I've just put together a compilation of common English mistakes - it's mainly aimed at bloggers so I don't waffle on too much or use complicated grammatical terms.


See http://www.squidoo.com/common-english-errors


Leave me a comment if you think there's anything I should add - or even just to say hello

Your write on target.....

Not a bad link. I've bookmarked it to foist upon the populace.

One thing they got wrong: Effect can be used as a verb. To effect change, for instance, means to bring it about. To affect change means to alter it in some way.

tim

Thanks tim - I left "effect change" out deliberately as I thought the distinction might be too subtle - but I can easily add it as a note.

Thank you Jim for your comment's

To effect change, for instance, means to bring it about. To affect change means to alter it in some way.

<pedantic>Isn't that one and the same thing?</pedantic>

So would that be better explained as
"A change would affect something when you effect the changes."

where "effect" is used as a synonym for "apply"?

"effect" a transition, so "Release of the new NHS IT system was effected by strong management by IT professionals. It was not affected by the change in government as both parties know the CEO of Crapita."

Maybe some literary gurus could help with this question.

After submission of the contact form, should we say
"Thank you for your enquiry" or "Thank you for your inquiry"

My spell checker hates the first one. But I think it might be a British English vs American English thing i.e. both are correct.

And which of these are grammatically and spellingly (for want of a better adverb!) correct:
Is there any difference between American English and British English usage?

1) ECommerce
2) E-Commerce
3) E Commerce

4) email
5) e-mail

Originally Posted by TWD

Maybe some literary gurus could help with this question.

After submission of the contact form, should we say
"Thank you for your enquiry" or "Thank you for your inquiry"

My spell checker hates the first one. But I think it might be a British English vs American English thing i.e. both are correct.

The two versions are synonymous and UK and US are converging. Enquire used to be used more in the UK, especially in the sense of politely asking "she enquired after his health" but inquire is more prevalent now - BBC and Guardian style guides both say use inquire.

Being really pedantic, you should use neither as your Contact response as the contact may not be an inquiry

Originally Posted by TWD

And which of these are grammatically and spellingly (for want of a better adverb!) correct:
Is there any difference between American English and British English usage?

1) ECommerce
2) E-Commerce
3) E Commerce

4) email
5) e-mail

Orthographically speaking, there isn't a body competent to decide and the incidence of the various forms is changing too rapidly for the de facto authiorities (eg OED) to settle on any one form.

I personally like the notion of lower case e except at the start of a sentence and hyphenating if the second part is two or more syllables, so I'd use email and e-Commerce.

You would hold an inquiry (an investigation) about something, whereas you would enquire (ask a question)about someones health.

So a contact form is making an enquiry

pedal, peddle, what about paddle? i'd confuse all three but im not a native English speaker..

Also about inquiry and enquire/inquire, enquire is British inquire is US so technically both are right, at least based on BBC grammar reference and from what I was taught at school... Since I've spent quite a bit of time in the US, I do use inquire instead of enquire.

Oh our Queen would love to participate in this thread. One must send the link forthwith and hasten the preparations for her arrival?

Originally Posted by qwerty

Oh our Queen would love to participate in this thread. One must send the link forthwith and hasten the preparations for her arrival?

Indubitably good sir, tarry not to dispatch the messenger and bid him post haste for the Royal Palace.

Originally Posted by jonesRiki

You'd hold an inquiry (an analysis) about something, whereas you'd enquire (request an issue)about somebody's health.

So a message form is making an enquiry

Actually we were just about to hold an inquiry to determine your mental health state. .....
























... But I think you have proved beyond all doubt just how many brain cells make ONE!

Effect can be used as a verb. To effect change, for instance, means to bring it about.

you have a mistake on the frontpage, firsrt paragraph
"these are the commonest errors people make when writing English." (unless this is an Americanism that I'm unaware of )
it isn't in the merriam-webster dictioanary or the OED (Oxford English Dictionary)

better to write "most common"

The grammatical rules of English are that generally, two syllable adjectives with "er" or "est" appended become the comparative and superlative forms of of the adjective.
So as a superlative of "common", "commonest" is a "real" word, and does mean "the most common"

To quote Nietzsche;
"To forget one's purpose is the commonest form of stupidity" (although he originaly said it in German )

hmm but i was always taught that it was wrong to say that at school
guess my teachers were wrong then

Not necessarily wrong, simply not 100% right in their interpretation

"The most common [whatever]" is strictly correct in English grammar and would apply when speaking or writng about multiple items or object, whereas the "The commonest" would apply when discussing a singular item or object or multiple items.
Also context and perspective may also determine which would be used.

ie: "The commonest insect found in English gardens is the ant" vs "The most common insects found in English gardens are ants"



Mind you, if you are writing in a "legalise" style (or you are a DMOZ editor) you may want to avoid using superlatives in any case.