GRAMMAR MISTAKES
G'day folks,
Here are a few of those tricky words that often cause us grief as we write, courtesy of Jon Gingerich.
May and Might
“May”
implies a possibility. “Might” implies far more uncertainty. “You may get drunk
if you have two shots in ten minutes” implies a real possibility of
drunkenness. “You might get a ticket if you operate a tug boat while drunk”
implies a possibility that is far more remote. Someone who says “I may have
more wine” could mean he/she doesn't want more wine right now, or that he/she
“might” not want any at all. Given the speaker’s indecision on the matter,
“might” would be correct.
Whether and If
Many
writers seem to assume that “whether” is interchangeable with “if." It
isn’t. “Whether” expresses a condition where there are two or more
alternatives. “If” expresses a condition where there are no alternatives. e.g.,
I don’t know whether I’ll get drunk tonight. e.g., I can get drunk
tonight if I have money for booze.
Fewer and Less
“Less” is
reserved for hypothetical quantities. “Few” and “fewer” are for things you can
quantify. e.g., The firm has fewer than ten employees. e.g., The firm
is less successful now that we have only ten employees.
Farther and Further
The word
“farther” implies a measurable distance. “Further” should be reserved for
abstract lengths you can't always measure. e.g., I threw the ball ten feet
farther than Bill. e.g., The financial crisis caused further
implications.
Clancy's comment: Mm ... Some words still cause me pain.
I'm ...
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