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16 Apr 2018, 17:34
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SC - Confusable words Part-18
I/ME/MYSELF
In the old days when people studied traditional grammar, we could simply say, "The first
person singular pronoun is "I" when it's a subject and "me" when it's an object,".
IDEA/IDEAL
Any thought can be an idea, but only the best ideas worth pursuing are ideals.
IF I WAS/IF I WERE
The subjunctive mood, always weak in English, has been dwindling away for centuries until it
has almost vanished. According to traditional thought, statements about the conditional
future such as "If I were a carpenter . . . require the subjunctive "were"; but "was" is certainly
much more common. Still, if you want to impress those in the know with your usage, use
"were." The same goes for other pronouns: "you," "she," "he," and "it." In the case of the
plural pronouns "we" and "they" the form "was" is definitely nonstandard, of course, because
it is a singular form.
IGNORANT/STUPID
A person can be ignorant (not knowing some fact or idea) without being stupid (incapable of
learning because of a basic mental deficiency). And those who say, "That's an ignorant idea"
when they mean "stupid idea" are expressing their own ignorance.
I/ME/MYSELF
In the old days when people studied traditional grammar, we could simply say, "The first
person singular pronoun is "I" when it's a subject and "me" when it's an object,".
IDEA/IDEAL
Any thought can be an idea, but only the best ideas worth pursuing are ideals.
IF I WAS/IF I WERE
The subjunctive mood, always weak in English, has been dwindling away for centuries until it
has almost vanished. According to traditional thought, statements about the conditional
future such as "If I were a carpenter . . . require the subjunctive "were"; but "was" is certainly
much more common. Still, if you want to impress those in the know with your usage, use
"were." The same goes for other pronouns: "you," "she," "he," and "it." In the case of the
plural pronouns "we" and "they" the form "was" is definitely nonstandard, of course, because
it is a singular form.
IGNORANT/STUPID
A person can be ignorant (not knowing some fact or idea) without being stupid (incapable of
learning because of a basic mental deficiency). And those who say, "That's an ignorant idea"
when they mean "stupid idea" are expressing their own ignorance.
04 May 2018, 09:35
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SC - Confusable words Part-17
ILLUDE/ELUDE
"Illude" is a very rare word, most of whose former meanings are obsolete, but which can
mean "to deceive, lead astray." But in modern usage this word is almost always used as an
error for "elude," meaning "escape, evade." Similarly, you would be better off avoiding the
word "illusive" and using the much more common word "illusory" to mean "deceptive."
"Illusive" is almost always an error for "elusive."
IMPERTINENT/IRRELEVANT
"Impertinent" looks as if it ought to mean the opposite of "pertinent," and indeed it once did;
but for centuries now its meaning in ordinary speech has been narrowed to "impudent,"
specifically in regard to actions or speech toward someone regarded as socially superior.
Only snobs and very old-fashioned people use "impertinent" correctly; most people would
be well advised to forget it and use "irrelevant" instead to mean the opposite of "pertinent."
IMPLY/INFER
These two words, which originally had quite distinct meanings, have become so blended
together that most people no longer distinguish between them. If you want to avoid irritating
the rest of us, use "imply" when something is being suggested without being explicitly stated
and "infer" when someone is trying to arrive at a conclusion based on evidence. "Imply" is
more assertive, active: I imply that you need to revise your paper; and, based on my hints,
you infer that I didn't think highly of your first draft.
ILLUDE/ELUDE
"Illude" is a very rare word, most of whose former meanings are obsolete, but which can
mean "to deceive, lead astray." But in modern usage this word is almost always used as an
error for "elude," meaning "escape, evade." Similarly, you would be better off avoiding the
word "illusive" and using the much more common word "illusory" to mean "deceptive."
"Illusive" is almost always an error for "elusive."
IMPERTINENT/IRRELEVANT
"Impertinent" looks as if it ought to mean the opposite of "pertinent," and indeed it once did;
but for centuries now its meaning in ordinary speech has been narrowed to "impudent,"
specifically in regard to actions or speech toward someone regarded as socially superior.
Only snobs and very old-fashioned people use "impertinent" correctly; most people would
be well advised to forget it and use "irrelevant" instead to mean the opposite of "pertinent."
IMPLY/INFER
These two words, which originally had quite distinct meanings, have become so blended
together that most people no longer distinguish between them. If you want to avoid irritating
the rest of us, use "imply" when something is being suggested without being explicitly stated
and "infer" when someone is trying to arrive at a conclusion based on evidence. "Imply" is
more assertive, active: I imply that you need to revise your paper; and, based on my hints,
you infer that I didn't think highly of your first draft.
07 Jun 2018, 01:35
Kudos
Bookmarks
SC - Confusable words Part-18
IN SPITE OF/ DESPITE
Although "in spite of" is perfectly standard English, some people prefer "despite" because it is
shorter. Be careful not to mix the two together by saying "despite of" except as part of the
phrase "in despite of" meaning "in defiance of."
IN THE MIST/IN THE MIDST
When you are surrounded by something, you're in the midst of it—its middle. If you're in a
mist, you're just in a fog.
INCREDULOUS/INCREDIBLE
"When Jessica said that my performance at the karaoke bar had been incredible, I was
incredulous." I hope Jessica was using "incredible" in the casual sense of "unbelievably good"
but I knew I used "incredulous" to mean "unbelieving, skeptical," which is the only standard
usage for this word.
INFACT/IN FACT
"In fact" is always two words.
IN SPITE OF/ DESPITE
Although "in spite of" is perfectly standard English, some people prefer "despite" because it is
shorter. Be careful not to mix the two together by saying "despite of" except as part of the
phrase "in despite of" meaning "in defiance of."
IN THE MIST/IN THE MIDST
When you are surrounded by something, you're in the midst of it—its middle. If you're in a
mist, you're just in a fog.
INCREDULOUS/INCREDIBLE
"When Jessica said that my performance at the karaoke bar had been incredible, I was
incredulous." I hope Jessica was using "incredible" in the casual sense of "unbelievably good"
but I knew I used "incredulous" to mean "unbelieving, skeptical," which is the only standard
usage for this word.
INFACT/IN FACT
"In fact" is always two words.
