Everyday English for Grown-ups

Getting to grips with the basics

Michelle Finlay

• Publisher: Michael O'Mara
• Year: 2011
• Print ISBN: 9781782433347
• eBook ISBN: 9781843176800
• Topic: Languages & Linguistics
• Subtopic: Grammar & Punctuation
• Index: Languages & Linguistics

Taking you back to the basics, this book will help native and non-native speakers master the nuts and bolts of the English language. A poor command of English is a considerable obstacle in almost every walk of life, from conducting business to dealing with everyday problems. This book takes you back to the basics, to the simple rules and tricks that will help anyone to master the language.* Containing hundreds of simple examples, this book is essential for anyone who wants to brush up on the basics
* Designed to help native and non-native speakers alike to speak and write correct and unambiguous English in any situation – business or personal.
* Offers advice on different areas, including the writing of letters, reports and other texts, where often it is vital to convey meaning and purpose simply and clearly.
* Includes sections on sentences, parts of speech, punctuation and common pitfalls to avoid.Containing hundreds of simple examples, this book is essential for anyone who wants to brush up on the basics.

Appendix 1: Frequently Misspelled Words

abscess (-bsc-)

accommodate (2 cs and 2 ms)

acquaint (not ‘aquaint’)

aerial (not ‘arial’ or ‘ariel’)

aquiline (not ‘acquiline’)

arctic (not ‘artic’ – unless short for ‘articulated lorry’)

benighted (not ‘beknighted’)

Britannia (1 t, 2 ns)

Britannica (1 t, 2 ns)

Brittany (2 ts, 1 n)

broccoli (not ‘brocolli’)

conscientious (the root word is ‘science’)

consensus (not ‘concensus’)

desiccated (not ‘dessicated’)

desperate (not ‘desparate’)

drunkenness (double n)

exercise (not ‘excercise’)

ecstasy (not ‘extasy’ nor ‘extacy’)

espresso (not ‘expresso’)

February (not ‘Febuary’)

glamorize, glamorous (not ‘glamourize/-ous’)

graffiti (not ‘grafitti’)

gauge (not ‘guage’)

harass (not ‘harrass’)

idiosyncrasy (not ‘idiosyncracy’)

itinerary (not ‘itinery’)

kerb (meaning pavement edge, not ‘curb’ in UK)

led (past tense of ‘to lead’)

liaise, liaison (not ‘liase’, ‘liasion’)

lightening (making less heavy)

lightning (flash – not ‘lightening’)

liquefy (not ‘liquify’)

Mediterranean (not ‘Meditteranean’)

memento (not ‘momento’)

millennium (not ‘millenium’)

minuscule (not ‘miniscule’)

mischievous (not ‘mischievious’)

pejorative (not ‘perjorative’)

pharaoh (not ‘pharoah’) Portuguese (not ‘Portugese’)

restaurateur (not ‘restauranteur’)

sacrilege (not ‘sacrelige’)

separate (not ‘seperate’)

stiletto (not ‘stilleto’)

supersede (not ‘supercede’)

threshold (not ‘threshhold’)

withhold (not ‘withold’)

you’re (‘you are’)

your (meaning ‘belonging to you’)

Appendix 2: Commonly Confused Words

As the English language has somewhere in the region of one million words, it is almost inevitable that we are going to confuse similarly written or similar-sounding words and phrases from time to time. Here is a list of some commonly confused words.

Accept/Except Consent to/Excluded

Adverse/Averse Contrary to, hostile/Opposed to

Affect/Effect (1) Verb: produce an effect on, influence/to bring about (2) Noun: psychological term for emotion that effects behaviour/result or consequence

Alternate/Alternative Two things succeeding each other in turn/Another option

Allusions/Illusions Referring to/Imaginary, false ideas

All together/Altogether All in one place/Totally

Amoral/Immoral/Immortal Without moral principles/Morally wrong/Living for ever

Aural/Oral Relating to the ear/Relating to the mouth

Avenge/Revenge Inflict retribution for another/Retaliation in the name of justice

Born/Borne Come into existence/Carried

Brooch/Broach Piece of jewellery/Raise a subject for discussion

Canvas/Canvass Coarse fabric/Solicit votes

Censer/Censure/Censor Container in which incense is burned/Criticize sharply/Suppress unsuitable or inflammatory material

Childish/Childlike Immature/Having the qualities of a child

Compel/Impel Bring about by force/Drive forward by force

Complimentary/Complementary Giving praise or free of charge/Something that completes or goes together with

Currant/Current Dried fruit/Belonging to the present time; flow of water, electricity

Deduce/Deduct Draw a logical conclusion/Take away

Disinterested/Uninterested Without bias/Indifferent

Dominate/Domineer Exercise control over/Act in an arrogant way

Elder/Older The older one of a group/having lived longer

Egotism/Egoism Self-obsession/Philosophy of self-interest

Emigrate/Immigrate Leave one’s home to settle elsewhere/Go into a country intending to be a resident

Empathy/Sympathy Identifying with and understanding the plight of another/Having a shared feeling with another

Exercise/Exorcize Physical activity or application of the mind for its development/Expel an evil spirit

Flammable/Inflammable These both mean the same: easily set fire to

Flout/Flaunt Show contempt (for authority)/Show off

Forgo/Forego Go without/Go first in place or time

Founder/Flounder Sink (of a ship)...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title page
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• Introduction
• A Brief History of the Alphabet
• The Nuts and Bolts, or Parts of Speech
• Making Sense of Sentences
• Signposts, Or Why Punctuation Matters
• Spelling It Out
• Perfect Pronunciation
• Correspondence Course
• Communicating with Style
• Appendix 1: Frequently Misspelled Words
• Appendix 2: Commonly Confused Words
• Further Reading
• Index