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Goof Proof
The Most Common Gramatical Goofs
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Misuse of Reknown for Renowned | No such word as reknown. Renown without a k is a noun that means fame. Its corresponding adjective is renowned. |
| Misuse of For Free | Free means for nothing. So, essentially, for free means for for nothing. |
| Confusion of Affect and Effect | Affect means to have an influence on or cause a change in. The verb effect means to produce a result or bring about. |
| Confusion of Aggravate and Irritate | Aggravate means to make worse. Irritate means to exasperate or inflame. |
| Confusion of Allude and Elude | Allude means to make an indirect reference to. Elude means to evade or escape from. |
| Confusion of Bad and Badly | Bad should be used with descriptive verbs such as look, feel, sound, and taste. Badly should be used with all other verbs. |
| Confusion of Can and May | Can denotes the ability to do something. May denotes permission to do something. |
| Confusion of Comprise and Compose | The whole comprises the parts, while the parts compose the whole. |
| Confusion of Disinterested and Uninterested | Disinterested means impartial. Uninterested means indifferent to or not interested in. |
| Confusion of Farther and Further | Farther refers to a physical distance, hence the reason the word far is in it. Further is when one refers to additional time or amount. |
| Confusion of Fewer and Less | Fewer refers to things that can be counted. Less refers to things that cannot be counted. |
| Confusion of Fortunate and Fortuitous | Fortunate means lucky or auspicious, while fortuitous means happening by chance. |
| Confusion of Good and Well | Good should be used with descriptive verbs such as look, feel, sound, and taste. Well is used with all other verbs. |
| Confusion of Imply and Infer | Imply means to state indirectly. Infer means to draw a conclusion. |
| Confusion of Lay and Lie | Lay means to place something down and takes an object (a transitive verb). Lie means to recline or be situated and does not take an object (an intransitive verb). |
| Confusion of Lend and Loan | Lend is a verb, while loan is a noun meaning money or something else lent for temporary use and should not be used as a verb. |
| Confusion of That and Which | That introduces restrictive clause, not comma. Which introduces nonrestrictive clause, with comma. |
| Confusion of Use and Used to | Used to indicates a former state or regular practice. Use to doesn't exist. It just sounds good. |
| Confusion of Who and That | Who refers to a pronoun. That refers to animals and things. |
| Confusion of Who and Whom | Who refers to subject of statement. Whom refers to object of statement. |
| Confusion of Worse and Worst | It was the worst mistake he ever made. Not it was the worse mistake he ever made. |