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by
D. Michelle Adkerson
lapse
The word means an interval of time. Avoid redundancies.
Not: A lapse of time had occurred.
But:
A lapse had occurred.
A
lapse of two hours has occurred.
latter;
last
Use latter to refer to the second of two persons or items. Last
means, literally, the final person or item when more than two are mentioned.
Note:
Be careful not to confuse latter, which refers to a person or item,
with later, which refers to time.
This
weekend you should meet Sam and Rachel, but the latter may prove to
be a "no show."
Actually,
Michael, Emma, Sam, and Rachel are expected to make an appearance
at our session, but the last may not show.
I'll
plan to meet all of you in my office later today.
Note:
Your sentence may read better if you simply say what you mean, rather
than using either latter or last.
This
weekend you should meet Sam and Rachel, but Rachel may not show.
Actually,
Michael, Emma, Sam, and Rachel are expected to make an appearance,
but Rachel may not show.
lay;
lie
Use lay when you mean "to put or place" (lay, laid,
laid, laying). Use lie to mean "to recline, rest, or
stay" (lie, lay, lain, lying).
Tip:
When choosing between the two, use a form of lay (with the -a-)
if you could substitute place, placed, or placing (which
also use -a- vowels). Lay = place.
As
chapter nine closes, Emily carefully folds the poem and lays
it among the many others in the trunk at the foot of her bed. I mark
the page and lay the book on my bedside table where last night
I laid it and where I have laid it every night this
week, having forfeited the evening news for evening poetry. Throughout
chapter nine, prolific Emily is always laying poems carefully
into her large trunk and writing yet another while I sleep.
At
book's end, with Emily dead, the poems themselves lie in wait,
in the vast, excited silence of the half-full trunk, barely contained,
expecting at any moment to be opened, read, awakened into sound. Beyond
the book and long after Emily's death, the poems lay untouched;
despite selective and bowdlerized publication over the years, most
of the poems had lain inviolate most of the century. Now when
I turn away from Emily's history to the poems themselves, it seems
they have been lying in wait, their secrets intact, until my
coming.
likewise
This word is an adverb, not a conjunction.
Not: His lovely voice, likewise his manners, impressed us.
But:
I apologized; now you do likewise.
limitation
Use limit, unless you are referring to a statute of limitations.
literally;
figuratively
The first means "actually"; the second means "metaphorically."
They are often confused by inept or careless writers.
Not: We sat literally glued to our seats, enrapt by the performance.
But:
We sat glued to our seats. (This is obviously figurative.)
livid;
lurid
The first means black or leaden; the second means ghastly
yellow.
loath;
loathe
Loath, an adjective, means "reluctant." Loathe,
a verb, means "to abhor, detest."
She is loath to admit a mistake.
She
loathes employees who regularly arrive late.
mad
Use this word to mean insane. If you mean angry, use angry.
majority
Majority refers to a number (something that can be counted);
it is not a synonym for major or most.
Not: He spent a majority of his time listening to music.
But:
He spent a major amount of his time listening to music.
He
spent a majority of his hours practicing on the piano. (Hours
is a constant; it can be counted.)
manner
born, to the
Use to the manner born, not to the manor born.
medium
The singular form of media.
minimize
To minimize is to reduce to the smallest possible amount, size,
extent, or degree. Never use minimize with greatly, somewhat,
or considerably. Minimize does not mean to belittle,
underrate, or diminish.
minuscule
Not miniscule.
mischievous
Not mischievious.
more
important; more importantly
The first is commonly used at the beginnings of sentences as a short
form of "what is more important." The adverb phrase more
importantly should not begin a sentence. Use it when you mean "in
a more important manner."
More
important, I don't think either of us should walk alone to the park
at dusk.
They
lost the pennant, but more important, they lost money.
I
agree that the incident was treated more importantly than was warranted;
pursuit by a poodle does not justify a call to the police.
mutual
See common.
myriad
Never use the incorrect phrase a myriad of.
I have myriad reasons for leaving that job.
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