MANOEUVRE manoeuvre mantelpiece (not mantle-) mantelshelf (not mantle-) margarine (not margerine) marihuana/marijuana Both spellings are correct. marriage marvel marvelled, marvelling marvellous masterful or masterly? MASTERFUL = dominating MASTERLY - very skilful mathematics (not mathmatics) mating or matting? mate + ing = mating mat + ing = matting See ADDING ENDINGS (i) + (ii). matrix (singular) matrices or matrixes (plural) See FOREIGN PLURALS. may See CAN OR MAY?. may or might? (i) Use may/might in a present context and might in a past context: If I receive a written invitation, I MAY/MIGHT accept, (still possible) 134 MEDITTERANEAN If I had received a written invitation, I MIGHT HAVE accepted, (possibility over now) If I don't hurry, I MAY/MIGHT miss the bus. (possibility exists) If I hadn't hurried, I MIGHT HAVE missed the bus. (risk now over) (ii) Convert 'may' to 'might' when changing direct speech to indirect or reported speech: 'MAY I come in?' she asked. She asked if she MIGHT come in. 'You MAY be lucky,' she said. She said that I MIGHT be lucky. (iii) There is a slight difference between the meaning of 'may' and 'might' in the present tense when they are used in the sense of 'asking permission': MAY I suggest that we adjourn the meeting? (agreement assured) MIGHT I suggest that we adjourn the meeting? (suggestion more tentative) me See I/ME/MYSELF. meant (not ment, not mean't) medal or meddle? MEDAL = a small metal disc given as an honour to MEDDLE = to interfere mediaeval/medieval Both spellings are correct. medicine (not medecine) medicinal mediocre Mediterranean 135 medium (singular) media or mediums (plural) Note, however, that the two plurals differ in meaning. The MEDIA hounded him to his death. (= radio, television, newspaper journalists) She consulted a dozen MEDIUMS in the hope of making contact with her dead husband. (= people through whom the spirits of the dead are said to communicate) mediums See MEDIUM. meet, meet up, meet up with, or meet with? British English distinguishes between the first and last of these: You MEET a person. You MEET WITH an accident. Avoid using 'meet up' and 'meet up with'. They are clumsy expressions. When shall we meet up? When shall we meet? We met up with friends in town. We met friends in town. memento (singular) mementoes or mementos (plural) See PLURALS (iv). memorandum (singular) memoranda or memorandums (plural) See FOREIGN PLURALS. memory (singular) memories (plural) See PLURALS (iii). ment Wrong spelling. See MEANT. mention mentioned, mentioning 136 MEDIUM MILAGE/MILEAGE Mesdames (i) Plural of French Madame. (ii) Used as a plural title before a number of ladies' names: Mesdames Smith, Green, Brown and Kelly won prizes. Always used with an initial capital letter. message messenger (not messanger) metaphor (not metaphore) A metaphor is a compressed comparison: He wolfed his food, (note the apparent identification with a wolf's eating habits) Compare SIMILE. meteorology (six syllables) meter or metre? Use these exemplar sentences as a guide: Put these coins in the parking METER. You'll need a METRE of material to make a skirt. Sonnets are always written in iambic METRE. might See MAY OR MIGHT?. might of This is an incorrect construction. See COULD OF. milage/mileage Both spellings are correct. 137 milieu (singular) milieus or milieux (plural) See FOREIGN PLURALS. militate or mitigate? To MILITATE (against) comes from the Latin verb meaning 'to serve as a soldier' and it has the combative sense of having a powerful influence on something. Despite his excellent qualifications, his youthful criminal record MILITATED against his appointment as school bursar. To MITIGATE comes from the Latin adjective meaning 'mild' and it means to moderate, to make less severe. Don't condemn the young man too harshly. There are MITIGATING circumstances. millennium (singular) millennia or millenniums (plural) (not -n-) See FOREIGN PLURALS. millepede/millipede Both spellings are correct. mimic mimicked, mimicking See SOFT c AND SOFT G. miniature minuscule (not miniscule) minute (not minuit) miracle miscellaneous miscellany 138 MILIEU MOPING OR MOPPING? mischief See EI/IE SPELLING RULE. mischievous (not mischievious, as it is often mispronounced) misplace See DISPLACE OR MISPLACE?. misrelated participles See PARTICIPLES. misspell mis + spell misspelled/misspelt Both spellings are correct. mistletoe moccasin modern (not modren) moment (not momment) momentary or momentous? MOMENTARY = lasting for only a very short time MOMENTOUS = of great significance monastery (singular) monasteries (plural) (not monastry/monastries) See PLURALS (iii). mongoose (singular) mongooses (plural) (not mongeese) monotonous moping or mopping? mope + ing = moping mop + ing = mopping See ADDING ENDINGS (i) + (ii). 139 . a powerful influence on something. Despite his excellent qualifications, his youthful criminal record MILITATED against his appointment as school bursar. To MITIGATE comes from the . MEANT. mention mentioned, mentioning 136 MEDIUM MILAGE/MILEAGE Mesdames (i) Plural of French Madame. (ii) Used as a plural title before a number of ladies' names: Mesdames Smith, Green, Brown and Kelly . messanger) metaphor (not metaphore) A metaphor is a compressed comparison: He wolfed his food, (note the apparent identification with a wolf's eating habits) Compare SIMILE. meteorology (six syllables) meter