Practical Grammar and Composition Part 62

See --64.

DOWN. Do not use _down_ as a verb in the sense of _defeat_ or _overthrow_.

Wrong: Our football team _has downed_ every other team in the state.

Right: Our football team _has defeated_ every other team in the state.

DROWNDED. _Drownded_ is not a proper form of the verb _drown_. Say _drowned_. (p.r.o.nounced _drownd._)

EACH OTHER. Do not use _each other_ to refer to more than two objects.

See --44.

Wrong: The members of the regiment helped _each other_.

Right: The members of the regiment helped _one another_.

EFFECT, AFFECT. Do not confuse _effect_ and _affect. Effect_ means _a result_, or _to cause a thing to be done. Affect_ means _to disturb_ or _have an influence on_.

Wrong: The news _effected_ him seriously.

Right: The news _affected_ him seriously.

Wrong: The _affect_ of this news was to cause war.

Right: The _effect_ of this news was to cause war.

EITHER. Do not use _either_ with reference to more than two objects, nor follow it by a plural verb. See --43.

Wrong: _Either_ of the three will do. _Either_ you or John _have_ done it.

Right: _Any one_ of the three will do. _Either_ you or John _has_ done it.

EMIGRATE, IMMIGRATE. Do not confuse _emigrate_ and _immigrate_.

_To emigrate_ means _to go out of a place_, to _immigrate_ means _to come into a place_.

Right: The Italians _emigrate_ from their country.

Right: Of those who _immigrate_ to America, a large number are Italians.

ENOUGH. Do not follow _enough_ by a clause beginning with _that_ or _so that_.

Wrong: I studied _enough_ that I could recite the lesson.

Right: I studied _enough to_ recite the lesson.

ENTHUSE. Do not use _enthuse_ in the sense of to create enthusiasm.

Wrong: He tried to _enthuse_ his audience.

Right: He tried to _arouse_ enthusiasm in his audience.

ETC. _Etc._ stands for _et cetera_, and means _and so forth_. Do not spell it _ect_. Do not use it in composition that is intended to be elegant.

EVERYBODY. _Everybody_ should not be followed by a plural verb or a plural p.r.o.noun. See --21.

EXCEPT, ACCEPT. Do not confuse these two words. _Accept_ means _to acknowledge_. _Except_ means _to exclude_.

Right: I cannot _accept_ such slovenly work.

Wrong: I _except_ your apology.

EXCEPT. Do not use _except_ for _unless_. See --85.

Wrong: I can not sleep _except_ it is quiet.

EXPECT. Do not use _expect_ in the sense of _suppose_ or _think_.

Wrong: I _expect_ you have read that book.

Right: I _suppose_ you have read that book.

FINE. Do not use _fine_ in place of some more definite word. _Fine_ is a much over-worked word.

Wrong: The book is _fine_ for cla.s.s-room work.

Right: The book is _well adapted_ for cla.s.s-room work.

FIRSTLY. _Firstly_ should never be used. Say _first_. See --40.

FIRST-RATE. Do not use _first-rate_ as an adverb in the sense of _very well_.

Wrong: That does _first-rate_.

Right: That does _very well_.

Right: He is a _first-rate fellow_.

FORMER. Do not use _former_ when more than two are referred to.

Say _first_. See --41.

FROM. Do not use _from_ with _whence, hence_ and _thence_.

Wrong: _From whence_ have you come?

Right: _Whence_ have you come? _From where_ have you come?

FUNNY. Do not use _funny_ for _singular_ or _strange_. _Funny_ is an overworked word.

Wrong: It is _funny_ that he died.