Tips to Avoid Three Common Usage Errors

How to choose between:
Fewer? or Less? * Who? or Whom? 
* Bad? or Badly?

Fewer? or Less?

If you mean “not as many,” choose fewer. 

(Use fewer when items can be counted.)

If you mean “not as much,” choose less.

Examples: 

I bought fewer pencils. 

I ate less pudding.

Who (Whoever)? or Whom (Whomever)?

Find the verb nearest the pronoun in question. If the pronoun appears before the verb, choose who or whoever. Who went to the store?

If the pronoun follows an action verb, choose whom or whomever. The leader will choose whomever you wish.

If the pronoun follows a linking verb, choose who or whoever. The winner will be whoever the people elect.

Whom or whomever always follows a preposition.

His friends, most of whom are older, are friendly people. 

Hint: Substitute he or she for the pronoun who. Substitute him, her, or them for the pronoun whom.

Bad? or Badly?

Badly describes an action. He danced badly. 

Bad describes a feeling or emotion. (I feel bad.)

Always use the word “bad” after linking verbs such as look, feel, seem, taste, and smell. 

You look bad. 

I feel bad. 

His conduct seems bad to me. 

That meat tastes bad to me.

That perfume smells bad.

Note: Do not say or write I feel badly for you. (Although you hear this in the media and read it in printed material all the time, it is incorrect.)

If you feel badly, there is something wrong with your fingers. 

If you sympathize with someone, you feel bad for them.

It will become much easier to use these words correctly if you practice.

You will find a free practice resource here.

Here's an exercise to practice using their, there, they're. 

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Six Confusing Words to Master

Here are 6 confusing words to master when you write. Although they sound very much alike, they have different meanings.

Dying – means that a living being is no longer alive. Dying is the present participle of the verb die.
Examples: I am just dying to see your new car. The poor man is dying of a horrible disease.
Dyeing - means to change the color of something by using a dye.
Examples:  Mother is dyeing her hair brown to hide the gray hairs. Jane is dyeing her shoes to match her dress.

Weather – means changes in the atmospheric condition.
Examples: We need to check the weather before we set sail. The weather is warm and dry today.
Whether – is used to indicate possibilities or choices.
Example: He was not sure whether or not to eat the sushi.
Whether - also means if something is or was true.
Example: Will you find out whether or not they want to go with us to the movie?
HINT: When choosing between weather and whether be sure to pronounce the “h” in whether. If you are talking about clouds, rain, etc, choose weather. There is no “h” sound in weather.

Advice – is a noun that means an opinion or suggestion that one gives to another.
Advise – is a verb that means to give an opinion or suggestion.
HINT: Try substituting the word opinion into the sentence. If it makes sense, choose the noun advice.
Example A: I need your (advice, advise) on how long my speech should be.
I need your (opinion) on how long my speech should be.
Since you could substitute the word opinion in this sentence, choose advice.
Example B:  You need to (advice, advise) me on how long my speech should be.
You need to (opinion) me on how long my speech should be.
Since you could not substitute the word opinion in this sentence, choose advise.

Here's a free exercise on the use of more confusing words. Confusing Words Grammar Worksheets.

Here's another exercise your students will enjoy. Confusing Words Task Cards.

This set includes task cards to practice the correct use of die or dye; weather or whether; advice or advise; anxious or eager. TASK CARDS can be more fun than worksheets, and they are a perfect way to reinforce lessons and improve proofreading skills.

Be sure to visit my store for more free lessons and take a look at my Simple Steps to Sentence books. Help your students learn grammar and usage the easy way.

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How to Correct Mixed Metaphors and Malapropisms

Have you ever noticed while clicking around on the Internet, how often something really funny pops up on your screen? To me, the humor is even more entertaining when it is unintentional. Often the humor comes from someone using a mixed metaphor or a malapropism. They may be funny, but you should avoid them when speaking or writing.

 

Hints to Avoid the Use of Mixed Metaphors and Malapropisms

A metaphor is a comparison that must contain elements that can be compared logically. The comparison must be consistent. (The sun was a ball in the sky.)

A mixed metaphor combines different images or ideas in a way that is foolish or illogical, and the results are often comical or amusing.

Examples include:

• “A  leopard can’t change his stripes." – Al Gore

• “You need to bite the bullet and eat your piece of the pie.” – anonymous

Hints to avoid using mixed metaphors include:

• Being sure the verb matches the action the subject of the metaphor takes.

(For instance: A car cannot march up a field; it must drive.)

• Using only one comparison in each metaphor.
• Avoiding clichés.

A malapropism is the misuse of a word, especially by confusing two words that are similar in sound. You can avoid using malapropisms by choosing your words carefully when you speak or write.

Examples include:

“We broke up because he took me for granite.” –  a high school student

“She has chicken pops.” – my grandson

“He was a man of great statue.” – Thomas Menino, mayor of Boston"

“Be sure and put some of those neutrons on it.” –  Mike Smith, ordering a salad at a restaurant.

You can avoid using malapropisms by choosing your words carefully when you speak or write.

Your students will enjoy pointing out examples to you that they hear or read.

If you want more information and a practice exercise you can print or use in Google Drive and Easel, click here.

I hope fun and a restful summer break are within your sight. You deserve every moment of it. Feel free to email me at any time with suggestions for lessons that would be helpful for your students.

 

Thanks for reading,

Charlene

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Tips for Using Who's vs. Whose and Their vs .There, vs. They're

The words who's vs. whose and their vs. there vs. they're are frequently confused and used incorrectly.

Here are some simple tips to help you use these often-confused words correctly.

We'll begin by learning to choose between their vs. there vs. they're.

• Their means it belongs to them. For example, I listen to their music.
• There indicates a location. (Replace it with the similar word where to help you remember its meaning.) For example, I am going there after school.
• They're is a contraction for the words they are. Read the contraction as two words. For example, They're (They are) my parents.

Here's a practice question. Choose between the words their, there, and they're to fill in the blanks.

1. When I got ________, he had ________ gift in his hands, and ________ going to be surprised.

*************************************************************************

Now let's discuss choosing between whose and who's.

• Whose means it belongs to whom. For example, Whose coat is this?
• Who's is a contraction for the words who is. Read the contraction as two words. For example, Who's (Who is) coming with me tonight?

Here are practice questions #2 and #3. Choose the correct word from the parentheses.

2. I don't know (who's, whose) to blame for this mess in the kitchen.

3.  (Who's, Whose) dirty dishes are on the counter?

You will find the answers at the end of this post.

*************************************************************************

To improve your writing, do a search for these words when you proofread something you have written to be sure you have chosen correctly.

To avoid making a mistake, ask yourself these questions:

• Do you mean where? If so, choose there.
• Do you mean it belongs to them? If so, choose their.
• Do you mean they are? If so, choose they're.
• Do you mean who is? If so, choose who's.
• Do you mean it belongs to whom? If so, choose whose.

The following example sentences are correct:

• Whose photos are posted there on the bulletin board?
• They're the students who are going to take their time to do the assignment.
• Who's the person who left the door open?

*********************************************************************

As promised, the answers to the practice questions above are #1 their, their, and they're  

#2 who's  

#3 whose

I hope you will find these tips helpful to use with your students and improve their writing. I have resources in my TpT store that will provide more helpful instruction and practice. The first one is FREE.

Using Who's and Whose Correctly Grammar Worksheets

Choosing Between Who's and Whose BOOM Cards™

Practice with Their, There, and They're Boom Cards™

Confusing Words Task Cards Bundle

Thanks for reading,

Charlene

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BOOM Cards™ Are an Exciting New Way to Learn

I love it when I discover a new way for students to learn that will help teachers 

and make their lives easier.

I haven't been this excited about creating new lessons in a long time. For years, I tried to present lessons that students could complete on the computer and have fun while learning. The problem was that there was no way for them to have immediate feedback, and the teacher had to grade what they had done.

Next came task cards, but still, the teacher had to get involved to provide feedback and grades.

And now, there are BOOM cards. Rachel Lynette, a veteran TpT member, and an expert on task cards teamed up with an innovative company to make digital BOOM cards. Now, students can practice concepts they have learned by "playing" BOOM cards. They get immediate feedback, and if they get the answer wrong they can try again. And, even better, they are self-grading. The teacher gets a report on all student activity.

It's amazing. Students ask for them. They LOVE playing BOOM cards.

Try it for yourself:

CLICK HERE TO TRY

CLICK HERE TO TRY

CLICK HERE TO TRY

The exciting thing is that you can create your own BOOM Cards and tailor them to your students' needs. You can use them for practice and for quizzes. You can find out what you need to know here.

BOOM decks are not expensive and they save the teacher so much time. Most of the ones I created come with a mini-lesson. If you would like to see more examples of BOOM cards, click here.

Note: If you have an idea for BOOM cards that you would like for me to create for your students, send me an email at charlenetess@yahoo.com.

Be sure to read the helpful and interesting blog posts below.

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Charlene

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6 Confusing Words to Master

Learning to master confusing words is an essential skill for all writers. If students learn to use them correctly, it will help them throughout their adult lives.

Dying – means that a living being is no longer alive. Dying is the present participle of the verb die. Examples: I am just dying to see your new car. The poor man is dying of a horrible disease.

Dyeing - means to change the color of something by using a dye.
Examples:  Mother is dyeing her hair brown to hide the gray hairs. Jane is dyeing her shoes to match her dress.

Weather – means changes in the atmospheric condition. Examples: We need to check the weather before we set sail. The weather is warm and dry today.

Whether – is used to indicate possibilities or choices.
Example: He was not sure whether or not to eat sushi.

Whether - also means if something is or was true.
Example: Will you find out whether or not they want to go with us to the movie?
HINT: When choosing between weather and whether, be sure to pronounce the “h” in whether. If you are talking about clouds, rain, and such, choose weather. There is no “h” sound in weather.

Advice – is a noun that means an opinion or suggestion that one gives to another.
Advise – is a verb that means to give an opinion or suggestion.

HINT: Try substituting the word feedback into the sentence. If it makes sense, choose the noun advice.
Example A: I need your (advice, advise) on how long my speech should be.
I need your (feedback) on how long my speech should be.
Since you could substitute the word feedback in this sentence, choose advice.

Example B:  You need to (advice, advise) me on how long my speech should be.
You need to (feedback) me on how long my speech should be.
Since you could not substitute the word feedback in this sentence, choose advise.

Click here for a free lesson and exercise on correctly using these 6 confusing words.

Be sure to visit my store for more free lessons and take a look at my Simple Steps to Sentence Sense books. Help your students learn grammar and usage the easy way.

This article is an update from an earlier post.

Thanks for reading,

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Here's Help with 5 Confusing Words

The words who's or whose and their, there, or they’re are frequently confused and used incorrectly. 

Here are some simple tips to help you use these words correctly.

Their means it belongs to them.

Example: I listen to their music.

There indicates a location. (Replace it with the similar word “where” to help you remember its meaning.)

Example: I am going there after school.

They’re is a contraction for the words they are.

(Read a contraction as two words.)

Example: They’re (They are) my parents.

Whose means it belongs to whom. 

Example: Whose coat is this?

Who’s is a contraction for the words who is. (Read a contraction as two words.)

Example: Who’s (Who is) coming with me tonight?

After you finish writing, search for the words above to be sure you have chosen correctly. 

Ask yourself these questions:

Do you mean “where?”  If so, choose “there.”

Do you mean “it belongs to them?” If so, choose “their.”

Do you mean “they are?” If so, choose “they're.”

Do you mean “who is?” If so, choose “who’s.”

Do you mean it belongs to whom? If so, choose “whose.”

The following sentences are correct:

Whose photos are posted there on the bulletin board? Who's going to write their names on the backs of the photos? They're going to be left of of the yearbook if we don't figure this out.

Click here to buy a set 5 of the task cards your students can use to review the use of these confusing words.

Click here to buy the TASK CARDS BUNDLE and save 20%.

* This blog post is updated to reflect the money-saving bundle that is now available.

         All the best,

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