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making words matter

    common mistakes in English

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    Understanding and learning from common mistakes.

    We all make them!

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between | among

30/8/2020

 
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Between is used to refer to two or more things which are clearly separated:

  • Stand between the red lines.

Among/ amongst is used to refer to things situated more or less centrally in relation to several other things:

  • There was a small cottage amongst the trees, deep in the woods.

[Amongst is UK English]
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fewer | less

28/8/2020

 
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We use fewer with countable nouns and less with uncountable or mass nouns:

  • We sold fewer cakes this month compared to the same time last year.
  • The fewer words she says the better.
  • We’ve got less money than I thought but I don’t know why.
  • The less said, the better.

Less is normally used with numerals:

  • She had a score of less than 100.

and with expressions of measurement or time:

  • He worked here for less than two weeks.
  • We live less than four miles away.

but fewer is used if the things denoted by the number are seen as individual items or units:

  • There were fewer than ten candidates for the position.
Our online courses and modules are designed with you in mind:

  • flexible: you have busy lives, so our courses fit your schedule
  • practical: we use everyday examples and situations to help you understand
  • practice: there is only one way to improve; mistakes are there to help us learn
  • support: a personal mentor works with you

Our online module How to avoid common mistakes takes you through the most common mistakes and how to avoid them:
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e.g. | i.e.

26/8/2020

 
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We use:
  • e.g. to mean for example
  • i.e. that is to say and is used to add explanatory information or to state something in different words:

  • There are many types of material from which shoes can be made e.g. leather, plastic, cotton.
  • It’s a new type of shoe made from laboratory enhanced organic polymer, i.e. a synthetic leather.
Our online courses and modules are designed with you in mind:

  • flexible: you have busy lives, so our courses fit your schedule
  • practical: we use everyday examples and situations to help you understand
  • practice: there is only one way to improve; mistakes are there to help us learn
  • support: a personal mentor works with you

Our online module How to avoid common mistakes takes you through the most common mistakes and how to avoid them:
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too | to

24/8/2020

 
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Too means to a higher degree than is desirable, permissible, or possible; excessively; or in addition, also:

  • I want to go too.

To is an infinity marker:

  • I agreed to take him to the meeting.
  • I need to go now or I will miss my train.

and a preposition:

  • I walked down to the shops yesterday.
  • We went to the train station.
Our online courses and modules are designed with you in mind:

  • flexible: you have busy lives, so our courses fit your schedule
  • practical: we use everyday examples and situations to help you understand
  • practice: there is only one way to improve; mistakes are there to help us learn
  • support: a personal mentor works with you

Our online module How to avoid common mistakes takes you through the most common mistakes and how to avoid them:
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it | they

21/8/2020

 
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When referring to a brand or entity, use it as using they or their can confuse:

  • To keep up with their changing audience, Anderson & Cº rebranded in 2001. [confusing]

Their and they refer to people not a brand or entity. Therefore, when one refers to an entity rebranding, we use it:
  • To keep up with its changing audience, Anderson & Cº rebranded in 2001.
Our online courses and modules are designed with you in mind:

  • flexible: you have busy lives, so our courses fit your schedule
  • practical: we use everyday examples and situations to help you understand
  • practice: there is only one way to improve; mistakes are there to help us learn
  • support: a personal mentor works with you

Our online module How to avoid common mistakes takes you through the most common mistakes and how to avoid them:
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its | it's

19/8/2020

 
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Its is a possessive determiner to mean belonging to or associated with a thing previously mentioned or easily identified:

  • We bought this house for its charm and space.

It’s is a contraction of it is:

  • It’s wonderful to see you!

The confusion arises as some possessives do have apostrophes:

  • The man’s house was on fire, although no-one knew who he was.
Our online courses and modules are designed with you in mind:

  • flexible: you have busy lives, so our courses fit your schedule
  • practical: we use everyday examples and situations to help you understand
  • practice: there is only one way to improve; mistakes are there to help us learn
  • support: a personal mentor works with you

Our online module How to avoid common mistakes takes you through the most common mistakes and how to avoid them:
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your | your're

17/8/2020

 
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Your is a possessive determiner to mean belonging to or associated with the person or people that the speaker is addressing:

  • Is that your car? I thought you had a black one.

You’re is a contraction of you are:

  • You’re so clever!
Our online courses and modules are designed with you in mind:

  • flexible: you have busy lives, so our courses fit your schedule
  • practical: we use everyday examples and situations to help you understand
  • practice: there is only one way to improve; mistakes are there to help us learn
  • support: a personal mentor works with you

Our online module How to avoid common mistakes takes you through the most common mistakes and how to avoid them:
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their | there

10/8/2020

 
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Their is a possessive determiner and there is an adverb. They can be confused because they are pronounced the same:

  • This is their house.
  • There it is! That’s our hotel. The one with a clock tower.

Our online courses and modules are designed with you in mind:

  • flexible: you have busy lives, so our courses fit your schedule
  • practical: we use everyday examples and situations to help you understand
  • practice: there is only one way to improve; mistakes are there to help us learn
  • support: a personal mentor works with you

Our online module How to avoid common mistakes takes you through the most common mistakes and how to avoid them:
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must | must to

6/8/2020

 
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Modal verbs are never followed by to, except ought to:

  • I must go now. [obligation]
  • We should sell the company cars. [desirable]
  • I will arrive at 11.
  • We ought to order our food now.

This rule does not apply to those words or phrases which act like model verbs:

  • We are able to come to the meeting.
  • We can come to the meeting.

Ought to is formal and you can use must [obligation, duty or correctness] or should [desirable] instead:

  • I ought to go now. [obligation]
  • We ought to sell the company cars. [desirable]
Our online courses and modules are designed with you in mind:

  • flexible: you have busy lives, so our courses fit your schedule
  • practical: we use everyday examples and situations to help you understand
  • practice: there is only one way to improve; mistakes are there to help us learn
  • support: a personal mentor works with you

Our online module How to avoid common mistakes takes you through the most common mistakes and how to avoid them:
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to be | to have

4/8/2020

 
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When we talk about experiencing hunger, thirst, heat, cold, certain common physical conditions we usually use be + adjective (or feel + adjective).

When we talk about age, height, weight, size and colour, we also use be:

  • I am hungry.
  • I feel very tired.
  • I feel a bit nervous about the presentation tomorrow.
  • I’m afraid we don’t have enough money.
  • She’s under twenty which is a little young.
  • He’s mature for his age.
Our online courses and modules are designed with you in mind:

  • flexible: you have busy lives, so our courses fit your schedule
  • practical: we use everyday examples and situations to help you understand
  • practice: there is only one way to improve; mistakes are there to help us learn
  • support: a personal mentor works with you

Our online module How to avoid common mistakes takes you through the most common mistakes and how to avoid them:
How to avoid common mistakes
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