll leave to
linguists
the technical definitions. Here we're concerned only with
deviations
from the standard use of English as judged by sophisticated users
such
as professional writers, editors, teachers, and literate
executives and
personnel officers. The aim of this site is to help you avoid
low
grades, lost employment opportunities, lost business, and titters
of
amusement at the way you write or speak.
But isn't one person's mistake another's standard usage?
Often enough, but if your standard usage causes other people to
consider
you stupid or ignorant, you may want to consider changing it. You
have
the right to express yourself in any manner you please, but if
you wish
to communicate effectively you should use nonstandard English
only when
you intend to rather than fall into it because you don't know
any
better.
Special | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O
P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | ALL
A |
|---|
 | ABJECT | |
|---|---|---|
| "Abject" is always negative. You can't experience "abject joy"
unless you're being deliberately paradoxical. | ||
| ABOUT | |
|---|---|---|
| "This isn't about you." What a great rebuke! But conservatives
sniff at this sort of abstract use of "about," as in "I'm all about good taste" or "successful truffle-making is about temperature control"; so it's better to avoid it in very formal English. | ||
| ABSORBTION / ABSORPTION | |
|---|---|---|
ABSORBTION / ABSORPTION
Although it's "absorbed" and "absorbing" the correct spelling of
the | ||
| ACCEPT / EXCEPT | |
|---|---|---|
ACCEPT / EXCEPT
If you offer me Godiva chocolates I will gladly
accept
them--except for | ||
| ACCESS / GET ACCESS TO | |
|---|---|---|
| ACCESS / GET ACCESS TO "Access" is one of many nouns that's been turned into a verb in recent years. Conservatives object to phrases like "you can access your account online." Substitute "use," "reach," or "get access to" if you want to please them. | ||
| ACCIDENTLY / ACCIDENTALLY | |
|---|---|---|
ACCIDENTLY / ACCIDENTALLY
You can remember this one by remembering how to spell
"accidental." | ||
| ACTUAL FACT / ACTUALLY | |
|---|---|---|
| ACTUAL FACT / ACTUALLY "In actual fact" is an unnecessarily complicated way of saying "actually." | ||
| ADD / AD | |
|---|---|---|
| ADD / AD "Advertisement" is abbreviated "ad," not "add." | ||
| ADVANCE / ADVANCED | |
|---|---|---|
ADVANCE / ADVANCED
When you hear about something in
advance, earlier than other people,
you
"Advanced" means "complex, sophisticated"
and doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the revealing of
secrets. | ||
| ADVICE / ADVISE | |
|---|---|---|
ADVICE / ADVISE "Advice" is the noun, "advise" the verb. When Ahmad advises people, he gives them advice. | ||