Grammar Essentials - Common Mistakes in English Usage
There are some errors which people tend to make all the time without realizing that it is a mistake. In this article, I will discuss about some such errors, so that going forward people get to know that these usage are considered grammatically incorrect.
Revert Back: Revert already implies getting back or replying back. Hence, there is no need to add this word ‘back’ with revert again.
Comprises of: Comprise means consists of, so there is no need to use the word comprises of, of is used only with consists- as in ‘consists of’ is the correct usage.
Altogether: Now this words altogether implies completely which is an adverb, which people often confuse with ‘all together’. All together is a phrase, which means in a group.
Anyways and Anyway: Many people loosely use the word ‘anyways’ anywhere and everywhere. ‘Anyways’ means ‘in any case’, but a more formal way is to use anyway. In English grammar, however both these uses are not encouraged.
By, Buy and Bye: Not sure whether it is typo or people do not pay attention while writing, but many use buy and by interchangeably. But there all together different terms and have different meanings. ‘Bye’ implies bidding farewell or bidding adieu; in fact ‘bye’ is a short form of goodbye. ‘By’ is a preposition – for example, you should have completed this task by now. ‘Buy’ implies to purchase- for example, Meenu wants to buy a new pair of socks.
Angel and Angle: Now in several places I have seen people wish to write about angel, but they end up writing it as angle! Without least realizing that a misplaced ‘e’ can make your write-up look foolish. ‘Angel’ is a heavenly being, where as ‘angle’ is what a triangle has- it is the space between two intersecting lines.
Cleanup and Clean Up: English spellings and usage can be tricky and if not used correctly can send out wrong message. For example ‘cleanup’ is a noun, which implies the cleaning of a place. In clean up, clean is a phrasal verb as in clean up, for example, Priya wanted her maid to ‘clean up’ the mess in the kitchen.
3am in the morning: Clearly with the suffix am it implies that is the morning time, so we need not use the word morning after writing 3 a.m. Similarly, 4pm implies evening.
Copywrite and Copyright: ‘Copywrite’ or copywriting is a form of writing advertisements, where as ‘copyright’ is the right to reserve or say that a particular written piece, article, or a photograph is legally yours. People invariably use these two terms interchangeably.
Dessert and Desert: Though both these words are spelt and pronounced differently, still people make mistake while using them in written English. ‘Dessert’ is pronounced as dezzert- which is nothing but any kind of sweet dish, which is consumed after having lunch or dinner is referred to as a dessert. Whereas ‘desert’ means to abandon, to dump, to ditch, for example – He deserted her and went back to his own world. Desert also refers to sandy area such as Rajasthan is a desert area, with little water and greenery.
Let me wrap up by saying that there are numerous other words, which people use interchangeably without knowing its real meaning. Hope this article will help you clarify some of your doubts and improve your English writing skills.
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