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Mastering English Grammar > Use and Misuse > Flashcards

Use and Misuse Flashcards

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1
Q

What wrong with this:

Each girl on the team tied their shoes with blue laces.

A

pronoun and antecedent don’t agree.

Should be

Each girl on the team tied HER shoes with blue laces.

because we are talking about EACH ONE.

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2
Q

Name 5 indefinite pronouns? Are they singular or plural?

A

Singular: nobody, no one, none, somebody, anybody

technically singular, but increasingly paired with plural pronouns

None of the passengers saved THEMSELVES.

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3
Q

Name 1 indefinite pronoun that can be plural or singular.

A

SOME

Some of my friends made peanut butter sandwiches for themselves.

Some of this tuna smells like it barfed on itself.

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4
Q

Collective nouns are often a source of what issue?

A

Subject/verb agreement.

When speaking of collective noun as a whole, treat as singular

The team is the best in the national league.

When the collective noun itself is plural, use the plural.

The Mets are the best team in the major leagues.

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5
Q

Identify the subject in

There are a thousand reasons to be precise in your language.

and

There is a gray cat sitting in the yard.

A

Reasons

Cat

There is serving as a “function of introduction.”

When you see “there” at the beginning of a sentence, flip to sentence around to find the subject.

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6
Q

What are COPULATIVE VERBS?

A

State of being verbs

to be, to become, to appear, to seem, to sound, to feel, etc.

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7
Q

What are copulative verbs followed by?

A

ADJECTIVES (or phrases servings as adjectives) … that describe the subject’s state.

Copulative: He always has to be different.

Action: She acted differently than the last time I met her.

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8
Q

What is the difference between who and whom?

A
  • WHO is a subject pronoun
  • WHOM is an object pronoun
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9
Q

There was at least one more person (who, whom) Redpath knew felt the same way.

A

WHO

“Who is the subject of the clause “who felt the same way.”

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10
Q

How do you tell if who or whom is called for in a sentence?

A
  • substitute he/him
  • turn the sentence around to see what who/whom stands for

  • I am the one who said that. (Who said that?)*
  • Whom shall I call? (I’ll call him.)*
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11
Q

What part of speech is there?

A

Pronoun or Adverb

  • Turn there and you’ll see it on the left. (adverb)*
  • There we go! (adverb)*
  • There will come a time when all this makes sense. (pronoun)*
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12
Q

What part of speech is “their”?

A

possessive adjectival pronoun

They put their hands in their pockets.

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13
Q

What part of speech is “they’re”?

A

contraction on “they are

They’re the best of the lot.

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14
Q

What is the difference between FARTHER and FURTHER?

A
  • FARTHER refers to DISTANCE (think of FAR!)
  • FURTHER refers to DEGREE

  • I walked farther than I ever had.*
  • I’d like to explore that point further.*
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15
Q

What is the difference between LESS and FEWER?

A
  • LESS is used for MEASURABLE items—mass nouns, bulk or collective items
  • FEWER is used for COUNTABLE items

  • I have three apples. You have two. You have fewer.*
  • Use less flour for this recipe.*
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16
Q

What is the difference between EACH OTHER and ONE ANOTHER

A
  • EACH OTHER - for reciprocal relationships between two
    • All the guests brought gifts for one another.
  • ONE ANOTHER - for reciprocal relationships between three or more
    • He and his brother love each other.
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17
Q

Distinguish between AFFECT and EFFECT.

A
  • AFFECT — a verb, meaning “to influence”
    • The medicine did not affect him.
  • EFFECT — a noun, meaning “result” or a verb, meaning “to bring about”
    • The medicine had no side effects.
    • He strives to effect change in public policy.
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18
Q

What’s the difference between lie and lay?

A
  • TO LIE — a intransitive verb meaning “to recline”
    • I lie on the bed.
  • TO LAY — a transitive verb meaning “to put” or “to place”
    • I lay the book on the table.
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19
Q

What is the first person past tense of “to lie”?

A

LAY

I lay on the bed.

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20
Q

What is the difference between “into” and “in to”?

A
  • Into = preposition meaning “from outside to inside”
    • He walked INTO the classroom.
  • In to = adverb + preposition or infinitve
    • He walked in to tell the class about the program.
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21
Q

What does “due to” mean?

A

“caused by”

it does NOT mean

“because of”

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22
Q

Correct or incorrect?

The game was postoned DUE TO rain.

A

incorrect.

Correct would be

The game’s postponement was DUE TO rain

Remember: only use DUE TO when you could substitute CAUSED BY

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23
Q

Only use DUE TO when it can be substituted with …

A

CAUSED BY

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24
Q

What distinguishes BRING vs TAKE?

A

The DIRECTION of the ACTION

BRING: Action is toward someplace else. The reference point is elsewhere

I will bring her with me to the party

TAKE: Action is away from where you are. The reference point is here.

She plans to take one suitcase with her to London

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25
Q

The social workers went to the house to (bring/take) the frail old woman to a nursing home.

A

Answer: TAKE

“Take” is used for movement that is NOT toward the speaker or writer; use “bring” to indicate action toward the speaker/writer. [Source: ACES]

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26
Q

The bell rang on the hour (continually/continuously) all night long.

A

Answer: CONTINUALLY

“Continual” means over and over again; “continuous” means uninterrupted.

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27
Q

So (reluctant, reticent) has Albert been about marriage that his father sought changes to the constitution three years ago to let the crown pass to a princess if Albert abdicates or dies without a child.

A

Answer: RELUCTANT

“Reluctant” means hesitant to take actions; “reticent” means reluctant to speak.

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28
Q

Joe Levy of the International Tanning Association (rebuts, refutes) the claims of dermatologists’ association and calls North Carolina’s law a waste of time.

A

Answer: REBUTS

“Rebuts” means to argue with someone else’s argument; “refute” means to prove an argument incorrect. [ACES]

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29
Q

But after almost two months after the rules took (affect, effect), just such a capitalist brawl is breaking out in fron of the courthouse on Fayetville Street.

A

EFFECT

The correct expression is “took effect,” meaning became effective.

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30
Q

The animals (constitute, comprise) the Texas Camel Corps, Baum’s tribute to an almost forgotten chapter of the state’s history…

A

CONSTITUTE

Remeber: The whole comprises the parts; the parts consitute the whole.

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31
Q

In two weeks, Homer Simpson, a hero doughnut devotees, makes his big-screen (premier, premiere) in “The Simpsons Movie.”

A

PREMIERE

“Premiere” is the noun for a first performance.

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32
Q

Today, there are more than 1,600 route, making the gorge one of the nation’s (premier, premiere) climbing destinations.

A

PREMIER

“Premiere” means first performance; “premier” means leading or principal.

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33
Q

Blatchford, who gave birth to her daughter, Delanie, on March 28, was so (nauseated, nauseous) she had to eat half a slice of saltines in bed each morning before her feet hit the floor.

A

NAUSEATED

“Nauseous” is usually appled to something that makes you sick. “Nauseated” is the best choice when you mean someone was sick.

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34
Q

And if there were many tatoos in the room, they were (discreetly/discretely) covered.

A

DISCREETLY

“Discreetly” means in a prudent or unobstrusive manner. “Discrete” means something that is set apart.

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35
Q

Neither the senator nor his opponent (are, is) going to come out in favor of same-sex marriage.

A

IS

Use a singular verb for singular subjects joined by “neither-nor.”

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36
Q

At the end of the ceremony, the couple (greet, greets) (its, their) guests.

A

GREETS THEIR

Treat “couple” as plural when referring to two individuals.

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37
Q

Many of the companies want to sell you a list of foreclosed properties, but they information can be had (for free, free).

A

FREE

This is a question of usage, not grammar. The sentence reads well without “for.”

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38
Q

The voters who want change have a choice between Senator Obama and (me, myself).

A

ME

After the preposition “between,” use the objective case pronoun “me.” There is no need to use the reflexive or intensive pronoun “myself.”

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39
Q

If the band were (composed, comprised) solely of Caucasians, Murdock believes that Mother’s Finest would be in another echelon.

A

COMPOSED

Think of “comprised” as a synonym for “included.” “Composed” is a better choice in this sentence.

40
Q

Raspberries to (whoever, whomever) has been vandalizing the home and property of a prominent local voice against teen substance abuse.

A

WHOEVER

The object of the preposition “to” is the clause, and the pronoun is the subject of the clause: “…whoever has been vandalizing…”

41
Q

The dancer proved herself to be a real (trooper/trouper) when she performed despite a calf injury.

A

TROUPER

42
Q

The thieves used sophisticated computer hacking techniques to (breach, breech) security systems.

A

BREACH

Breach means to violate or to break into; breech usually a noun meaning the rump or the lower part of something, as in “breech birth.”

43
Q

Members of the four minority organizations that (comprise, constitute) Unity are largely Democratic.

A

CONSTITUTE

The whole comprises the parts. In this sentence, Unity comprises the four minority organizations. “Constitute” (or “made up”) is the better choice.

44
Q

The reporters and photographers descended like a (hoard, horde) of barbarians on the celebrity couple at the airport.

A

HORDE

45
Q

The editor realized that she could not let the brash young staff have free (reign, rein) after they allowed vulgar words to get into print.

A

REIN

46
Q

In the politically tumultuous year 1955, the French government must rely on brave secret agents to protect (their, its) interest in the Middle East.

A

ITS

The government is the antecedent and it is singular, so the pronoun must be singular.

47
Q

The thieves used sophisticated computer hacking techniques that would allow them to (breech, breach) security systems and install programs.

A

BREACH

48
Q

Kristen is one of about 600 foster children in North Carolina forced to strike out on (her, their) own last year.

A

THEIR

The pronoun’s antecedent is “600 foster childrend,” not Kristen. Think of it this way: All of the foster children were forced to strike out on their own; Kristen is one of them.

49
Q

What is the mnemonic for distinuishing affect from effect?

A

RAVEN

Remember

Affect

Verb

Effect

Noun

50
Q

With revenue at newspapers shrinking and few investors willing to buy them, lenders are (loath, loathe) to force companies to liquidate assets that are plunging in value.

A

LOATH

LOATH is an adjective that means “reluctant.” LOATHE is a verb that means “to hate or despise.”

51
Q

The family was (laid, lain) low with the flu.

A

LAID

Rearrange this passive voice sentence and see that “family” is the object of “flu.” Choose LAID, the past tense of lay, a transitive verb.

52
Q

They sliced the meat (thin, thinly).

A

THIN

Use the adjective, not the adverb. Simple logic suggests you’re modifying the meat, not the action.

53
Q

Caroline and Wesley left their books on the table when they came home from school. When their father came home, he wanted to know whose books were on the table. Their mother answered:

  1. Those are Caroline and Wesley’s books.
  2. Those are Caroline’s and Wesley’s books.
A

Those are Caroline’s and Wesley’s books.

Because the books belonged to two people separately, the children’s mother made both names possessive.

54
Q

Darius and Joe are college students who both have bicycles. The bikes were stolen one night. How would Darius report the news to his parent?

  1. Joe’s and my bikes were stolen.
  2. Joe and my bikes were stolen.
A

Joe’s and my bikes were stolen.

The bikes were separately owned, so both the name and the pronoun need to be possessive.

55
Q

Milder delivers a (masterful, masterly) novel about the reality of film, the redeeming possibilities of art, and…

A

MASTERLY

MASTERFUL connotes a powerful superior; MASTERLY describes something that shows the skill of a master.

MASTERLY should apply to that which is adroit and expert; MASTERFUL, to that which is imperious and demanding.

56
Q

When I asked the boys (if, whether) they’d like a ride home, one replied, “No, thank you.”

A

WHETHER

WHETHER is the better word here because the writer is referring to choice—would the boys like to have a ride or not.

Use IF for a conditional idea, WHETHER for an alternative or possibility. (See Garner.)

57
Q

Even though he was an American without any experience in a foreign country, Aaron realized his fiancee’s family (assumed, presumed) he knew she was royalty because of her family name.

A

PRESUMED

To PRESUME is to accept something as true. To ASSUME is to suppose something is true, to take something for granted.

Assume: to suppose something to be the case, without proof

Presume: to suppose something to be the case on the basis of probability; to take for granted that something exists or is the case.

58
Q

The menu has an ample selection of (healthful/healthy) options.

A

HEALTHFUL

HEALTHFUL means giving health; HEALTHY means having health.

Foods are HEALTHFUL; people are HEALTHY

59
Q

A modern wall clock can (complement/compliment) any room.

A

COMPLEMENT

Complement refers to completion; it can mean adding an element to make a perfect whole. Compliment as a verb means to praise or to pay a compliment to someone or something.

60
Q

Milder says “Seussical the Musical” is a show for the whole family, but parents may want to consider whether (bring/take) kids under 2.

A

TAKE

This choice is a matter of direction. The parents start from home and take the kids to the musical.

61
Q

His job involved (disbursing, dispersing) money to pay for criminal investigations, and he diverted some of that money to himself.

A

DISBURSE

To disburse means to pay out money from a fund or account. To disperse means to break up or to spread widely.

62
Q

The title refers to the story of Veronica, a woman (who, whom) some believe wiped Christ’s face on the road to Calvary…

A

WHOM

We need the NOMINATIVE CASE of the pronoun because it is the subject of a clause “wiped Christ’s face.” You could substitute another nominative pronoun: Some believe she wiped Christ’s face.

63
Q

(Bring, Take) the door to an upholsterer or do it yourself by wrapping the door in….

A

TAKE

If you are starting at home and moving toward the upholsterer, then you take the door. If you were the upholsterer, you might tell your potential customer to bring the door to the shop.

64
Q

Dwayne Ross was still on the phone with the 911 operator Saturday when he walked out of his Wake Forest home and (laid, lay) on the ground.

A

LAY on the ground

The past tense of lie is lay. The past tense of lay, meaning to place something on a surface, is laid.

65
Q

Perhaps the reason so many people are in the dark is because they want it that way.

A

Perhaps the REASON so many people are in the dark is THAT they want it that way.

Issue: Redundancy

Reason is because is widely disliked (reason why, too), because the word reason already implies that we are dealing with an explanation, and we don’t need a because to remind us.

Rule: When using a connection to indicate a coherence relation, USE JUST ONE.

Prose becomes stuffy when an insecure writer hammers the reader over the head with indicators of a connection, as if unsure that one would be enough.

66
Q

There are many biological influences of psychological traits such as cognitive ability, conscientiousness, impulsivity, risk aversion, and the like.

A

There are many biological influences of psychological traits such as cognitive ability, conscientiousness, impulsivity, and risk aversion.

Issue: REDUNDANCY

Rule: When using a connection to indicate a coherence relation, USE JUST ONE.

Prose becomes stuffy when an insecure writer hammers the reader over the head with indicators of a connection, as if unsure that one would be enough.

67
Q

We separately measured brainwide synchronization in local versus long-range channel pairs.

A

We separately measured brainwide synchronization in local and long-range channel pairs.

Rule: When using a connection to indicate a coherence relation, USE JUST ONE.

Prose becomes stuffy when an insecure writer hammers the reader over the head with indicators of a connection, as if unsure that one would be enough.

68
Q

“They are trying to (stanch, staunch) the bleeding,” said Quincy Crosby, a market analyst.

A

STANCH

Use stanch for the verb meaning “to spot the flow”; use staunch for the adjective meaning “firm or steadfast.”

69
Q

The owners, a partnership of veteran restaurateurs and investors…, were understandably (loath, loathe) to place the attractive decor inherited from ….

A

LOATH

Choose loath, an adjective meaning reluctant, rather than loathe, a verb mean.

70
Q

Rihanna’s version of this sound dates to the club music of the early 1990s, an era in which she would have (shined, shone).

A

…in which she would have SHONE.

Use shone as the past participle for the intransitive use. Use shined for the transitive–e.g. “he shined shoes”

71
Q

The crowd was estimated at about 4,000.

A

Delete “about”: The crowd was estimated at 4,000.

Fault: Redundancy

The preposition about suggests inexactness; therefore, it is redundant when included in a sentence with other such suggestions (here: “estimated,” “about,” and the round number “4,000” are all indicators of inextness). –Bernstein, p5

72
Q

This has not been (proved, proven) in a large, randomized study.

A

PROVED

In today’s usage proved is the preferred form for the past participle. Use proven as an adjective–a proven remedy.

73
Q

For this reason, and others, guidance counselors are (loath, loathe) to approve dropping a course.

A

LOATH

LOATH is an adjective that means reluctant. LOATHE is a verb that means to hate or despite.

74
Q

The color (palate, pallet, palette) is lime gree, chocolate, and burnt sienna.

A

PALETTE

  • Palate:* taste, roof of mouth
  • Pallet*: flat platform for storage or loading
  • Palette*: board used by painter or color range
75
Q

Singer Celine Dion says she is recovering from a virus that caused an inflammation of her vocal (chords, cords).

A

CORDS

Think of ropes instead of a combination of musical notes.

76
Q

A barefoot walk on a newly mowed lawn is a (sensual, sensuous) experience, filled with touch, sight, and scent.

A

SENSUOUS

  • SENSUOUS* applies to something that arouses the sense, without the sexual or carnal connotations of SENSUAL.
  • SENSUAL* is salacious
  • SENSUOUS* is neutral
77
Q

The amendment’s passage (effectively, in effect) guaranteed that the matter of same-sex marriage would be a subject of court challenge.

A

IN EFFECT

If we mean the passage did a good job of guaranteeing a court fight, then we would choose effectively. If we mean the amendment’s passage will have the effect of guaranteeing a court fight, them we would choose in effect.

78
Q

Political action committees may use their television ad to try to (convince, persuade) voters to cast their ballots for a particular candidate.

A

PERSUADE

  • Convince THAT
  • Persuade TO
79
Q

Organizers of the event (anticipated, expected) more than 100 people to attend.

A

EXPECTED

ANTICIPATE means to be aware of an impending event and to take action to prepare for the event. To EXPECT is merely to foresee.

80
Q

Doctors at the facility assess whether the applicant meets the medical criteria, such as being completed disabled or having fewer than 18 months to live.

A

having LESS THAN 18 months to live.

Normally “fewer” is correct with a plural, countable noun. But an expression like this is intended to describe

AN EXTENT OF TIME, not a number of individual months.

So “less” is correct–“less than a month,” “less than a year,” “less than 18 months.”

81
Q

Then again, it is one of the only places in the city where you can end a meal with steamed black-sugar cakes, soft and homey and rarely seen outside of their hometown, Okinawa.

A

Using “one of the only” like this makes no sense.

Make it “one of the few places.”

82
Q

Mr. Billups, a foreman who oversees cable construction in Manhattan, has foregone almost $30,000 in income and has relied mostly on unemployment benefits and his union’s strike fund.

A

It should be “has forgone,” meaning “has relinquished.” The rare “forego” is a different word, meaning “to go before,” and is most often used in expressions like “a foregone conclusion.”

83
Q

The strategy, borne of desperation, creates a risk that has long chastened American war planners: that North Korea would perceive even a limited strike as a start of war.

A

BORN, not borne

Bear has two past participles, “born” and “borne,” which are used in different senses and are often confused.

84
Q

The result crystallized a long-held feeling among Scots that a right-wing Conservative government in London did not represent them and their more-progressive sensibilities.

A

There’s no call for a hyphen here in “more-progressive sensibilites”.

In general, use a hyphen with “more” or “most” only in the rare cases where the meaning would otherwise be ambiguous. (For example: We can’t afford more expensive furniture. Does that mean we can’t afford additional costly furniture? Or we can’t afford furniture more costly than the stuff we already have? A hyphen would indicate the latter, or you could rephrase the sentence.)

85
Q

The new results auger a bright future for the ALMA telescope, a $1.5 billion array of antennas tuned to record the heat emanations of stars and dust.

A

If you’re using a sharp tool to drill a hole, that’s “augering.” If you’re predicting the future, that’s “auguring.”

86
Q

You’re someone who’s been outspoken about lifting women’s voice. But you’ve also been put through the ringer online by strangers.

A

The expression is “put through the wringer,” referring to the old device for squeezing the water out of wet laundry.

87
Q

Teenagers comprise about half of the group, and many began lion dancing at 14.

A

This is a common misuse of “comprise”; in careful usage, it does not mean “make up.”

The Times’s stylebook explains: comprise means consist of. The whole comprises the parts: The alliance comprises 35 organizations. Not: Thirty-five organizations comprise the alliance. And do not write comprised of.

88
Q

One the witness stand, the defendants said they had been duped by Mr. Wildstein, a self-confessed liar and political trickster, into believing that the closings were part of a legitimate traffic study.

A

“Self-confessed” is redundant. Make it “a confessed liar.”

89
Q

Leonard Cohen wrote and sung often about God, but I am not sure what he meant by it. Whatever it was, it inspired “If it be your will,” his most exquisite song.

A

The simple past tense is “sang.”

90
Q

In Tutzing, the prince’s three-story villa is defended from prying eye by a fence and hedge more than six-feet tall.

A

No hyphens are called for in the phrase six feet tall.

91
Q

They sing (as if, like) they were angels.

A

They sing as if they were angels.

Rule: Use as, as if, or as though to express similarities or comparisons that involve a VERB.

In general, treat like as a preposition, as as a conjunction.

So: They sing like angels.

92
Q

This example is (like, as) the previous one.

A

This example is LIKE the previous one.

Rule: Use LIKE for similarities or comparisons involving a noun–i.e., treat it as a preposition.

Use AS for similarities or comparisons involving a verb–i.e., treat it as a conjunction.

93
Q

You’re driving along, minding your own business but still keeping watch like a good
driver should. Next thing you know, you hit the meanest pothole you ever saw.

A

Wrong conjunction. Make as, not like.

Do not use like to link clauses; use as. Limit like to a preposition.

94
Q

Give it to who(m)ever wants it.

A

whoever

Use nominative case for subject of the finite verb (“wants”).

95
Q

What is the difference between in and into?

A
  • in* denotes POSITION
  • into* implies MOTION from without to within (WIT)

He was in the room

He went into the room

He went in to his family, who were already in the room.

Mastering English Grammar (12 decks)

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