Recently Added Articles Page #62

eminent, imminent

Eminent means “prominent” or “great.”Something is imminent if it is “impending” or “about to occur.”Example: The spectators rose to their feet as the eminent entertainer’s entrance became imminent....

empathy, sympathy

To feel empathy means "to understand another’s feelings or situation." When you feel empathy for others, you “stand in their shoes” and feel what they’re feeling.If you show sympathy for another, you show compassion or “feel sorry” about ...

enclosed please find, please find enclosed, enclosed herewith

Boot out all these expressions from your language. In the words of Bryan Garner, they are “archaic deadwood.” Garner, Oxford, p. 124.Instead, try these on for size: Here are the reports you wanted. I enclose the reports you wanted. Enclosed are t...

enormousness, enormity

These words may both be used to describe something that is “very large.” But enormity has recently begun to take on strongly negative connotations. Enormity implies that something is both “big” and “bad.” Enormousness does not carry this ...

ensure, insure, assure

Most writers use these words interchangeably.But there are some differences. For example, assure is used only in reference to people. You assure your boss. If you insure him, then you’re taking out a policy on his life.Also, insure is typically res...

equable, equitable

The word equable means “even, tranquil, level.” The word equitable derives from equity and means “fair, just, or relating to a court of equity.”Example: The judge’s equable temperament enabled him to consider the conflicting positions of th...

everyday, every day

Everyday is an adjective used to describe things that are “common” or “ordinary.”Every day describes things that happen daily; it’s a noun form often acting as a noun adverb.Example: The airline lost our formalwear, so we had to wear our ev...

explicit, implicit

The word explicit means “fully and clearly expressed; leaving nothing implied.” It also means “readily observable,” as in an explicit sign of success. And, of course, explicit describes material that is sexually graphic.The word implicit mean...

farther, further

Some usage guides insist that only farther describes physical distance (We walked farther than we planned). But farther and further have been used interchangeably throughout much of their histories.Note, however, that only further may be used in the ...

feel

Too many people use feel when they mean “think, believe, or maintain.” Consider this passage from Newsweek: She feels that crime prevention must start with helping small children find their way out of poverty and neglect …. Quoted in Garner, Ox...

fewer, less

Under the general rule, fewer should be used for plural nouns and things that can actually be counted while less is used for collective nouns, mass nouns, or abstract nouns. The exceptions to this rule involve common phrases that allow less to become...

fiancé, fiancée

A fiancé is male; a fiancée is female....

firstly, secondly, thirdly

You should use first, second, and third to show textual enumerations in your writing. Many authorities prefer first, not firstly, even when the remaining items or points are introduced with secondly and thirdly.Example: First, through practice you wi...

flaunt, flout

Flaunt means “to show off” or “to exhibit shamelessly.” Flout means “to show contempt for, to mock, to show disdain.” Unfortunately, perhaps because flaunt is commonly used in conjunction with wealth and a shameless show of wealth is some...

for

Don’t hesitate to start a sentence with For. It’s a coordinating conjunction, and great writers have been starting sentences with conjunctions for hundreds of years. You can remember the coordinating conjunctions by referring to the acronym BOYFA...

forgo, forego

Forgo means “to abstain from” or “to relinquish something.”Forego means “to go before.” (Note the prefix fore-, as in before).Writers often confuse the two, usually using forego when they mean “forgo.”Both have past-tense construction...

former, latter

You should restrict your use of former and latter to those situations where just two referents are involved. The former is the first one; the latter is the second one. If you have more than two, then use first instead of former and last instead of la...

formerly, formally

Formerly means “at an earlier time.”Formally means “proper“ or “with official authorization.”Example: Having formerly run the operation as the interim chair, he was formally appointed to the chairmanship after the vote was counted....

fourth, forth

Fourth is the one between third and fifth.Forth means “forward” or “onward.”Example: After their fourth year of college, most students will graduate with the hope that they will go forth and prosper....

further to your letter

All writers should junk this expression.See enclosed please find, please find enclosed, enclosed herewith....

get, got, “got milk?”

The word “get” means “to receive or come to have possession, use, or enjoyment of.” It also means “to cause to be in one’s possession or succeed in having available for one’s use or enjoyment; obtain; acquire.”Some people insist that ...

gibe, jibe, jive

Gibe means “to taunt” (verb) or “a caustic remark” (noun).Jibe is generally used only as a verb, and it means “to accord with” or “to be consistent with.” Jibe is also a nautical term for the process of shifting the sails from one sid...

good, well

As a noun, well is a hole in the ground or a ship’s compartment. Well is also an adverb used to modify a verb or an adjective. Finally, well is also an adjective meaning "not sick."Good is an adjective used to modify a noun.Verb Good?Sportscasters ...

grizzly, grisly

The word grizzly means “grayish” or “relating to a large brown bear.”The word grisly mean “ghastly or horrible.”Don’t confuse the two.Example: The grizzly bear attacked the campers, leaving a grisly scene behind....

grow, grow the economy

The verb grow is typically intransitive because it describes a process undergone by the subject. Thus: The business grew rapidly. When used as a transitive verb, grow traditionally meant “to grow crops or to grow a beard.”These days, however, som...