Common Mistakes and Tricky Choices
Sometimes we need to make word choices. Sometimes we misuse words or phrases in standard English. This section includes many of the most common problems.
In the actual Grammar Slammer Windows program and with many browsers, you may click on a letter on this grid to find the term or word you are looking for. If this does not work with your browser, you may scroll down the alphabetical list to find the word you need or click on the text letter below.
A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J-K|L|M|N-O|P|Q-R|S|T|U-V|W-Z|
A
A/An
Absolute Modifiers
Accept/Except
Accuse/Allege
Across/Acrossed/Cross
Adapt/Adopt
Administer/Administrate
Aggravate/Irritate
Ain't
A hold/Ahold
A lot/Allot/Alot
Already/All Ready
Alright/All Right
Alternate(ly)/Alternative(ly)
Altogether/All Together
Always/All Ways
American Grammar vs. British Grammar
Among/Between
Amount/Number
Ante-/Anti-
Anxious/Eager
Anymore
Anyone/Any One
Anyway/Any Way
Anyways
Anywheres
Apart/A part
As/Like
As To
Assume/Presume
At after Where
A Ways
Awhile/A While
B
Bad/Badly
Because after Reason
Being As or Being That
Beside/Besides
Between/Among
Blatant/Flagrant
Blond/Blonde
Bring/Take
British Grammar vs. American Grammar
Burst/Bust/Busted
C
Can/May
Can't Help But
Clipped Words
Compose/Comprise
Continual/Continuous
Convince/Persuade
Could Have/Could Of
Credible/Credulous/Creditable
Cross/Across/Acrossed
Cult/Occult
D
Decisive/Incisive
Definite/Definitive
Different From/Different Than
Diffuse/Defuse
Disinterested/Uninterested
Done as Verb
Doesn't/Don't
Due To
Due To the Fact That
E
Economic/Economical
Emigrate/Immigrate
Enthused/Enthusiastic
Envious/Jealous/Suspicious
Equivocal/Equivocable
Especial(ly)/Special(ly)
Everyone/Every One
Everywheres
Exalt/Exult
Except/Accept
F
Farther/Further
Fewer/Less
Flagrant/Blatant
For Free
Fortunate/Fortuitous
G
Gone/Went
Good/Well
H
Hanged/Hung
Have or Had plus Ought
Have after Could, Would, Should, or Will
Healthful/Healthy
Height or Heighth
Hers/Her's
Historic/Historical
Hopefully
Hypo-/Hyper-
Hypocritical/Hypercritical
I
I Hope/Hopefully
Immigrate/Emigrate
Imply/Infer
In after Want
Incisive/Decisive
Incredible/Incredulous
Indeterminate/Indeterminable
Irregardless/Regardless
Irritate/Aggravate
Its/It's
J
Jealous/Envious/Suspicious
Jiggle/Joggle/Juggle
Judicious/Judicial/Juridical
Just, Use of
K
Kind Of, Use of
L
Lay/Lie
Leave/Let
Lend/Loan
Less/Fewer
Less/Littler (More Little)
Like/As
Lie/Lay
Literal(ly)
Littlest/Least
Loath/Loathe
Luxuriant/Luxurious
M
Macro-/Micro-
Magnificent/Munificent
Manic/Maniac
May/Can
Maybe/May Be
Morale/Moral
N
Nowheres
Number/Amount
O
Occult/Cult
Of, Use of
Of after Would, Could, Should, or Will
Official/Officious
Orient/Orientate
Only, Use of
Ought with Have or Had
P
Parameter/Perimeter
Perimeter/Parameter
Persecute/Prosecute/Prosecution
Perspective/Prospective
Persuade/Convince
"Prepositions Ending Sentences"
Prescribe/Proscribe/Prescription
Presume/Assume
Proscribe/Prescribe/Prescription
Prosecute/Persecute/Prosecution
Prospective/Perspective
Q
Quash/Squash
Quote/Quotation/Quotation Mark
R
Raise/Rise
Real/Really
Reason with Because
Regardless/Irregardless
Renown/Reknown
S
Says/Said
Seen/Saw
Sensual/Sensuous
Set/Sit
Should Have/Should Of
Single/Singular
Solid/Stolid
Somewheres
Sort Of
Special(ly)/Especial(ly)
"Split Infinitives"
Squash/Quash
Strategy/Tactics
Supposed to/Suppose to
Sure/Surely
Suspicious/Jealous/Envious
T
Tactics/Strategy
Take/Bring
Tenet/Tenant
Than/Then
That/Where
That There and This Here
That/Which/Who
Them/Those
Then/Than
There/Their/They're
There's/Theirs/Their's
To/Too/Two
Tortuous/Torturous/Tortured
Try And/Try To
Turbid/Turgid
U
Unequivocal/Unequivocable
Uninterested/Disinterested
Unique (and Other Absolute Modifiers)
Used to/Use to
W
Want followed by In, Out, Off, Down, or Up
Warranty/Warrantee/Warrant
Ways after A
Well/Good
Went/Gone
Where Followed by At
Where/That
Who/Which/That
Who/Whom
Who's/Whose
Will Have/Will Of
-Wise (Suffix)
Would Have/Would Of
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