Usage Tips

Question 1

Accommodate

Answer 1

Regularly misspelled accomodate (with one m)

Question 2

Affect

Answer 2

1. (verb) to influence, have an effect on - those affected by the storm
2. (verb) to feign
3. (noun) emotional reaction - the patient showed no affect.

Question 3

Effect

Answer 3

(noun) an influence or impact - California had a big effect on me
(verb) to bring about

Question 4

Alright vs. All right

Answer 4

Alright should become standard, but don’t use it yet.

Question 5

a lot vs. alot

Answer 5

A lot. A “casualism” according to Theodore Bernstein in “The Careful Writer”

Question 6

And/or

Answer 6

Convenient, but use it sparingly.

Question 7

Assure, ensure, insure

Answer 7

Assure for persons, ensure for things, insure for money and guarantees

Question 8

Between vs. among

Answer 8

Between two people

Among three or more

Question 9

Cannot vs. can not

Answer 9

Cannot

Question 10

Consensus

Answer 10

“general” consensus and consensus “of opinion” are redundancies.

Question 11

Criterion-criteria
Datum-data
Medium-media
Memorandum-memoranda
Phenomenon-phenomena
Stratum-strata

Answer 11

Singular-plural

Question 12

Different from/than

Answer 12

Different from, unless something clunky happens

Question 13

Disinterested vs. uninterested

Answer 13

Disinterested means unbiased/impartial.

Uninterested means not interested.