needs -ed vs -ing
In some dialects it is common to say “my shoes need shined” instead ofthe standard “my shoes need shining” or “my shoes need to be shined.”
Read MoreCommon Errors Starting with N
nonplussed
“Nonplussed” means to be stuck, often in a puzzling or embarrassing way, unable to go further (“non” = “no” + “plus” = “further” ). It does not mean, as many people seem to think, “calm, in control.”
Read Morenoone vs no one
There is no such thing as noone. No one is the correct way to that not a single person.
Read Morename, pronoun
In old English ballads, it is common to follow the name of someone with a pronoun referring to the same person. For instance: “Sweet William, he died the morrow.” The extra syllable “he” helps fill o…
Read Morenauseated vs nauseous
Many people say, when sick to their stomachs, that they feel “nauseous” (pronounced “NOSH-uss” or “NOZH-uss”) but traditionalists insist that this word should be used to describe something that makes…
Read Morenaval vs navel
Your belly button is your navel, and navel oranges look like they have one; all terms having to do with ships and sailing require “naval.”
Read Morenear vs nearly
<p>Near is described as being close to physically and having a small intervening distance with regards to something.</p><pre>"There is a man waiting for you near the fountain."</pre><p>Nearly means a…
Read Moreneck in neck vs neck and neck
When a race is very tight, it’s described not as “neck in neck” but “neck and neck.”
Read Moreno sooner when vs no sooner than
The phrase, “No sooner had Paula stopped petting the cat when it began toyowl” should be instead “No sooner had Paula stopped petting the catthan it began to yowl.”
Read Moreneice vs niece
Despite the fact that the rule “I before E except after C” holds true most of the time, many people have trouble believing that words with the “ee” sound in them should be spelled with an “IE.” The p…
Read Morenevermind vs never mind
<p>Never mind is used to tell someone to disregard or pay no attention something.</p><pre>"Never mind that disrespectful bull."</pre><p>Nevermind on the other hand is used as a part of a colloquial e…
Read Morenew lease of life vs new lease on life
Reinvigorated people are traditionally said to have been granted not a “new lease of life” but a “new lease on life.” After all, you take out a lease on a house, right? Same thing.
Read Morenext vs this
If I tell you that the company picnic is next Saturday it would be wise to ask whether I mean this coming Saturday or the Saturday after that. People differ in how they use “next” in this sort of con…
Read Morenext store vs next door
<p>‘Next door’ is used in giving directions or location to mean that one building is adjacent to another. For example, you might say that you live next door to your uncle, or that the post office is …
Read Morenicety vs niceness
“Nicety” is a noun meaning “fine detail” and is usually used in the plural. You may observe the niceties of etiquette or of English grammar. It is not an adjective describing someone who is nice. Tha…
Read Morenieve vs naive
People who spell this French-derived word “nieve” make themselves look naive. In French there is also a masculine form: “naif”; and both words can be nouns meaning “naive person” as well as adjective…
Read Moreninty vs ninety
<p>Ninety is a number characterized to be one more than eighty-nine and the result of 9 multiplied by 10. It is presented numerically as 90.</p><pre>"<i>You have approximately ninety seconds to apolo…
Read Morenip it in the butt vs nip it in the bud
To nip a process in the bud is to stop it from flowering completely. The hilariously mistaken “nip it in the butt” suggests stimulation to action rather than stopping it.
Read Morenoble prize vs nobel prize
Nobel laureates may indeed be intellectual nobility, but the award they get is not the “Noble Prize” but the “Nobel Prize,” named after founder Alfred Nobel.
Read Moreno such a thing vs no such thing
Some say “there’s no such thing as bad publicity”; but in phrases like this it’s much less common to insert an “a” after “such” so that the phrase becomes “no such a thing.” This variation followed b…
Read Morenot all that vs not very
The slangy phrase “not all that” as in “the dessert was not all thattasty” doesn’t belong in formal writing. “Not very” would work, butsomething more specific would be even better: “the pudding taste…
Read Morenotate vs note
<p>If you say "Notate the date for the event", I will note the error in it. Use notate if you are referring to notations like music, ballet, choreography etc. If you are not using a special notation,…
Read Morenot hardly vs not at all
“Not hardly” is slang, fine when you want to be casual—but in a formaldocument? Not hardly!
Read Morenothing (singular)
In formal English, “nothing” is always singular, even when it’s followed by a phrase stating an exception which contains a plural noun: “Nothing but weeds grows [not grow] in my yard” and “nothing ex…
Read Morenow and days vs nowadays
<p>Nowadays simply means at the present and current time, period, age or time. These days is usually administered to actions that has become a trend of some sorts in the current allocation of time.</…
Read Morenowheres vs nowhere
“Nowheres” is a common dialectical variant. In standard English the word is “nowhere.”
Read Morenumber of verb
In long, complicated sentences, people often lose track of whether thesubject is singular or plural and use the wrong sort of verb. “Theultimate effect of all of these phone calls to the detectives w…
Read Morenumerous of vs numerous, numbers of
“Numerous customers returned the garlic-flavored toothpaste.“ “Numbers of customers returned the toothpaste.” “Many of the customers.” Any of these is fine.But “numerous of the customers”? Yuck.
Read Morenuptual vs nuptial
“Nuptial” is usually a pretentious substitute for “wedding,” but ifyou’re going to use it, be sure to spell it properly. For the noun, theplural form “nuptials” is more traditional.
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