2012 write better ebook

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Help Me Write a Better... ..................................................................................

Speech............................................................................................................. 5Help Me Write a Better... ..................................................................................Manual ........................................................................................................... 7How to Write a Better ... ...................................................................................

Business Memo ............................................................................................ 10Help Me Write a Better... ..................................................................................

College Essay ............................................................................................... 13Help Me Write a Better... ..................................................................................

Business Plan ............................................................................................... 16Help Me Write a Better... ..................................................................................Employee Handbook................................................................................... 19Help Me Write a Better... ..................................................................................

Grant Proposal ............................................................................................ 22Help Me Write a Better... ..................................................................................

Legal Document .......................................................................................... 26Help Me Write a Better... ..................................................................................

ewsletter .................................................................................................... 29Help Me Write a Better... ..................................................................................Press Release................................................................................................ 32Help Me Write a Better... ..................................................................................

Technical Document ................................................................................... 35


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How Write a Better... ........................................................................................

Cover Letter ................................................................................................ 38Help Me Write a Better... ..................................................................................Editorial Article .......................................................................................... 41Help Me Write a Better... ..................................................................................

Book.............................................................................................................. 45How to Write a Better .......................................................................................

Business Letter ............................................................................................ 47Help Me Write a Better... ..................................................................................

Sales Letter .................................................................................................. 50Help Me Write a Better... ..................................................................................

Thesis / Dissertation.................................................................................... 53Help Me Write a Better... ..................................................................................

Blog Post ...................................................................................................... 56Help Me Write a Better... ..................................................................................

Brochure ...................................................................................................... 59Help Me Write a Better... ..................................................................................

Business Email............................................................................................. 62Help Me Write a Better... ..................................................................................

Resume ......................................................................................................... 65Plain English .....................................................................................................

Business Writing ......................................................................................... 69How to Write Better... .......................................................................................

Website Copy............................................................................................... 72

MISUSED

WORDS............................................................................................................................76


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SSppeeeecchh

Because they are spoken, speeches offer a lot of flexibility in terms of how

they are written. However, this large degree of latitude can also make it

difficult to really narrow your ideas down into a compelling speech. Read

on for a few tips to help make your speech more captivating.

1) Keep Sentences Short

Understanding a written run-on sentence is difficult enough; it's practically

impossible to follow when you're hearing it only. Keep this thought in mind

when you're crafting the sentences in your speech. Your audience will havea hard time remembering how your sentence started if it's a long way from

where it finishes. Make your sentences short for maximum comprehension.

2)1. Order Your Thoughts

You must plan the content of your speech in order to make the ideas flow

logically for your readers. You are bound to have more than one topic (orargument) in your speech, so do your best to order them in a way that

makes sense.


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If your speech is about fire safety, for example, you might have the

following topics:

1.Fire hazards around the home2.How to plan for an emergency3.The categories of fire

Make sure you talk about your topics one at a time; don't jump back and

forth, or you may lose your audience. Also, put all information for eachtopic together so that it's all in its logical place. This means that if you want

to list all the fire hazards in a home, group them all together under the fire

hazards around the home topic so that your audience can fully understand

the point you're trying to make.

3) Make Notes for Yourself

One of the wonderful things about speeches is that your audience won't

necessarily see the paper that you're speaking from. Because of this, feel

free to jot down any notes about the way you want to say a certain phrase,

where you want to pause for emphasis or dramatic effect, etc. These notes

can help you a great deal when you're on the spot, trying to make your

speech meaningful for your audience.

Of course, if your speech is also going to be read right off the page, be sure

to create a good copy, free from any pencilled-in hints to yourself about


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Every policy and procedure will not always apply to each of your

employees. Therefore, when you're writing, keep in mind the audience for

whom the policies and procedures are intended.

Using the same high school example, let's assume another policy is:

"Teachers must volunteer to lead one extra-curricular student activity."

This will be a very important section for your teachers to read, but what

about your school's caretakers and administrative staff? Clearly, such a

policy does not apply to them.

This is not to say that you have to write a separate policies and procedures

manual for every category of employee in your company. However, do

organize the contents of your manual under subheadings that direct

employees to read the areas that apply to them. A high school manual

might have the headings "For All Employees," "For Teachers Only," "For

Caretakers," etc. Be sure to include a table of contents so that your

employees can find the policies and procedures they need to read.

3) Use Proper Grammar and Spelling

Correct spelling and grammar are the cornerstones of a successful policies

and procedures manual. Your readers will have a much easier time

absorbing such a complex document if the meaning isn't clouded with

spelling mistakes, grammar errors, and typos. Take all the time necessaryto get it right.


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A well-run organization uses its policies and procedures as a backbone to

support and guide the activities its members. Your document simply must

be easy to read and structured for your audience. It's intuitive: if yourpolicies and procedures document is well organized and grammatically

flawless, your employees will be more likely to take its contents seriously.

HHHHHHHHoooooooowwwwwwwwttttttttoooooooo WWWWWWWWrrrrrrrriiiiiiiitttttttteeeeeeee aaaaaaaa BBBBBBBBeeeeeeeetttttttttttttttteeeeeeeerrrrrrrr ........................

BBuussiinneessss MMeemmooMemos are a quick way to pass information along. It can be frustrating,

however, to receive a memo with an unclear message. To make sure that

your memos get the point across, follow these helpful pointers:

1) Use Lists

Memos are, by their very definition, brief. Therefore, you can get away

with using point form. Lists are a great way to convey your expectations

without being too wordy. Take a look at how this memo effectively uses a

list:

"RE: Thursday's Conference

Kathy,


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We are 90% ready for Thursday's conference, but I need

you to check on the following:

- RSVP status for the McClintocks

- Finalize arrival time of caterers

- Projector setup by IT department

Thanks,

Bill"

As you can see, lists help pass along a lot of details without taking up too

much time or space. Use lists when you can so that your memos can be as

efficient as possible.

2) Start With a Heading

Unfortunately, the fact that memos are short means that your recipients

may dismiss them as unimportant. It may seem unreasonable, but some of

your memos may not even be read by a busy (or lazy) audience.

To avoid this, make your memos stand out by including a headline with

each one. A headline is a fantastic way to get the most important part of

your memo out there immediately for your readers to see. Once yourheadline tells them that your memo contains essential information, they

will be more likely to give the rest of it a closer look.


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1) Use Positive Language

You need an employee handbook because you want to make sure that your

employees do their jobs within the rules of your company. It seems

straightforward, but you must be careful about the way you word your

policies. Too much negativity will discourage your employees and cause

them to see you as the bad guy.

Whenever possible, state regulations in a positive way. Compare the

following sentence pairs:

"Always be punctual for work."

"Don't ever be late for work."

"Only make personal calls during your breaks."

"Do not make personal calls while you're on the clock."

Each pair states one rule, but the first sentence is much more positive than

the second in both cases. Although you may feel negativity makes a

stronger statement, your employees may find it condescending and

oppressive. Choose to state things positively in your employee handbook

for a more content work force.

2) When Negativity is Unavoidable


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4. Show how you are investing in your

project

A strong grant proposal does more than ask for funds; it also explains how

you will share in some of your project's financial burden. Even if it is a

small amount, be sure to explain your financial contribution to your project.

Potential donors want to know that your project is worthwhile enough for

you to add some of your own funds, instead of just asking for someone

else's.

Also, include any non-monetary resources that you plan to contribute, such

as labor and volunteer work. Your audience will recognize that contribution

as valuable, even if it isn't dollars and cents.

Remember, if you are unwilling to invest some of your organization's time

and money, it will turn potential donors off because it tells them that youaren't taking your own project seriously. Your audience needs to know that

your project is worthwhile and well planned. Make it your number one

priority to increase the chance that your grant donors will, too.


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personally and encourage them to keep reading. Using the above example,

try writing, "Our executive is proud to announce a 27% increase in profits

from the previous quarter." The word "proud" conveys a stronger messagethan the facts alone; it tells your readers that you have really accomplished

something substantial.

2) Use Quotations

Your audience will identify more with your press release if they can

mentally attach a personality to it. If you can, include some interesting

quotations that apply to your facts. For example, if your organization held a

press conference, consider pulling some key phrases from the speaker's

address.

Using the same example we used previously, let's assume that your

company's president released a statement saying, "I am excited about our

company's future and confident our profits will continue to rise." Such a

dynamic, captivating statement should be added to your press release so

that your readers can benefit from the impact of the message, as well.

3) Keep Your English Simple

Many different kinds of people will likely read your press release.Therefore, use straightforward English to keep the broadest audience

engaged. Of course, it will be necessary sometimes to use more technical


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TTeecchhnniiccaallDDooccuummeenntt

Technical documents often contain complex topics that can be difficult to

explain. To make sure your readers learn the most from your technicaldocument, check out some of the following tips:

1) State Your Intentions

Tell your audience what your technical document covers right in your first

pages. By letting your readers know in advance what your document does

and does not explain, you'll be laying a strong foundation for deep

understanding. Give your readers the basis they need to follow along to

really get their attention right from the start.

2) Organize Your Ideas

Technical documents are often full of a variety of difficult-to-understand

concepts. To help your readers along, sit down and organize your ideas. For

best readability, make sure you give each idea its own chapter to devote to

its explanation.


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Once you've clearly separated your ideas, decide on the most logical

sequence for your chapters. To figure out what the best order is, tryworking backwards. For example, if one concept can't be explained without

first explaining three other concepts, make sure those three concepts'

chapters come first in your document. Keep working until your ideas are

listed in such a way that your readers have all of the knowledge they need

from one chapter to be ready for the next.

Imagine trying to teach a child to read without first teaching them thealphabet. Without providing the fundamentals first, you wouldn't be able to

add on anything more complicated. It's the same with your technical

document. For increased understanding, give your audience the basics they

need first, so that they can better grasp the tougher concepts later.

3) Write for Your Audience

Before you get started, ask yourself: "For whom am I writing?" The type of

audience you have should govern the way you write your technical

document.

For example, if you're writing a software manual for computer engineers,

you can confidently use technical jargon because you're writing for people

who will understand what you're talking about. However, if your softwaremanual is meant for senior citizens, you'll need to use simple, everyday

language that someone with little computer experience could understand.


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EEddiittoorriiaall

AArrttiiccllee

Articles come in all shapes and sizes. They are in newspapers, magazines,

and posted on the Internet. They cover any and every topic imaginable.

Despite the wide variety, there are guidelines common to all articles that

can help you improve your articles' readability.

1) Plan Ahead

Without planning, your article is bound to come across as disorganized and

difficult to read. Even short articles require planning to be as readable as

possible.

Brainstorming is a great technique to help you figure out what topics you

want to cover in your article. From the ideas you get, decide which topics

are most important based on your intended article length. For example, if

youre writing an article about dancing, you could write about the many

types of dancing, dance classes, dance history the list goes on.


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If you want your article to delve deeply into one subject, make sure you

restrict yourself to only one of your brainstormed topics. If your article is

more of an overview, you have a bit more freedom with the number oftopics you choose.

You may find that youll have to brainstorm more than once to narrow

down your topics sufficiently. If you chose dance history from the above

example, you might brainstorm subtopics" such as the dance history of a

certain country, decade, or dance company. Again, depending on the aim of

your article, you might choose only one topic to explore or several.

2) Research Your Topics

Most people read articles because they want to learn something about a

particular subject. Your readers will be able to sense if your article is

backed up with fact or not, so do your homework before you write. Your

articles will be much more interesting if they are well researched. Youll

also find you will have many more quality details to incorporate into your

articles if you do adequate research first, and the more captivating facts you

include, the more loyal readers youll have.

3) Short, Short, and Simple!

Its the three "s"es of article writing: short sentences, short paragraphs, and

simple English.


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adjectives. Emphasize your key points with catchy phrases. Avoid

repeating the same message over and over again.

To really improve readability, monitor the length of your paragraphs. For

example, if your first message contains a paragraph with seven long

sentences, set a goal to reduce it to five short ones. It may take some time,

but the result will be a more readable, more effective business letter.

Try using a readability formula to get an idea of how easy it is tounderstand your document. Most word processors contain readability

results right in their grammar checkers. Aim for a Flesch Reading Ease

score between 40% and 60%. To learn how to calculate readability

yourself, visit ReadabilityFormulas.com

3) Use the Right Materials

Plain copier paper is flimsy and will not send a message of quality to your

audience. Opt instead to print your business letters on heavier, high quality

printer paper. Quality paper holds ink better and feels crisper in the hands

of your readers, which will enhance their opinion of your company's

professionalism.

Before printing, make sure that your ink cartridges are full, especially ifyou require colored ink for your logo or a graphic. If you do not have

enough of the right colors, your words and pictures will look faded and


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If you are selling something in particular, focus on that and don't give in to

the urge to promote other parts of your business. For example, if yourcompany is having a sale on living room furniture, use your sales letter to

talk about the quality of the furniture, the low prices, and to urge readers to

visit the store now. Don't waste valuable space by talking at length about

the appliances and lighting fixtures you also sell. Stick to the intent of your

sales letter to give it the most impact.

(Potential call-out: Stick to the intent of your sales letter to give it the mostimpact.)

On the other hand, if you are using your sales letter to introduce your

business to a community, you'll have a bit of leeway to present your

business more generally. For example, if you are a realtor trying to get

customers in a new subdivision, it's best to talk very briefly about each of

your services (such as buying homes, selling homes, and legal services).You won't be able to talk extensively about each part of your business, but

this method will motivate people to call you to learn more.

2) Simple Formatting Tricks

Try to limit your sales letter to one page, and no more than two pages (but

still only one page double-sided). Your potential customers will not takethe time to read anything longer than that.


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labeling your arguments (i.e. argument A, argument B, etc.) and then put

the appropriate label next to the corresponding part of your research. You'll

have an easier time finding helpful data when you need it.

3) Always Proofread!

Proofreading is a critical step in the writing of your thesis or dissertation. It

may seem exhausting to you after the months you spent putting it all

together, but it is nevertheless necessary. Proofreading helps you eliminate

every last error from your document. It also gives you the opportunity to

reword any sentences you don't like the second time around.

Virtually all word processors now come with spelling and grammar

checkers, which you will find very helpful. However, these alone are not

enough. You must physically proofread your thesis or dissertation yourself

usually more than once to catch all of the typos and other errors that

happened along the way.

Sometimes, the sheer volume of your work can make it hard for you to

catch all of the errors. A fresh pair of eyes will certainly help you find more

mistakes. If you can, enlist the help of a trusted friend or colleague to

proofread your thesis or dissertation for you. They can help find errors and

suggest alternate wording for places where your writing is a bit awkward. If

you've got a little extra money, you can also hire a professional to do thisjob for you.


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Remember that your thesis or dissertation is the culmination of years of

academic effort. Take the time to show your readership that you are an

educated professional who writes flawlessly and persuasively. You'll berewarded with a more polished and convincing finished product of which

you can be very proud.


BBlloogg PPoosstt

Millions of people write blogs every day on thousands of topics: news,

reviews, personal journals the list goes on. If you're a blogger, here are a

few simple tips that can help make your blog a lot more appealing to your

readers.

1) Pick a Great Headline

Headlines mean the difference between stopping to read your blog and

passing it right by, so choose your words carefully. It's great to ask the

question that your blog answers. Let's look at the headline "Is Your

Shampoo Hurting the Environment?" It introduces your concept while

enticing your readers. You can also try picking an interesting detail from


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many words. For example, if your blog is about a supermarket sale, it's

better to make a list of what items are on sale instead of writing, "Lettuce,

cereal, frozen pizzas, toilet paper" A list clearly states relevantinformation in a concise, easy-to-read fashion.

4) Mind Your Spelling and Grammar

Do not underestimate the power of your words. Do not forget about

spelling and grammar just because you aren't handing your blog in to a

teacher. Proper spelling and grammar lend a degree of professionalism both

to you and your blog. Even if your friends are your only audience, it will be

frustrating to read your blog if you don't take care to remove typos and run

a spell check. If you have time, it's always a good idea to have someone

else proofread your blog before you post it. If not, put your blog away for a

day or even a few hours and then go back and read it again. You're sure to

find mistakes that you missed when you were first writing.

5) Be Consistent with Your Format

When you're posting your writing online, there are unlimited combinations

of fonts, colors, formats, etc. Resist the urge to make your blog too flashy.

Choose one font that is easy to read and keep the size of your body text

uniform (your headlines should be slightly larger).


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Make sure you keep your paragraphs short and put one line space between

them. It only takes a split second for a potential reader to decide if they'll

read your blog or not. One mass of text with a complicated font will notappeal to your audience. Even an informative and entertaining blog will be

overlooked if it's too hard on the eyes. Remember, blogs that are more

readable enjoy larger and more loyal audiences.


BBrroocchhuurree

Brochures are fantastic sales tools for many businesses. However, a hard-

to-read brochure can turn potential customers off, so you need to make it as

appealing as possible to your customers. The following simple guidelineswill help you get the best out of your brochures.

1) A Picture Says a Thousand Words

A good brochure has very little text. To convey a strong message without

being wordy, choose a few effective pictures to include in your brochure. A

picture delivers an instant message to your readers because it takes less

time to process than reading. The best brochures will have relatively self-

explanatory pictures coupled with a few lines of eye-catching text.


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2) The Value of Call-OutsCall-outs are phrases in a slightly larger font that are embedded in a body

of words, similar to a picture. For sections of your brochure that simply

must have a fair amount of text, try using a call-out to steer your readers'

eyes to something that will really grab their attention. Choose something

particularly interesting. For example, imagine a paragraph in a technical

brochure that contains a lot of data about hardware specifications. These

details are important to your brochure, but are nevertheless fairly mundane

to read. A well-placed call-out, like the one in this paragraph, can highlight

an interesting bit of information that will help hold your audience longer.

(Call-out in the above paragraph: A great call-out spices up your brochure.)

3) Make an Impact with BulletsA brochure offers a limited amount of communication space, so use

bulleted lists to get people's attention efficiently. Readers will gravitate

toward anything that stands out, which is why lists are a perfect way to

convey important information. For example, it's better to write:

a)Friendly serviceb)No waiting

c)Satisfaction guarantee


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Finally, consult your printers before choosing a paper type. The quality and

finish of the paper will affect the readability of your brochure. Ask for

advice about which finishes will look best with your brochure's colors,pictures, and text. Finally, don't be afraid to ask for a sample before you

commit to a certain finish; your brochure is an important sales piece that

needs just the right look to showcase your business.


BBuussiinneessss EEmmaaiill

Sending e-mails is a routine task that many businesspeople take for

granted. Keep in mind, however, that every e-mail you send reflects upon

your business, so it's critical that you make them as readable as possible.Below you will find several useful ways to get the most out of your

business e-mails.

1) Get Back to Basics

Nothing gives a terrible first impression like spelling and grammar errors.

It doesn't matter if it's simply a typo; failing to correct errors intentional

or not undermines your professionalism. Make no mistake: spelling and


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By stating your expectations in clear language, point by point, your e-mails

will be more successful in helping you accomplish your business goals.Remember that each e-mail represents your company, so spend the time to

get them right.


RReessuummee

Your resume is a potential employer's first impression of you, so don't

underestimate its influence. Businesspeople can tell a lot about you from

your resume, and we aren't just talking about employment history. Your

resume's presentation - not just its content - has a great deal to do withwhether or not you get called for an interview.

1) Spelling and Grammar are #1!

Proofread, proofread, proofread. Use the grammar and spelling checkers in

your word processor. Ask your friends and family to look your resume over

before you call it a finished product. Typos and other mistakes have a way

of escaping the eyes of their author. Once you're finished your best draft,


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have someone with an eagle eye go over your resume again to spot any

straggling errors.

Perfect spelling and grammar in your resume may seem obvious, but it

really can't be stressed enough. Your resume tells your future employers if

you're a quality worker. Anything less than top grammatical quality on

your resume will leave them with doubts. It's worth saying again: get your

spelling and grammar right!

2) Keep Your Format Consistent

There are dozens of ways to design a resume. Choose one that's right for

you and stick with it. It's confusing to a reader if your resume is not laid out

in a consistent fashion. For example, say you choose to format one

employment history item like this:

Cashier -- Fast n' Fresh Supermarket -- Boston, MA

I processed grocery transactions and trained new employees.

The next item should be in the same format: position, company name, and

location on one line, with each detail separated by a dash. On the next line

should be a brief description of your duties at that job. Keep the format

identical throughout your resume so that your reader doesn't have troublefiguring out what you're trying to say.


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you have such a small amount of space to impress your potential employer

that you must trim the details that will have the least likelihood of helping

you get the job. Remember, your resume reflects you as a professional, sochoose the details that show you're just the professional they need.


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PPPPPPPPllllllllaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiinnnnnnnn EEEEEEEEnnnnnnnngggggggglllllllliiiiiiiisssssssshhhhhhhh

BBuussiinneessss WWrriittiinngg

At the office, it's critical that you know how to write well. Businesses need

to hold their writing to the same high standard they demand of their

products and services. Your clients and suppliers judge you on your

documents, so read on to learn about making your business writing

competent and professional.

1) Use the Right Tools

Even before your readers start reading, they will draw conclusions about

your document based on its physical characteristics. Text printed correctlyon the right stationery makes a great first impression.

Choose heavy enough paper. Standard copier paper is flimsy, slightly

translucent, and holds ink poorer than heavier paper. Documents printed on

quality paper convey a degree of elegance and professionalism. Also,

brighter paper makes text stand out better on the page. You can check the

brightness of the paper right on the packaging before you buy.

Before you print anything, invest in a good quality printer. The end result

will show whether you've used an old, cheap printer or a high-end machine,


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so spend the money to make your documents look amazing. Also, make

sure your ink cartridges are full before printing. Your documents will be

harder to read if the ink is faded.

If you're printing irregularly sized documents or you have a large volume,

consider using a printing company. They can provide samples of their work

and references, so you can be sure you're getting the quality you need.

Often, this option is less expensive for you than buying all of the ink and/or

special equipment you would need to do it yourself.

2) Layout Makes an Impression

Even a compelling message won't read well if it's poorly presented on the

page. Before you send any writing on its way, take note of the following:

a) Separate your ideas with paragraphs. Keep your paragraphs short and to

the point, and make sure there is one line space in between each one.

b) Use headings when you can. Headings get an idea across right away and

encourage your readers to learn more about it.

c) Be consistent with your font size. Choose a reasonable size (usually 10

to 12 points) and don't stray from it unless your document contains

headlines. Even your headlines should not be oversized; make them onlyslightly larger than your body text.


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3) Order Your Topics

Determine what topics your document will cover and order them

appropriately. It's always best to deliver the good news first. Keep the first

part of your document relatively light-hearted in order to draw in your

readers.

Difficult news, negative results, or boring statistics should always come

after a more cheerful part of your document. People will be more likely to

pay attention to the bad news if they aren't bombarded with it right off the

bat. Deliver negative information concisely and clearly so people

understand the details.

Always follow up negative or uninteresting news with a few positive

sentences before you close. Doing so will make the information more

digestible for your readers.

4) Grammar and Spelling

Make sure you run a spelling and grammar check before your documents

are read to avoid any miscommunication. You've heard it a million times,

but spelling and grammar truly are critical to the readability of your

business writing. Don't forget that a perfect business document makes agreat impression, regardless of your intended audience.


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MMiissuusseeddWWoorrddss1) ACCEPTACE, ACCEPTATIO.Acceptance is the act

of accepting; also favorable reception: as, The acceptance of agift, She sang with marked acceptance. Acceptation now meansthe sense in which an expression is generally understood oraccepted.

2)

ACCESS, ACCESSIO.Access has several meaningsauthorized by good use: () outburst; () admission; () way of entrance.Accession means the coming into possession of a right; or an addition.

3) ACTS, ACTIOS.Acts, in the sense of things done, ispreferable to actions, since actions also means processes of doing.

4) ADVACE, ADVACEMET.Advance is used inspeaking of something as moving forward; advancement, as being

moved forward.

5) ALLUSIO, ILLUSIO, DELUSIO.An allusion is anindirect reference to something not definitely mentioned. Roughlyspeaking, an illusion is an error of vision; delusion, of judgment. Inliterary and popular use an illusion is an unreal appearance presentedin any way to the bodily or the mental vision; it is often pleasing,harmless, or even useful.... A delusion is a mental error or deception,and may have regard to things actually existing, as well as to illusions.

Delusions are ordinarily repulsive and discreditable, and may even bemischievous.


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6) AVOCATIO, VOCATIO.Vocation means calling orprofession; avocation, something aside from ones regular calling, a

by-work.

7) COMPLETIO, COMPLETEESS.Completion is theact of completing; completeness is the state of being complete.

8) OBSERVATIO, OBSERVACE.Observation containsthe idea of looking at; observance, of keeping, celebrating. Wespeak of the observation of a fact, of a star; of the observance of afestival, of a rule.

9) PROPOSAL, PROPOSITIO.A proposal is somethingproposed to be done, which may be accepted or rejected. Aproposition is something proposed for discussion, with a view todetermining the truth or wisdom of it.

10) RELATIOSHIP, RELATIO.Relationship properlymeans the state of being related by kindred or alliance: as, Arelationship existed between the two families. Relation is a word ofmuch broader meaning. It does not necessarily imply kinship.

11) SOLICITUDE, SOLICITATIO.Solicitude is anxiety;solicitation is the act of soliciting or earnestly asking.

12) STIMULATIO, STIMULUS, STIMULAT.Stimulationis the act of stimulating or inciting to action; stimulus, originally agoad, now denotes that which stimulates, the means by which one is

incited to action; stimulant has a medical sense, being used of thatwhich stimulates the body or any of its organs. We speak of ambitionas a stimulus, of alcohol as a stimulant.


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54) ARISE, RISE.The choice between these words wasprimarily, and still often is, a matter of rhythm euphony. The literalmeanings, however, or those which seem literal, have become moreassociated with rise, and the consciously figurative with arise: as, herose from the chair; the sun rose; the provinces rose in revolt: troublearose; music arose with its voluptuous swell.

55) CAPTIVATE, CAPTURE.To captivate means tofascinate; to capture, to take prisoner.

56) DEPRECIATE, DEPRECATE.To depreciate means tobring down in value, to disparage; to deprecate means to argueearnestly against or to express regret for.

57) IMPUG, IMPUTE.To impugn means to call in question;to impute means to ascribe to.

58) Loan, lend.The use of loan as a verb is not sanctioned bygood use. Properly the word is a noun. A loan is money which a

person lends.

59) ATAGOIZE, OPPOSE.To antagonize means properlyto struggle against, to oppose actively, or to counteract. InEngland, antagonizing forces must be of the same kind, but in the

political phraseology of the United States a person may antagonize(i.e., oppose) a measure.


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65) DEMAD, ASK.To demand means to ask for withauthority or with insistence. The use of demand in the sense ofask is borrowed, possibly, from the French use of demander.

66) HIRE, LET, LEASE.To hire means to obtain the use of;to let, to give the use of. To lease means to give the use of bylease. The owner of a house leases it; the person who occupies ittakes a lease of it.

67) LEAR, TEACH.Learn means to acquire knowledge, notto impart it. In the latter sense the proper word is teach.

68) I have more information to-day than I had before, said Mr.Sheehan.

69) This has learned you something, said Mr. Goff.70) Oh no, replied Mr. Sheehan, it has taught me something.71) LIKE, LOVE.Like and love differ greatly in strength or

warmth, and may differ in kind. Like may be feeble and cool, and itnever has the intensity of love. We may like or even love a person; weonly like the most palatable kind of food. With an infinitive, like is thecommon word, love being appropriate only in the hyperbole of

poetical or rhetorical feeling.

72) MATERIALIZE, APPEAR.To materialize properly meansto make or to become physically perceptible; as, by means ofletters we materialize our ideas and make them as lasting as ink and

paper; the ideas of the sculptor materialize in marble.


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82) ARGUE, AUGUR.To argue is to bring forward reasons;to augur is to foretell, to forebode.

83) COMPARE WITH, COMPARE TO, COTRAST.Twothings are compared in order to note the points of resemblance anddifference between them; they are contrasted in order to note the

points of difference only. When one thing is compared to another, it isto show that the first is like the second; when one thing is comparedwith another, it is to show either difference or similarity, especiallydifference.

84) COSTRUE, COSTRUCT.To construe means tointerpret, to show the meaning; to construct means to build; wemay construe a sentence as in translation, or construct it as incomposition.

85) COVICE, COVICT.To convince is to satisfy theunderstanding; to convict, to pronounce guilty. The jury having

been convinced of the prisoners guilt, he was convicted.

86) DETECT, DISCRIMIATE.To detect is to find out; todiscriminate is to distinguish between.

87) DISCLOSE, DISCOVER.To disclose is to uncover, toreveal; to discover is, in modern usage, to find.

88) DOMIATE, DOMIEER.To dominate is to rule; todomineer is to rule in an overbearing manner.

89) DRIVE, RIDE.We go driving in carriages, riding in saddles.We drive behind horses, we ride on them.


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99) PREDICATE, PREDICT.To predicate is to affirm as anattribute or quality; to predict is to foretell.

100) PRESCRIBE, PROSCRIBE.To prescribe is to lay downas a rule or a remedy; to proscribe is to condemn to death or to lossof rights.

101) PURPOSE, PROPOSE.The verb purpose, in the sense ofintend, is preferable to propose, since to propose also means tooffer for consideration: the noun answering to the former is purpose;to the latter, proposal or proposition.

102) REPULSE, REPEL.Repulse usually implies hostility; repelis a milder term. We repulse an enemy or an assailant; we repel anofficious person or the unwelcome advances of a lover.

103) START, BEGI, COMMECE.To start is to set out orto set going, and is not followed by an infinitive. Before aninfinitive, begin or commence is used. Begin is preferred inordinary use; commence has more formal associations with law and

procedure, combat, divine service, and ceremonial.

104) SUSPECT, EXPECT, ATICIPATE.To suspect is tomistrust, to surmise. Expect, in the sense of look forward to, is

preferable to anticipate, since anticipate also means take up, perform,or realize beforehand; as, Some real lives do actually anticipate thehappiness of heaven.

105) GOOD, WELL.Good is an adjective: the adverbcorresponding to it is well. We say, He had a good sleep; He sleptwell. Well is sometimes an adjective, as in You look well.


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112) THIS, THESE; THAT, THOSE.This (plural these) and that(plural those) are the only adjectives in English that have distinctforms for the plural. A common mistake is to use the plural formswith singular collective nouns, as kind, class, sort.

113) FIRST, SECOD, SECODLY, etc.First is both adjectiveand adverb. Second, third etc., are adjectives only; the correspondingadverbs are secondly, thirdly, etc. Firstly is a vulgarism.

114) AGGRAVATIG, IRRITATIG.In good use aggravatingmeans making heavier, more grave, worse in some way. It is often

misused for irritating, exasperating, or provoking.

115) ALL, THE WHOLE.See page .116) APT, LIKELY, LIABLE.Apt implies a natural

predisposition, an habitual tendency. Likely implies a probability ofwhatever character; liable, an unpleasant probability. One is apt tospeak quickly, likely to hear good news, liable to be hurt.

117) BOTH, EACH, EVERY.Both, meaning the two, and notmerely one of them, groups objects, as, Both were men of hottemper. Each means all of any number, considered one by one, as,Each boy recited in his turn. Every means all of any number,considered as composing a group or class, as, Every pupil shouldhave a dictionary and use it freely. Every directs attention chiefly tothe totality, each chiefly to the individuals composing it. It may also

be observed that each usually refers to a numerically definite group....Thus, Each theory is open to objection relates to an understoodenumeration of theories, but Every theory is open to objection refersto all theories that may exist.


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132) HEALTHY, HEALTHFUL, WHOLESOME.That ishealthy which is in good health; that is healthful or wholesome which

produces health. Wholesome commonly applies to food.

133) HUMA, HUMAE.Human denotes what pertains to manas man; as, human nature, human sacrifices. Humane meanscompassionate.

134) LATEST, LAST.Latest, like the word late, contains adistinct reference to time; that is latest which comes after all others intime: as, The latest news; The latest fashion. Last, which was

originally a contraction of latest, is now used without any distinctreference to time, and denotes that which comes after all others inspace or in a series: as, The last house on the street; The Last of theMohicans.

135) LEGTHY, LOG.Lengthy is said to have originated inthe United States, but the earliest quotations found are from Britishauthors. In the introduction to the second series of The Biglow Papers,Mr. Lowell wrote: We have given back to England the excellent

adjective lengthy ... thus enabling their journalists to characterize ourPresidents messages by a word civilly compromising between longand tedious, so as not to endanger the peace of the two countries bywounding our national sensitiveness to British criticism. Lengthy isused chiefly of discourses or writings, and implies tediousness. Longis used of anything that has length.

136) MAD, AGRY.Mad means insane; in the sense ofangry it is not in good use.

137) EW, OVEL.That is new which is not old; that is novelwhich is both new and strange.


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We will not go, for it is raining, the reason, it is raining, isannounced as itself a bit of news. Often the choice between thesewords is decided by the ear.

164) HOW.How properly means in what manner or to whatextent. It is often misused for that to introduce an object clause.

165) OR, OR.Nor is the correlative of neither, sometimes ofother negatives. Or is the correlative of either.

166) THEREFORE, SO.In the sense of for this reason,therefore is preferable to so, since so has other meanings.

167) THOUGH.Though means notwithstanding, in spite of thefact that.

168) AS IF, AS THOUGH.As if is, on the whole, preferable toas though.

169) WHE, WHILE.When means at the time that; while,during the time that, as long as. When fixes attention on a dateor period; while fixes attention on the lapse of time.