Words Often Misused
1. Lend/Borrow
Lend is used for the giver while borrow is used for the receiver. Thus means you lend to while we borrow from. For instance, if Mary gives money to John, it means Mary is lending to John while John who is receiving the money is borrowing from Mary.
2. Fall/Fell
Fall means to drop down from a higher level or be defeated. The past tense is 'fell'. Fell is to cut down a tree or to bring down somebody on the ground. Example: an opponent in a boxing ring. The past tense is felled e.g. The former Vice-Chancellor felled some trees on campus.
3. Steal/Rob
Steal is used when the action is quietly or secretly done without the use of arms or violence while Rob is used when it involves arms or violence.
4. Latter/Later
Latter means being the second of two things while Later means at a time in the future after the time you are talking about.
5. Hire/Rent
Hire means to pay money to use something for a short time such as a car while Rent means to regularly pay money to somebody so that you can continue to use what they own such as a house.
6. Price/Prize
Price is the amount of money that you have to pay for am item or service while Prize is an award given to somebody who performs best in a competition.
7. Sometimes/Sometime
Sometimes is an adverb which means occasionally rather than always e.g. Sometimes, I travel abroad. Sometime is an adjective which means a time that you cannot know exactly or a time that has not yet been decided e.g. I should travel abroad sometime next week.
8. As/Like
As is used for a real identity e.g. The man is dressed as a Yoruba man: this means the man is really a Yoruba man. Like on the other hand is used for an imitated identity e.g. The man dressed like a Yoruba man: this means the man is not a Yoruba man but by his dressing, he looks like one.
9. Everyday/Every day
Everyday is an adjective used to describe a noun. The two words are written together and when it is used, a noun comes after it e.g. This is an everyday event. Every day on the other hand is an adverb and the two words are separated e.g. I go to school every day.
10. Talkative/Talker
Talkative is often used wrongly by most speakers of English. It is often used as a noun, whereas it should be used as an adjective. Talker is what we are supposed to use when we put an article before e.g. It is wrong to say: The girl is a talkative. It is because the word is an adjective which should not stand alone with an article. It could be written thus:
- The girl is a talkative person.
- The girl is a talker.
- The girl is talkative.
Since we cannot say: The girl is a beautiful, we cannot also say the girl is a talkative because they are both adjectives.
11. Invaluable/Unvaluable
Invaluable means priceless, worthy or of a very high value or importance while invaluable if at all exists, would mean something that is worthless.
12. Loose/Loosen/Lose/Lost
Loose is an adjective which means 'not firm' 'not tight'. It is often mistaken for Loosen which is a verb. When something is loosened, that is when it becomes loose. It us wrong to say: Help me loose the rope round the neck of the dog because it is too tight. Instead you say: Help me loosen the rope round the neck of the dog because it is too tight. I need it to he loose. Lose on the other hand is a verb in a present tense form meaning not to have possession of something anymore. The past tense is lost and the effect is loss. For instance, it is wrong to say: John, please don't lost my money. Instead you say: John, please don't lose my money. The sentence can then continue by saying: Last year you lost some and it was a big loss.
13. Childish/Childlike
Childish is a behaviour typical or connected to a child. It is usually uncomplimentary or disapproving. It is usually used in a negative manner. For example: We all hate that man for his childish behavior. Childlike on the other hand means having qualities of a child usually used in a positive sense such as having the innocence of a child or the voice of a child e.g. His childlike behavior always earns him favour.
14. Desirous/Desirable
Desirous means longing to have something e.g. The boy seems desirous if being a President. Desirable on the other hand means something that is worth getting e.g. Being a president is quite desirable.
15. Ago/Since/For
Ago is used with numbers coming before it e.g. John travelled five days ago. Since on the other hand is used when we refer to a definite time. It does not require the use of numbers e.g. I have sat here since morning. For is used when a definite time to mentioned either in number or figure e.g. I have been here for ten days. It is wrong to say: I have been here for last week.
We will treat more on words commonly Misused has we move on.
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