USAGE #1 – August 24th
1. A lot - two words!!
2. Affect-V. -To have influence on
Effect-N. –The result or consequence
3. Afterward (s)-
In formal English do not use the “s”
Toward (s)
4. All right - again - two words!!
5. Allude-V. –To casually mention
Elude-V. –To get away from, escape
USAGE #2 – August 31st
1. Accept-V. –Taking something offered, receive gladly (accept invitation)
Except-Prep. –The exclusion of
Verb –To leave out or exclude
2. Annual-Don’t use with first; can’t be annual until the second year (means: to occur every year)
3. Aid-V. – To help out, assist
Aide-N. –An assistant (More common to use this form for the noun)
4. Aisle-N. –A passageway between rows or seats
Isle-N. –An island, especially a small one
5. Border-N. –A surrounding margin or boundary
Boarder-N. –One who pays for both meals and lodging in another’s home
USAGE #3 - Monday Sept 14th
1. Comprise-V. –To consist of, to include, contain
Compose-V. –To make up, Create, Constitute
(The whole comprises the parts; parts compose the whole)
2. Plane-N. –a flat surface
Plain-ADJ. -ordinary
N. –flat surface of land
3. Lose-V. – to misplace something
Loose-ADJ. –not tight
4. Demolish/Destroy-Don’t use with completely or totally because both of these words mean to be torn down completely
5. Who’s-who is, contraction
Whose- possessive pronoun
USAGE #4- September 28th
1. Different from-things and people are different from each other, don’t use different than
2. Hopefully-describes the way the subject feels (Hopefully, I will pass the test)
don’t attribute it to a non-person (Hopefully, the test will end soon –I hope the test will end soon)
3. Imply-to express indirectly, suggest w/o stating
Infer-To deduce, to conclude from evidence
(The speaker/writer implies something the listener/reader infers)
4. It’s-contraction for it is
Its-possessive pronoun
5. Leave alone-to depart from or cause to be in solitude
Let alone-to be undisturbed-involves a physical action
USAGE #5 – October 5th
1. Less-use if too many to count
Fewer-if can separate items/quantities being compared
If able to count/estimate
2. Their-pronoun for two or more people
There-describes a place
They’re-contraction for they are
3. Definitely-notice the correct spelling
4. Principle-N. –Guiding rule or basic truth
Principal-N. –Leader of a school
Adj. –the first dominant/leading thing
5. Farther-use for specified distances (He threw the ball farther than her.)
Further-for depth or quantity (Let’s pursue the subject further)
USAGE #6 Spelling – October 12th
1. No one
2. Grammar
3. Maybe-perhaps (Maybe we will go shopping.)
May be-verb phrase (We may be going shopping.)
4. Quite
Quiet
Quit
5. Receive (continued on next page)
6. Threw
Through
Thorough
USAGE #7 – November 2nd
1. Agree to- a proposal, object
Agree with- a person
2. Compare to- to suggest likenesses between two objects
Compare with-to suggest likenesses and differences
3. Council-assembly, official group
Counsel-advise or advisor, (V. – to give advice)
4. Either, or
Neither, nor
5. People-large groups not easily counted
Person (s)-persons plural of person, can count (Three persons went to the store.)
USAGE #8 – November 9th
1. Whether-word indicating choice
Weather-conditions outside
2. Which-what one of ones
Witch-person with magical powers
3. Continually-recurring frequently (like a phone ringing all night)
Continuously-without interruption (like a person talking for a full hour)
4. Compliment-an expression of praise ( i in compliment as in i like )
Complement-Something that completes or makes up the whole
5. Would have>don’t use with of
Could have>don’t use with of
Should have>don’t use with of
Review Week – November 30th – Semester Final Dec. 4th
Second Semester
USAGE #9 – Jan 5th
1. Never end a sentence with a preposition
Wrong: Where is he at?
Right: Where is he?
2. Never start a sentence with an indefinite “it”
Wrong: It was a dark and stormy night
Right: The night was dark and stormy
3. Use parallel structure with items
Wrong: Many people choose to walk, running, or swimming for exercise.
Right: to walk, to run, or to swim
4. “ “ Use quotation marks for short stories, poems, songs
______ Underline movies and books
5. May-to ask permission, possibility
Can-used to express ones ability
You can do your homework later.
May I do my homework later?
She may postpone the test.
USAGE #10 – Jan 11th
1. Sophomore-N. –Student in second year
Sophomoric-Adj. –wise but foolish person, know-it-all who is foolish and immature
2. Apropos-Adj. –Pertinent, opportune, timely
3. Poignant-Adj. –Touching, distressing to the feelings
4. Permeate-V. –To pass through, spread throughout
5. Pragmatic-Adj. –concerned with causes and effects or with needs and results rather than ideas or theories; practical
USAGE # 11 – Jan 25th
1. Panache-N. –Dash, vitality, liveliness
2. Plethora-N. –Super abundance, excess
3. Gregarious-Adj. – seeking and engaging the company of others, sociable
4. Renowned-Adj. –famous, well known
5. Nuance-N. – A shade of difference
A subtle or slight degree of difference
USAGE #12 – Feb 1st
1. Notorious-Adj.- widely known and regarded unfavorably
2. Aura-N. –A distinctive air or quality that characterizes a person or thing
3. Verve-N. –Energy and enthusiasm in the expression of ideas or in artistic performance
4. Ambiguous-Adj. –Susceptible of multiple interpretations, doubtful or uncertain, easily confused
5. Apex-N. – The highest point
USAGE #13 – Feb 22nd
1. Cancel
Cancelled
Cancellation
2. Embarrass (ed) (ment) (continued next page)
3. Occur
Occurred
Occurrence
4. Commit (ment)
Committed
Committing
Committee
5. Accommodate (ed) (ing) (ion)
USAGE # 14 – March 1st
1. Travel
Traveled
Traveling
2. Separate
3. Desperate
4. Stationary (not movable)
Stationery (writing material)
5. Disaster
Disastrous
USAGE #15 – March 22nd
1. Passé-Adj. – out-of-date, old fashioned
2. Allot-V.
Allotted-V. – To give or assign
Allotting-V.
Allotment-N. - To distribute by lot
3. Fastidious-Adj. –displaying careful and meticulous attention to detail
4. Liaison-N. –Linking of two separate things, love affair
5. Tim told Tom that he had won the prize.
Ambiguous-who does “he” refer to?
Make your meaning clear
USAGE #16 – April 12th
1. Quandary- (dries)-N. –a condition of uncertainty or doubt, dilemma
2. Eradicate (ing)-V. – to remove completely, uproot
Eradicable-Adj. –
Eradication-N.
Eradicator-N
3. Perpetuate-V. – Lasting forever or indefinitely long to prolong the existence of
4. Complacence-N. - Contentment, satisfaction, smugness
(cency) (cent(Adj.))
5. Futile-Adj. – having no useful result, useless
Futilely-Adv.
Futility-N.
USAGE #17 April 26th
1. Auspicious-Adj. –Favorable, Successful, Prosperous
2. Juxtapose-V. –To place side by side
N. – To position
3. Exacerbate-V. –To increase the severity of, Aggravate (ed, ing-V.) (batingly-Adv.) (tion-N.)
4. The 50 minutes in Mrs. Smith’s class past quickly.
Write out #’s under 10 but use #’s for 11 and over
‘s-possessive
past (the time before the present) passed (elapsed, to come to an end)
5. 60 persons was absent.
Spell out #’s beginning a sentence
Subj.-verb agreement
USAGE #18 - May 3
1. To-V. – “To be or not to be”
Too-too much, too soon (emphasize the word after too)
Two-number
2. Set (set, have set, setting) V. -means “to put down or “to place” takes a direct object
Set the grocery bag down
Sit (sat, have sat, sitting)-V. – means “occupying a sitting position”, doesn’t take a direct object
3. Lie (lay-past, have lain-past part., lying-present part.)-V. to rest in a flat position or to recline
Lay (laid, have laid, is laying)-V. “to put down” or “to place”
4. Desert-N. – Dry sandy area -V. -to leave or abandon
Dessert-N. –Food eaten as last course of meal
Usage Review – week of May 10th –
Final May 14th
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