Longman Dictionary of Common Errors_ Part 1

Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark. Longman Dictionary of Common Errors N D Turton and J B Heaton • Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark. Pearson Education Limited Edinburgh Gate Harlow Essex CM202JE England and Associated Companies throughout the world. Visit our website: http://www.longman.com/dictionaries © Addison Wesley Longman Limited 1987. 1996 All rights reserved; no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the Publishers. First published 1987 Second edition 1996 Eleventh impression 2003 British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN 0 582 23752 1 Set in Adobe Helvetica Printed in China SWTC/11 Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark. Contents Preface v How to use the Dictionary vi The Dictionary 1 List of common misspellings 366 List of Irregular verbs 368 Glossary 370 Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark. iv Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank Della Summers, Director - Longman Dictionaries, for granting them permission to use the Longman Learners' Corpus and the British National Corpus as sources of information for this new edition. At the same time, we are deeply indebted to all those who have designed, managed and contributed to these invaluable databanks. Our sincere thanks are also extended to Judith Aguda for editing the entire manuscript with meticulous care and super-human patience, to Alison Steadman for co-ordinating the production stages, and to Lizzie Warren for overseeing the project from start to finish. We have not forgotten those who made important contributions to the first edition and we would like to reacknowledge our debt to Sue Maingay, Kelly Davis, Diane Sutton and Mona Scheraga, and to the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate. Finally, we must thank the countless foreign students of English who have provided the content of both editions. Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark. v Preface The Longman Dictionary of Common Errors provides learners and teachers of English with a practical guide to common errors and their correction. It contains the words and phrases which regularly cause difficulty for foreign learners, regardless of nationality and language background. Arranged alphabetically for ease of use, the entries deal with those errors that regularly appear in the written English of learners at the intermediate level of proficiency and above. Each error is accompanied by a correction and a short, simple explanation. Since the appearance of the first edition of this dictionary almost a decade ago, dictionary making has been transformed by major developments in information technology. Today's dictionary makers are able to draw upon huge computerized databanks to discover exactly how language is used. This new edition of the Longman Dictionary of Common Errors owes its authority to two such databanks: the Longman Learners' Corpus and the British National Corpus. The Longman Learners' Corpus contains samples of the written English produced by students from over 70 different countries. With this carefully coded corpus of ten million words, it is possible to identify more clearly than ever before the words and phrases which cause problems for particular groups of learners and for learners in general. As a result, this second edition contains a large number of new entries, while first edition entries which are insufficiently supported by the corpus have been removed. The investigation of common errors sometimes raises questions about usage for which there are no readily available answers. For example, what do native speakers usually say - 'I disagree that heart transplants should be stopped.' or 'I don't agree that heart transplants should be stopped'? According to modern usage, is it usual to say 'She failed her examination.' or 'She failed in her examination'? Is it incorrect to say 'More houses are built yearly.' and, if so, why is yearly unacceptable here? In helping us to answer questions such as these, the British National Corpus has been an indispensable source of information. This large corpus of modern British English usage has been particularly useful in revealing the subtle differences that make one word or phrase exactly right in a particular context, and others unsuitable. Despite the recognized usefulness of computerized corpora in dictionary making, this application of information technology is still relatively new. Accordingly, while we believe that this new edition is a major advance on the original, we welcome all comments and suggestions. Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark. vi Guide to the Dictionary Finding the information you need The entries in this dictionary are in alphabetical order: about is at the front of the book and youth is at the back. To help you find an entry quickly, there is a word in heavy type at the top of each page. The word at the top of a left-hand page is the name of the first entry; the word at the top of a right-hand page is the name of the last entry. To use this dictionary to correct errors, you need to know which word to look up. In many cases, you will find the information you need at the entry for the keyword. This is the most important word in a group of words which regularly occur together. For example, to find out why 'a hole on my sock' is incorrect, you should look up the entry for hole (not on). To find out what is wrong with 'He'll be here at December', you should turn to the entry for at (not December). In cases like this, there is no fixed group of words and therefore no keyword. Sometimes, the keyword is separated from the part of the sentence containing the error. For example, in: 'She never lets the children to go out on their own', your teacher may underline 1Q or to go. In cases like this, the information you need is to be found at the entry for the word or phrase which requires a particular form to be used later on in the sentence. For example, you allow someone to do something, but you let someone do something (not 'to do'). keyword Shows the sentence containing the error. Shows the ---- corrected sentence Shows that the particular usage - is inappropriate in some contexts Explains the word that has been used incorrectly and tells you which word should have been used Here,the word which has been used incorrectly is directly next to the word succeed that controls it. study 1 )( Next July I'm going to the USA to continue my study . ./' Next July I'm going to the USA to continue my studies. To refer to the work that a student does at a couepe or university, use studies: 'After the war he resumed his studies at the University of Turin.' Compare: 'They are conducting a study of sex education in local secondary schools.' 2 X ---_.I stuff She's studying history in Oxford University. She's studying history at Oxford University. See in 5 _ --------------- X He'd left all his tennis stuffs at home ./ He'd left all his tennis stuff at home. Stuff-is.an to my-place.' style ? I'd like to live abroad and have a different style of life. ~ ,/? I'd like to live abroad and have a different lifestyle. I find this living style very attractive ,/ I find this lifestyle very attractive. See note at LIFE 2 subconsc- ;< The driver of the car was taken to hospital subconscious. ious ,/ The driver of the car was taken to hospital unconscious. subconscious (of a thought or desire) = exlstlnp or occurring in the mind without the person being aware of it: 'Hls.dream about crosslnq the oceansjnqle-handed prob,a,tJ,lyarose from asubconsetous desire-tor fame:':"" ,_ • .•-' :_.; unconscious (of a person) = in a sleep-like slate, especially becaus you are iHor have been' hit on the head: 'The' cleaner found himJying unconscious on the bathroom floor:- subject x The subject of my thesis is about women in the popular press. ,/ The subject of my thesis is women in the popular press. SUbject is not followed by about. Note the alternative: :My thesis is about 'Nomen in the popular press.' succeed x Not many of us succeed to achieve our ambitions. ,/ Not many of us succeed in achieving our ambitions. succeed-in doing sth mouniing the horse. 1 such ;< She was always a such intelligent woman. __ »>: ./ She was always su~h_an intelligent woman. --- Such always comes at the beginning of a noun phrase: '11's sucba good film that I'd like to see it again.' ~ suddenly ;< Late one evening, as I was getting into the bath, suddenly I heard a strange noise . ./ Late one evening, as I was getting into the bath, I suddenly heard a strange noise. See Language Note at ALWAYS Explains how to use the word correctly. Shows that there is more information at the entry for IN, at sub- entry number 5 Shows that there is more information at the explanation of the entry for LIFE. Shows examples of correct usage. Here,the word which has been used incorrectly is separated from the word subject that controls it. If the explanation contains a technical term that you do not understand, look in the glossary on page370. Shows that there is more information at the Language Note for ALWAYS. Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark. vii Some entries have sub entries, each with their own numbers. Errors involving vocabulary usually come before errors in grammar, and very common errors come before those which occur less frequently. )< When capital punishment was abolished, people thought that murders will become more numerous. ,/ When capital punishment was abolished, people thought that murders would become more numerous. 2 X If a developing country will become a developed country, it has to attract foreign investors. ,/ If a is to become a developed country, it 3 See Language Note below When there is a lot of information ----- L about a group of related errors, this --.' is presented in a Language Note. • ~~j~cii~~~?lk about something happening in the future, you often use one of the following Talking about the future TIME after, as soon as, before, immediately, once, the moment, until, when, whenever, while CONDITION if, whether, as long as, in case, unless I' To refer to the future after these conjunctions, use the present simple tense (NOT will/shall) I I'll phone you as soon as I arrive at the airport I The plane should be taking off shortly, as long as there aren't any delays. Note: 1 Sometimes it is possible to present perfect expresses a sense 2Whentheclause be instead of the present simple. The doesn't want to buy acar until you test. so lonely with if, whether, when, ete is the object of the sentence, will may I doubt whether David will still recognize me I don't know when they'll be back Also. il . will is possible when will expresses the idea of willingness: What are you If you'll take a do if she won't help you? moment, I'll tell Mr Fox you're here Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark. Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark. . watermark. v Preface The Longman Dictionary of Common Errors provides learners and teachers of English with a practical guide to common errors and their correction watermark. Contents Preface v How to use the Dictionary vi The Dictionary 1 List of common misspellings 366 List of Irregular verbs 368 Glossary 370 Please