ACCEPT / EXCEPT

ACCEPT is a verb meaning to receive

EXCEPT is a preposition meaning other than

If you offer me Godiva chocolates I will gladly accept them

except for the candied violet ones.
ADAPT / ADOPT
ADAPT means to change
ADOPT means to take ones own

ADVICE / ADVISE
ADVICE is a noun meaning option
ADVISE is a verb meaning to give an opinion to

When Ann Landers advise people, she gives them advice.

AFFECT / EFFECT
AFFECT is almost always a verb meaning to influence
EFFECT usually a noun, meaning result. Occasionally, effect is a
verb meaning to bring about or to cause

AINT was originally a contraction of am not. It is not

considered standard English.
AVOID IT ON ALL WRITING & SPEAKING.

ALL READY / ALREADY

ALL READY used as an adjective meaning ready

"As soon as I put my coat on, I'll be all ready."

ALREADY adverb meaning by or before this time or even now.

"What do you mean you'd rather stay home? I've already got
my coat on."

ALL RIGHT / ALRIGHT

ALRIGHT although it is seen frequently in print, it is not considered a correct
spelling.
MAKE SURE THAT IN YOUR OWN WRITING, YOU ALWAYS USE THE
TWO-WORD FORM.
Eg. NONSTANDARD: The new album is alright.
STANDARD: He is feeling all right today.

ALL TOGETHER / ALTOGERTHER

ALL TOGETHER a phrase meaning together as a group

"The wedding guests were gathered all together in the garden."

ALTOGETHER adverb which means completely or in all.

"When he first saw the examination questions, he was altogether

baffled."
AMONG / BETWEEN both prepositions.
AMONG always implies three or more.
BETWEEN generally used with only two.

ANYWHERE / EVERYWHERE / NOWHERE / SOMEWHERE

NONE OF THESE ADVERBS SHOULD EVER END WITH AN S.
NONSTANDARD: The child lost the money somewheres on the playing field.
STANDARD: The child lost the memory somewhere on the playing field.

AS TO
AS TO is awkward. Replace it with ABOUT.
NONSTANDARD: I have no ideas as to where we should eat.
STANDARD: I have no ideas about where we should eat.

AT
Do not use at after where. Simply eliminate it.
NONSTANDARD: Can you tell me where to catch the bus at?
STANDARD: Can you tell me where to catch the bus?

BECAUSE
Do not use because after the reason. Say the reason...is that or reword
the sentence altogether.
NONSTANDARD: The reason he is sad is because his dog died.
STANDARD: He is sad because his dog died.

BEING AS / BEING THAT

Avoid using both expressions. Use because or since instead.
NONSTANDARD: Being as it was so late, he went home.
STANDARD: Because it was so late, we went home.

BESIDE / BESIDES
BESIDE means at the side of or close to
BESIDES means in addition to

BRING / TAKE
BRING - means to carry from a distant place to a nearer one
TAKE means to carry from a near place to a more distant place.

CANT HELP BUT

Replace this nonstandard expression with cant help plus gerund.
NONSTANDARD: I cant help but feel sorry for John after his recent
misfortune.
CORRECT: I cant help feeling sorry for John after his recent
misfortune.

DIFFERENT FROM / DIFFERENT THAN

Different from is preferred.
LESS ACCEPTABLE: My handwriting is different than Alices.
CORRECT: My handwriting is different from Alices.

DOESNT / DONT
Use doesnt instead of dont with all 3rd-person singular pronouns and nouns.
NONSTANDARD: The machine dont work.
CORRECT: The machine doesnt work.

DONE
Done is the past participle of do. It should always follow a helping verb.
NONSTANDARD: He done his homework.
CORRECT: He has done his homework.

DUE TO THE FACT THAT

This phrase is unnecessarily wordy. Use SINCE or BECAUSE instead.
LESS ACCEPTABLE: Due to the fact that he was late, we left.
PREFERRED: Since he was late, we left.

FARTHER / FURTHER
FARTHER refers to distance
FURTHER means additional or to a greater degree or extent

IN / INTO
IN refers to position
INTO suggests motion

KIND OF / SORT OF
Do not use KIND OF or SORT OF in place of rather or somewhat.
NONSTANDARD: I feel sort of sick.
CORRECT: I feel somewhat sick.

LAY / LIE
LAY means to put or set (something) down
- its principal parts (lay, laying and laid) are usually followed by a
direct object.
LIE means to recline
- its principal parts (lie, lying, lay, lain) are never followed by a direct
object.

LEARN / TEACH
LEARN to receive knowledge
TEACH to give knowledge

LEAVE / LET
LEAVE to allow to remain.
LET to permit

OF / HAVE
Do not use the preposition of in place of the verb have.
NONSTANDARD: I could of gone if I had wanted
CORRECT: I could have gone if I had wanted.

SEEN
SEEN is a past participle and can be used as a verb only with
a helping verb.
NONSTANDARD: We seen the new auditorium already.
CORRECT: We have seen the new auditorium already.

SET / SIT
SET means to put (something) in a certain place. Its
principal parts (set, setting and set) are usually followed by a
direct object.
SIT means to be seated Its principal parts (sit, sitting, sat)
are never followed by a direct object.

THAN / THEN
THAN is used in comparisons. Do not confuse it with the
adverb THEN, which usually refers to time.

THEIR / THERE / THEYRE

THEIR a possessive pronoun, always modifies noun.
THERE - can be used as either as an expletive at the beginning
of a sentence or as an adverb.
THEYRE is a contraction for THEY ARE.
Eg. PRONOUN The spectators threw their hats into the air.
EXPLETIVE: There are three police officers guarding the
gate.
ADVERB: The accident occurred there.
CONTRACTION: Theyre waiting for us at the gate.

TO / TOO / TWO
TO a preposition, begins a prepositional phrase or an
infinitive.
TOO an adverb, modifies adjectives and other adverbs.
TWO a number

Related topic

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Basic English Grammar

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