Word+Usage

Homonym- words that are spelled the same way, but have different meaning
 * duck - duck (animal, get out of the way)
 * rose - rose (flower, stand up)

Homophone- words that sound the same, but they have different meanings
 * sun - son
 * here - hear
 * meet - meat
 * deer - dear

**1) a, an** The article //a// is used before consonant sounds; //an// is used before vowel sounds. Words beginning with //h//, //o//, or //u// can have either a consonant sound or vowel sound.

· Accept is a verb meaning "to receive." · Except is a preposition meaning "other than" or "leaving out." o Verb: Settlers of the western frontier accepted the harsh realities of frontier life. o Preposition: They easily found all the natural resources they needed except water and wood
 * 2) accept, except**

o Adapt means "to change." Adopt means "to take as one's own." § Example: Easterners quickly learned to adapt. § Example: Newcomers adopted the customs of neighbors.
 * (3) Adapt, Adopt**

· //Affec//t, almost always a verb, means "to influence." //Effect// may be used as a noun or as a verb. As a noun, it mean "result." As a verb, it means "to bring about" or "to cause." o **Verb:** Natural disasters //affected// the farmers' success. o **Noun:** Settlers knew the //effects// of nature and tried to combat them. o **Verb:** The tractor //effected// a drastic change in farming. 5 .Ain't. Ain't was originally a contraction of am not, but it is no longer considered standard English.
 * (4) affect, effect**

ADJECTIVE: The cowboys were //all ready// for the cattle drive. ADVERB: Many of them had //already// driven cattle north.
 * 6) All ready, already** //All ready//, two separate words used as an adjective, is an expression meaning "ready". //Already//, and adverb, means "even now " or "by or before this time".

**7) all right, alright** //Alright// is nonstandard spelling. Make sure you use the two-word form (all right).

They would fail //altogether// if they worked alone.
 * (8) all** **together, altogether** //All together// means "together as a single group." //Altogether// means "completely" or "in all."
 * EXAMPLES**: Cowhands had to work //all together// to transport cattle over long distances.

Ex) Cows were branded so that the owners could pick out their cows from among crowds. Cowboys could transport the cows between the ranch and the railroad.
 * 9) amo****ng, between** Both of these words are prepositions. Among always implies three or more. Between is generally used only with two things.

Less Acceptable: The cowboys were anxious to reach the next town. Preferred: The cowboys were eager to reach the nest town. The ranchers were anxious about cattle thieves.
 * 10.** This adjective implies uneasiness, worry, or fear. Do not use it as a substitute for eager.


 * 11) anywhere, everywhere, nowhere, somewhere.** Never end these adverbs with an -s.

NONSTANDARD: At first, the ranchers didn't use fences, so cattle could wander anywheres. CORRECT: At first, ranchers didn't use fences, so cattle could wander anywhere.

Nonstandard: Miner had no worries as to the land. Correct: Miners had no worries about the land.
 * 12) as to,** As to is awkward . Replace it with about


 * 13) at** Do not use //at// after //where//. simply eliminate it.

NONSTANDARD: They didn't care //where// they were at as long as they found precious metals. CORRECT: They didn't care //where// they were as long as they found precious metals.

o Awhile is an adverb that means "for a while". It is never preceded by a preposition. A while is an article and a noun, usually used after prepositions such as for or after. § Adverb: The miners stayed awhile and worked the mine. § Noun: After a while, a boom town would grow up to serve the needs of a miner.
 * 14. Awhile, a while**

**15) Bad, Badly**: Bad is an adjective that means "incorrect," "ill," or "undesirable." Badly is an adverb that means "in a bad way," "or poorly."
 * ADJECTIVE:** Miners papered their walls with newspapers to insulate themselves from bad winter.
 * ADVERB:** Compared to today's insulation, the paper worked badly.


 * 17) being as, being tha**t **-** Do not use either expression. Use //because// or //since// instead.

· Beside means "close to" or "at the side of." · Besides means "in addition to." o Examples · Tombstone, Arizona, developed beside a mine. Besides mines, towns were started near transportation centers and major shipping points
 * 18) beside, besides**

o Bring means "to carry from a distant place to a nearer one." Take means the opposite: "to carry from a near place to a more distant place." § Example: Cowboys would bring cattle over thousands of miles to a town with a train station. · Example: The trains would then take the cattle to the East, where they would be sold for food.
 * (19) Bring, take**

· **Less Acceptable:** A transportation town was //different than// a mining town because it was usually more permanent. · **Preferred:** A transportation town was //different from// a mining town because it was usually more permanent.
 * 20)** **different from, different than** ( different form is preferred.)

Nonstandard: A town don't thrive without townspeople. It don't seem very prosperous. He don't want to stay if there is no work. Correct: A town doesn't thrive without townspeople. It doesn't seem very prosperous. He doesn't want to stay if there is no work.
 * 21. Doesn't, don't.** Doesn't is the correct verb form for third person singular subjects. Don't is used with all other subjects.

NONSTANDARD: Merchants //done// the job of supplying farmers, miners, and cowhands. CORRECT: Merchants //have done// the job of supplying farmers, miners, and cowhands.
 * (22) Do****ne** //Done//, the past participle of //do//, should always follow a helping verb.

Due to means caused by and should be used only when the word by can logically be substituted Correct: **The establishment of towns in groups was due to the lack of natural resources.**
 * (23) due to**
 * Nonstandard:** Due to the lack of natural resources, towns were often established in groups.

The area around Virginia City, Nevada, was //further// developed to supply resources to the city. Virginia City needed //further// support to survive.
 * (24) farthe****r, further** //Farther// refers to distance. //Further// means "to a greater degree or extent" or "additional."
 * EXAMPLES**: The //farther// away a town was from transportation, the harder it was for people to get supplies.

Ex) fewer stagecoaches, fewer horses, fewer supplies, less land, less wood, less communication
 * 25) few****er, less** Fewer is used with objects that can be counted. Less is used with quantities that cannot be counted.

Nonstandard: Easterners gone west to find a better life. They could have went to a major eastern city to make a better life for themselves. Correct: Easterners had gone west hoping to find a better life. Easterners went west to find a better life. They could have gone to a major eastern city to make a better life for themselves.
 * 26. gone, went** Gone is the past participle of go. It should be used as a verb only with a helping verb. Went is the past tense of go and is never used with a helping verb.


 * 27) in, into**. In refers to position, Into suggests a motion

POSITION: People often traveled wet in wagons MOTION: They loaded their supplies into a covered wagon.

Nonstandard: People settle in the West irregardless of the dangers. Correct: People settle in the West, regardless of the dangers.
 * 28) Irregardless**, Putting ir- on this word makes it a double negative. Use regardless instead.


 * 29) just** When you use //just// to mean "no more than," place it right before the word or phrase it logically modifies.

LESS ACCEPTABLE: Since there was little wood, houses were //just// made of sod. PREFERRED: Since there was little wood, houses were made of //just// sod.

o These expressions should not be used to mean "rather" or "somewhat". § Nonstandard: Travel was kind of slow. · Correct: The travel was rather slow.
 * 30. Kind of, sort of**

**31) Lay, Lie:** Lay means "to put or set (something) down." Its principle parts- lay, laying, laid, and laid-are are usually followed by a direst object. Lie means "to recline." Its principal parts- lie, lying, lay, and lain- are never followed by a direct object.

**32.) L****earn, Teach**- Learn means "to acquire knowledge." Teach means "to give knowledge to." Examples: A person **learned** many different skills in order to survive in the West. Settlers **taught** newcomers how to manage in the new terrain.

**33) Leave, Let-** Leave means "to allow to remain." Let means "to permit." NONSTANDARD: Cowboys leave the cattle wander over great tracts of land. They let calves with the mothers, even if the father belongs to a different herd CORRECT: Cowboys let the cattle wander over great tracts of land. They leave calves with the mothers, eve

NONSTANDARD: Crime in the West was widespread, like it was in the East. CORRECT: Crime in the West was widespread, as it was in the East.
 * 34.) Like**- like is a preposition and should not be used in place of the conjunction as.


 * 35)** **Of** Do not use the preposition //of// in place of the verb have. //Of// after outside, inside, off, or atop is also undesirable in formal writing. Simply eliminate it.


 * NONSTANDARD**: A single sheriff would of watched over a group of towns.
 * CORRECT:** A single sheriff would have watched over a group of towns.


 * LESS ACCEPTABLE:** One judge held court inside of a restaurant.
 * PREFERRED:** One judge held court inside a restaurant.

Examples: Only one cowboy wanted to go to town today. (No one else wanted to go to town.) One cowboy only wanted to go to town. (He did not want to do anything else.)
 * 36.) Only**. Be sure to place only in front of the word you mean to modify.

NONSTANDARD: The judge //seen// a number of criminals. CORRECT: The judge //has seen// a number of criminals.
 * (37)** **Seen** //Seen// is a past participle and can be used as a verb only with a helping verb

**(38) Set Sit** Set means to put something in a certain place. Its pricipal parts-set,setting set-are usualy followed by a direct object. Sit means to be seated. Its principal parts-sit, sitting, sat- are never followed by a direct object. Set: Set the tools in the barn. He is setting the plow in the backyard. His wife set the food on the table. She had set the plates out earlier.

Sit: They brought a rocking chair from the East to sit in. She is sitting in it right now. She sat in it whenever they stopped. Her mother had sat in the chair before her.

LESS ACCEPTABLE: Townsfolk formed vigilante groups //so// they could enforce the law as they saw it. PREFERRED : Townsfolk formed vigilante groups //so that// they could enforce the law as the saw it. 40) **than, then** Use than in comparisons. Then, an adverb, usually refers to time. Ex) The telegraph was faster than the pony express. The transcontinental telegraph was installed, and then the pony express went out of business.
 * (39)** **so** So is a coordinating conjunction. It should be avoided when you mean "so that."


 * 41) that, which, who** Use these relative pronouns correctly. That and which refer to thing; who refers only to people.

Examples: The wagon that carried the food for a cattle drive was called the chuck wagon. The person who took care of the extra horses on a cattle drive was called a wrangler.

PRONOUN: Farmers spent all their time working the land. EXPLETIVE: There are many obstacles to a good harvest. ADVERB: The fields over there will be planted tomorrow. CONTRACTION: They're deciding what crops to plant this year
 * 42) Their, there, they're**. Their, a possessive pronoun, always modifies a noun. There ca be used either as an expletive at the beginning of a sentence or as an adverb. They're is a contraction of they are.


 * 43) them** Do not use //them// as a substitute for //those.//


 * NONSTANDARD:** //Them// horses are extremely fast
 * CORRECT**: //Those// horses are extremely fast.

Preposition: to the homestead, to the minor Infinitive: to dig, to plow Adverb: too dry, too quickly Number: two fields, two cows
 * //44) to, too, two//** To, a preposition, begins a phrase or an infinitive. Too, an adverb, modifies adjectives and other adverbs. Two is a number

**45)** Do not use when or where directly after a linking verb. Do not use where in place of that. NONSTANDARD: A barn raising is when farmers could socialize with neighbors. A general store is where the square dance was held after harvest time.

CORRECT: A barn raising allowed farmers to socialize with their neighbors. A farmer could get supplies at a general store. He heard that the square dance was held after harvest time.