Practical Grammar and Composition Part 64

Right: He can _teach_ you as much as any one can.

LEAVE. Do not confuse _leave_ and _let_. Leave means _to let remain_.

Let means _to give permission_.

Wrong: Will your mother _leave_ you go?

Right: Will your mother _let_ you go?

Right: I shall _leave_ my trunk in my room.

LIABLE. Do not use _liable_ for _likely_.

Wrong: It is _liable_ to rain to-day.

Right: It is _likely_ to rain to-day.

Right: He is _liable_ for all that he has agreed to pay.

LIGHTNING. Do not use _lightning_ as a verb in place of _lightens_.

Wrong: During the storm, it _lightnings_ frequently.

Right: During the storm, it _lightens_ frequently.

LIKE. Do not use _like_ for _as_. _Like_ is a preposition. _As_ is a conjunction.

Wrong: He doesn't talk _like_ he did yesterday.

Right: He doesn't talk _as_ he did yesterday.

Right: It looks _like_ a mahogany chair.

LIT ON. Do not use _lit on_ in the sense of _met with_ or _discovered_.

Wrong: I at last _lit on_ this plan.

LOT. Do not use _lot_ in the sense of _a great number_ or _a great deal_.

Wrong: A _lot_ of people were there, She talks _a lot_.

MOST. Do not use _most_ for _almost_.

Wrong: I have _most_ completed the book.

Right: I have _almost_ completed the book.

Right: He has done _the most_ of the work.

MRS. Do not use _Mrs._ before t.i.tles; as, _Mrs. President, Mrs.

Professor, Mrs. Doctor_.

MUCH. Do not use _much_ for _many_. _Much_ refers to quant.i.ty. _Many_ refers to number.

Wrong: As _much as_ five hundred people were present.

Right: As _many as_ five hundred people were present.

MUTUAL. Do not confuse _mutual_ and _common_. _Mutual_ means _interchanged_.

Wrong: John and William had a _mutual_ liking for Mary.

Right: John and William had a _common_ liking for Mary.

Right: John and William had a _mutual_ liking for each other.

NEAR. Do not use _near_ for _nearly_.

Wrong: He ran _near_ all the way to the station. I came _nearly_ making the same mistake.

Right: He ran _nearly_ all the way to the station. I came _near_ making the same mistake.

NERVE. Do not use _nerve_ in the sense of _impudence_.

NEWSY. Do not use _newsy_ in the sense of _full of news_.

NEITHER. Do not use _neither_ with reference to more than two objects, nor follow it by a plural verb.

Wrong: _Neither_ of the three could come. _Neither_ of the two _are_ here.

Right: _No one_ of the three could come. _Neither_ of the two _is_ here.

NO GOOD. Do not use _no good_ in the sense of _worthless_ or _not good_.

Wrong: The book is _no good_.

NO PLACE. Do not use _no place_ after a negative. See --46.

Wrong: I am not going _no place_.

Right: I am not going _anywhere_. I _am going nowhere_.

NOTORIOUS. Do not use _notorious_ in the sense of _famous_ or _noted.

Notorious_ means of _evil reputation_.

Wrong: Gladstone was a _notorious_ statesman of England.

Right: Several _notorious thieves_ were arrested.

NOWHERE NEAR. Do not use _nowhere near_ for _not nearly_. See --40.