Chapter 8

Correct Usage
The Varieties of English

Standard and Non Standard English

Standard English- is the most widely used form of

English. It is generally characterized by the
conventions in the language such as agreement,
the correct use of verbs, pronouns, modifiers etc.

Non Standard English is characterized by features

that do not conform to such conventions.
Formal and Informal English

Formal English- more often used in writing than

speaking. It is also used for formal occasions like in
weddings. It is likely to have long and complex
sentences; have extensive and specific vocabulary

Informal English- more often used in speaking than

writing. More often used in casual situations such
as conversations with family or friends. It is likely
to have shorter and less complex sentences. It is
also sound natural, as in spoken language.
Three Uses of English

Colloquialisms
These are the words or phrases that are not formal or
literary and are used in ordinary or familiar
conversation.

Examples:

The suspect claims that he was framed.

I can’t hear myself think with all this noise!
Slang
These consist of new words, or old words used in
new ways, that seem colorful and clever and that
show that the user is up-to date. Most often found
in the speech of young and somewhat isolated
groups like students and military recruits, slang
words live a short life. However, there are times
that a slang word becomes a more lasting part of
the language.

Example:
The new guy in the neighborhood is so cool!
(Cool means fashionably attractive or impressive)
Jargons
These consists of words and phrases used in a
particular sport in a field of study, or in a particular
profession or occupation. More often, these assign
a specialized meaning to a word already
widespread use.

Example:
In tennis, badminton, and some other sports, love
means a score of zero.
A mole has a different meaning for those who are
involved in the security defenses of a country. It is
a spy who gradually achieves an important position
within an organization and who anonymously
betrays confidential information.
Common Usage Problems
Words with nearly the same spelling and meaning
are confusing, Here is a list of common usage
problems.

Legend
(n.)noun (adv.) adverb
(pron.) pronoun (prep.)
preposition
(v.) verb (conj.)
conjunction
(adj.) adjective
• a lot (adj.) – this informally means “many”
a lot- this is a nonstandard spelling
Ex. I have a lot of work to do.

 accept (v.) – to receive; to believe

except (prep.) but or other than
Ex. Please accept my invitation.
All went to the concert except Malou.

 accuse (v.)- to lay blame on someone

allege (v.)- to state something as a fact even
if it is still unproven
Ex. Don’t accuse me of stealing your necklace
They allege that the real culprit is the
delivery man.
 adapt (v.) – to modify or to adjust
adopt (v.)- to take on or to assume; to take as
one’s own.
Ex. It is difficult to adapt to this cold weather.
She has to adopt the British accent.

 advice (n.) – an opinion or a suggestion

advise (v.)- to give an opinion or a suggestion
Ex. He did not follow my advice.
They advise me to travel light when I go
abroad.

 affect (v.)- to influence

effect (n.)- a change or a result
Ex. The television affects people in many ways.
 ain’t- This is nonstandard English so avoid this
in speaking or writing

Ex. Nonstandard: He ain’t my teacher

Standard: He is not my teacher.

 all ready (adj.) – prepared or set

already (adv.)- by now
Ex. We are all ready to eat dinner.
We already ate dinner.

 all right (adj.)- well satisfactory; yes

alright – this is a not standard spelling
Ex. Do I look all right ?
 all together (adj.)- with each other
altogether (adv.)- completely or entirely
Ex. We were all together when we left the house.
We were altogether surprised when she became
angry.

 among (prep.) – this speaks of three or more things.

between (prep.)- this speaks of two things
Ex. Alexis is the smartest among the group.
She is the smarter between the two lawyers.

 amount (n.)- This is used for nouncount nouns.

number (n.) – This is used to count separate units.
Ex. I would need a small amount of sugar for the recipe.
I would buy a number of packs of sugar for my pantry.
 and etc.- etc. is an abbreviation of the Latin et
cetera which means “and other things”.
Therefore, and etc. means “and and other
things” This is nonstandard

Ex. Nonstandard: For my son’s birthday, we

would be having spaghetti, fried chicken, cake
,ice cream, and etc.
Standard: For my son’s birthday, we would be
having spaghetti, fried chicken, cake, ice
cream, etc.

.
 annual (adj.) – happens once every year.
biannual/semiannual (adj.)- happens
twice a year
biennial (adj.)- happens every two years.
perennial (adj.)-happens throughout the
year, every year

Ex. I will be working on the annual sales

report.
Cora’s visit to the dentist is biannual.
The university sportsfest is biennial.
Poverty is a perennial problem.
 anyone (pron.) – This refers to any person.

everyone (pron.)- This refers to all people.

any one , every one(adj.)-This refers to any

single person or thing and are followed by
the preposition of

Ex. anyone can attend tomorrow’s lecture.

everyone has a responsibility.
any one of the chairs may be used.
every one of the students passed the test.
28. clothes (n.) – attire or covering for the body
Cloths (n.) - woven fabric

e.g. We bought new clothes last week.

Do you have cloths for dusting?
29. compare to - This compares two dissimilar
things.
Compare with – This compares two similar
things.
e.g. We can compare Ben’s strength to that of a horse.
The crime rate has declined this year compared with
last year’s.
30. compliment (n.) – an admiring comment
or praise
Complement (n.) – an accompaniment to
balance something

e.g. Most women love compliments.

My dad is the perfect complement for
my mom.
31. condemn (v.) – to blame or to criticize someone
for a wrongdoing; to bring guilt to
Condone (v.) – to ignore or to disregard a
wrongdoing
e.g. Don’t condemn but forgive those who
wronged you.
You cope with the problem and don’t
condone it.
32. Connote (v.) – to serve as a symbol; to signify
Denote (v.) - to indicate the actual meaning
e.g. The red color in the Philippine flag connotes
bravery.
Being brave denotes fighting one’s fears.
33. Continual (adj.) – occurring again and again
with intervals
Continuous (adj.) – non-stop

e.g. Rain has been continual this year.

Rain has been continuous for the past
two days.
34. Convince (v.) – to overcome the doubts of
Persuade (v.) – to move someone to follow what
is said to him

e.g. We are not convinced of his sincerity.

Do you think you can persuade Mariz
to join us?
35. cope up with – this is incorrect. Omit up.

e.g. I find it really hard to cope with this amount of

work.

36. corps (n.) – a group or a company usually in an army

Corpse (n.) – a dead body

e.g. The military corps starts training at dawn.

She reported to the police the corpse that she
saw.
37. Council (n.) – an assembly
Counsel (n.) – guidance or direction;
consultation
(v.) – to give advice

e.g. A meeting for the new council will be

held tomorrow.
You can seek counsel from the mayor.
The mayor can counsel you on legal
matters.
38. Desert (n.) – a barren region
(v.) – to abandon
Dessert (n.) – sweet food taken after the main
meal

e.g. Is the Sahara the largest desert in the world? (n.)

A renegade is a soldier who deserts his post.
(v.)
My favorite dessert is cake and ice cream.
39. different than – This is substandard. Use different
from.

e.g. NONSTANDARD: My essay is different

than his.
STANDARD: My essay is different
from his.
40. disinterested (adj.) – fair or unbiased
Uninterested (adj.) – unconcerned about or
bored by

e.g. A referee must be disinterested in the

game.
I am uninterested in politics.
41. due to – This means “caused by.” This may be used if
“caused by” may be correctly substituted in the sentence.

e.g. NONSTANDARD: The party was cancelled due to

the heavy rain.
( If due to is replaced with caused by, the sentence would be
“ The party was cancelled caused by the heavy rain.”
This is incorrect.)

STANDARD: The cancellation of the party was due to the

heavy rain.
( the cancellation of the party was caused by the heavy rain.
This is correct.)
42. due/owing to the fact that – This is wordy. Use
because or since instead.

e.g. LESS ACCEPTABLE: The family fortune was

not passed on to the eldest son owing to the fact that he
is disobedient.

ACCEPTABLE: The family was not passed on to the

eldest son because he is disobedient.
43. each other, one another – These two can be used
interchangeably in the international media.

e.g. My parents love each other very

much.
My parents love one another very
much.
44. emigrate(v.) – This means ‘to leave one’s own country
or region in order to settle to another.” This followed by the
preposition from.
Immigrate (v.) This means “ to establish oneself into
another country or region.” This is followed by the
preposition to.

e.g. Many people are emigrating from their

countries.
Many people are immigrating to other
countries.
45. every day (adv.) – This is an adverb of time which
indicates how often an action is done.
Everyday (adj.) This means “daily”.

e.g. You should take a bath every day.

Taking a bath should be an everyday
practice.
46. farther (adj. / adv.) – afar (This refers to physical
distance.)
Further (adj. / adv.) – additional (This refers to a
greater extent.)

e.g. We need to go farther to find the new

building.
Would you please explain your answer
further?
47. Fewer (adj.) – This is used with count nouns.
Less (adj.) – This is used with the noncount
nouns.

e.g. We have bought fewer books this

time.
We have bought less sugar this time.
48. former, latter – These are considered pronouns
because they refer to the two nouns that are
mentioned. Former refers to the first noun
mentioned, while latter, the last.

e.g. Both Lea and Monique joined the theater play.

The former played the lead, while the latter
played a supporting role.
49. get, got, gotten (v.) - These are the different forms of the
verb get. They are considered informal, so it would be better to use
their synonyms instead.

e.g. INFORMAL: If AC gets a piece of land

here, he will build a house on it.
FORMAL: If AC purchases a piece of land here,
he will build a house on it.
INFORMAL: I got better at golf with practice.
FORMAL: I became better at golf with practice.
INFORMAL: Sarah has gotten financial support
for the company.
FORMAL: Sarah acquired financial support
from the company she works for.
50. good, lovely, nice (adj.) – These adjectives are too
general. In formal writing, replace them with more specific
ones.
e.g. VAGUE: Our weekend trip was
good!
I’ve had a lovely day.
Isaac is nice.
SPECIFIC: Our weekend trip was exciting!
I’ve had an enjoyable day at
the park.
Isaac is friendly.
51. good (adj.) – fine or above reproach
Well (adj.) – healthy
(adv.) – pleasingly or favorably

e.g.NONSTANDARD: Lala did good on her

Math test.
(Here, good is used as an adjective and it cannot
describe the verb did. Replace it with an adverb.)

STANDARD: Lala did well on her Math

test.
52. hanged (v./adj.) – killed (as in in the gallows)
Hung (v./adj.) – suspended or put up

e.g. The man was hanged after he was

found guilty.
The clothes were hung at the back of
the house.
53. healthful (adj.) This describes things or activities
that are useful in making the body healthy.
Healthy (adj.) – this describes those that have
bodies such as people, animals, and plants.

e.g. Music is very healthful for the mind.

Our plants grew healthy because of
fertilizer.
54. if, whether – These are subordinate conjunctions
which have a similar usage and can be used
interchangeably. However, whether does not
necessarily need to have “or not” after it can be used
alone.

e.g. What her student asked was whether it

was all right to submit the report next week.
What her student asked was if it was all
right to submit the report next week.
55. In (prep.) – This refers to location.
Into (prep.) – This refers to movement.

e.g. The guests are in the house already.

Run into the house now!
56. in regard to, with regard to, as regards
- All of these expressions are correct. They
are interchangeable expressions of the word regarding.

e.g. In regard to your request for a salary

increase, the company decided to grant it next month.
The teacher asked questions with regard to
last week’s lesson.
As regards her father’s last will, she must
pursue medicine, and not art, in college.
57. irregardless – This is incorrect. Use regardless.

e.g. NONSTANDARD: She will pursue art in

college irregardless of what they say.
STANDARD:She will pursue art in college,
regardless of what they say.
58. judicial (adj.) – legal or official
Judicious (adj.) sensible or wise

e.g. This is a judicial procedure so we should

follow it.
My mother’s decisions are often
judicious.
59. just, only (adv.) – These mean “simply” or “no
more than” and should be placed beside the word they
modify.
e.g. She just wanted ice cream for dessert.
(The first sentence answers the question “
What did she only do on one occasion?”)

She wanted just ice cream for dessert.

(The second sentence answers the question
“ What was the only thing she wanted for dessert?”)
60. kind of, sort of – Avoid using kind of and sort of to
mean “rather” or “somewhat”. Do not also put the
article a after each of them.

e.g. INFORMAL: He is kind of (or kinda) hungry.

FORMAL: He is rather hungry.
INFORMAL: What sort of a drink is this?
FORMAL: What sort of drink is this?
61. lay, lie – Look at the table below to know their differences.

Verb Simple Past Present Participle Past Participle

Lay (to put down) laid laying laid
Lie(to rest) lay lying lain
Lie(to be untruthful) lied lying lied

e.g. Lay the potatoes on the table.

Lie down so that you will feel relaxed.

You should not lie if you want to gain my trust.

62. learn (v.) – to acquire or to
receive information.
Ex. I want to learn how to dance.

teach (v.) – to give

information.
Ex. Matthew will teach me how
to dance.
63. leave (v.) – to go away; to
allow something to stay behind.
Ex. You should leave before
sunrise.

let (v.) – to allow or to

permit.
Ex. Don’t let him leave the house
without hiss keys.
64. loose (adj.) – untied, free, or
unrestricted.
Ex. I like wearing loose clothes.
lose (v.) – to fail to find or
control; to misplace.
Ex. Don’t lose your money.
loss (n.) – disappearance;
something that was lost.
Ex. The loss of her money was
blamed on me.
65. mad (adj.) – Mad formally means
“insane”. Informally, it means “angry”.
Better use angry to mean “mad”.
Ex. INFORMAL: He left because he got
mad.
FORMAL: He left because he
became angry.
FORMAL: You can become mad with
so much depression.
66. maybe (adv.) – this means
“perhaps”.
Ex. Maybe she will call later.
may be – this is a verb
phrase which expresses a
possibility.
Ex. She may be outside the
house.
67. morale (n.) – spirit or confidence
of a group or a person.
Ex. A captain should lift the morale of
hiss team.
moral (n.) – a message or a
lesson
(adj.) – ethical
Ex. Were you able to get the moral of
the story? (n.)
To commit murder is not
moral.(adj.)
68. OK, O.K., okay – all of
these are informal. Do not
use these in formal writing.
Ex. INFORMAL – Your voice is
okay.
FORMAL – Your voice is
pleasant.
69. persecute (v.) – to harass or
to maltreat.
Ex. During Roman times,
Christian were persecuted.
prosecute (v.) – to take legal
action against.
Ex. The district attorney
prosecuted the businessman.
70. personal (adj.) – private
Ex. Let us not talk about my
personal life.
personnel (n.) – the people
working at a specific job.
Ex. My job is to train new
personnel for the company.
71. precede (v.) – to come first
Ex. The manager who preceded
him was also upright.
proceed (v.) – to advance or
to continue.
Ex. Shall we proceed with the
lecture?
72. principal (adj.) – chief or main
Ex. Our principal goal is to provide
academic service.
(n.) – a person in
authority
Ex. I never saw your principal again
after he retired.
principle (n.) – a standard or a
ruling belief.
Ex. It is my principle to be always on
time.
73. prophecy (n.) – a
prediction
Ex. She made a prophecy that
an earthquake would come.

prophecy (v.) – to predict

Ex. She prophesied that an
earthquake would come.
74. quiet (adj.) – silent or not noisy
Ex. Be quiet!
quit (v.) – to stop
Ex. Don’t quit. Just continue
working.
quite (adv.) – somewhat or
rather
Ex. It was quite dark when we got
home.
75. raise (v.) – to lift up something.
Ex. I can’t raise leg; it hurts.

rise (v.) – to go up; to stand

Ex. Please rise to welcome Prof. Alferez!

raze (v.) – to destroy

Ex. Seven houses were razed in the fire.
76. real (adj.) – this word,
which means “authentic”,
must not be used in formal
writing to mean “very” or
really.”
Ex. INFORMAL: I was real tired
when I got home.
FORMAL: I was really
tired when I got home.
77. set (v.) – to place or to
arrange
Ex. Let us set the table.
sit (v.) – to put oneself
in a seayed position.
Ex. Let us sit down.
78. shape (n.) – this word, which
means “figure,” must never be
used to mean “condition.”
Ex. INFORMAL: He must be in
serious shape after the accident.
FORMAL: He must be in a
serious condition after the
accident.
79. sing (v.) – to give melody to
words
Ex. I sing whenever I feel said.

singe (v.) – to burn

Ex. He wasn’t singed at all after
he came out of the burning
building.
80. slow (adj.) – this can be used as
an adjective or an adverb.
However, some writers still prefer
to use it as an adjective and would
rather use slowly as the adverb.
Ex. INFORMAL: Don’t rush; eat
slow!
FORMAL: Don’t rush; eat
slowly!
81. so (conj.) – therefore
so that (conj.) – with the
result that or with the goal that
Ex. STANDARD: She came late so
she did not finish the test.
INFORMAL: Sleep early so you
won’t be late.
FORMAL: Sleep early so that
you won’t be late
82. some, somewhat – in
formal writing, do not use
some for somewhat as an
adverb
Ex. NONSTANDARD: My
writing improved some.
STANDARD: My
writing improved somewhat.
83. stationary (adj.) – not moving
Ex. Edgar remained stationary until
he was told to move.

stationery (n.) – paper

Ex. Melissa likes to collect
stationery.
84. taken cared of – this is
incorrect. The first word
and not the second should
take sense
Ex. The flowers were taken
care of last Saturday.
85. than – this is used either as a conjunction or a
preposition
Ex. She sings better than I do. (conj.)
John likes Marsha more than me. (prep.)

then – this is used either as a conjunction or

an adverb do not interchange the two.
Ex. Close the lid, and then press the mix button.
(conj.)
I was working in a television station then. (adv.)
86. this here, that there – it is
unnecessary to put here after
this and there after that.
Ex. NONSTANDARD: I will be
buying this here book instead of
that there one.
STANDARD: I will be buying
this book instead of that one.
87. the reason is because – this is
redundant. Use “The reason is that”
instead. Better yet, just rephrase it by
using the conjunction because.
Ex. SUBSTANDARD: The reason she
gets sick is because her heart is weak.
STANDARD: The reason she gets
back is that her heart is weak.
IMPROVED: She gets sick
because her heart is weak.
88. till, until (conj./prep.) –
till is the short form of
until.
Ex. The soldier stayed at his
post until (or till) daybreak.
89. unique (adj.) – this is an
absolute adjective. It should
not be used with the adverb
very, more or most.
Ex. NONSTANDARD: My ring
is more unique than hers.
STANDARD: My ring
is unique.
90. unpractical, impractical
(adj.) – lacking reason
Ex. It is unpractical (or
impractical) to leave your house
without your watch.
impracticable (adj.) – not
workable
Ex. Working on a 3000 – page
case in three days would seem
impracticable for any lawyer.
91. when, where – in formal writing,
when or where is not used right
after the linking verbs.
Ex. INFORMAL: The moment I really
burst out laughing was when he
slipped.
FORMAL: The moment I really
burst out laughing was that time
when he slipped.
92. who, which, that – these are used
as subordinating conjunctions. Who
refers to people; which refers to
nonliving objects or to animals; and
that may refer to animals, people, or
nonliving things.
Ex. The person who came is my son.
The flowers which were delivered
were for me.
He gave me the flowers that I
received last week.
93. who, whom, whose – these are used as
relative pronouns that refer to people. Who is
used as the subject of a verb; whom is used as
direct object or the object of a preposition;
and whose is a possessive pronoun, after
which comes a noun.
Ex. They were the students who came early.
They were the students whom the teacher
called.
They were the students whose books were
missing.
94. – wise (suffix) – this is used in
a specified way or manner
(likewise) or in a specified
direction or position (clockwise,
lengthwise), but not after just any
word. Express the word in another
way.
Ex. INFORMAL: Salary wise, this
agency is better.
FORMAL: When it comes to
salary, this agency is better.
95. worth (n.) – value or
significance
Ex. The worth of gold increases
yearly.
worthy (adj.) – deserving or
praiseworthy.
Ex. Who is worthy to represent
our school in the contest?