Common Mistakes in Speaking And Writing | Article Directory USA ...

I?m amazed that otherwise intelligent speakers and writers repeatedly make mistakes when presenting their views. The ones that irritate me the most are:

It?s v. its.?It?s means ?it is.? Example:?It?s time for all of us to leave.?It most assuredly does not indicate a possessive form of the pronoun. When the apostrophe is absent, however, we can safely infer that possession is intended, as in?The dog licked its paw.

Whiskey ? Tango ? Foxtrot.?A crude expression, popularized by Rahm Emanuel and others in the Obama White House to express surprise and dismay. Don?t use it in speech or writing.

Oftimes, oftentimes. These words are archaic. Don?t use them.

Literal.?This word is frequently used in support of an exaggeration or a metaphor.

Example:?A literal flood of recrimination

Improved:?A flood of recrimination

Podium v. lectern.?A person may stand on a podium or behind a lectern. He may even do both at the same time. But please don?t say that the person is standing at, near or behind the podium. A lectern is the stand on which the speaker?s notes are placed; the podium is the platform on which the speaker and lectern stand.

People.?The people?is a political term, and it should not be confused with?the public. The former refers to political opposition support, campaigning, and similar activities.

Decimate v. devastate.?Decimate means one-tenth (deci) of something was destroyed. Do not use this word if you mean widespread destruction. In that case, devastate or destroyed would be better choices, as in?Hurricane Katrina destroyed (not decimated) the city?s 9th ward.

Nature.?Often simply redundant.

Example:?Activities of a hostile nature

Improved:?Hostile activities

Pushing the envelope. A trite expression that is used to convey the idea that a limit of some kind has been reached. The term was first used by aviators to describe the performance characteristics of aircraft.

The bottom line. Another trite expression that supposedly conveys the idea that a final result has been achieved. It is a term that accountants use when describing income statements. Avoid it.

Their as a plural.

Incorrect:?The band played their best selection now.

Improved:?The band is playing its best selection now.

Near by. Not accepted by most grammarians. Use?near?or?near at hand?instead.

Respective v. respectively. In most cases, sentences can be improved if these words are eliminated.

Sentence:?Works of non-fiction are listed under the names of their respective authors.

Improved:?Works of non-fiction are listed under the names of their authors.

Subjunctive mood.?The subjunctive form of the verb differs from the indicative in the third person singular of the present tense. Example:?We recommend that he take [not takes] the entrance examination.?Note also that the subjunctive must be used when the sentence expresses a condition contrary to fact, as in?If I were [not was] you, I would go to graduate school.

Source: http://blog.articledirectoryusa.com/2012/03/05/common-mistakes-in-speaking-and-writing/

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