Answers to Tricky Word Problems a further. In this sentence you want a word that indicates a greater degree, so further fills the bill. b such as. The word must introduce a list of examples, so such as is the best choice. If you introduce examples with like, you exclude those examples. In the preceding answer, like means that the speaker in the sentence did not provide a photo of his car, a statement from his girlfriend, or an attendance award. Instead he provided items that were similar to those on this list. c implied. The speaker in this sentence is hinting that his finances are in bad shape, and to imply is “to hint.” d As. In front of a subject/verb combo, as is the only appropriate choice. e further. The verb go makes you think of distance (and farther is the word you want for dis- tance), but testimony is not a road that can be measured. Instead, the judge is referring to time, and further does the job. f Like. The speaker resembles a statue, and like expresses similarity. Because no verb follows, like is better than as. g inferred. Picking up on subtle hints, the judge inferred that the speaker was annoyed with the speeding ticket. h effect. The sentence calls for a noun meaning result. Bingo: effect wins. i affected. Here you’re looking for a verb that’s the same as influence. Affect is that verb. j such as. The tickets are presented as an example of budget-wreckers, and such as introduces examples. k further. Once you’re talking about time, farther isn’t an option, because farther refers to dis- tance. l affects, infer. Substitute the verb influences and the sentence makes sense. Affect is a verb meaning “influence.” In the second part of the sentence, the date will “figure out,” or infer the poverty. m more than. Memos, a plural, calls for more than. n among, much. Because more than two employees are talking, among is the one you want. Between works for couples, not mobs. In the second parentheses, much is the choice because difference is singular. o less. The word paper is singular, so less is appropriate. p many, amount. Many works for plurals, and memos is a plural word. In the second paren- theses, the singular paper is the issue. Number works with plurals, but amount is for singular expressions. q more than. When you’re talking about sheets, you’re in plural land. Use more than. 263 Chapter 20: Steering Clear of Tricky Word Traps 28_599321 ch20.qxp 4/3/06 11:28 PM Page 263 r less. It may take fewer employees to shelve the issue, but it takes less energy, because energy is singular. s over. One year calls for over, the term for singulars. t amount. The word material is singular, even though the term may refer to a ton of stuff, as in the material in my file cabinet that I don’t want to work on. Singular takes amount. u between. In comparing two potential candidates for leadership awards, between is best. v fewer. Employees is a plural, so fewer does the job. w amount. Here you’re talking about barking (yes, the boss barks too), so amount is needed for the singular term. x Among. If you’re looking at all the inhabitants of New York City, you’re talking about more than two people. Hence, among. y Regardless of the teacher’s views on technology in the classroom, Mark sends an instant message to his brother. Irregardless is the Loch Ness Monster of formal English; it doesn’t exist. Substitute regardless. A Kevin doesn’t answer immediately, because he is in the middle of the sandbox. Another non- existent expression is being that. Use because or as. B “I’ll try to answer Mark after snack,” he thinks. The expression try and says that the speaker is going to do two things: try and answer. But the real meaning of the sentence is “try to answer.” C The teacher doesn’t want any distraction from the peanut butter cookies she has prepared, so she confiscates Kevin’s PDA, which sends and receives e-mail, keeps track of Kevin’s play dates, and handles instant messages. Double negatives are a no-no. Change doesn’t want no to doesn’t want any. D Kevin should have hidden his PDA until nap time. The expression should of sounds like should’ve, but should’ve is the contraction of should have, not should of. E Mark can hardly believe some of the stories Kevin tells about kindergarten. Can’t hardly is a double negative, which reverses the intended meaning of the sentence. Go with can hardly, which means that Mark thinks Kevin is exaggerating. F Mark remembers his own days in finger-paint land, which he should’ve treasured. The con- traction should’ve is the short form of should have. G Because the third grade room is near the kindergarten, Mark could have walked out of the classroom and spoken directly to Kevin. Either could have or could’ve is fine, but stay away from could of. H correct. The expression can’t help is fine when it precedes the -ing form of the verb. Just don’t place it with but, because then you’ll have a double negative. I Because the day is almost over, Kevin asks the teacher to return his PDA. Delete being that wherever you find it; send in because instead. 264 Part V: Writing with Style 28_599321 ch20.qxp 4/3/06 11:28 PM Page 264 J correct. In this sentence being is fine because it’s a verb, not a faulty substitute for because. K “I can hardly wait until I’m in first grade,” he remarks. Can’t hardly, a double negative, flips your meaning. Can hardly says that waiting is a tough task. L lies. The character, in suitably pale makeup, rests in bed, so lies is correct. M sit. The doctor isn’t placing something else on the bed but instead making a lap. Go for sit. N set. To place something somewhere calls for the verb set. O lie, sit. Both of these spots call for personal body movements, not the placement of something else. To lie and to sit deal with plopping in bed, on the couch, or in a chair. P laid. Because the doctor placed the wreath, the verb of choice is to lay, and the past tense of to lay is laid. Q lies. This one is a bit tricky. The doctor lays the wreath, but the wreath itself just lies (rests) there. R sit. The lover will pull out a chair and sit in it, not place an object somewhere. S lain. The lover has been stretched out in a bed, in the traditional soapy coma, so the verb must be a form of lie. The combo form of lie is lain. T sits. The doctor isn’t placing something, just staying in a chair, eating. The verb is to sit, and the form that matches doctor is sits. U sometime. The sentence refers to a particular moment (knowing Jennifer, about an hour after the first achoo). Sometime means “at an unspecified time.” V some time. You want to say “a period of time,” which, handily enough, is the meaning of some time. W every day. Here you’re going for “daily,” so the two-word form does the job. X a lot. Never, never, never one word! Always two! No matter what you see printed on signs, awnings, and papers. Y all ready. She had her briefcase, suitcase, computer case, and every other case prepared. Hence, all ready. z everyday. Her ordinary handkerchief (thus her everyday handkerchief) isn’t as fancy as the silk number she carries when she’s dressed up. Z every day. The meaning implied here is “every single day.” 1 already. Abigail means “by this time!” 2 some time. Because Jennifer never remembers to remove all her piercing jewelry, it does indeed take a period of time (some time) to go through the metal detector. 3 All right! I know, I know. You just opened a magazine and saw a headline with the “word” alright in it. Wrong. Wrong. Always wrong! It’s two words. 265 Chapter 20: Steering Clear of Tricky Word Traps 28_599321 ch20.qxp 4/3/06 11:28 PM Page 265 4 Farther refers to distance; further is for time, intensity, or duration. 5 Effected can be a verb, but as such it means “to be the sole agent of change.” In this sentence “influenced” is the more likely meaning, so affected is the one you want. 6 A lot is always written as two words. 7 All ready as two words means “completely prepared,” but in this sentence you want “by this time,” which is the definition of already. 8 Everyday as one word means “ordinary.” As two words, it means “daily,” the one you want here. 9 All right is always two words, never one. 0 Sat is the past tense of sit, which is the verb you want for plopping your body in a chair. Set is to place something else somewhere else. ! Irregardless doesn’t exist, but regardless expresses the same idea. @ Lie is to rest or recline; lay (in the present tense) is to put something down somewhere. Demos wants to rest, so lie is appropriate. # Fifty books is plural, so more than comes into play. Over is for singular terms. Lloyd Demos Dies at 81: Specialized in Ancient Egypt Lloyd Demos died yesterday as he was pursuing farther further study in ancient Egyptian culture. Demos, who effected affected the lives of many residents of our town, had alot a lot of varied interests. By the time he died he had all ready already learned 12 languages, including ancient Egyptian, and spent some time everyday every day studying Egyptian grammar so that his writing would be alright all right. Demos had just set sat down to supper when the Grim Reaper appeared at his door. Irregardless Regardless, Demos insisted on finishing his mashed potatoes, though he was heard to say, “I would like to lay lie down for a while.” Demos, who wrote over more than 50 books, will be fondly remembered. 56 57 60 61 64 58 59 62 63 65 266 Part V: Writing with Style 28_599321 ch20.qxp 4/3/06 11:28 PM Page 266 Part VI The Part of Tens 34_599321 pt6.qxp 4/3/06 8:54 PM Page 267 In this part . . . T he renowned Dummies Part of Tens gives you a list of “overcorrections,” mistakes people make when they’re trying to speak or write with extreme formality and not quite managing to follow the rules of grammar. This part also shows you the worst, avoid-at-all-cost, common errors that can sink your writing faster than a torpedo from a nuclear sub. No exercises here — just the best tips for improving your English. Read on. 34_599321 pt6.qxp 4/3/06 8:54 PM Page 268 . a chair. P laid. Because the doctor placed the wreath, the verb of choice is to lay, and the past tense of to lay is laid. Q lies. This one is a bit tricky. The doctor lays the wreath, but the. The combo form of lie is lain. T sits. The doctor isn’t placing something, just staying in a chair, eating. The verb is to sit, and the form that matches doctor is sits. U sometime. The sentence. remembered. 56 57 60 61 64 58 59 62 63 65 266 Part V: Writing with Style 28_599321 ch20.qxp 4/3/06 11:28 PM Page 266 Part VI The Part of Tens 34_599321 pt6.qxp 4/3/06 8:54 PM Page 2 67 In this part